PART 7: Monitoring And Debugging (PDF)

In this book (PART 7) we will get familiar with debugging and monitoring of a program running on the PLC (Siemens S7-1500 and S7-1200 and TIA Portal). Additionally, we will also learn how to use a PLC simulator and the Trace tool. All these tools and techniques greatly support the design, testing and optimisation of our programs and/or the detection and elimination of programming and hardware errors.

Table of Content:

• LESSON 1: MONITORING A PROGRAM
  
• EXAMPLE 1: The PLC tag table and data blocks
  
• TASK 1: Monitoring the variables in the PLC tag table
• TASK 2: Monitoring variables in the data block
• EXAMPLE 2: Monitoring functions, function blocks and organisation blocks
  
• TASK 1: Preparing the monitoring code (LAD, SCL and STL)
• TASK 2: Monitoring in the LAD language
• TASK 3: Monitoring in the SCL language
• TASK 4: Monitoring in the STL language
• TASK 5: Monitoring functions
• EXAMPLE 3: Monitoring re-usable functions
  
• TASK 1: Creating a re-usable function block
• TASK 2: Calling a function block multiple times
• TASK 3: Open and monitor a single instance
• LESSON 2: WATCH AND FORCE TABLES
  
• EXAMPLE 4: Watch Tables
  
• TASK 1: Creating a new watch table
• TASK 2: Adding variables to a watch table
• TASK 3: Online, monitor and modify
• EXAMPLE 5: The force table
  
• TASK 1: Opening a force table
• TASK 2: Forcing (modifying) variables
• TASK 3: Stop forcing variables
• LESSON 3: THE DIAGNOSTIC BUFFER
  
• EXAMPLE 6: Opening the diagnostic buffer
  
• TASK 1: Connecting to the PLC and opening the diagnostic buffer (using Project)
• TASK 2: Connecting to the PLC and opening the diagnostic buffer (without Project)
• TASK 3: Enabling the web server to access the diagnostic buffer using the web browser
• TASK 4: General PLC information
• EXAMPLE 7: Using the diagnostic buffer to identify problems
  
• TASK 1: Generating (creating) an error in our system
• TASK 2: Opening the diagnostic buffer and solving the problem
• EXAMPLE 8: The diagnostic buffer on the operator panel
  
• LESSON 4: DETECTING QUICK CHANGES IN THE PROGRAM
  
• EXAMPLE 9: Expanding the code to debug our program 1
  
• EXAMPLE 10: Expanding the code to debug our program 2
  
• LESSON 5: BREAKPOINTS
  
• EXAMPLE 11: Using breakpoints
  
• TASK 1: Setting up (creating) an error in our system
• TASK 2: Adding a new breakpoint
• TASK 3: Activating a breakpoint
• TASK 4: Running the program
• TASK 5: Deleting breakpoints
• LESSON 6: TRACE TOOL
  
• EXAMPLE 12: Working with Trace
  
• TASK 1: Creating a new Trace
• TASK 2: Configuring the variables for tracing
• TASK 3: Configuring the recording trigger signal
• TASK 4: Downloading Trace
• TASK 5: Start recording
• TASK 6: The visualisation of recorded signals
• TASK 71: Setting the recording trigger
• LESSON 7: THE PLC SIMULATOR
  
• EXAMPLE 13: The PLC simulator
  
• TASK 1: Starting the PLC simulator
• TASK 2: SIM table(s)
• TASK 3: Sequences
• TASK 4: Back to the compact view
• TASK 5: Stopping/closing/saving the simulator