Josh Bazely (Customer) asked a question.
Importing PLC tags giving "tag unsupported" errors
I am trying to import tags from a Studio 5000 project L5K/L5X format but I am receiving errors for unsupported datatypes. What is the best way to import tags from a PLC to an HMI project? Can this HMI handle UDT's, and if so why am I getting import errors on datatypes like "CONTROL"?
Usually, I am exporting from an Automation Direct PLC, which allows you to export the tag database in the C-more format. But in cases were the tag database was generated by another source, like in your case, from an A-B PLC, I will go into the C-more tag database and manually enter a bunch of tags that include all the data types I will be using. And then export that database to an XLS file. Then open that file using Excel, and use that file as a template, and paste my tag names and addresses. This file, having the correct columns and formatting, can then be imported back into C-more. When manually entering a tag in the C-more tag database, C-more will only allow supported data types of your assigned protocol.
Thank you for the response. I will give this a try, it is a very logical solution but i think this will get tedious if I need to do this often.
I ended up writing a python script to strip unsupported tags out of an XML file and re-save it as a L5K file for import to the CM5 project, but I was still getting a GUI-185 error so it did not fix it. I'm thinking it's a bug in the C-more software because it still happens with a fresh PLC project tag file with only a single tag in it as well.
Thanks.
About "tedious if I need to do this often", once you have the Excel file, with the correct columns and format, you should be able to copy tags & addresses from your A-B tag name file and paste them into the C-more-format Excel file. And import that file into C-more as many times as you need. But I understand that is an extra step. (But from A-B PLC guys I worked with, the C-more is worth the extra step over PanelView)
Yes, give it a try. I hope that works for you.
About possibly having a bug in your C-more software, AutomationDirect tech support can help you with that.
By Tedious, I mean there is no easy copy-paste way to do it. When I get the tags from the AB tag export, there is no "address" column like there is in the C-more export. The C-more tag syntax seems to be "BOOL & TagName" which would require manual (or at least non-trivial) work.
I am also curious how this handles UDTs as most of my tags are nested UDTs.
The CM5 panels do support UDTs in the Do-More Platform when using the symbolic driver. So that to me indicates that you need a driver support for an Allen Bradly PLC that supports UDT, which I doubt it has as modern AB support seems to be just EtherNet/IP connection based. And given it already doesnt know how to parse the proprietary tag format of your AB PLC output, the chances of knowing how to handle AB UDTs seems extremely low.
Wow! A-B does not allow exporting tag names and addresses in an "open" format, like a CSV file?! A-B PLC software only exports a "coded" file, only readable by PanelView?! Sorry, but I cannot help with the A-B stuff. I assumed A-B could export to a CSV file to allow copy and paste.
A-B does this to lock you into their product. That and their outrageous pricing is a few of the reasons I switched to A-D in 2013.
I did a project in 2011 with their "Sercos" servos, and got a laugh when my Indramat distributor said no, they're Ser-close.
But I digress.
I did a project last year implementing a Compactlogix, Kinetix servos, Powerflex 525, but used a CM5 instead of a Panelview and had no issues with importing or using tags.
C-more supports the full-range of A-B Datatypes: Atomic, Predefined Structures, Arrays, UDT, AOI, Alias. Please see helpfile topics CM128 and CM133. For the CONTROL Predefined Datatype you will need to review CM133 and make edits to your L5KPreDefined.txt or L5XPreDefined.txt configuration file.
These are fantastic resources, thank you for pointing them out to me.
I am still unable to import any tags however due to the GUI-185 error. This happens with any project file I import (AB v36, AB v33, blank projects with 1 bool tag, etc...)
I haven't found any resources to help with this. It seems to be a formatting issue with how AB exports format their L5X/K or CSV Files. I've tried many different formats though and always get the same error.