Use the Simulation Data Inspector to Visualize and Monitor the Logging Data

This workflow is supported for Rockwell Automation^® targets. This workflow shows you how to set up an Open Platform Communications (OPC) server and use the Simulation Data Inspector in Simulink^® to visualize and monitor the logging data.

Set Up and Download Code to the Studio 5000 IDE

The following procedure shows you how to create a Studio 5000 project to import the generated logging code. You can use a similar procedure to import the generated code into an existing project.

Start the Studio 5000 IDE and create project with the name ext_demo1.
Import the generated ext_demo.L5X to the Add-On Instructions tree node of the project.
In the MainProgram node, delete the ladder MainRoutine and create an ST MainRoutine node.
In ST MainRoutine, define the following tags:
Tag Name Tag Type
i0_Subsystem Subsystem
i0_Subsystem_val Subsystem_log
Init BOOL
Y1 REAL
Y2 REAL
Y3 DINT
The tag definition looks like the following in Studio 5000 IDE, i0_Subsystem tag is the instance of the top subsystem AOI, the i0_Subsystem_val tag is the log data with structure type Subsystem_log. Set the initial value of init tag to 1.
Double-click MainRoutine tree node and type in the following code. The statement Subsystem(i0_Subsystem, 23, Y1, Y2, Y3, i0_Subsystem_val) calls the logging method (ssmethod value=23) to log in data to the i0_Subsystem_val tag.
Compile the project in Studio 5000 IDE, connect, and download to the PLC target.

Tag Name	Tag Type
`i0_Subsystem`	`Subsystem`
`i0_Subsystem_val`	`Subsystem_log`
`Init`	`BOOL`
`Y1`	`REAL`
`Y2`	`REAL`
`Y3`	`DINT`

Configure RSLinx OPC Server

Start RSLinx Classic Gateway, select the menu item DDE/OPC->Topic Configuration.
In the resulting pop-up dialog box, create a topic ext_demo1 by using the New button. Select the target PLC from the PLC list.
Click Yes button to update the topic (ext_demo1).
To verify that the log data is set up on the OPC server, select the menu item Edit->Copy DDE/OPC Link. The i0_Subsystem_val tag for log data must be shown on the RSLinx OPC Server.

Use PLC External Mode Commands to Stream and Display Live Log Data

After the RSLinx OPC Server is configured, you can use the PLC external mode commands to connect to the server, stream, and display live logging data on the Simulation Data Inspector. The log data information is in theplc_log_data.mat file which can be found in plcsrc folder. You can use the plcdispextmodedata function to display the contents of the MAT-file. In the MATLAB^® command, type:

>>cd plcsrc
>>plcdispextmodedata plc_log_data.mat

Log data:
#1: Y1: LREAL
#2: Y2: LREAL
#3: Y3: LREAL
#4: io_Chart.out: DINT
#5: io_Chart.ChartMode: DINT
#6: io_Chart.State_A: BOOL
#7: io_Chart.State_B: BOOL
#8: io_Chart.State_C: BOOL
#9: io_Chart.State_D: BOOL
#10: io_Chart.is_active_c3_Subsystem: USINT
#11: io_MATLABFunction.y: LREAL
#12: io_MATLABFunction.i: LREAL
#13: io_S1.y: LREAL
#14: io_S1.UnitDelay_DSTATE: LREAL
#15: i1_S1.y: LREAL
#16: i1_S1.UnitDelay_DSTATE: LREAL

The format for the log data information is index number, name, and type. The log data for non-top subsystem function block output and state variables are named using the dot notation to represent the function block instances that own the data. The index and name of the log data can be used with the plcrunextmode command to specify a subset of log data for streaming and visualization.

Use the plcrunextmode function to connect to the OPC server and stream log data. For example, executing plcrunextmode ('localhost', 'studio5000', 'ext_demo1', 'plc_log_data.mat'); command streams live log data for the example model in to Simulation Data Inspector.

The plcrunextmode command continues to run and stream log data. To exit streaming, type Ctrl-C in MATLAB to stop.

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