Lenze PLC Designer PLC Designer (R3-1) - Manual (Page 105)

L-force | PLC Designer
Concepts and Base Components
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DMS 4.1 EN 03/2011 TD29 103
3.8 Device, Device tree
In the Devices window ("device tree") the hardware can be mapped on which the
application is to run.
Each "device" object represents a specific (target) hardware object. Examples:
controller, field bus node, bus coupler, drive, I/O-module, monitor.
Each device is defined by a device description and must be installed on the local system
in order to be available for inserting in the devices tree (see below). The device
description file defines the properties of a device concerning configurability,
programmability and possible connections to other devices.
In the device tree however not only device objects are managed, but all objects which
are needed to run an application on a device (controller, PLC); thus also the
"Application" objects as well as "Task Configuration" and "Task" objects. But also pure
programming objects like particular POUs, Global Variable lists and Library Manager
can - instead of being managed as project-globally instantiable units in the POUs
window - be managed ONLY in the device tree and in this case are only available for
exactly "their" application or "child applications" of their application.
Regard the possibility to run the active application on a "simulation device" which is
per default automatically available within the programming system. So no real target
device is needed to test the online behaviour of an application. When you switch to
simulation mode, the »PLC Designer« SP V3 entry in the device tree will be displayed in
italic letters and you can login with the application.
See in the following some Generals on the device tree and information on the
installation and the arranging of the objects.
For information on the conversion of device references when opening projects of
another format please see Open Project.
Generals:
• The root node of the tree always is a symbolic node entry: <projectname>.
• The trees of the "PLC Configuration" and "Task Configuration", which in »PLC
Designer« V2.3 are completely handled in separate windows, are integrated in the
devices tree. The PLC configuration is defined by the topological arrangement of
the devices in the device tree. Just the configuration of the particular device resp.
task parameters is done in corresponding editor dialogs.
• Thus the hardware structure will be mapped and represented within the devices
tree by the corresponding arrangement of "device" objects, allowing to set up a
complex heterogeneous system of multiple networked controllers and underlying
field busses.
• See below for the "rules" for inserting objects in the device tree.