Configuring PLCSIM Adv signals

You can use the PLCSIM Adv V2 protocol to establish communication between Mechatronics Concept Designer and a virtual PLC. After you establish the connection, you can test discrete control logic and motion applications during cosimulations. Use the cosimulations to test PLC logic with MCD's physics simulations and 3D visualizations.

Use the PLCSIM Adv application programming interface (API) version 4 to increase compatibility with Mechatronics Concept Designer and retrieve the joints assigned to a rigid body. Use Designcenter Open APIs to retrieve the dependent joints for rigid bodies.

You can also use this software-in-loop (SIL) approach to adapt MCD's time scale with the virtual PLC's time scale to meet real-time behavior requirements.

If you want to use PLCSIM Adv signals without assigning names, you can use tags based on the I/O address to read and write values during simulations. You must use the HWCNExport.exe tool to create the XML paths.

Synchronization

Using the options in the Synchronization group, you can control the signaling between MCD and virtual PLCs to ensure that the signals are transmitted and received by both programs, including PLCSIM Adv running in freeze mode. You can also set the number of simulation steps to run before refreshing the signals.

Use the Signal Mapping command to map your MCD signals. You can use automatic mapping to assign tags to signals with the same data type, name, and corresponding I/O type.

If you want to read and write the memory layout as an integer using the PLCSIM Adv protocol, the structure size for the PLC memory layout can be 2 to 4 bytes.

Use the %USER_BASE_DIR%\mechatronics\virtualcommissioning_examples\PLCSIM_Adv folder to view examples.

Where do I find it?

Configuring PLCSIM Adv signals

Application	Mechatronics Concept Designer
Command	External Signal Configuration, Signal Mapping

Use tags based on the I/O address to read and write values during simulations

Application	Mechatronics Concept Designer
Prerequisite	You must use the HWCNExport.exe tool (available from Siemens Industry Online Support) to create the XML paths.

Accessing virtual commissioning examples

Application	Mechatronics Concept Designer
Directory path	%USER_BASE_DIR%\mechatronics\virtualcommissioning_examples\PLCSIM_Adv folder

Related tasks

• Configure a PLCSIM Adv instance

Related reference

• External Signal Configuration dialog box — PLCSIM Adv tab