I am currently dealing with a challenge involving tracing communication between numerous PLCs that contain multiple MSG instructions. Is there a method to identify the specific tags serving as the source or destination in these MSG instructions without having to manually open each instruction's setup dialog? Surprisingly, the tags are not listed in the cross-reference as arguments for the MSG instruction, indicating a potential oversight by Rockwell.
Would you like to save your project as a L5K file and then use a text editor to easily locate the MSG instructions and view their configuration settings?
In the MSG tag, you can identify and modify the remote element (the source for reading and the destination for writing) as 'RemoteElement'. While you can view and monitor the elements of other tags, the local element is not accessible in the programming software for security reasons. One possible way to view the configuration of MSG instructions is to save as a L5K file and use an editor to search for them. This method may provide insights into the stored location of the local element within the software.
ErmaGersh inquired about how to efficiently trace communications between multiple PLCs with numerous MSG instructions. Is there a method to identify the source/destination tags in MSG instructions without manually accessing each instruction's configuration dialog? Surprisingly, the tags do not appear in cross-references as arguments for MSG instructions, which appears to be a significant omission by Rockwell. Cross-references solely search for symbols (tag names), while message source/destination elements serve as pointers to tag data values.
The Message Tag displays the Remote Source/Destination as the RemoteElement, allowing you to easily categorize tags by Type. By cross-referencing "*", you can identify the PLC Source/Destination. Sort the Element column and locate the MSG tags to view associated tags in the Reference Column, including the Source tag. Each instance pair includes the MSG tag and the corresponding PLC tag being written to. This process provides clarity and streamlines tag management.
Robertmee explained how to identify PLC Source and Destination by cross-referencing "*", sorting the Element column, and locating MSG. By examining the tags associated with MSG in the Reference Column, you can find the Source tag for each instance pair. This pair includes the MSG tag and the PLC tag being written to. It is interesting to learn this method. How did you discover it?
In Rockwell's RSLogix 5000 or Studio 5000, it's indeed a bit frustrating that MSG instructions do not cross reference, but you can consider implementing an indirect solution. Try exporting your ladder logic to an L5K file, then open it in a text editor—this way, you can use the search function to find the respective tags. Although it might not be as efficient as having them listed in cross-reference, it certainly beats manually clicking through each MSG instruction.
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Answer: 1. How can I identify the source or destination tags in MSG instructions in Rockwell's Logix Version 24 without manually opening each setup dialog? - Unfortunately, Rockwell's Logix Version 24 does not list the tags as arguments in the cross-reference for MSG instructions, making it challenging to identify them without manual intervention.
Answer: - Due to the oversight by Rockwell in not listing the tags in the cross-reference, users may need to manually open each MSG instruction's setup dialog to identify the source or destination tags.
Answer: - Rockwell's Logix Version 24 does not offer a direct method to identify source or destination tags in MSG instructions, and users may have to rely on manual inspection of each instruction's setup dialog.
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