Hello everyone, I am currently working on transitioning a Citect SCADA 2018 project from a Panasonic PLC (programmed in FPwin Pro 6) to Allen Bradley CompactLogix controllers (running Studio 5000 v36). During the translation process, tag names for push-buttons and value readouts have changed. I am looking for guidance on how to create a new project with a similar layout to the one used with the Panasonic PLC for the Allen Bradley PLC. I have tried exporting tags from Studio 5000 as a .csv file and importing it into Citect Studio's "variables", but I am encountering an error stating "one or more columns in the csv file do not match the variable database headers." I acknowledge that the differences in variable names may pose challenges in seamlessly switching over, but this is how the project was handed to me midway through development. Any insights or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I noticed you didn't respond to my comment on your /r/plc post recently. It seems that older versions of Citect used to store all tags in a DBF file. If this is still the case, you can create a script in a familiar language like Python to iterate through your CSV file and update the DBF file. Based on your comment, it appears Citect Studio now allows for importing CSV files to update tags (which wasn't possible in the old version I used). To ensure successful updating, check the formatting and columns of the CSV files. You can export some tags from Citect Studio to CSV to analyze the layout and columns, and then work on aligning your Rockwell Tag CSV with the Citect CSV. This alignment process can be done manually in Excel, or you may find it easier to write a script for a quick conversion.
If Citech has the capability to export data to a CSV file, the process can be simplified by exporting the data and manually updating the IDs linking to Panasonic addresses to Rockwell addresses. It may not be necessary to export the Logix Tag database, as many of the tags may not be utilized in the HMI. Importing all tags is not recommended.
In a discussion, robertmee mentioned that if Citech has the capability to export to a CSV file, it would be beneficial to manually update the IDs linking to Panasonic addresses with Rockwell addresses (tags). It may not be necessary to export the entire Logix Tag database since most tags may not be utilized in the HMI and importing all of them would not be ideal. Instead, the focus could be on updating only the necessary tags in the script. Depending on factors such as the number of HMI tags, scripting knowledge, and the ease of matching Rockwell CSV tags with Citect Tags, manual updating could still be the preferred method.
Vadoola pointed out that my comment on the /r/plc post was left unanswered. In older versions of Citect, all tags were stored in a DBF file. If this is still the case, consider creating a script in a familiar language like Python to iterate over a CSV and update the DBF. It seems that Citect Studio can import CSVs for tag updates, so ensure the formatting and columns are correct. Export some tags from Citect Studio to CSV to understand the layout and columns, and then adjust your Rockwell Tag CSV accordingly. You may manually adjust in Excel or consider scripting for conversion. Regarding re-mapping Panasonic to Citect tags from the DBF file, there are approximately 525 tags that need to be updated. While manual updating may be time-consuming, considering factors like the number of HMI tags, scripting knowledge, and matching Rockwell CSV tags with Citect tags is essential. Upon comparing the naming conventions between Citect DBF and Studio 5000 tag exports, inconsistencies like abbreviations and unused variables may pose challenges for scripting. robertmee suggested manually changing the IDs in a CSV exported from Citect that point from Panasonic to Rockwell addresses. Exporting Logix Tag database from Studio 5000 can help identify tags used in the HMI for alignment. While obtaining a CSV from Citect is challenging, editing the DBF file in Excel and cutting out unnecessary tags from the Logix Tag database CSV may be necessary.
Thank you for your feedback on my recent posts. I shared a similar post in hopes of gathering more insights, but I've been preoccupied with issues on our production line, delaying my responses. If you haven't seen it yet, no worries. Upon comparing the Citect DBF and Studio 5000 code, I noticed inconsistencies in tag naming conventions. Do you have a mapping method to correlate old tags with new ones? You could consider creating a script to automate this process, replacing tags based on a CSV file. While editing the DBF file in Excel seems feasible, please note that Excel can open DBF files but may not save them back in the same format without a specific plugin. If needed, there are various free DBF editors available online for assistance.
Hey there, I've encountered a similar challenge when transitioning between differing PLCs and can relate to your situation. Since you've already started exporting tags as a .csv, I'd recommend to ensure that the headers in your .csv file match exactly with the ones in Citect variable tags. Also, cross-verify that the data types in the spreadsheet match those in the Citect variable tag database - remember, the slightest mismatch will raise an error. If that doesn't work, you might consider manually recreating the tags in Citect, although I admit, this can be time consuming. Coincidentally, an indirect way around it might be to use an OPC server like Kepware to bridge the gap between the PLC and SCADA system. Each PLC vendor tends to have their own set of OPC tags, which will allow a more seamless integration into Citect. It's an additional step, but might save you a lot of manual work for more intricate systems. Good luck with your project!
It seems like you're on the right path with exporting tags from Studio 5000 and trying to import them into Citect Studio, despite the errors you're encountering. Unfortunately, due to the naming conventions or structure differences in the two platforms, you'll need to carefully examine the .csv file to ensure all columns align properly with Citect Studio's database headers. You may want to manually adjust the .csv data to match the requirements of Citect Studio’s variable headers. Alternatively, you could also try using a middleware like KEPServerEX which can seamlessly handle the communication between different PLCs and SCADA software. Please also consider reaching out to Citect technical support, they may have tools or scripts that could ease this process.
It seems like your issue stems from differences in variable names between the old system and the new one. To resolve the "one or more columns in the csv file do not match the variable database headers" error, you need to make sure the names and the composition of your variables align perfectly with those expected by Citect Studio. You might need to adjust your csv file so that the headers match those in Citect Studio. Additionally, consider using the Alias feature in Studio 5000 for tag renaming. This allows you to assign a secondary name that the system recognizes, which might help with the transition. Also, ensure that your data types match between the systems. For future projects, consider establishing a robust naming convention from the beginning to make such transitions smoother.
It seems you're on the right track with trying to import the .csv file into Citect Studio's "variables". However, the error message suggests there might be a mismatch in your column headers in the .csv file as compared to those in the Citect database. Before importing, ensure the headers and data types in your generated .csv match exactly with your Citect SCADA project. Additionally, you may want to consider writing a script in Studio 5000 to mimic the layout of your original Panasonic PLC project as a workaround to keep a similar interface and functionality. Don't forget to save backups of your work, and perhaps consider creating a parallel test project for these efforts to avoid tinkering too much with the live project. Good luck!
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Answer: Answer: To transition the project, you can start by exporting tags from Studio 5000 as a .csv file and then importing it into Citect Studio's "variables." However, be prepared for potential challenges due to differences in variable names between the two PLC systems.
Answer: Answer: If you face this error, it indicates a mismatch between the columns in the .csv file and the variable database headers. Check and ensure that the columns in the .csv file align correctly with the variable database headers in Citect Studio.
Answer: Answer: When creating a new project, consider mapping the tag names for push-buttons and value readouts to match the layout used with the Panasonic PLC. This mapping process will help in maintaining a similar project layout with the Allen Bradley PLC.
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