FactoryTalk Logix Echo is Rockwell Automation’s latest generation of Logix 5000 controller emulator. Logix Echo is the successor of Studio 5000 Logix Emulate and is designed to make emulation and testing easier, more accessible, and more flexible.
In this article, I’ll introduce you to the features of Logix Echo by showing you how to set up an emulated controller in Logix Echo.
Now, let’s see how to get up and running with FactoryTalk Logix Echo.
Create a controller
FactoryTalk Logix Echo can be used to test standard and safety versions of ControlLogix 5580 and CompactLogix 5069 controllers with firmware version 33 and higher.
In the Logix Echo Dashboard, you can add a controller by right-clicking on the device pane. In the context menu, you can create a chassis for a ControlLogix system or directly add a CompactLogix controller.
Once you have added a controller, you can configure the details for the controller in the Add Controller dialog.
An easier way to add devices to Logix Echo is by importing the devices directly from an ACD file. To import devices from an ACD file, right-click on the device pane and select Add Controller from ACD on the context menu.
You can then browse to an ACD file on your computer and Logix Echo will automatically extract the controller and configuration data from the file.
Download project
When emulating controllers with Studio 5000 Logix Emulate, there was a lot of work involved in making a project emulator-ready. You had to change the controller in the project to a specific type of controller, remove any IO modules from the IO configuration, and remove unsupported instructions.
Unlike its predecessor, Logix Echo is able to emulate a project without modification. This means that you can download and test the exact project that will be downloaded to a physical PLC during commissioning.
This is one of the most powerful features of Logix Echo because it saves time and increases confidence in virtual testing.
To download a project to a Logix Echo controller, simply open the project in Studio 5000 Logix Designer, browse for the Logix Echo controller with FactoryTalk Linx, and download the project. There are no modifications required to make the project emulation ready.
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After downloading a project to an emulated Logix Echo controller, you may notice that the IO modules in the IO configuration are shown as faulted. This is by design.
Since the IO modules are faulted, the status of the IO points is not updated automatically by the controller. Since the IO points are not being automatically updated, you can manually update the status of the inputs as part of your virtual testing using the Logix Echo SDK, which we will cover in a future article.
This eliminates the need to have simulation mode inputs on add-on instructions for testing.
API
The status of IO module inputs can be updated programmatically using Logix Echo’s built-in API, or Application Programming Interface. This API allows other software applications to read data from and write data to a Logix Echo controller.
Applications like Emulate3D can use this API to connect an emulated controller to a model of a process to perform high-fidelity virtual testing. You can also develop your own .NET applications that interact with a Logix Echo controller using this API for automated testing as part of a continuous integration or continuous deployment workflow.
If you don’t want to write a custom application, the API is not the only way to interact with a Logix Echo controller.
Ethernet emulation
Logix Echo also emulates the ethernet port of a controller. This is useful for several reasons.
First, ethernet port emulation enables emulator-to-emulator communications. With emulator-to-emulator communication, multiple instances of emulated controllers can exchange data using produced and consumed tags or message instructions. This allows you to emulate and test large, complex control systems and see how each subsystem will interact with other subsystems.
Ethernet port emulation also allows you to test HMI applications without a physical PLC. This means that you can do integrated testing of the visualization for a process much earlier in the project.
With Logix Echo, you can exchange data with a physical HMI like a PanelView 5000 or an emulated HMI running on the same machine.
Safety emulation
Finally, Logix Echo allows you to do more than emulate standard PLCs.
With Logix Echo, you can emulate GuardLogix and Compact GuardLogix controllers. This includes emulation of the safety partner and execution of the safety task, including safe motion instructions.
Once again, this enables you to test complex control systems with integrated safety early in the project before hardware is available to take controls off the critical path.
Wrap-Up
In this article, I introduced the main features of Logix Echo, Rockwell Automation’s next-generation Logix 5000 controller emulator.
This emulator includes a lot of exciting features that were missing from Studio 5000 Logix Emulate including;
- Support for ControlLogix 5580 and CompactLogix 5069 controllers,
- Downloading of projects without modification,
- API access for emulation and testing,
- Ethernet port emulation,
- Safety emulation including motion,
- and more
If you want to test Logix Echo and see how powerful it is for yourself, you can get a 30-day free trial from Rockwell Automation for a limited time. To apply for your trial license, click on the link here and fill out the form.
Remember, if you want to keep your team up to date with new technology like Logix Echo which can help to reduce downtime, then you need a RealPars Business membership.
Learn more about RealPars Business by visiting realpars.com/business.
