System Overview
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SoftLogix5800 System Overview
A SoftLogix5800 system enables you to integrate programming, control, motion, visualization and data concentration on an industrial or desktop PC to minimize hardware costs and integration effort. Combining a high performance Logix control engine with the power and openness of your PC, the SoftLogix5800 system provides a reliable, open, PC-based control solution for improved flexibility, connectivity and information integration.
Using an integrated soft-control solution like the SoftLogix5800 system lowers the total cost of both development and ownership of your control system. Complete compatibility with all other Rockwell Automation Logix platforms and NetLinx open network architecture helps ensure your engineering investment is protected. In addition, SoftLogix offers you the flexibility to:
- Choose the memory size that your application requires.
- Built-in I/O simulation model for easier system design and validation.
- Select the communication you want via communication cards.
- Determine how much I/O you want to control and pick the modules needed for the application, with room to expand in the future.
- Divide your application into tasks for structured program development.
Benefits
Using the SoftLogix5800 controller for PC-based control is:
- Fast—Programs execute 1000 lines of logic in less than 1 ms on a Pentium-based computer system.
- Extendable/Extensible—Write your own custom code through C programming.
- Connected—Open architecture provides for connectivity to EtherNet/IP, DeviceNet, ControlNet, and other third-party networks.
- Flexible/Scalable—Build your own control system with functionality to suit specific needs.
Integrated Motion Control
The SoftLogix5800 system provides an easily-integrated, high-performance motion system with higher levels of performance than traditional PC-based motion controllers. It executes motion commands and generates motion profiles directly on the native PC processor. This "SoftMotion" approach permits you to apply the speed and power of today’s PCs to solve the most demanding applications.
Motion control is built-into the SoftLogix5800 control engine, for faster development and easier start-up and maintenance. Unlike control systems that require multiple controllers and programming packages, the Logix approach is fully integrated, using a single controller and programming software.
The SoftLogix controller is SERCOS enabled with the addition of a 16-axis, half-slot PCI card (1784-PM16SE). All of the benefits of the SERCOS interface are carried into the PC backplane with common RSLogix 5000 programming, troubleshooting, and monitoring tools.
If an analog solution is what you need, a 2-axis analog interface module (1784-PM02AE) is also available. This interface provides the drive connectivity and control through traditional analog torque or velocity commands and incremental encoder feedback.
See the Allen-Bradley Motion Control web site for complete information on Rockwell Automation's Integrated Motion Solutions.
Support for External Routines
Use any programming language that can create a Windows DLL (C and C++) to develop RSLogix 5000 routine objects to invoke functions developed outside of the RSLogix 5000 Enterprise Series environment.
After you develop the routine, use RSLogix 5000 Enterprise Series software to add the routine to the controller organizer and use the routine properties to define the DLL to execute.
Support for External Applications (Windows Events)
Using standard programming tools, such as Visual Basic, you can develop external applications that:
• collect data from the controller
• let events in the controller affect an application
• let events in an application affect the controller
• save the current controller information (tag data values and configuration information
The SoftLogix controller can communicate with Visual Basic applications via Windows events. The VB application can cause the controller to execute specific code when the application detects the specified Windows operating system event.
Use the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) support built into Microsoft Office products such as Excel to display SoftLogix data. Use the RSLinx OPC automation interface to serve tag and status information to clients. The OPC automation interface is available in the Single Node, OEM, Professional, and Gateway versions of RSLinx software (not the RSLinx Lite software that comes with RSLogix 5000 Enterprise Series software).
Product Design
The SoftLogix5800 controller is a "soft controller" based on the Logix control architecture. It takes the control functions normally found in a dedicated programmable controller, encapsulates them in software, and runs them on a commercial operating system. Plus, the SoftLogix5800 controller provides the Logix features you expect while running in a familiar Windows XP or Windows 2000 environment.
The SoftLogix5800 controller uses a "virtual chassis" monitor to display the devices in its system. These devices all reside on a "virtual backplane." The virtual backplane functions like an actual hardware backplane in that it connects the controller's devices and allows bridging. To create a module, simply move your mouse over a slot in the virtual chassis, right click and select "create" to view a selection of available modules. Choose a module, and follow the steps presented to configure the module. Once the virtual chassis is configured, the application program can be created using RSLogix 5000 programming software.
Maximum project size depends on SoftLogix5800 catalog number, memory of your workstation, and instruction execution time depends on the processing power of your workstation.
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A Simple SoftLogix System
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A Complex SoftLogix System
EtherNet/IP connectivity can be either an NIC card or embedded in the PC motherboard. ControlNet and DeviceNet connectivity requires the appropriate, stand-alone PCI card.
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Communication
A SoftLogix5800 controller uses communication interface cards to monitor and control I/O on ControlNet, DeviceNet or EtherNet/IP networks. The controller can also send or receive general communication messages to or from other devices on EtherNet/IP, ControlNet, DeviceNet, and RS-232-C serial (DF1 protocol) networks.
| If your application requires: | Use this network: |
Use this communication interface: |
| • plant management • material handling • configuration, data collection, and control on a single, high-speed network • time-critical applications with no established schedule • data sent regularly • Internet/Intranet connection |
EtherNet/IP | Windows-compatible Ethernet card |
| • high-speed transfer of time-critical data between controllers and I/O devices • deterministic and repeatable data delivery • configuration, data collection, and control on a single, high-speed network • time-critical applications with no established schedule • media redundancy • intrinsic safety |
ControlNet | 1784-PCICS 1784-PCIC |
| • connections of low I/O-count adapters, drives, and motor starters directly to plant floor controllers, without interfacing them through I/O modules • data sent as needed • more diagnostics for improved data collection and fault detection • less wiring and reduced start-up time than a traditional, hard-wired system |
DeviceNet | 1784-PCIDS |
| • modems • supervisory control and data AC quisition (SCADA) • bar code |
serial network | serial port on the computer |
EtherNet/IP Network
Ethernet Industrial Protocol (EtherNet/IP) is an open industrial networking standard that supports implicit messaging (real-time I/O messaging), explicit messaging (messaging exchange), or both and uses commercial off-the-shelf Ethernet communication chips and physical media. For EtherNet/IP access, the SoftLogix controller uses your user-supplied Ethernet.
Over an EtherNet/IP network, the SoftLogix controller supports:
- 64 TCP/IP connections
A single TCP connection can support multiple CIP connections.
- 128 Logix connections (I/O information)
A CIP connection transfers data from one Logix application running on one end-node to a second Logix application running on another end-node. A CIP connection is established over a TCP connection.
Compared to a 1756-ENBT EtherNet/IP module in a ControlLogix system, the SoftLogix5800 EtherNet/IP module:
- supports the same number of I/O connections
- supports the same number of messaging connections
- supports the same bridging functionality
- supports an EtherNet/IP statistics utility
- does not support a web-based interface
- does not support email via MSG instruction
ControlNet Network
The ControlNet network is an open, state-of-the-art control network that meets the demands of real-time, high-throughput applications. The ControlNet network uses the proven Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) to combine the functionality of an I/O network and a peer-to-peer network providing high-speed performance for both functions.
The ControlNet network gives you deterministic, repeatable transfers of all mission-critical control data in addition to supporting transfers of non-time-critical data. I/O updates and controller-to-controller interlocking always take precedence over program uploads and downloads and messaging.
DeviceNet Network
The DeviceNet network is an open low-level network that provides connections between industrial devices (such as I/O adapters, drives, and motor starters/protectors) and higher-level devices (such as PLC controllers and computers). The DeviceNet network uses the proven Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) to provide the control, configure, and data collection capabilities for industrial devices. The DeviceNet network is a flexible network that works with devices from multiple vendors.
Typical Configurations
EtherNet/IP Connectivity
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ControlNet Connectivity
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DeviceNet Connectivity
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Additional Resources
These and other publications are available for download from the Rockwell Automation Literature Library.
| Related Publications | Publication Number |
| SoftLogix5800 Selection Guide | 1789-SG001 |
| CompactLogix Selection Guide | 1769-SG001 |
| ControlLogix Selection Guide | 1756-SG001 |