How to Create Signal IO List

PLCCreator

Create Signal IO List

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Introduction
1. Delete/Modify Columns
2. Copy/Paste Data
3. Find/Replace Signal Types

Introduction

This page provides a detailed guide on how to convert an "Instrument IO List", or a similar document containing information about process signals into a PLCCreatorSignal IO List.

The conversion process involves Excel commands and functions to modify the content of the instrument IO list document, in order to meet thecolumn requirementsof the signal IO list.

The conversion can be done through three key steps:

  1. Delete/Modify Columns-In this step, the instrument IO list document is modified to match the number, headers, and order of columns as specified in the signal IO list
    of the selected PLC architecture.
  2. Copy/Paste Data-In this step, the content cells from the instrument IO list document are copied and pasted into signal IO list template
    of the selected PLC architecture.
  3. Find/Replace Signals-In this last step, the entries in the "Signal Type" column are modified to match one of options from the drop-down selection list of the column cell.

The above steps may vary depending on the instrument IO list document format, content, and the selected PLC architecture.

In the context of this example, we will demonstrate the creation of a Signal IO List for Single Rack Architecture by converting the same instrument IO list document Instrument-IO-List-Example.xlsx from theIO Lists in PLCCreatorpage, which is shown on Figure 1.
Figure 1: Instrument IO List Example
Figure 1: Instrument IO List Example

1.
Delete/Modify Columns

First, make a copy of the original instrument IO list document to prevent its overwriting.

As mentioned earlier in theIntroductionsection, in this step the instrument IO list document is modified to match the number, headers, and order of columns as specified in the Signal IO List for Single Rack Architecture .

While the instrument IO list document contains extensive information, only three columns are important for generating a signal IO list. The correspondence between the columns of the Signal IO List for Single Rack Architecture and our specific instrument IO list document is listed in Table 1. This table can be found in theSignal IO Listsection of the IO Lists in PLCCreator page and is also provided below for reference:

PLCCreator Signal IO List Instrument IO List Column
Name "Tag" or unique signal identifier
Description "Description"
Signal Type "Signal Type"
Table 2: Instrument IO List ↔ PLCCreator Signal IO List Column Mapping

Note:

•

Signal type information may be distributed across multiple columns in source documents (e.g., separate columns for signal category, range, and units).

•

For PLCCreator processing, signal types must match either:

‣
The official Signal Type/Hardware Compatibility Table
‣

Predefined values in the Signal IO List template dropdown

Table 1: Column Correspondence between Instrument IO List and Signal IO List in PLCCreator

We can start with the modification of the instrument IO list document: open the Instrument-IO-List-Example.xlsx and remove all columns except "Tag", "Description", "Signal Type", "Signal Range" and "Units", as shown on Figure 2:

Figure 2: Instrument IO List Document Containing Relevant Columns Only
Figure 2: Instrument IO List Document Containing Relevant Columns Only

Considering the information fromTable 1, rename the "Tag" column into "Name".

The information that corresponds with the requirements for "Signal Type" column from signal IO list is spread across 3 columns in the instrument IO list: "Signal Type", "Signal Range" and "Unit". These columns will be merged into one in order to meet the structure of the signal IO list.

Copy the header of "Signal Type" column "C2" into "F2" to create a header for the new column:

Figure 3: Creating New Column for the Signal Type Content
Figure 3: Creating New Column for the Signal Type Content

Click on "F3" and then click on "fx" button of the formula bar. Search and select the "CONCAT" function and click "Next".

In the function dialog select (or type) the signal type cells "C3", "D3" and "E3" in argument text boxes, as shown on Figure 4. Use the "Add argument" button to add more text boxes.

Figure 4: CONCAT Function Setup for Merging the Signal Type Cells
Figure 4: CONCAT Function Setup for Merging the Signal Type Cells

Click "Insert". The content of the merged cells appears in "F3": "AI4-20mA".

Copy the "F3", select the rest of the "Signal Type" column range from "F4" to "F18" and paste the copied cell. The filled column "F" is shown on the Figure 5:

Figure 5: The New Signal Type Column with the Content from the Merged
Figure 5: The New Signal Type Column Filled with the Content from the Merged

The values in the column "F" shall be copied in order to detach from the formulas:

Click on column title "F" to select whole column and copy it by pressing "Ctrl+C". Right click on the title of the column "G", on the context menu hover the "Paste Special" item to expand its menu and click "Values only" as shown on Figure 6:

Figure 6: Copying Newly Created Signal Type Column as Values Only
Figure 6: Copying Newly Created Signal Type Column as Values Only

The instrument IO list at this point is shown on Figure 7:

Figure 7: Instrument IO List After Copying Newly Created Column Signal Type
Figure 7: Instrument IO List After Copying Newly Created Column Signal Type

The original signal type columns: "Signal Type" - "C", "Signal Range" - "D", and "Units" - "E", plus the merged "Signal Type" column "F", shall be removed in order to get the column structure of the signal IO list:

Click on the column title "C" and hold the click down. Select the columns "D", "E" and "F" by dragging the mouse over their column titles. Right click on one of the selected column titles and on the context menu click "Delete Columns" as shown on Figure 8:

Figure 8: Removing the Redundant Columns with Signal Type Information
Figure 8: Removing the Redundant Columns with Signal Type Information

With this action the "Delete/Modify Columns" step is completed. The result structure of the instrument IO list is shown on Figure 9:

The instrument IO list document is modified to match the number, headers, and order of columns as specified in the Signal IO List for Single Rack Architecture .

Figure 9: Instrument IO List Containing the Same Columns and in the Same Order as with the Signal IO List
Figure 9: Instrument IO List Containing the Same Columns and in the Same Order as with the Signal IO List

2.
Copy/Paste Data

As mentioned earlier in theIntroductionsection, In this step, the content cells from the instrument IO list document are copied and pasted into Signal IO List Template Single Rack Common.xlsx .

In instrument IO list select and copy the data cells only: range from "A3" to "C18", as shown on Figure 9:

Figure 9: Select Data Cells of the Instrument IO List
Figure 9: Select Data Cells of the Instrument IO List

Download the Signal IO List Template Single Rack Common.xlsx , either from theDownloadssection of the Signal IO List for Single Rack Architecture page, or from theIO List Templatesdownload page. Open it, right click on the "A3" cell, on the context menu hover the "Paste Special" item to expand its menu and click "Values only" as shown on Figure 10:

Figure 10: Pasting the Copied Data Cells from the Instrument IO List into Signal IO List Template
Figure 10: Pasting the Copied Data Cells from the Instrument IO List into Signal IO List Template

The filled signal IO list is shown on Figure 11:

Figure 11: Signal IO List Template with Pasted Data from Instrument IO List
Figure 11: Signal IO List Template with Pasted Data from Instrument IO List

It is clear that the whole "Signal Type" column has invalid data. This is because the current signal type entry cannot be found in the drop-down selection list of the "Signal Type" column entry. This issue will be resolved in the next step.

3.
Find/Replace Signal Types

Analyzing the "Signal Type" column onFigure 11, it has 3 distinct signal types that shall be replaced with the corresponding signal type from the drop-down selection list of the column entry.

The entries in the selection drop-down list are replicated from the "Signal Type" column of the "Signal Type / Hardware Platform Compatibility Table" found in the in the sectionCompatibility Between Signal Types and Hardware Platformson Hardware Platforms page. This table contains details for all signal types supported by PLCCreator and provides information for their compatibility with the different hardware platforms.

Considering the information provided of the afore mentioned table, the following signal types will be used to replace the signal types from the "Signal Type" fromFigure 11:

PLCCreator

Signal Type

Instrument IO List

Signal Type

AI_4-20mA

AI4-20mA

DI_24VDC

DI24VDC

DO_24VDC

DO24VDC
Table 2: Correlation between Signal Types Supported by PLCCreator and Signal Types from the Instrument IO List

The first occurrence of the incorrect signal type will be replaced manually and for the rest Find/Replace command will be used.

Click on "C3" which has the incorrect signal type "AI4-20mA", and then click on the right arrow to expand its drop-down selection list. Click the correct signal type "AI_4-20mA" as shown on Figure 12:

Figure 12: Selection of the Signal Type from the Drop-Down Selection List
Figure 12: Selection of the Signal Type from the Drop-Down Selection List

The cell "C3" with the correct signal type (original yellow background) is shown on Figure 13:

Figure 13: Cell "C3" with Correct Signal Type
Figure 13: Cell "C3" with Correct Signal Type

To replace the rest of the occurrences of the incorrect signal type "AI4-20mA", click on the title of "C" column to select the whole column and press Ctrl+H to open the "Find and Replace" dialog.

Copy the cell withincorrectsignal type "AI4-20mA", "C4", and paste it in the"Find"text box of "Find and Replace" dialog.

Copy the cell withcorrectsignal type "AI_4-20mA", "C3", and paste it in the"Replace with"text box of "Find and Replace" dialog, as shown on Figure 14:

Figure 14: Find/Replace of the Incorrect Signal Type "AI4-20mA" with Correct Signal Type "AI_4-20mA"
Figure 14: Find/Replace of the Incorrect Signal Type "AI4-20mA" with Correct Signal Type "AI_4-20mA"

Click "Replace all". The instrument IO list will be modified as shown on Figure 15:

Figure 15: Signal IO List with Correct "AI_4-20mA" Signal Type
Figure 15: Signal IO List with Correct "AI_4-20mA" Signal Type

Perform the actions described in Figures 12, 13, 14 and 15, for the rest of the incorrect/correct signal type pairs fromTable 2.

Upon completion of find/replace operations the signal IO list will be modified as shown on Figure 16:

Figure 16: Signal IO List with Correct Content
Figure 16: Signal IO List with Correct Content

With this action the "Find/Replace Signal Types" step is completed.

Save the signal IO list with a different name, such as SIOLSRA-from-Instrument-IO-List.xlsx .

Finally, save the signal IO list as.csvfile SIOLSRA-from-Instrument-IO-List.csv in order to be uploaded on Upload IO Signals page in PLCCreator.

Upon executing these steps, the instrument IO list document will have been successfully converted into a signal IO list.

Please note that the method outlined above serves as asuggestedapproach. Users have the flexibility to use their own approaches for modifying the Excel file of the instrument IO list document into a signal IO list. The primary requirement is adherence to the specified column requirements.

For example, the step "Find/Replace Signal Types" could be completely skipped with properconcatenationof the "Signal Type", "Signal Range" and "Unit" columns from the instrument IO list, in order to create a correct signal type that will match the "Signal Type"column requirements. This could be achieved by inserting "_" between "Signal Type" ("C3") and "Signal Range" ("D3") cells as shown on Figure 17:

Figure 17: Column Concatenation to Create a Correct Signal Type
Figure 17: Column Concatenation to Create a Correct Signal Type