Programming Software

User Manual
PC-DSOFT6-M
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 Manual Revisions

Please include the Manual Number and the Manual Issue,

both shown below, when communicating with Technical
Support regarding this publication.

Title: DirectSOFT 6 Programming Software User Manual

Manual Number: PC-DSOFT6-M
Issue: 1st Edition
Issue Date: 10/14

Publication History
Issue Date Description of Changes
1st Edition 10/14 Original issue
2nd Edition 9/17 Added D4-454 and minor changes
Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
The Purpose of this Manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Who Can and Should Use DirectSOFT 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Only One DirectSOFT 6 Version. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Supplemental Manuals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Conventions Used. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Menu Selections and Keystrokes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Key Topics for Each Chapter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Chapter 2: Quick Start

Getting to Know Windows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Recommended System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Power Supply. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
DirectSOFT 6 Package Contents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Installation of DirectSOFT 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Welcome to DirectSOFT 100. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Begin Editing a Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Establish the Communication Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-24
 Table of Contents

Connect the PC to the PLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-24

Monitor the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-30

1
2 Chapter 3: Managing Projects
3 Get Started Using DirectSOFT 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Understanding the Launch Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
D Create a New Project. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
5 New Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Enter the New Project Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
6
Importing Projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
7 Program Documentation Mapping from TISOFT and Logicmaster. . . . . . . . 3-6

8 Copy or Save Existing DirectSOFT Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

9 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

1 Offline Toolbar Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Offline Toolbar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

2 Online Toolbar Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5

Online Toolbar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5

Additional Toolbars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

4 The File Toolbar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
The Edit Toolbar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
A The Search Toolbar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9
The View Toolbar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
B The Tools Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
C The PLC Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
The PLC Diagnostics Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
D The PLC Setup Toolbar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
The Debug Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15
The Window Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
The Help Toolbar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17

ii DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Table of Contents

The Custom Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17

Status Bar Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-19

PLC System Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-19 1
Communication/Link Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-20
PLC Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-20
2
Program Memory Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-20 3
PLC Type. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-20
Program Location. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-20
D
The Options Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-21 5
Ladder Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-22
Global Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-23
6
Colors in DirectSOFT 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-24
7
Select New Colors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-24
Color Selections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-25
8
The Default Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-25 9
Monochrome .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-25
Colors Conveying Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-26
0
Select a Theme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-27 1
The Ladder Palette. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-28
Be Familiar with the Ladder Palette. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-28
2
The Split Screen Feature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-30
3
Split Screen Bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-30 4
The New Window Feature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31
A
Chapter 5: Edit a Program B
I/O Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2 C
Referencing Program Elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4 D
Data Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Aliases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Timer/Counter Current Values. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Accessing I/O Points as Memory Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

iii
 Table of Contents

Entering Program Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6

The Instruction Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
1 Using the Ladder Palette. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Opening the Instruction Browser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
2
Shortcuts for Entering Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
3 Entering NO and NC Contacts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12

D Entering Instructions in Parallel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13

Entering Power Flow Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
5 Entering Special Case Elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
End Coil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
6 Setting and Resetting a Bit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18

7 Using Floating Point Math. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18

Drawing/Deleting Connecting Lines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19

8 Drawing the Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
9 Create Midline Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Deleting Connecting Lines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
1 Selecting Rungs for Deleting, Cutting or Copying. . . . . . . 5-21
Deleting Rungs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
2 Copying Rungs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Cut and Paste Rungs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Merge (Combine) Rungs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
4 Inserting Columns, Rows and Rungs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
A Insert a Column to Add an Instruction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Insert a Row or Rung. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
B Using Search and Replace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
C Using the Object Section. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
The Search Range Section. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
D The Document Section. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
The Object Table Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30

Common Mistakes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31

Failure to Enter the Edit Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31

iv
iv DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition
 Table of Contents

AND above a Join . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31

Forgetting to Select Rungs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
1
Chapter 6: Documentation 2
Turn Documentation On and Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2 3
The Options Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Documentation Selections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
D
General Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3 5
Using the Documentation Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Using the Scroll Buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
6
Copying Documentation Between Elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5 7
Documenting and Assigning Nicknames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Create an Unassigned Nickname . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
8
Assign the Nickname to an Element. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6 9
Entering Rung Comments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Comments are Free-form. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
0
Selecting Rungs for Comments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9 1
Using the Scroll Buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
Use the Editing Keys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
2
Move Rung Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11 3
Entering Stage Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Use Stage View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
4
Comments are Free-form. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13 A
Selecting Stages to Comment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
Editing the Comments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
B
Importing and Exporting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14 C
Exporting Program Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14
Export Element Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-16
D
Export Rung Comments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-18
Importing a Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-19
Importing Element Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-22

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

v
 Table of Contents

Importing Program Comments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-24

Insert Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-24
1 Restore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-27

2 Prevent Documentation Loss. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-28

Save Project.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-28
3 Backup Project. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-29

D
Chapter 7: Other Views
5
Tabbed Views. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
6 The Primary Views. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2

7 Stage (RLLplus) View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4

Troubleshooting RLLplus vs. RLL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
8 Stage Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
9 Mnemonic View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Handheld Progammer Aid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
1
Cross Reference (XRef) View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
XRef Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7

2 Change the XRef Query. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8

XRef Toolbar .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Usage Mode.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Usage Mode Toolbar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
4 XRef DB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
A PID View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
PID Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
B
Trend View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
C Creating a new Trend View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14

D Output Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16

Bookmark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
View Terminology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19

vi
vi DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition
 Table of Contents

Chapter 8: Printing
Print the Current View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2 1
Print the Ladder View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2
Other Print Views. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
2
Print Multiple Views. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5 3
Print View Common Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7 D
Using Print Preview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Print Preview Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
5
Print Preview .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9 6
Print Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-10
Parts of Program not Printed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-10
7
Program Prints “Garbage”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-10 8
DirectSOFT 6 Crashes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-10
Print Setup Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-11
9
0
Chapter 9: S
 etup & Manage Communication 1
Links
2
Establish the Communication Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
3
Setup a Serial Link. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Link Status. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6 4
Setup an Ethernet Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7 A
NetEdit3 Troubleshooting Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12

Setup a Modem Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-14

B
Modem Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-14 C
Configuring the Link. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18

Comm Link Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22

D
Going Online. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Connect the PLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Use the Project Folder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

vii
 Table of Contents

Use the Link.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24

1 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

2 Monitor with Data View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Using Data View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
3 Open a New Data View Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2

D A Closer Look. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3

Data View Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
5 Select Bits for Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5

6 Data View Documentation Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7

Apply Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7
7 Data View Mode Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8
Make Data View Entries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8
8 Data Format and Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10

9 Write the Edits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11

Auto-increment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
1 Editing Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Save the Data View Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Using Pause Bits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
2 Use Override Bits to Control I/O
(DL05/06/240/250-1/260/350/450/454 Only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15

Change Value Dialog. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16

4 Use the Change Value Dialog. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Specify an Element Reference or Nickname. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
A Enter a New Value. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18

B Using the Memory Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20

Select the Locations to View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
C
Test Mode Operations for Debugging. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
D Select Test Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Test Program Operations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
The Test Operations Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24

Trap Monitor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25

viii
viii DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition
 Table of Contents
Access the Trap Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Use with Data View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27

Stack Monitor (DL440 Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28 1

Access the Stack Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28

Trend View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29

2
Using Trend View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29 3
The Crosshair Cursor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
D
Check DirectSOFT 6 File Revision. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
5
Appendix A: Protocols and Cable Diagrams 6
Cables and Protocols. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2 7
Programming Cable Diagrams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6
8
AppendixB: Communications 9
Troubleshooting 0
Communications Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2 1
Startup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2
USB-TO-SERIAL Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-9
2
DUMP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-10 3
Editing the DSxxx.ini File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-10
Windows XP and Windows 7/8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-10
4
Windows Vista. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-11 A
UAC = ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-11
UAC = OFF .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-12
B
Other Editable Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-12 C
Other Possible Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-15
How to Change USB-Serial Port Assignment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-15
D
“PORT UNAVAILABLE OR IN USE”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-15
Laptop AC Adapter Issue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-15

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

ix
 Table of Contents

Notes:

1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
1

4
A
B
C
D

xx DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter
Introduction
1
In This Chapter
Introduction.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-2
Conventions Used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
 Chapter 1: Introduction

Introduction
The Purpose of this Manual
1 This manual describes how to use the DirectSOFT 6 software
2 for programming and monitoring any of the DirectLogic and
compatible CPUs. This manual will not teach you how to
3 develop a relay ladder logic (RLL) program or attempt to
familiarize you with the instruction sets of the CPUs. Please
D refer to the applicable PLC user manual for the RLL instructions.
The Quick Start chapter will show the first time user how to get
5 started using DirectSOFT 6. The balance of the manual will detail
all of the programming tools made available to the user.
6 Who Can and Should Use DirectSOFT 6

7 If you have a PLC belonging to the DirectLOGIC CPU family,

you can use DirectSOFT 6 to manage your existing ladder logic
8 programs and to create new ones. The families of PLCs that
currently exist under this description are shown below.
9 DirectLOGIC PLC Family

1
1
2 DL05 CPUs
Two built-in ports
DL06 CPUs
Two built-in ports

3 Max. baud = 38.4 K Max. baud = 38.4 K

4 DL105 CPUs
One built-in port
A Fixed baud = 9.6 K
DL205 CPUs
One built-in port D2-230; fixed baud = 9.6 K
B Two built-in ports D2-240; max. baud = 19.2 K
Two built-in ports D2-250(-1)/260 max baud =38.4 K

C
D DL305 CPUs
D3-330 requires D3-232-DCU; max. baud = 19.2 K
Two built-in ports D3-340/350; max. baud = 38.4 K

DL405 CPUs
Two built-in ports D4-430/440; max. baud = 19.2 K
Four built-in ports D4-450/D4-454; max. baud = 38.4 K

1-2
1-2 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition
 Chapter 1: Introduction

Besides being easy to use, DirectSOFT 6 includes the following

new features:
•C
 risp new graphics-based displays in Ladder View and Stage View
with alpha-blended Block Cursors.
1
•C
 olor Setup dialog now offers selection of over 16 million colors --
along with the ability to configure Block Cursor and Ladder View Box
2
colors.
• Now ZOOM IN / ZOOM OUT to eleven (11) levels via new drop-down
3
Zoom control on the main offline toolbar.
• New Trend View tool which is a new debugging tool for tracking multiple
D
elements values over time. 5
•N
 ew graphical indicator denotes edge-triggered (vs. level-triggered)
Boxes and IBoxes in Ladder View. 6
•D
 irectSOFT now automatically Checks for Updates on startup. Also
added ability to manually “Check for Updates...” under the Help menu. 7
•O
 ver 40 new IBoxes including: MOVER - Move Real, FILTERD - Filter
Over Time - BCD Double and DECBYBCD - Decrement by BCD 8
See the chart below for the PLCs and the supporting firmware
9
revisions required for the new IBox instructions. 0
PLC Firmware
DL05 5.10 1
DL06 2.10
D2-250-1
D2-260
4.60
2.40
2
D4-450
D4-454
3.30
1.01
3
4
Only One DirectSOFT 6 Version
There is only one DirectSOFT 6 version for the DirectLOGIC PLC A
family. All licensed versions of DirectSOFT programming software
(v1.0 - v5.0) can be upgraded to version 6. Also, all programs B
created with older versions of DirectSOFT are compatible with
DirectSOFT 6.
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

1-3
 Chapter 1: Introduction

Supplemental Manuals
Depending on the products you have purchased, there may be
1 other manuals that are necessary to use for your application.
User Manuals
2 • DL05 User Manual s D0-USER-M

3 • DL06 User Manual s D0-06USER-M

• DL105 User Manual s D1-USER-M
D • DL205 User Manual s D2-USER-M
• DL305 User Manual s D3-USER-M
5 • DL350 User Manual s D3-350-M

6 • DL405 User Manual s D4-USER-M

• DL454 User Manual – D4-454-M
7
NOTE: AutomationDirect also has many associated product user manuals,
8 such as analog manuals, which will assist you with your application.

9 Technical Support
We realize that even though we strive to do our best, we may
1 have arranged our information in such a way that you cannot find
what you are looking for. First, check these resources for help in
1 locating the information:

2 • Table of Contents – chapter and section listing of contents, in the front

of this manual

3 • Appendices – reference material for key topics, near the end of this
manual
4 • Index – r eference for key items
You can also check our online resources for the latest product
A support information:
• Internet – the address of our website is:
B http://www.automationdirect.com

C If you still need assistance, please call us at 770–844–4200 or visit

our technical support page at:http://support.automationdirect.com.
D Our technical support team will be available to work with you to
answer your questions. They are available Monday through Friday
from 9:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time.

1-4
1-4 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition
 Chapter 1: Introduction

Conventions Used
When the “notepad” symbol is shown in the left-hand margin, the
paragraph to its immediate right will be a special note. The word NOTE:
1
in boldface will mark the beginning of the text.
2
3
When the “exclamation mark” symbol is shown in the left-hand
margin, the paragraph to its immediate right will be a warning. D
This information could prevent injury, loss of property, or even
death (in extreme cases). 5
The word WARNING: in boldface will mark the beginning of the
text. 6
7
Whenever the “lightbulb” is shown in the left-hand margin, the
paragraph to its immediate right will provide a special tip. The word 8
TIP: in boldface will mark the beginning of the text.
9
0
Menu Selections and Keystrokes
When the software requires you to use a particular keystroke or 1
menu selection, the written instructions will be in boldface type.
Combination keystrokes will be separated with a plus (+) sign. For 2
example, Ctrl + C means: Hold down the Ctrl key and press the
C key. Menu selections can also be combinations and separated 3
by a greater-than sign. For example, File > Write Program > to
Disk is a menu selection combination.
4
A
Key Topics for Each Chapter
The beginning of each chapter will list the
B
key topics that can be found in that chapter.
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

1-5
 Chapter 1: Introduction

Notes:
1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
1
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

1-6
1-6 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition
 Chapter
Quick Start
2
In This Chapter:
Getting to Know Windows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Installation of DirectSOFT 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Welcome to DirectSOFT100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Begin Editing a Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Establish the Communication Link. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-24
Monitor the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-30
 Quick Start

Getting to Know Windows

1 DirectSOFT 6 Programming Software runs under 32-bit or 64-bit
Windows operating systems (XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10). It’s a good idea
2 to understand the operating system for your computer.
Recommended System Requirements
3 Check the following system requirements when choosing your
D PC configuration.
• Processor, 1 Ghz or greater
5 • Windows XP(Home and Pro)/Vista/7/8/8.1, 32-bit or 64-bit versions. and
Windows 10.
6 NO DOS, OS/2, Macintosh, XP 64-bit, Linux or Unix versions or 16-bit
versions
7 • 512Mb RAM
• 70Mb available hard drive disk space.
8 • CD-ROM or DVD drive
9 •
At least one unused serial communications
USB with USB-to-serial adapter, 10base-T or 10/100
port,

1 Ethernet Network Card when using Hx-ECOM or Hx-ECOM100

• 1024 x 768 resolution color SVGA monitor
1 Power Supply
2 It is recommended that the computer which DirectSOFT 6 operates
on has some form of power surge protection. A quality surge
3 protector will protect your computer from most surges and spikes;
however, an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) will provide the
4 best protection. A UPS provides isolation between the AC power
source and the computer. It also has a battery backup for blackout
A and brownout conditions.
DirectSOFT 6 Package Contents
B Now is the time to review the contents of your DirectSOFT 6
C software package you should have the following items:
• CD ROM
D • Programming User Manual

2-2 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Quick Start

Installation of DirectSOFT 6
Step 1: Load the CD 1
DirectSOFT 6 Programming Software for DirectLOGIC PLCs is
available on the AutomationDirect CD. To install DirectSOFT 6, 2
insert the AutomationDirect CD into your PC’s CD drive. Select
“Open folder when autoplay dialog appears, or navigate to the CD 3
drive, and select the SetupDS6 executable.
D
5
6
7
8
9
0
Step 2: Exit all
other Windows Applications
1
The dialog below issues a reminder to exit all other Window 2
applications. If you are unsure of the programs that may be
running, open the Task Manager by pressing the Ctrl-ALT- 3
Delete keys at the same time. Close any opened applications
by selecting them and clicking on the Close button of the Task 4
Manager. Click on the OK button to proceed with the installation.
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 2-3

 Quick Start

Step 3: Enter the Product Key Code

From this window, enter the Product Key that was e-mailed to you
1 (or the one who purchased the software), or phone 1-800-633-0405
and get the Product Key from either sales or technical support if you
2 did not receive it. This software package is protected by this Product
Key code. Only licensed users that have a Product Key code may
3 install the software. Enter the Product Key using all caps and any
dashes shown then click the Next button.
D
5
6 Enter
Product Key
7 here

8
9 Then click on
the Next button
1
1 Step 4: Installing an Upgrade
2 If you are installing the DirectSOFT 6 upgrade version, setup will
search your PC to look for a previous version of DirectSOFT. If a
3 previous DirectSOFT version is not found, you will be prompted to
enter a valid product key code from a previous version of DirectSOFT.
4
A
B
C
D

Click here to proceed with

the DirectSOFT 6 installation

2-4 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Quick Start

Step 5: License Agreement

The wizard displays the “Software License Agreement” shown
below. Read the agreement and select I accept the terms of the 1
license agreement. Click Next to continue with the installation. If
you do not accept the license agreement, cancel the installation. 2
3
D
5
6
7
8
Click here if you agree with the
9
License Agreement’s terms.
0
Step 6: Enter the Customer Information 1
The “Customer Info” window requests the user name and company.
Enter the name of the person assigned to the DirectSOFT 6
2
Programming Software and the name of your company. Click the
Next button to continue with the DirectSOFT 6 installation.
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 2-5

 Quick Start

Step 7: Select the Type of Installation

The wizard now displays the “Setup Type” window. This window
1 allows you to select either the “Complete” or the “Custom” type
of installation. Complete is the most common selection. Custom
2 allows you to select the optional components you want. It is
recommended that you select Complete for your DirectSOFT 6
3 installation. Click on the Next button to proceed with installation.
D
5
6
7
8
9
1
Step 8: Ready to Install
1 The wizard continues with the “Ready to Install the Program”
2 window appears. Verify the folder name where the DirectSOFT 6
files are to be stored. If this is the desired folder, click on the Next
3 button to continue with the installation.

4
A
B
C
D

2-6 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Quick Start

The following window lets you know that the DirectSOFT 6

Programming Software is being installed onto your computer.
1
2
3
D
5
6
7
Step 9: Installation is Complete 8
The wizard now displays the “InstallShield Wizard Complete”
window shown below. Click on the Finish button. 9
0
1
2
3
4
A
B
If an Upgrade
If an older DirectSOFT version is found during the installation, you C
will be prompted to make DirectSOFT 6 the default projects folder.
You will then be asked if you want the existing projects copied to the D
DirectSOFT 6 projects folder.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 2-7

 Quick Start

Getting Started
1 Before beginning to edit a program, you need to open DirectSOFT
6. Click on the DirectSOFT 6 icon located on your desktop
2 screen to open the DSLaunch window. You can also click on
Start located in the left-hand corner of the computer monitor. Now
3 select Programs, find DirectSOFT 6, then select DSLAUNCH 6
in the drop-down window. If your computer is connected to the
D Internet, the following DSLaunch window will appear with What’s
New. What’s New will have useful information for the user from the
5 AutomationDirect website.

6 DirectSOFT
on the Web
7
8
9
1
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

2-8 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Quick Start

If your computer is not connected to the Internet at the time of

launching DirectSOFT 6, the DSLaunch window will display a
message stating that the website is not available. This is okay.
It isn’t necessary to be on the Internet each time that DSLaunch
1
is opened. Our website can be accessed anytime the computer
is connected to the Internet by double-clicking DirectSOFT on
2
the Web. 3
D
5
6
7
8
9
0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 2-9

 Quick Start

The main DSLaunch window is opened by selecting DirectSOFT

6 Programming located in the Applications section of the Menu
1 Tree. The launch window will then appear as follows.

2 Utilities, such
3 DirectSOFT
Programming
as NetEdit3

D
5 Installed
Support
6
7 Communication

8 Links to PLCs

Windows-type
9 Menu Tree

1
1 From this window, additional utilities, such as, NetEdit, CTRIO WB,
2 etc., can all be launched from one central location. This is also used
to create and manage PLC programs and the communications links
3 between your personal computer and the PLC.
Notice the different areas which are pointed out in the launch
4 window.

A NOTE: Also see DSLAUNCH comments in Chapter 3.

B
C
D

2-10 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Quick Start

If you have been using previous versions of DirectSOFT

Programming Software, you will see that the DSLaunch window
looks much like it has for many years. Descriptions of the various
sections are as follows:
1
•A pplications S These are the applications currently installed
in DirectSOFT 6. They are visible in the Menu tree under the
2
Applications folder/icon and are linked to applications that have 3
been designed for launch from DirectSOFT 6. For example,
to create a new program, double-click the DirectSOFT 6 D
Programming name.
•U tilities S Several utilities are available under this folder/icon. 5
If you have already installed available utilities, such as, NetEdit,
CTRIO Workbench, etc., these will be shown here. Shortcuts to 6
your favorite utilities can also be added by adding them to the
Utilities section of the DS600.ini file. 7
•P rojects S These are the programs which are created in
DirectSOFT 6. A project is the collective name for your program 8
and all of its documentation. When you create a new project or
work on an existing project, you will see it listed in the Menu Tree 9
under the Projects folder/icon by name. To open an existing
project, double-click on the project name. To open a project not
0
listed, right-click on Projects and select Browse to locate the
project, then select it.
1
•C omm Links S This is for the communication links used to
connect from your PC to one or more of your PLCs. If there were
2
Comm Links existing in your previous version of DirectSOFT,
they will appear here. New Comm Links will also appear here
3
after they are setup. 4
The remainder of this chapter will be devoted to the following:
1. Create a new program. A
2. Add some rungs.
3. Document the elements and rungs.
B
4. Connect to a PLC. C
5. Download to a PLC.
6. Monitor the program and change status. D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 2-11

 Quick Start

Welcome to DirectSOFT100
1 NOTE: If you have purchased the full version of DirectSOFT 6, go to page

2 2-14, Begin Editing a Program.

If you have loaded the free version of DirectSOFT 6, you should

3 know what you can and cannot do with the software.

D What is DirectSOFT100?
The DirectSOFT100 software is provided as a solution for small
5 applications and to assist in your decision to purchase the full
DirectSOFT 6 programming software. There are, of course,
6 limitations to the use of DirectSOFT100. The following is what you
can and cannot do with the software:
7 • You CAN create a program from scratch, and it can be as large as you
want it to be.
8 • You CAN save programs larger than 100 words to disk, but you CANNOT
write it to the PLC.
9 • You CAN convert DirectSOFT100 version to the full version if you
1 purchase the key and enter the key code in the DirectSOFT100
dialog (it may appear often) or in the Help > About dialog.
1 • You CANNOT download a program to a PLC larger than 100 words.
• You CANNOT open an offline project larger than 100 words.
2 • You CANNOT open a program in the PLC larger than 100 words.
There are no other limitations. DirectSOFT100 is able to use
3 all of the features described in this manual. Many instances of
DirectSOFT100 can be running at one time and monitor any
4 number of data points. DirectSOFT100 is basically the same,
functionally, as DirectSOFT 6 (full version) except the ladder
A program needs to remain within 100 words.
B
C
D

2-12 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Quick Start

Using DirectSOFT100?
To begin a project, double-click on DirectSOFT 6 Programming
under Applications on the menu tree. The following Welcome to 1
DirectSOFT100 window will appear.
2
Click here to
begin a project. 3
D
5
6
7
8
9
0
1
2
3
Click on Run DirectSOFT100 and the New Project dialog will
open as shown on page 2-14. You can now begin to edit a program
4
following from Step 1.
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 2-13

 Quick Start

Begin Editing a Program

1 You can now begin editing your program. The following steps will
show you the basics of editing with DirectSOFT 6. This will not be
2 an attempt to teach you how to develop a control program, but it will
give you the basics to get started using DirectSOFT 6 so that you
3 can edit a program.
Step 1: Start a New Project
D To begin a new project, double-click DirectSOFT 6 Programming
5 under Applications in the menu tree. The following window will
appear. The New Project window is used to enter the basic
6 information to begin a new project. Name the new project, then
move the cursor to the Family area and select the PLC family to
7 match the PLC that you are using. Next, select the CPU type. Once
all of the information has been entered, click on OK. Keep in mind
8 that the available mnemonics, processing rules and the tool bar
characteristics are tailored to the Family and Type selections that
9 you make.

1
1
2 New Project window
...click on OK

3 Type a new name

4
A
B Select the CPU Type

C Select the PLC Family

2-14 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Quick Start

After clicking on OK, the next window to appear is the Ladder

View with a Tip of the Day dialog box as seen below. The Tip of
the Day dialog will appear each time a new project is started, and
each time an existing project is opened. If it is not desired to have
1
this dialog “pop-up” as mentioned, simply click off the check mark
preceding “Show tips at startup”. The tips dialog can always be
2
opened by clicking on Help > Tip of the day on the main menu
bar. More tips can be read by clicking on the Next button. After
3
clicking on the Close button the new Program display window will
be totally in view.
D
5
6
7
8
9
Show tips at startup
0
1
2
3
4
Regular users of DirectSOFT will note that the new programming A
window looks a bit different than previous DirectSOFT
programming software. The “Online” and “Offline” toolbars have B
the same layout as previous DirectSOFT programming windows
but a crisp new look for the button icons. Notice that some of the
C
toolbar icons are grayed-out and some of the icons are not. The
available icons in the online toolbar will be visible. As a program
D
is edited, more of the grayed-out icons will become visible. The
online toolbar is grayed-out and will remain this way until the PC
is connected to the PLC. See Chapter 4 for more toolbar features.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 2-15

 Quick Start

Offline
Toolbar
1
2 Online Edit Mode
3 Toolbar Push-pin
Cursor buttons

D
Ladder Palette Bar
5
6
7
8 By default, there are two windows that will be in view when a new
project is opened. One is the Cross Reference View on the left
9 and the other is the Ladder View on the right. The Cross Reference
View is one of the dockable views in DirectSOFT 6 which also
1 includes Data Views and the Output window. These views can be
docked to any edge of the Programming Window or they can be
1 undocked and “float” to any part of the screen, even onto a different
display if you have multiple monitors. If the view is docked, you
2 can “auto-hide” the view by clicking on the push-pin in the upper
right-hand corner of the view. The view will auto-hide to the left of
3 the Ladder View with the name of the view on the tab. To bring the
view from auto-hide, hold the mouse cursor over the name in the
4 tab. If the view is not needed, click on the X located to the right of
the push-pin to close the view. See Chapter 7 to learn more about
A views.
B Notice the Ladder Palette Bar located to the right of the Ladder
View. The element buttons are grayed-out unless the Edit Mode has
C been activated. To activate the Ladder Palette, click on either EDIT
Mode button; one is located on the Offline toolbar and one is located
D at the top of the Ladder Palette. This palette can be repositioned
anywhere on the screen by “grabbing” it with the mouse pointer at
the top of the palette and dragging it to a new position. The Ladder
Palette contains the buttons that access the rung elements and
operations commonly used when editing ladder logic programs.

2-16 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Quick Start

The diagram below shows a newly opened Display window with

the Cross Reference View in the auto-hide position and the
Ladder View in full view. 1
2
3
Cross Reference View
in auto-hide position D
5
6
7
8
9
It is good practice to leave the Cross Reference View open while 0
editing your program. The rung elements are added to the Cross
Reference View as the program is accepted. 1
Accepting a program will be discussed later in this chapter.
2
NOTE: The Cross Reference View can be retrieved by going to View on the
Menu Bar and select it from the drop-down menu, then click on the push-pin
to keep it in view.
3
Step 2: Select Edit Mode
4
The ladder View has two viewing modes; the Display Mode and the A
Edit Mode. When a new program or an existing program is opened,
the Ladder View will be in the Display Mode which is only a viewing B
mode. A program cannot be edited in this mode. In order to edit a
program, you must be in the Edit Mode. To enable the Edit Mode, C
either click on the Edit Mode button on the Offline toolbar or click
on the Edit Mode button on the Ladder Palette Bar. You will know D
when the Edit Mode is active when the cursor box becomes solid,
a box appears around the Edit Mode buttons and the elements in
the Ladder Palette are highlighted (see diagram on the next page).

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 2-17

 Quick Start

1
2
3 Edit Mode
(solid cursor box)

D
5
6
7
8 The Ladder Palette (shown below) may not be exactly like the one
you have on your computer screen. The elements shown in the
9 palette will depend on which CPU your PLC is using. This example
shows the elements common to most of the CPUs.
1 Normally Closed
Normally
1 Closed Contact
Immediate
Contact
Negative
Differential
Contact
2 Accept
Normally Open
Normally Open
Immediate
Positive
Equal to
Edit Mode Differential
Contact
3 Contact Contact Contact

4
A
B
C
Not Equal to Less Than
D Contact Contact Browse
Coils
Wire to Output
Equal to/or Browse Browse
Greater Than Wrap Wire to
Contacts Boxes
Contact Stage
Browse
Elements

2-18 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Quick Start

Step 3: Enter an Input Element

Use the Ladder Palette to enter the first instruction of the program.
First, click on one of the Edit Mode buttons to begin to edit your 1
program. The rectangular edit cursor will change to a solid color.
The edit cursor should be positioned to the far left on Rung 1. 2
Your first entry can be placed here, normally a relay contact or
an element. Click on the Normally Open Contact symbol on the 3
palette.
The cursor will change to a box with an open relay contact, a D
window with the text cursor blinking at the end of address C0
(highlighted) and green, valid entry, indicators. 5
Enter the
contact
Delete the
edit box
Open the
Element Browser
6
7
Default
Valid entry
indicators 8
address
9
0
If the green dot changes to red, it means that the address is
incorrect, not valid or a wrong character. For example, if you typed
1
the letter “O” instead of the digit “0”, the indicator would turn red
and stay red until you correct the mistake. For this example, enter
2
X0 over C0. The valid entry indicator should be green meaning the
address is correct. Now, either click on the check mark (√) or press
3
the Enter key.
4
Notice the Valid entry A
indicator will be green
Enter X0 when a valid contact
address is entered
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 2-19

 Quick Start

The element will be entered and the cursor will move to the next
entry position. A yellow vertical bar will appear to the left of the
1 left of Rung 1. The yellow bar indicates that an instruction (or
instructions) has been entered, but the program has not been
2 accepted (compiled).

3
D
5
6 Yellow
colored bar
7 indicates
the rung has
not been
8 accepted.

9
1 Step 4: Enter an Output Element
Now, move the cursor to the end of the rung, positioned over the
1 NOP. Click on the Browse Coils button on the Ladder Palette. The
Instruction Browser will appear with the Standard Coil selected
2 as the default. Click OK to enter the standard coil. Keep in mind that
one of the other output coils could have been selected.
3
4
A
B
C
D

2-20 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Quick Start

The Instruction Browser will be replaced with the element entry

box. The default address, C0, will be highlighted. Enter Y0 and
notice the valid entry indicator is green for a proper entry. Either 1
click on the (√) or press the Enter key to enter the output coil.

Enter Y0 here
2
3
Rung 1 has now been programmed. This rung can be downloaded
D
to the PLC except for one missing rung. All programs must be
terminated with an END Coil rung.
5
6
7
8
9
0
1
2
Step 5: Enter the End Rung 3
To program this rung, position the cursor so it is over the NOP
at the end of Rung 2, and click on the Browse Coils button. The 4
Instruction Browser will appear as shown in the diagram below.
This time, select Program Control located in the Coil Class A
selection window. Next, select END located in the Coils selection
window. Click on OK, then Enter. B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 2-21

 Quick Start

The below diagram shows the two rungs that have

been programmed. This is a basic program that can
be downloaded to your PLC. Additional rungs can be
1 programmed, but you can go ahead and accept the program

2
3
Accept
D buttons

5
6
7
8 Step 6: Accepting and Saving the Program
9 The program now needs to be accepted in order to be downloaded
to the PLC. As noted in the above diagram, there are two Accept
1 buttons. Click on either Accept button to compile the program.
Once the rungs are accepted with no errors, the yellow bar will
1 change to green, the Accept buttons will be grayed-out and the
Cross Reference View now shows the two elements that have been
2 programmed.
Read and
3 Write buttons

4
A
B
Green bar
C indicates the rung
has been accepted.
D Programmed
elements now
appear in the Cross
Reference View

2-22 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Quick Start

Notice that the two Read and Write buttons located to the left of the
Offline toolbar are enabled and no longer grayed-out. The program
can now be saved to the PC’s disk. To write the program to disk,
click on the Write button. It is not necessary to save the program
1
in order to download the program to the PLC, however, it is good
practice to save your work as you edit a program. A mistake may
2
be made at times and you may want to restore the program to the
state that it was before the mistake was made. If a mistake is made
3
and you want to restore the program, click on the Read button. This
will refresh the screen with the previously saved version of your
D
program. 5
NOTE: When the program is saved by clicking on Write (only to disk), the
ladder program is all that is saved. Once you have edited a program and 6
have included total documentation, you will want to save all that you have
done. This is accomplished by selecting File > Save Project > to disk. You 7
can also click on Backup to accomplish the same thing with the addition of
a Backup file. For more detail about documenting and saving the project 8
refer to Chapter 6.
9
0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 2-23

 Quick Start

Establish the Communication Link

In order to download a program to the PLC a communication
1 link must be established. This section will step you through the
procedure for setting up the serial port of your PC. Refer to Chapter
2 9 if you need to create a serial link for a modem, or an Ethernet
link. The following procedure will step you through the process of
3 connecting the example program to a PLC.
Connect the PC to the PLC
D Connect the programming cable from the serial port of the PC to the
5 serial port of the PLC. Turn on your PLC and be sure that the RUN\
TERM\STOP switch on the PLC is in the TERM position. Now, click
6 on PLC on the Menu Bar, then select Connect from the drop-down
menu and the Select Link dialog will appear. Since there isn’t a link
7 to chose, click on Add.

8
9
1
1
2
3 Step 1: Select the Port
4 The following Link Wizard dialog will appear showing a list of
communication ports. Select the port you will use (commonly
A COM1) and click Next.
DirectSOFT 6 will
B automatically find any
communications ports
C that are shown in
the Windows Device
D Manager. If a port is not
shown please close all
DirectSOFT 6 windows
and restart the program.

2-24 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Quick Start

Step 2: Select the PLC

The next window will show a list of PLC Families. Select the PLC
family by clicking on the appropriate choice. If you are unsure of the 1
PLC family but know which communications protocol to use, select
“Not Sure”. If you are using a DirectLOGIC compatible PLC, the 2
Link Wizard will try and detect the PLC type automatically. Click
Next when you are finished. 3
D
5
6
7
8
9
NOTE: DL 0/1/2/4/350 should be selected for the following PLC families:
0
DL05, DL06, DL105, DL205, D3-350 and DL405. 1
Step 3: Choose the Protocol and Node Address 2
In this step, you will see a choice of either DirectNET or
K-Sequence. Assuming you have selected the DirectLOGIC PLC 3
family (not the DL305), the default, K-Sequence, will be
highlighted. The 4
K-Sequence protocol
allows you to perform A
write operations to
individual discrete B
I/O points and control
relays. DirectNET C
protocol cannot write to
individual bit locations. D
(See Appendix A for a
list of protocols available
for DirectLOGIC and
compatible PLCs).
If your PLC has been configured with a node address other than 1,
enter that address now. Click Next when finished.
DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 2-25
 Quick Start

Step 4: Name the Link

If the Link Wizard is successful in communicating with the PLC, the
1 following window will prompt you to enter a unique link name, and
a description of the link if desired. The description field allows 32
2 characters. Enter the name for the link and description then click
Finish and the Select Link dialog will appear with the link name
3 listed.

D
5
6
7
8
9
1
1
2 Since the link that was just created is the only one named in the
dialog, click on Select to initiate connecting to the PLC.
3
4
A
B
C
D

2-26 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Quick Start

DirectSOFT 6 automatically compares the currently open program

with the program stored in the PLC. The following Online/Offline
Differences dialog box will appear. This dialog asks which copy 1
2
3
D
5
of the ladder logic program is to be viewed, the copy in the PLC
or the copy on the PC. Since we are dealing with a new program,
6
select the Use Disk button. The Use Disk button is used whenever
you have made a change to a program in the PC, and you are
7
going online to load it into the PLC. If the Details button is pressed,
a side-by-side comparison of the program in the PLC and the
8
program on the PC will appear, such as the Compare Programs 9
dialog seen below. The program selection can also be made from
this dialog. 0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 2-27

 Quick Start

After clicking on the Use Disk button, the programming window

will look a bit different. Notice that the icon buttons in the Online
1 Toolbar are no longer grayed-out. The indicators at the bottom of
the window tell you that the PLC is okay, the PC is online with the
2 PLC and the PLC is in Program Mode. At this point the program
has not been written to the PLC. You will also notice the two left
3 most buttons on the Online toolbar (Read PLC and Write PLC)
are highlighted. To write the program to the PLC, select Write PLC.
D A pop-up indicator will appear to let you know that the program is
being written to the PLC.
5
6
7
8
9 Read PLC
Click on the Mode
button to change the
and Write PLC PLC mode
1 buttons

1
2
3
4
A After the program has been written to the PLC, all that needs to
be done is to place the PLC in the RUN Mode. Click on the Mode
B button on the Online toolbar. This will bring the PLC Modes dialog
window into view. Click on Run, then OK and the PLC will be in the
C RUN Mode.

2-28 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Quick Start

Notice the green indicator at the bottom of the Ladder View. It

shows the PLC is now in the Run Mode. How do you know that
your program works? The best way is to monitor the program while
the PLC is online.
1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
0
1
Green indicating
2
Run Mode
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 2-29

 Quick Start

Monitor the Program

1 There are many things that can be monitored in the relay ladder
program by simply clicking on the Status button on the online
2 toolbar. The monitor mode can be turned On and Off by clicking on
the status button. When in the status mode, the element background
3 will change to blue (by default) to indicate power flow when the input
element is turned on. If there is power flow, the output background
D will also change color.

5
6
7
8 Background color
9 to indicate power
flow (I/O On).

1
1
2
3
4
The program editing and testing is now complete. The example
A program is the most simple program that can be written. You can
add to this program by inserting rungs before the END rung (Rung
B 2) or by deleting the END rung and continuing to edit additional
rungs. Do not forget to end your program with an END rung.
C
D

2-30 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Quick Start

The following picture is an example of how you might continue with

your program. Note the Cross Reference View and the Data View.
Chapters 9 and 10 will explain how to use these views. 1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 2-31

 Quick Start

Notes:

1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
1
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

2-32 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

Managing Chapter
Projects
3
In This Chapter
Get Started Using DirectSOFT 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Create a New Project. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Importing Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Copy or Save Existing DirectSOFT Files. . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
 Chapter 3: Managing Projects

Get Started Using DirectSOFT 6

To open DirectSOFT 6, double-click on the
1 DirectSOFT 6 icon which was installed on your
desktop screen during the installation of the software.
2 You can also click on Start located in the left-hand
corner of the computer monitor. Once you do this, select Programs,
3 find DirectSOFT 6, then select DSLaunch 6 in the drop-down
window. The DSLaunch window, shown below, will appear. The
D DSLaunch window displays all of the applications and PLCs that
5 DirectSOFT 6 supports.
Understanding the Launch Window
6 DirectSOFT 6 Programming Software is much more than a PLC
programming package. With the Launch Window concept, utilities,
7 such as, NetEdit, CTRIO WB, etc., can all be launched from one
central location. The Launch Window is also used to create and
8 manage PLC projects and the communication links between your
personal computer and the PLC.
9 Notice the different areas in the Launch Window. There is a menu
tree very similar to what is in Windows Explorer. All that you see
1 in the menu tree can be accessed from the tree.

11 Utilities, such

2 as NetEdit

13
4
A Installed
Support
B
C Communication
Links to PLCs

D
Windows-type
Menu Tree

3-2 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 3: Managing Projects

The menu tree has four folder/icons which are:

•A
 pplications - These are the applications currently installed in
DirectSOFT 6. The only installed application available is DirectSOFT
1
6 Programming. This is the point where you start a new project.
• Utilities - Several utilities are installed here such as, ERM Workbench,
2
CTRIO Workbench and NetEdit. They are installed automatically
when DirectSOFT 6 is installed.
3
• Projects - This folder/icon will contain the projects which are created
in DirectSOFT 6. A project is the collective name for your ladder
D
logic program and all of the documentation associated with it. Newly
created projects and existing projects will reside here. As projects are 5
created, they are added to the end of the list.
•C
 omm Links - This folder/icon will contain the communication links
6
between the personal computer and the different PLCs that you have
(See Chapter 9). 7
8
9
0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 3-3

 Chapter 3: Managing Projects

Create a New Project

New Program
1 To create a new program, double-click on DirectSOFT 6
Programming in the Applications folder on the DSLaunch menu
2 tree.
3 Double-click
here to start a new
program
D
5
6
7
8
9
1
11
2
13
4 Enter the New Project Information
A The New Project dialog box is used to define several things.
• New Project Name s enter a name for your project (up to 32 characters
B •F
- no extension).
 amily s select the DirectLOGIC PLC family (or compatible) you will
C be using.
•T
 ype s select the CPU you are using from the available list. Remember,
D different PLCs use similar instructions, but they are still different in
some ways. For this reason, it is extremely important that you specify
the correct CPU.
•B
 rowse s you can keep the default project path, c:\DirectSOFT6\
projects, or use the Browse button to either select a project not shown
on the menu tree or a different folder with the project listed in it.

3-4 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 3: Managing Projects

Importing Projects
You may already have TISOFT or Logicmaster programs stored
on your PC’s hard drive or on a disk. You may also have projects 1
that were exported from DirectSOFT version 5. Use the following
procedure to import these programs. 2
1. Open the New Project dialog as described on the previous page.
2. When the New Project dialog appears, click on the Cancel button. 3
The programming window will remain on the screen.
3. Click on File on the toolbar, then select Import > Program. The D
Import Program dialog will appear as shown below.
4 Locate the program to be imported by selecting Look in:, then the
5
location of the program.
6
7
8
9
0
1
2
3
4
5. Select the Files of type: to choose the correct file, such as, TIsoft
A
(*.vpu). B
6. Select the program to be imported (up to 32 characters with no
extension) from the location where the program is found. The file
name should appear in File name: area.
C
7. Either enter a name for the project in the New Project: area or use D
the Browse button to select the name from a location of your choice
to store the project.
8. Click on the Open button to start the import process. An indicator
window will appear to let you know that the program is being
imported. After the program has been imported, it will appear as a
normal DirectSOFT 6 program.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 3-5

 Chapter 3: Managing Projects

Program Documentation Mapping from TISOFT and

Logicmaster
1 Although most of the documentation will have a counterpart in
DirectSOFT 6 some of the documentation will not. The following table
2 shows what is imported, what is not and the DirectSOFT 6 counterparts.

3 TISOFT Source Documentaion DirectSOFT 6 Documentation

Title Page Title Page Editor
D Synonyms Element Description
5 Comments (tied to output coil)
Descriptions
Rung Comments (tied to rung)
No Match

Logicmaster Source Documentaion DirectSOFT 6 Documentation

6 Nicknames Nicknames
Names Description
7 Comments Comments
Coil Labels No Match
8
9
1
11
2
13
4
A
B
C
D

3-6 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 3: Managing Projects

Copy or Save Existing DirectSOFT Files

The question often arises as to what is needed when copying
existing DirectSOFT files to a different memory area or directory.
1
If you are a first time user of DirectSOFT 6 and have no existing
files to transfer, then you may skip this page and read it later. 2
By default, projects are stored originally in the Projects
subdirectory, however, they can reside in areas other than the
3
default projects subdirectory. It really does not matter where they
are storedsthe method for copying or saving these existing files
D
to another area is the same in each case.
If you look where the projects have been stored, you will notice
5
the main file for the project will always have a .prj extension
after its root filename, but there are other files with the same
6
root filename. This can be a little confusing to new users. This is
due to the fact that DirectSOFT 6 performs a filename creation
7
behind the scenes, and you don’t get involved with the initial 8
storage except to indicate the root filename and directory path.
A frequently asked question is “which of these files do I need 9
when making the storage transfer?”. Copying or saving the
filename.prj will be insufficient to truly transfer the total project. 0
Not all of the files are necessary to recreate the program, but
if you eliminate any of them, you may lose some important 1
documentation and indexing information. The table shown on the
following page lists the different file extensions and what they 2
contain. The safest choice is to save or copy all files for a project
having the same root filename, regardless of the different file 3
extensions (see the table on the next page).
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 3-7

 Chapter 3: Managing Projects

DirectSOFT 6 Project Files

1 File Extension Contents
dataviewname.dta Data views are not associated with one single
2 filename.dv
project, but can be shared among multiple projects
DV1000 setup

3 filename.esd
filename.esx
Element documentation
(nickname, wiring information, description)
Index file for the element documentation

D filename.inf Project information

5 filename.lcd
filename.lcx
Ladder rung comments
Index file for the ladder rung comments
filename.lda Connects rung comments to correct rung no.
Online only: connects to correct rung number
6 filename.ldo
filename.pid
(temporary until saved offline to *.lda)
PID documentation
7 filename.prj
filename.prt
Contains the ladder program
Print settings

8 filename.rd
filename.rf
305 R-memory data
305 R-memory editor format

9 filename.scd
filename.scx
Stage comments
Index file for stage comments
filename.tls PLC parameters, I/O configuration, pause bits
1 filename.vd
filename.vf
V-memory data
V-memory editor format
11 filename.wsp
filename.xml
Position of program windows, colors, etc.
Docking pane layouts
2 Files Associated with DirectSOFT 6 Project Files
13 File Extension
importexport doc.namename.csv
Contents
Comma Separated Variable

4 ctrioworkbenchname.cwb
ermworkbenchname.erm
Counter I/O configuration
Ethernet remote master configuration
importexportmnemonicname.txt Text file
A
B
C
D

3-8
3-8 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition
Programming Chapter
Environment
4
In This Chapter
Offline Toolbar Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Online Toolbar Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Additional Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
The Options Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-21
Colors in DirectSOFT 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-24
The Ladder Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-28
The Split Screen Feature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-30
The New Window Feature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31
 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

Offline Toolbar Components

Once the Program Window has been opened, the Online and Offline
1 toolbars are in view. The diagram below shows the default location
of the Online and Offline Toolbars whenever a new program is
2 started. The grayed-out icon buttons become highlighted as the
program is being edited. Along with the toolbar icon buttons, the
3 button functions are also available from the menu bar located at
the top of the program window. The grayed-out Online toolbar will
4 become available once the PC is online with the PLC.

5 Menu bar

6 Offline

7 Online Toolbar
Toolbar

8
The toolbars are movable, or floating. By selecting the toolbar and
9 dragging it with the mouse, the toolbar can be located wherever the
programmer wishes to place it on the desktop.
1 Offline Toolbar
11 Read from Disk
This button is used to retrieve and open a program from the disk.
2 The program will appear in the Ladder View.
13 Write to Disk
The ladder logic program will be saved to the .prj project file on
4 disk (not the entire project). It is a good practice to save your work
frequently. This helps prevent data losses in the event of a system
A problem, such as a power failure.
New Offline Project
B This button will begin a new project offline. This button can
be used with a project already open. The project will not be
C overwritten with the new project. You will be prompted to save
the project before a new Ladder View will appear. An Offline
D Project includes the program, as well as other types of data, like
V-Memory and documentation.
Open a Project
This will open an existing project. A project can be opened when an
existing project is already open. You will first be prompted to save
your project, then the project that has been selected will be opened.

4-2 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

Backup to File
Click on this button to make a backup copy of your project.

Edit a Program
1
This button will turn on the Edit Mode. When the ladder view is 2
in Edit Mode, the edit cursor will be a solid block on the screen.
Click the Edit Mode button again to toggle back to Display Mode. 3
Accept the Program
Before the edited program can be downloaded to the PLC, the
4
Accept button must be pressed. Once this is done, the program
will be compiled; in other words, the program is put into a form 5
that can be downloaded to the PLC.
Cut
6
This button is available in the Edit Mode. It allows the 7
programmer to delete a marked, or selected, rung or rungs from
the program and place it on the clipboard. 8
Copy
This button allows the programmer to copy one or more marked, 9
or selected, program rungs to the clipboard (see page 5-21).
Paste
0
Whenever rungs are cut or copied, they are stored on a
clipboard. Position the cursor where you want the rungs to go,
1
then use this button to paste the rungs currently on the clipboard
to the new location.
2
Find 3
This button is used to locate an element within a program. The
element can be selected with the cursor before using the button 4
or click on the button and enter the element to be found.
Next
A
Using this button will find the next occurrence of the element B
specified when the Find button has been used.
Browse for an Element C
This button provides a quick overview of valid element ranges
and nicknames for the current content as well as a convenient
D
way to document an element.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 4-3

 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

Display the Options Dialog

Using this button will display the Options Dialog which will allow the
1 programmer to set up the different views available to the programmer.
Zoom
2 This selection is used to either increase or decrease the size of the
3 current program view. Click the arrow to select the desired size from
the drop-down menu.
4 DS on the Web
This button will open the DirectSOFT on the web window.
5
6 Help
This button will open the Help menu window.
7
8
9
1
11
2
13
4
A
B
C
D

4-4 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

Online Toolbar Components

The following button icons are available after the PLC is placed
online. 1
Online Toolbar
Read the Program From PLC
2
This button will read the program from the online PLC. 3
Write the Program to PLC
4
This button will write the program to the online PLC. 5
Program Status 6
This button will turn on the status display for the current view.
7
New Data View
Using this button will open a Data View window (see Chapter 10). 8
9
Change Value
This button will open the Change Value window to allow 0
the programmer to change element status, values, etc..
1
New Trend View
This button will open a Trend View window (see Chapter 10). 2
PLC Mode
3
This button opens the Mode window to display the current 4
mode of the PLC and to allow the Mode of the PLC to
be changed. Choices are Run, Program and Test. A
System Information B
Use this button to open a window with the version,
status and error information about the PLC. C
Syntax D
This button will run a Syntax check of the PLC and a Duplicate I/O
check.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 4-5

 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

Additional Toolbars
1 In addition to the default Offline and Online toolbars, other toolbars
can be activated and used if desired. To view additional toolbars
2 click on View > Toolbars and select the toolbar or toolbars
that would assist you with editing your program. The Toolbar
3 selection window lists fourteen toolbars and a Customize option.
The three toolbars at the top of the list are checked since they
4 are the default toolbars. The rest of the toolbars are optional,
and they can be selected if desired. Note the down arrow at the
5 end of each toolbar. This down arrow allows the programmer
to customize the toolbar by adding or removing buttons.
6
7 Add or Remove
Buttons

8
9
1
11
2
13
4
A After selecting the file toolbar, it will be added to the Ladder View
B window beneath the Online toolbar as shown in the diagram below.
This toolbar can be moved to any location of the programmer’s
C preference by dragging it with the mouse arrow.

D
Added Toolbar

4-6 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

The File Toolbar

The File Toolbar duplicates the more commonly used commands
from the main menu File. Notice that the icon buttons are in groups,
divided by a gray vertical line.
1
2
3
4
New Online Project 5
Create a new project that linked to the PLC.
Close Project 6
This button will close the current project. A message window will
pop-up if the program has not been saved. The program can then 7
be saved.
Save Project to Disk
8
This button will save the entire project to disk, and will also create 9
a new auto-backup version of the project.
Save Project to PLC 0
Use this button to save the entire project to the PLC.
Save As to Disk
1
Use this button to save the active project to a different disk file. 2
Import
This button will allow the programmer to import a project from a
3
non-DirectSOFT 6 format.
Import Element Documentation
4
This button allows the programmer to import a document containing A
nicknames, wiring information and descriptions from comma
separated variable (.csv) text format. B
Import Rung Comments
This button will allow the importation of rung comments in text form.
C
Export D
This button is used to export a project to a non-DirectSOFT 6
format (see Chapter 6).

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 4-7

 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

Export Element Documentation

This button allows the programmer to export element documentation
1 containing nicknames, wiring information and descriptions in the
current DirectSOFT 6 project to a text file in comma separated
2 variable text format.
Export Rung Comments
3 This button will allow the programmer to export the active ladder
logic rung comments in text form.
4 Preview the Program
5 Use this button to display the current view as it would appear in
printed format. Once previewed, the program can be printed.
6 Print
This will allow the printing of the current view and selected
7 documents.

8 Print All
Use this button to allow the programmer to print all of the documents
9 that are selected.
Setup
1 This button will open the printer setup dialog.

11 Properties
This button will show the project properties.
2 Exit
This button will allow the programmer to exit the project. If the
13 project has not been saved, a pop-up window will remind the
programmer to save the project, otherwise, the project will close.
4
The Edit Toolbar
A The Edit Toolbar is only active in the Edit Mode. It duplicates some
of the main menu Edit commands.
B
C
D Undo
Use this button to undo the changes to the current rung that has
been edited and not yet compiled. The edit cursor must be on the
rung to be restored when the undo button is clicked on.

4-8 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

Delete
The Delete button will delete the element under the edit cursor.
If there is no element under the cursor to be deleted, a pop-up
message asks if the rung is to be deleted. If multiple rungs are 1
selected (highlighted), it will delete these rungs (See Chapter 5).
Insert
2
This button will allow rows and columns to be inserted in a rung. 3
Merge the Previous Rung
This button will merge the previous rung with the current rung.
4
Merge the Next Rung
Use this button to merge the next rung with the current rung.
5
Browse Contact 6
This button will open the Instruction Browser window ready for a
contact to be selected. 7
Browse Coil
This button opens the Instruction Browser window ready for the
8
selection of a coil. 9
Browse Boxes
Use this button to open the Instruction Browser with the box 0
instructions available for selection.
The Search Toolbar
1
The Search Toolbar only contains two command buttons, Replace 2
and GoTo.
3
4
Replace
This button will activate the replace dialog so the programmer can
A
search for an object in the program, or a range of elements and
replace them.
B
GoTo C
This button activates a Goto dialog so the programmer can enter
a rung number or addresss he wishes to view. Pressing OK will D
display the cursor on the desired rung/address.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 4-9

 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

The View Toolbar

The View Toolbar has five buttons that can alter the appearance
1 of the software.

2
3 Customize
4 This button allows the programmer to display or hide the various
Toolbars, to modify the commands that appear on each Toolbar,
5 or to create your own Custom Toolbars.
Themes
6 Use this button to select from a variety of User Interface Themes
that will give DirectSOFT 6 a new look and feel. You can chose
7 themes, such as, the Office XP theme, the Office 2003 theme, the
Mac theme, et al.
8 Colors
9 Use this button to activate a Color Setup dialog so the programmer
can select different colors for various items in DirectSOFT 6, such
1 as, the background for the Ladder View.
Zoom In
11 This button will increase the size of the current program view.
2 Zoom Out
This button will decrease the size of the current program view.
13
4
A
B
C
D

4-10 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

The Tools Toolbar

The Tools toolbar duplicates the Tools menu from the main menu.
These buttons can be a valuable asset to the programmer.
1
2
Memory Editor 3
This button will open the Memory Editor dialog which will allow
the programmer to edit data in V-memory (or R-memory in 305 / 4
305S PLCs).
Documentation Editor 5
This button opens the Documentation Editor view to be used to
define Nicknames, Wiring Information and Descriptions for the
6
elements which are used in the program.
7
Assign Nicknames
DirectSOFT 6 allows the programmer to create an entire 8
program with Nicknames without first assigning them to the
actual elements (addresses) a.k.a. Symbolic Programming. 9
When the program is ready to be written to the PLC, pressing
the Nicknames button opens the Assign Nicknames dialog where 0
the programmer can assign actual elements (addresses) to the
unassigned Nicknames used in the program. 1
Comment
This button activates the Edit Comments dialog where the
2
programmer can create or modify the comment for the current
rung in the Ladder View, or the current stage in the Stage View.
3
Title 4
Use this button to allow the programmer to Edit the title for the
project. A
Compare
This button provides a window so the programmer can compare
B
the current program with another program on disk or with the
program in the PLC.
C
Insert Instructions D
This button is used to insert instructions from a Mnemonic
text file into the current program, optionally including element
documentation.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 4-11

 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

The PLC Toolbar

The PLC toolbar duplicates some of the features found on the PLC
1 menu menu bar.

2
3
4
Connect to PLC
5 This button will allow the programmer to connect the PC to the PLC
over a communication link. If a link has not been established, one can
6 be setup here.

7 Disconnect from PLC

Use this button to disconnect the PC from the PLC.
8 Link Info
This button will open the Link Info dialog which will provide a quick
9 overview of the current link’s status and allows the programmer to
edit and set the activation state of the link.
1 Offline Setup (PLC)
11 This button allows the configuration of the PLC type while offline.
Memory Map
2 Use this button to open the current PLC Memory Map.

13 PLC Tools
This button will open the Hardware Tools list. The programmer can
4 select a software tool to run from this list as long as it has been
installed.
A Configure I/O
This button will open the Configure I/O window that displays the
B current configuration of the installed PLC I/O (Chapter 5).

C Setup a Password
This button will allow the programmer to set a password in the PLC
D to protect the program from unauthorized access.
Clear Memory
This button is for clearing the memory in the PLC.
PLC to Disk
This button will allow the programmer to copy the configuration data
from the PLC to disk.

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 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

Disk to PLC
This button will allow the copying of the configuration data from the
disk to the PLC.
The PLC Diagnostics Toolbar
1
The buttons on the Diagnostics Toolbar will only be active when
the PC is online with the PLC.
2
3
4
I/O Diagnostics
Pressing this button will perform diagnostics on the connected 5
PLC.
Observe the Scan Time
6
Press this button to open the Scan Time dialog which allows the 7
viewing of the current, minimum and maximum scan times from
the current PLC. The scan times are continuously updated while 8
the dialog is visible.
View Error Messages 9
The messages button will open a window that displays System
Errors and Fault Messages which have occurred.
0
The PLC Setup Toolbar 1
Some of the buttons on the PLC Setup Toolbar can be used offline,
but all of the buttons can be used with the PLC online (depending 2
3
4
A
on the features of the current PLC).
Set the Pause Bits
B
Use this button to open the Pause Bit editor which allows the C
programmer to set output pause bits.
Setup Overrides D
This button will open the PLC Override editor.
Name the Memory Cartridge
This will open the Memory Cartridge dialog used to set a name in
the current memory cartridge in the PLC.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 4-13

 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

Set the Retentive Memory Range

This button will open a Retentive Range dialog to configure the
retentive memory for the current PLC.
1 Set the Watch Dog Timer
2 Pressing this button will allow the programmer to view/edit the
watch dog time-out value for the current PLC.
3 Initialize Scratch Pad

4 Pressing this button will begin the process of Initializing the Scratch
Pad Memory.
5 Select I/O
This button is used to determine which I/O Config will be read from
6 the PLC on power up.
Check I/O
7 This button is used to turn on or off the I/O Config check when the
PLC powers up.
8 D0-DCM Port Setup
9 This button is used to setup the D0-DCM communication ports.
Secondary Port Setup
1 Press this button to setup the PLC Secondary Communication
Ports.
11 Setup Global I/O
2 This button is used to setup the global I/O for the DL405 PLC only.
Set the Time and Date
13 Press the Calendar button to set the time and date in the PLC.
4 Set up the DV-1000
If there is a DV-1000 installed with the PLC, use this to open the
A DV-1000 setup dialog (refer to the DV-1000 User Manual for setup
instructions).
B Setup the PID Loops
The PID button will allow the programmer to setup the PID loop
C parameters.
D Select Memory Cartridge or Flash
This button will allow the programmer to select the memory type
for a DL405 PLC.
Setup Intelligent I/O
Press this button to open the Intelligent I/O setup dialog to set up
intelligent modules. The list contains configuration script for all
intelligent modules in the current PLC.

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 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

The Debug Toolbar

The Debug Toolbar extends the use of the Status button located
on the Online toolbar. These buttons will assist in the debugging
of your program. 1
2
3
4
Turn Status ON in All Views
The All Status button will turn on the status for all of the open 5
views in the current project.
Turn Status OFF in All Views
6
The No Status button will turn off the status for all of the open 7
views in the current project.
Open Data View 8
This button will allow the programmer to open an existing Data
View. 9
Close Data View
This button will allow the programmer to close the current Data
0
View. 1
Save Data / Save Data As
These buttons will save the current Data View. 2
Open Trend View
This button will allow the programmer to open an existing Trend
3
View. 4
Close Trend View
This button will allow the programmer to close the current Trend A
View.
Save Trend / Save Trend As
B
These buttons will save the current Trend View. C
Test Mode
This button will allow the programmer to use the Test Mode D
Operations (see page 10-22).
Stack Operations (DL440 only)
Use this button to monitor the DL440 PLC accumulator and data
stack.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 4-15

 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

Trap Monitor
This button will open a dialog which allows the programmer to trap
1 element values at specific addresses rather than after a scan (see
page 10-25).
2 The Window Toolbar
3 The Window Toolbar duplicates the window option from the main
menu. This toolbar may be helpful if the window views need to be
4 changed often.

5
6
New Window
7 This button will open a new View Window of the current Program
8 View (e.g. Ladder, Stage, Trend, Mnemonic).
Arrange Views Cascaded
9 The Cascade button will rearrange views in a cascaded fashion.
Tile Views Horizontally
1 This button will arrange the program views in a tiled, horizontal
11 fashion.
Tile Views Vertically
2 This button will arrange the program views in a tiled, vertical
fashion.
13 Arrange Icons
4 Use this button to arrange the icons for minimized windows at the
bottom of the main window. If there is an open document window
A at the bottom of the main window, then some or all of the icons
may not be visible because they will be underneath this document
B window.
Default
C Pressing this button will restore window and toolbar positions to
their factory default layout settings.
D Close All Views
This button will close all current views.
Output Window
This button will display the Output Window.
Clear Output Window
This button will clear all messages in the Output Window.

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 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

The Help Toolbar

The Help Toolbar duplicates the Help menu accessed from the
main menu.
1
2
Help Topic Index
Use this button to open the Help window.
3
PLC/Instruction Matrix 4
This button will open the PLC vs. Instruction Set Matrix window.
Getting Started 5
The Start button will open the Help window to provide help to get
started using DirectSOFT 6.
6
DS On the Web 7
This button will open the DirectSOFT on the web window.
Tip of Day
8
This button will open the Tip of the Day window to provide a helpful
tip.
9
Unlock 0
This button will convert DirectSOFT100 to full version using
Purchased Product Keycode. 1
About
This button will display the DirectSOFT 6 about box.
2
The Custom Toolbar 3
DirectSOFT 6 has many toolbars
to select, and if you select too
4
many, you probably won’t have
much room on the monitor to
A
effectively edit a program. The
customize toolbar feature may
B
be well suited for your use. Click
on Customize at the bottom of
C
the Toolbars menu to open the
Customize toolbar window.
D
TIP: A quick way to open the Customize Toolbar dialog is to right-click
on any of the Toolbars in view. This will access the Toolbars menu, then
select Customize.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 4-17

 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

The Customize window will allow the programmer to select all the
toolbars he wishes to use, or to customize a personal toolbar. When
1 a toolbar is checked (clicked on) it will be added to the programming
window immediately. To create your personal toolbar click on New
2 and name the toolbar. “My toolbar” is the name given to a custom
toolbar in the diagram below.
3
4
5
6 The toolbar will be added to
the programming window as an
7 add-on toolbar. The toolbar will
not have any icon buttons in it
8 until the programmer selects the
buttons. To do this, click on the
9 Commands tab and select the
command category.
1 Once this is done, a list of icon
11 buttons will appear to the right
of the category list. Drag the
2 commands that you wish to the
personal toolbar.
13
4
A
B
C Personal Toolbar

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 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

Status Bar Components

The PLC status information is located at the bottom of the
programming window. This area is divided into boxes which contain
pertinent information about the PLC operation and status when the
1
PLC is online or offline. These boxes can be classified as status
buttons.
2
3
4
5
PLC System
6
PLC Mode PLC Type
Information
7
8
Link
Information
Program
Memory Usage
9
Program
Cursor
0
Location

PLC System Information 1

This status button is active whenever the PLC is online. It displays
OK to indicate the PLC is running without an error. Clicking the 2
button is like using the System Info button in the online toolbar. It
will open the PLC System Information window. 3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 4-19

 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

Communication/Link Information
This status button is active when the PLC is offline or online. The
1 button displays the PLC status and the communication link name.
Clicking this button will open the Communication/Link Information
2 window. The window will show the communication error messages.
It is also possible to edit the communication link if it becomes
3 neccesary. If the PLC is offline, it will indicate that here. Clicking on
4 the button with offline showing will allow the programmer to connect
the PLC to the PC.
5 PLC Mode
This status button indicates the operational mode of the PLC. Not
6 only does this button indicate the PLC Mode but it also allows the
programmer to use this button like the Mode button in the online
7 toolbar. Clicking on this button will allow the person to change the
mode of the PLC.
8
Program Memory Usage
9 This box indicates the amount of relay ladder program memory that
is available and how much has been used. The format is: memory
1 used/total memory available. If the available memory is exceeded,
an asterisk (*) will appear beside the amount used. Here are some
11 examples:

2 • For a DL06 CPU with program memory of 00003/07680 indicates that 3

words have been used out of a total of 07680.

13 • For a DL230 CPU indicating the program memory with *00725/00512.

This means that the amount of words used has exceeded the total
program memory available.
4
A PLC Type

B This box indicates the type of PLC that is being used.

C Program Cursor Location

D This box indicates the position of the program cursor in the Ladder
View. This indicator changes with each movement of the cursor.

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 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

The Options Dialog

Before continuing to edit your program, it is a good idea to get
familiar with the DirectSOFT 6 Options Dialog. This dialog 1
actually has seven dialogs within which are used to setup the
appearance of each of the views available. To open the dialog,
either click on the Options button or on View > Options. Each view
2
dialog is indicated by a tab labeled: 3
• Data View - used to monitor and debug the program
• Global - this affects all views (display of aliases or nicknames)
4
• Ladder - options for the ladder view
• Stage - options used for the stage view
5
• Trend - options used for data trending 6
• XRef - used to setup the cross reference view (display mode,
documentation, etc.) 7
• XRef DB - definitions for cross reference database queries
8
Only the Global and Ladder options will be discussed in this
chapter. The other option tabs will be discussed in later chapters
9
after adequate coverage of some of the more advanced features
of DirectSOFT 6.
0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 4-21

 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

Ladder Options
Number Rungs
1 Two choices are available here, by Address and by Rung. If
2 by Address is chosen, the actual decimal address for the first
instruction in each rung will be located in the left margin of the
3 ladder view, starting with zero. If number by Rung is chosen,
the rungs will be numbered beginning with the number one. The
4 remaining rungs will be numbered sequentially, two, three, four, etc.
The default selection is by Rung.
5 Documentation
This section of the dialog allows you to select the types of
6 documentation that will appear in the Ladder Logic program. A
check mark in the box preceding the option will select the option to
7 appear in the program. The following choices are available:
• Elements - the element type and reference number (X1, Y3, C10, etc.)
8 •N
 icknames - a name given to the element by the programmer or user

9 (clamp, switch, etc.)

• Wiring Info - a descriptive tag for keeping track of wiring (Blue 027)
1 •D
 escriptions - notes attached to individual elements (gate open, clamp
up)
11 •C
 omments - note attached to the rung, i.e. This is the start of the
Wash Process for Section 9 in Building 10
2 Misc. Options
The only option availble here is 3-D Tokens. Leaving this option
13 checked will leave the Ladder View the way it appears when it is
first opened (default), that is, with a three dimensional effect on the
4 Ladder View. When this option is unchecked, the Ladder View will
have a white background and black rungs. This will not affect the
A colors of the displayed views.
B Apply the Options to:
By default, the changed options will only affect the Current View.
C Check All Open Views or New Views if the changes are to affect
other opened views or views to be opened later.
D

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 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

Global Options
The options available with the Global tab affect the current and all
new projects that are opened during any session.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Selecting the Global Options
•D
 efault View - the view that is highlighted in the Default View window 0
when the OK button is selected will be the default view that appears
whenever a project is opened. 1
•D
 isplay Aliases - Aliases are alternate names given to certain elements
or addresses. For example, TA0 is an alias for a timer accumulator data 2
starting at V0. It is much more meaningful to use the aliases rather than
the counterpart memory address notations. But in the end, it is a matter 3
of preference. The aliases can be turned ON or OFF globally. See the
PLC User Manual for a complete list of aliases for the CPU being used. 4
•D
 isplay Nicknames - when this is selected, all current or future projects
opened will display the nicknames. Selecting Display Nicknames here A
will have precedence over how this option is set for the individual views
in the other options. B
•D
 isplay Toolbar Text - this option allows the user to hide or display
the text for each button in the Toolbars. When the text is hidden, the
buttons reduce in size.
C
•D
 efault Docking Position - this option allows the user to choose the D
position relative to the Ladder View that any Views opened (Data View,
XRef View, etc.) will reside in.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 4-23

 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

Colors in DirectSOFT 6
1 Colors are used in DirectSOFT 6 for personal appearance and
for certain information. This will be a discussion of how and where
2 colors are used.
Select New Colors
3 The programmer can setup the colors that he prefers for the
4 projects to be developed. The selected colors will remain the same
for each project. To open the Color Setup window, click on View
5 > Color Setup or click on the Color button in the View toolbar
button group. The Color Setup will appear like the dialog below.
6
7 Click on the
8 desired color

9 Click on item
to select for a
color change Letters match
1 documentation
selections
11 Vertical
bars match
2 highlighting for
selected rungs,
13 uncompiled, etc.

4 The colors are changed by first selecting the usage (Normal

Background, Comment, etc.) under the Selection section then
A clicking on the color in the Colors palette (drop-down menu). The
Sample area (below the Color palette) has a color bar that will
B change as the colors are selected. Rows of text will also change
color for each type of documentation selected. These are the rows
C of Cs, Ds, Ws, etc.

4-24 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

Color Selections
Normal Background S the normal background color (the default
is white with 3-D Token disabled)
Uncompiled Background S color for items which are modified
1
and uncompiled 2
Unsaved to Disk Background S color for items which are
modified and unsaved to disk 3
Unsaved to PLC Background S color for items which are
modified and unsaved to the PLC 4
Disabled Background S color for views which are disabled
Selected Background S used for setting the color that appears
5
when something in the program is selected. For example, if a
range of rungs is selected (to copy, delete, etc.) the selection is
6
highlighted with a color (default is blue)
Status Background S when online status is selected, this
7
background color shows that the element is enabled (default is
aqua)
8
Status Foreground S the color the individual element addresses 9
show when they are active during status
Comments S the color used for the rung comments 0
Description S the color used for the element description
Wiring Information S the color used to indicate the wiring
1
information
Nickname S the color used to indicate the nicknames
2
Element S the color used for the element address (X10, IO000, 3
etc.)
Token S the color used for the ladder program 4
Block Cursor S the color of the cursor box in Ladder View
Box Background S the color within each instruction box.
A
B
The Default Settings
If the colors become totally disorganized, click on the Defaults
C
button to restore the colors to the DirectSOFT 6 default settings. D
Monochrome
Selecting the Monochrome button will set all colors to black with
a white background.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 4-25

 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

Colors Conveying Information

DirectSOFT 6 uses different colors to indicate certain conditions.
1 There are color coded vertical bars located in the margin to the left
of the program rungs. These bars let the programmer know what
2 has been compiled and saved. See the diagram below.

3 Uncompiled Background S when a rung is edited, a vertical

color bar (default yellow) appears to the left of the program as an
4 indication that the program has not been compiled (accepted).
Unsaved to Disk Background S after the program has been
5 compiled, the uncompiled bar is replaced with another bar (default
green) to indicate that the program has not been saved the disk.
6 Unsaved to PLC Background S one other color bar is used after
a program has been compiled, this bar indicates that the program
7 has not been downloaded to the PLC (default blue).

8
9 Color Bars

Uncompiled
1 (Yellow)

11 Compiled, but
not written to disk
(Green)
2 Compiled, but not
13 written to PLC
(Blue)

4
A
B
C
D

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 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

Select a Theme
The Themes dialog allows the programmer to select the look of
the DirectSOFT 6 programming window, much like selecting the
appearance for a computer using Windows. To open the dialog
1
window either click on View > Themes or click on the Themes
button in the View toolbar button group. The default theme is
2
Office XP.
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
The theme selected for the window below is the Beveled look. 1
Note the darkened outlines of the menu buttons.
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 4-27

 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

The Ladder Palette

1 An important part of the programming environment is the Ladder
Palette. The Ladder palette is visible whenever the programming
2 window is opened. The element symbols are grayed-out and inactive
when the not in the Edit Mode. Turning on the Edit Mode activates the
3 Ladder palette and the tool symbols are no longer grayed-out. When
a new project is started, the Ladder palette is located on the right side
4 of the programming window by default, however, the palette floats.
It can be moved to any position on the monitor viewing area. Simply
5 “grab” the palette with the mouse arrow on the bar at the top of the
palette and move it to wherever it may work best for the programmer.
6 The palette can also be resized similar to the one shown on the
facing page.
7
8 Ladder Palette

9
1
11
2
13
4
A
B Be Familiar with the Ladder Palette
The Ladder palette is very helpful when first learning to use
C DirectSOFT 6. The hot keys can be learned while using the Ladder
palette. The hot keys are labeled on the element keys. Using the hot
D keys may be quicker for many programmers. The hot keys appear in
the “Tool Tip” whenever the cursor is over the element button.

NOTE: The Ladder palette which appears on your computer screen may
be different than what is shown in this manual. The tools that appear are
dependent upon the type of CPU being used.

4-28 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

Normally Closed
Normally Immediate Negative
Closed Contact Contact Differential

Accept
Normally Open Positive
Contact
1
Normally Open Equal to
Immediate
Edit Mode Contact
Contact
Differential
Contact Contact 2
3
4
5
6
Not Equal to
Contact
Less Than
Contact Browse
Coils
Wire to Output 7
Equal to/or
Greater Than
Browse
Contacts
Browse
Boxes
Wrap Wire to 8
Contact Stage
Browse
Elements
9
0
The contact buttons are self-explained. Each contact button will
place the particular element on the rung wherever the edit cursor
1
is placed.
Browse Contacts S click on this button to view the Contact dialog
2
of the Instruction Browser to select a contact of your choice. 3
Browse Coils S click on this button to view the Coil dialog of the
Instruction Browser to select a coil of your choice. 4
Browse Boxes S click on this button to view the Box dialog of
the Instruction Browser to select an Instruction Box of your choice. A
Browse Elements S click on this button to view the Element
Browser which will allow you to select from various types of B
memory addresses (X0, Y0, V2000, etc.). This can be used to edit
Nicknames, Wiring info or Descriptions of Elements.
C
Wire to Output S clicking this button will turn the horizontal wire
between the last contact to the output ON and OFF.
D
Wire to Stage S click on this button to draw a powerflow
transition between a contact and a Stage box instruction.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 4-29

 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

The Split Screen Feature

1 There may be times when more than one part of the same program
needs to be viewed. DirectSOFT 6 has a split screen feature that
2 allows the programmer to split the program, horizontally, into two
panes.
3 Split Screen Bar
4 To use the split screen feature, there is a bar, Split Screen bar,
located in the right-hand corner of the Ladder View. To split the
5 screen, position the cursor over the Split Screen bar, then press
and hold the left mouse button. When a parallel bar appears, move
6 it down to bring the split screen into view and size the screen to
your convenience.
7
8
Split Screen Bar
9
1
11
2
13 This diagram
4 illustrates the split
screen. Notice
A that the lower
pane is showing
B a different rung
than the upper
C pane.

D Different
parts of the
program can
be viewed

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 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

The New Window Feature

Another handy feature of DirectSOFT 6 is the New Window
feature. This feature is used to open two or more Ladder Views 1
of the same program. Having two or more views open at once
can be helpful when programming a lengthy program or to view 2
two different parts of a program simultaneously. To open a new
window, click on Window > New Window. You will know that 3
there are two windows open by observing the two Ladder View
tabs. To place the two views side by side, click on Window > 4
Tile Vertically. The two views will be displayed like shown in the
diagram below. 5
6
7
8
9
0
Split Screen
1
2
3
4
A
If the Window toolbar group is shown on the programming
window, simply click on the New Window button then the Tile
B
Vert. button. If desired, the two views can also be arranged tiled
horizontally. Notice that the split screen feature has been used in
C
the diagram. Ladder View 1 has the split screen.
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 4-31

 Chapter 4: Programming Environment

Notes:

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1
11
2
13
4
A
B
C
D

4-32 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter
Edit a Program
5
In This Chapter
I/O Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Referencing Program Elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Entering Program Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Shortcuts for Entering Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Drawing/Deleting Connecting Lines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Selecting Rungs for Deleting, Cutting or Copying. . . . 5-21
Deleting Rungs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Copying Rungs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Cut and Paste Rungs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Merge (Combine) Rungs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Inserting Columns, Rows and Rungs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Using Search and Replace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Common Mistakes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

I/O Configuration
One of the first things to be done before beginning to edit a
1 program is to view the I/O addressing for the PLC being used.
Consult the user manual for the PLC that is being used to assist
2 in the I/O configuration. The DirectLOGIC PLCs have automatic
I/O configuration, and some of the CPUs offer manual I/O
3 configuration.
To access the I/O configuration with DirectSOFT 6, the PLC
D must be connected to the PC being used and online. Open the
new program and connect the PLC to the PC. You can either
5 select PLC > Configure I/O on the Menu bar or press the I/O
Configuration button on the PLC Toolbar (the toolbar must have
6 been added to the display window).

7
8
9
1
11
2
13
4
A The Configure I/O dialog pictured on the facing page will appear
B showing the automatic I/O configuration (by default). If a CPU is
being used that can be manually configured and the configuration
C needs to be changed, click on the “A” next to the slot that is to be
manually addressed. The “A” will change to an “M” to allow the
D address to be changed.

5-2 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Read from disk Save to disk

1
Save to PLC
2
Select
manual 3
configuration Read from PLC
D
5
6
After the manual configuration has been set, save the configuration
7
to the PLC and to the disk. The disk and PLC icon buttons located
in the right-hand corner of the dialog allows the configuration to be
8
either saved or read. 9
WARNING: The majority of DirectLOGIC PLCs only require
automatic configuration. Do not use manual configuration unless it
0
is absolutely necessary.
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

5-3
 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Referencing Program Elements

Data Types
1 It’s good to know the various ways to refer to the different types of
2 elements in the PLC. If you have used the DirectLOGIC compatible
products, such as the TI305 , TI405 , or SIMATIC™ TI versions, you
™ ™

3 are probably familiar with the way elements are represented. The
following table provides a complete list of the various data types and
D their meanings.
DL305C
5 Type of Data DL05/DL06/DL105
(DL330/DL340 CPU) DL205/DL350/DL405
Input Points IO X
6 Output Points IO Y
Control Relays C C
7 Stages
Timers
S
T
S
T
8 Timer current
Counters
TCA
CT
TA
CT

9 Counters current
Remote I/O Points
TCA
IO
CTA
GX/GY

1 Data Registers
Pointers (to another V location)
R
N/A
V
P
Special Relays Uses special C locations SP
11 Input Points as Registers RIO VX
Output Points as Registers RIO VY
2 Control Relays as Registers RC VC
Timer Status Bits as Registers N/A VT
13 Counter Status Bits as Registers
Remote I/O as Registers
N/A
RIO
VCT
VGX/VGY
4 Special Relays as Registers
Timer current Values as
RIO VSP
N/A PTA
A Pointers (to another V location)
Counter current Values as
N/A PCTA
Pointers (to another V location)
B Constants
Octal Constants
K
N/A O
K

C Bit of Word
Pointer to Bit of Word
N/A
N/A
B
PB
D

5-4 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Aliases
Chapter 4 briefly mentioned the use of aliases to make some data
references easier to understand. By default, they are displayed 1
when you type their counterpart. If it is desired not to have the
aliases shown when editing a program, they can be turned off in 2
the Global dialog in the Options menu. Below are examples which
show how aliases are used. 3
NOTE: These references are only used within DirectSOFT. They cannot
be used with the Handheld Programmers. The actual instructions contained
D
in the CPU will reflect the actual data type, not the new reference.
5
Timer/Counter Current Values
The DL05, DL06, DL105, DL205, DL350 Use Timer Accumulator
6
Reference
and DL405 CPUs use designated V-memory
locations to hold timer and counter current
7
TA0 K100
values. The current value for Timer T0 is
stored in V0. This is not always easy to
8
remember, so DirectSOFT 6 allows you to
refer to these as either V0 or TA0 (timer
OR
9
Use V-memory Location
accumulated value for Timer 0). For example,
the accumulator for Counter 3 is in CTA3
0
V0 K100
which is easier to remember than V1003.
1
.
Accessing I/O Points as Memory Locations
2
Aliases allow you to access I/O points as
V-memory (registers in a DL305C). For
Use VX reference to I/O 3
example, input points X0 - X17 in a DL405
are stored in V40400, X20 - X37 are stored
LD
VX20
4
in V40401, etc. VX0 (the alias) can be used
instead of V40400, the V-memory location for OR
A
X0. These are on 16-point boundaries, so the Use V-memory Location
next location is VX20, VX40, VX60, etc. For
B
the DL305C, you could represent I/O points
such as IO10 - IO17 with register location
LD
V40401
C
RIO10. D
For example, you may want to read in a range of discrete input
points to get a binary pattern into the CPU accumulator. The
diagram shows two ways to reference the location.

NOTE: Check the appropriate PLC user manual for a description of the
accumulator and instructions required for this type of task.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

5-5
 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Entering Program Instructions

1 The Instruction Editor
The Instruction Editor is a dialog used to enter element data for
2 each type of instruction. The diagram below shows the dialog in the
output entry position.
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
1
The expanded Instruction Editor
11 dialog has a check mark, an X and Click here to close and
accept the entry
magnifying glass in the upper left-
2 hand corner. The check mark (√) is C
 lick here to close without
used for accepting an entry. The (X)
13 is used for closing without accepting
accepting

C
 lick here to see the
an entry. And the magnifying glass will
4 bring up the Element Browser, which
element browser
(or press F9)
will show the valid ranges for this field.
A The small color-coded indicators in
B each field of the input box indicate
whether the entry for that field is valid
C or not. Green is valid and red is not
valid or incomplete.
D The indicator in the upper right-hand
corner of the box indicates the validity
V
 alid entry indicator
for the immediate field

of all fields. For example, in order for M

 aster valid entry indicator
the indicator to turn green, the box will for the entire instruction
need a valid address such as, V2000.

5-6 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

DirectSOFT 6 has two basic types of instruction editor dialogs:

single parameter and multiple parameter. The following information
explain the two types of dialogs. 1
Single Parameter Instructions
Most contact, coil and box instructions 2
have single parameters and are
entered with the single parameter
Red indicators
show not
3
dialog. When some dialogs open for
input, they automatically use a default
complete
D
element address. For example, if the
Ladder palette button for a normally
Cancel 5
open contact is used, the Instruction
Editor dialog box appears with C0 as
Accept G
 reen
Indicators 6
show valid
the default. This is changed to another
address or nickname that meets the
entry 7
program requirements. Click on the
√ to accept the entry, the X (or ESC) 8
to cancel the entry, or on the element
browser button (magnifying glass) to 9
browse through the available element
addresses or nicknames, or press
0
Enter to accept the entry.
1
Multiple Parameter Instructions
Some instructions, such as timers, 2
counters and comparative boolean 1st Operand 2nd Operand
contacts require more than one element 3
parameter. For example, for a timer, CTA0 K5
enter the timer number and a preset 4
value. For a comparative boolean
contact, enter the memory location and A
the value to be compared.
When the Instruction Editor dialog B
box appears for these instructions,
the cursor appears in the first operand C
field.
Do not press Enter when you complete this entry. Press the D
Tab key or click on the second field for the next entry. For example,
if entering a comparative contact, make the first entry and then
press the Tab key to make the next entry. To return to the first field,
press the Shift + Tab keys or simply press the Tab key again, and
the cursor will wrap back around to the first field.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

5-7
 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Using the Ladder Palette

The Ladder Palette is always in view whenever the programming
1 window is open in DirectSOFT 6. The palette becomes active when
the Edit Mode button is pressed. The palette is initially docked to the
2 right of the Ladder view, but when the palette is floating, it can be
positioned anywhere on the programming screen. Using the Ladder
3 palette is one of several ways to enter instructions. First, place the
edit cursor on the rung where an element is to be placed. Then click
D on the appropriate instruction on the Ladder palette. If one of the
contact buttons (the top ten buttons on the palette), a dialog box will
5 appear to enter the parameters.

6
7
8 Ladder
Palette

9
1
11
2
13
4 Opening the Instruction Browser
A Some instructions do not have an element button on the Ladder
palette. To enter one of these instructions, click on the appropriate
B browser button on the palette and select an instruction. There are
three buttons on the palette for browsing the contact, coil and box
C instructions. Clicking on any of the browse buttons will open the
Instruction Browser, as shown on the facing page. This will allow
D selection of the correct instruction from the available lists. The
particular browser that appears is dependent on the button that
is clicked. Once a selection has been made and the OK button is
pressed, the Instruction Editor will appear to have the appropriate
information entered.

5-8 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

1
2
Browse Browse
3
Browse
Contacts
(F4) Coils
(F5)
Boxes
(F7) D
5
6
Entering Instructions with Hot Keys 7
When the cursor is moved to one
of the Ladder palette buttons, a 8
Tool Tip will appear. The Tool Tips
provide a brief description of the 9
button and the associated hot key
for that button. 0
You can enter an instruction by
pressing the hot key which 1
corresponds to the type of instruction
to be entered. For example, to enter 2
a normally opened input, press F2.
After the hot key has been pressed, 3
the Instruction Editor dialog will
appear. For the browse buttons, the
4
particular Instruction Browser will
appear so the proper selection can
A
be made.
B
C
NOTE: A complete list of the hot keys is available from the Help menu.
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

5-9
 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Entering Instructions from the Menu Bar

Instructions can also be entered using the Menu bar which
1 will open the Instruction Browser. Click on Edit and select the
appropriate browser (contact, coil or box). This will open the
2 Instruction Browser as if one of the browse buttons had been
pressed on the Ladder palette.
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
1
11
2
13
4
A
B
C
D

5-10 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Shortcuts for Entering Instructions

Once the programmer becomes familiar with DirectSOFT 6, the
most common method for entering instructions is to position the
1
cursor on the rung where the instruction is to be entered and type
the element address, i.e. X12, C22, Y14, etc. For an instruction
2
box, type in the mnemonic, i.e. LD, OUT, SET, etc. and the Token
Selection Editor will appear for a proper selection. Then press
3
Enter.
D
5
6
7
8
9
0
1
NOTE: Use the Ladder Palette, the hot key equivalent, or select the Coil
or Box Browser to enter the OUT box instruction.
2
3
TIP: The Token Selection Editor feature in DirectSOFT 6 supports Auto
Complete with a drop-down list of any matching instructions. For
4
example, if a “TM” is typed over a NOP in the output column, an
Auto Complete entry of “TMR” will appear with a list of all output
A
instructions beginning with “TM”, including TMR, TMRA, TMRAF
and TMRF. After the proper instruction is selected and entered,
B
the proper Instruction box will appear to be completed with all the
proper information. So, if you forget a mnemonic, just enter the
C
first couple of letters to see a list of possible instructions. D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

5-11
 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Entering NO and NC Contacts

Another quick method for entering contacts is to use the forward
1 slash (/) to toggle between a normally open and a normally closed
contact. For example, if X0 was entered as a normally open contact
2 and a normally closed contact is needed instead. Position the
cursor over the contact and type X0, then press the (/) key and
3 enter. Just reverse the steps to return the contact to a normally

D Position the cursor over the contact

and type in the address of the contact

5
6
7 Press the forward slash (/) key

8
open contact.
9
1 NOTE: The forward slash can also be used to switch between OUT
Coils and OUT Boxes, as well as cycling between the various rung inline
11 comparison statements (Equal, Not Equal, Greater than, Less Than, etc…)

2 Here are two more shortcuts that can be used when entering
13 elements in your program. The first shortcut requires the Edit cursor
to be placed on the rung where a NO contact is to be entered. Type
4 the element address and enter it. The edit box will appear so you
can either enter the address or change the contact to NC.
A The other method is to double-click on the rung where the element
is to be placed. Again, the edit box will appear with a NO contact.
B Enter the address and/or change the contact to NC and press enter.

C
D

5-12 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Entering Instructions in Parallel

To enter instructions in parallel, make normal contact entries similar
to the below diagrams. Two contacts have been entered on Rung 1
2. With the cursor located after the last contact entry, press Enter.
The cursor will move down a space equivalent to a rung. Make 2
another contact or contact entries, such as two more contacts in
the illustration below. Once this is done, hold down the Ctrl key 3
and press the up arrow. This will draw a line up to connect the line
above. Editing the rung can now be completed. D
5
Edit a new line
6
and enter
7
8
9
0
1
Edit more contacts 2
3
4
Use Ctrl + up arrow to
draw a line up
A
B
Draw Rung Lines
Key Stroke Function C
Ctrl +Up Arrow Draw a vertical line up
Ctrl +Down Arrow Draw a vertical line down D
Ctrl +Left Arrow Draw a horizontal line left
Ctrl +Right Arrow Draw a horizontal line right

NOTE: To delete lines, press and hold Shift + Ctrl, then press the appropriate
arrow key.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

5-13
 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Entering Power Flow Instructions

There are some instructions, such as Master Control Relays
1 (MLR/MLS), FOR/NEXT loops, Stage Boxes (SG, ISG), Program
Control (GOTO/LBL, INT, SBR), etc., that offset the power rail
2 or are inserted in the power rail of the ladder program. A common
mistake among new users of DirectSOFT 6 is to try and edit the
3 offsets using the Ctrl + Arrow (line connector). This will not
work. Actually, DirectSOFT 6 will automatically perform the offset
D whenever the program is accepted (compiled). This will become
clear through the examples on the immediate two pages. For this
5 example, the FOR/NEXT instruction will be used and the hot key,
F8, will be used to accept the program.
6
7
Begin by entering
8 the first part of the
loop S the FOR

9 instruction. Use the

special relay SP1
to activate the loop.
1 Enter the parameter
K8 to run the loop 8

11 times.

2
13 Press the F8 key
to accept the
4 program. Notice
the offset of the
A power rail.

B
C
D

5-14 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

1
Now, enter the rungs within
the loop offset.
2
End the offset loop by 3
entering NEXT rung.
D
5
After the program has been 6
accepted, the power rail will
show the offset. 7
8
9
0
1
2
3
4
NOTE: Refer to the PLC User Manual to learn how to use the Power Flow
instructions. Some of the instructions of this type may not be available for the A
PLC that is being used.
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

5-15
 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Entering Special Case Elements

Some elements are special because they do not follow the usual
1 rules (i.e. 330S Timers/Counters, DL330/DL340 CT674-CT677) or
they are entered in, perhaps, different ways than one might expect.
2 This will be discussed on this page and the following page.
If you have a DL330, DL340 or compatible PLC, then you know
3 the counters/timers CT674 through CT677 cannot take software
presets in the same manner as all its other built-in counters/timers.
D These counters/timers are designed to have their presets entered
via an external hardware device (D3-TCSU Timer/Counter Setpoint
5 Unit). Preset values cannot be entered for CT674-CT677 via the
timer/counter entry dialog.
6 This presents a unique situation for DirectSOFT 6 because for
these two CPUs, DirectSOFT 6 will always show two input fields
7 timer/counter address and preset) for all of its timers/counters and
makes no exception for these special cases. The element can
8 be entered in the ladder logic, but the second field is ignored in
the editor dialog. The edit dialog will not allow a preset to be
9 entered. This Second field is intended for presets on all other
timers/counters, and not these being discussed. Once the address
1 has been entered in the aforementioned timers/counters, just
press enter to close the box. The preset entry will be made via the
11 D3-TCSU thumbwheels, and the preset can only be viewed on the
Setpoint Unit.
2
13
4
A
B A preset cannot be entered for DL330/DL340
Timers/Counters CT674-CT677. Leave the
preset field blank.
C
D

5-16 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

TI330S/TI325S and DL330P Exceptions

If you have a TI330S/TI325S or DL330P, then the situation will
be slightly different from the one explained on the previous page. 1
These CPUs do not allow presets for any of their counters/timers
via the edit dialog of DirectSOFT 6. It is sometimes confusing to 2
users of previous versions DirectSOFT with other PLCs because of
the preset entry. The preset for the counters/timers being discussed 3
do not need a preset entry in the edit dialog. The only entry to be
made in the edit dialog is the counter/timer address. Refer to the D
PLC User Manual for a detailed discussion of how these timers
work with their presets. 5
6
7
The TI330S/TI325S/DL330P counters/timers
8
do not have a preset field.
9
End Coil
All of the instruction sets in DirectLOGIC PLCs and compatibles,
0
use an END coil as one of the instructions. This may be a bit 1
different for new users of DirectLOGIC PLCs. The END coil is a
marker to designate the end of a program. Every DirectSOFT 6 2
program must have this instruction.
Like all coils, the END coil is found in the Coil Instruction Browser. 3
Some programmers get confused at first and look for the END coil
under the Standard Coil category, and they fail to find it. The END 4
coil is located under the Program Control category since it ends the
program. A
B
The END coil is found under
Program Control and not
C
under the Standard Coil
category. D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

5-17
 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Setting and Resetting a Bit

Several PLCs in the DirectLOGIC family have a feature that allows
1 setting and resetting individual bits. This is commonly called “Bit-
of-Word”. The PLCs which support this feature include the DL05,
2 DL06, DL250-1, DL260, DL450 and DL454. The DirectSOFT 6
instructions available for these PLCs offering Bit-of-Word include
3 all of the STR, AND, OR and OUT instructions and all SET and
RST instructions. Notice SET and RST examples shown below,
D the letter ‘b’ precedes the memory location where the bit is to be
manipulated in some way. After the V-memory address of the word,
5 use a decimal point and a number between 0 and 15 (zero being the
least significant bit) to designate which bit is to be set. For example,
6 b1400.3 is the fourth bit of V1400.
Enter the letter ‘b’
7 followed by the memory
address of the word
containing the bit to
8 be turned ON. Use a
decimal point plus a
value between 0 and 15
9 to designate which bit to
turn ON, i.e. B1400.3 is

1 the fourth bit of V1400.

Ignore the second field.

11 ....And, to reset the bit....

Use the same decimal
point convention with the
2 RST instruction.

The same convention is

13 used for the STR, AND,
OR and OUT instructions
(not shown).
4
A NOTE: The letter “b” can be entered in either lower case or upper case. The
end result will be an upper case “B” appearing in the program.

B Using Floating Point Math

C Small, low-end PLCs typically allow the use of integers, but do not
allow the use of math containing decimal places. The second type of
D math just mentioned is called “floating point” math. If the processor
for your PLC supports floating point math i.e., DL06, DL250-1,
DL260, DL450 and DL454, it’s a good idea to learn the conventions
used for entering the floating point math elements and parameters.
Refer to the user manual for the PLC which you are using.

5-18 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Drawing/Deleting Connecting Lines

WARNING: As you read this section pertaining to connecting lines,
be aware that elements that have not been connected will be deleted
1
when compiling your program. DirectSOFT 6 will display a warning
if there are unconnected elements, and asks if you wish to go back
2
and connect the “dangling” instructions. How to compile all edits is
discussed at the end of this chapter. 3
Drawing the Lines D
Most programs contain a wide variety of rungs with complex series
and parallel element connections. Most any networks can be built
5
by connecting the contacts, outputs, etc. with horizontal and vertical 6
lines. Enter these lines (refer to Page 5-13) by using the Ctrl key
and the arrow keys. For example, press Ctrl + ↓ to draw a vertical 7
line from top to bottom or press Ctrl + → to draw a horizontal
line from left to right. Below is an example network containing 8
combinations of series/parallel elements.
9
0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

5-19
 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Create Midline Outputs

There are times when you need to use a diagram that is often
1 referred to as a midline output. There are no special procedures
required. Enter the contacts and outputs as normal, and use the
2 Ctrl and arrow keys to draw the connecting lines. Below is an
example of how a midline output would appear.
3 NOTE: There cannot be any additional logic on the rung between the
D midline connecting point and the output. See Compiling Errors at the end
of this chapter.

5
6 No additional contacts are
permitted after the branches

7
8
9
1
11 Deleting Connecting Lines
Deleting lines is similar to creating lines. Use the Edit > Wire >
2 Delete options on the Menu bar or the keyboard Delete key to
delete intructions and wires in all directions. A quicker method is to
13 use the Ctrl + Shift + Arrow keys to delete the lines. Below is an
example illustrating how to delete lines.
4
A
B
C
D

In this example, use Ctrl + Shift + ← to delete the instruction to

the left of the cursor along with the connection wire.

5-20 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Selecting Rungs for Deleting, Cutting or

Copying 1
While developing the program, there will be times when you will
want to make revisions or correct mistakes. Also, there may be 2
times when a rung needs to be moved (cut and paste) to another
location in the program. Or, there may be a rung or rungs that you 3
want to duplicate or repeat several times (copy and paste). The
next three pages will illustrate how to do these tasks. D
The first step to cut, copy or delete rungs is to select them with the
Shift + Arrow keys. The selected rungs will be highlighted (default 5
color is blue). The following screen shows an example where a
rung is selected to be either deleted, cut or copied. 6
7
8
9
0
1
2
TIP: Use shortcuts to quickly select portions of the program
3
Shift + Home selects all rungs from the current rung to the beginning of
the program.
4
Shift + End selects all rungs from the current rung to the end of the
program.
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

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 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Deleting Rungs
When deleting one or more rungs, it is with the intention of removing
1 the rung(s) from the program entirely. Delete them by pressing the
Delete keyboard function key, or by using the Edit > Delete option
2 from the Menu bar.
First, select the rung or rungs to be deleted.
3
D
5
6
7
8
9 Then, press the Delete key, and the rung or rungs will be
removed.
1
11
2
13
4
A
B
C
D

5-22 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Copying Rungs
A selected rung or rungs can be copied and pasted to another
location in your program (or to another open program in Edit mode)
by using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + C, Edit>Copy from the Menu
1
bar or the Copy button on the Offline toolbar. The original rungs
will not be altered in any way. When the rungs are copied, they are
2
placed in a temporary storage location called a clipboard. 3
D
5
6
7
8
A rung or rungs are selected
in order to be copied.
9
0
1
The copied rungs are held on the clipboard until pasted to the new 2
location with Edit > Paste from the Menu bar, the Paste button on
the Offline toolbar or Ctrl + V (keyboard shortcut). The clipboard 3
is updated whenever a different rung is copied; in other words, the
clipboard will only hold one copy at a time. 4
A
B
C
D

The above example shows the copied rung pasted from the
clipboard to a new rung location in the program (Rung 4).

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

5-23
 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

WARNING: When using Stage instructions, be careful where copied

rungs are pasted. This is only true for pasting a rung to an
unconditional output that follows a Stage box.
1
2
3
Unconditional Output
D
5
6
7
When pasting the copied rung, the unconditional output will be
8 joined to the copied rung. The following example shows the output
now being controlled by a conditional input, which was not the intent
9 of the original program.

1
11 Output now joins
the copied rung
2
13
4
A
B
C
D

5-24 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Cut and Paste Rungs

Selected rungs can be moved to a different location in your program
by using one of these methods; Edit > Cut from the Menu bar, Cut
1
button on the Offline toolbar or Ctrl + X (the keyboard shortcut). The
cut rung (or rungs) is stored on the clipboard until it is pasted at a
2
new location.
3
D
5
6
7
Select the rung
8
or rungs to cut
9
0
1
The cut rungs are held on the clipboard until pasted to the new
location with Edit > Paste from the Menu bar, the Paste button on 2
the Offline toolbar or Ctrl + V (the keyboard shortcut). The cut rungs
will remain on the clipboard until pasted or a new rung is either cut 3
or copied. The clipboard will only hold one selection at a time. To
paste the rung (or rungs) to the new location, place the cursor on 4
the rung below where the rung will be inserted. The rung will be
inserted above the rung where the cursor was placed. A
B
Rung 3 has been
moved to Rung
4 position and Cut rung is now at
C
renumbered the Rung 3 location
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

5-25
 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Merge (Combine) Rungs

At times, it may become necessary to combine two rungs
1 into a single rung. DirectSOFT 6 will allow you to merge
the two rungs. Once the two rungs are merged, you will
2 need to combine the components in the new rung through
the normal edit process.
3 To use the merge feature, position the Edit cursor on the
rung that you intend to merge with the rung right before
D or after. Next, select Edit > Merge then select Previous Rung or
Next Rung. You can also use the Merge Next or Merge Previous
5 buttons in the Edit toolbar. The rungs will be merged into one rung.
6 Both rung comments will be used as the rung comment for the newly
merged rung. See the example diagrams below.
7
8
9
1
11
2 Rungs 4 and 5
are to be merged.
13
4 The screen below shows Rungs 4 and 5 merged, renumbered
as Rung 4 and ready to be edited. Also note the original Rung 5
A comment has been combined with the Rung 4 comment.

B
C
A new Rung 4.
D
A new Rung 5.

5-26 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Inserting Columns, Rows and Rungs

Inserting instructions and rungs is a simple process with DirectSOFT
6. To perform either of these features use Edit > Insert on the
1
Menu bar, the Insert button on the Edit toolbar or the Insert
keyboard function key. When instructions or rungs are inserted, the
2
addresses and rung numbering will change. 3
Insert a Column to Add an Instruction
There may be a time when you need to add an element in a rung of
D
a program, such as within a parallel connection in the rung. To do
this, a column is inserted to spread the rung out where the element
5
is to be added.
In the example diagrams below, a contact is to be added after X0
6
in Rung 3. The cursor is placed over X0 then the Insert feature is 7
accessed by one of the three ways mentioned above. An Insert
dialog will appear asking what you want to do. Make the proper 8
selections and press OK. In the example, Column and After
Cursor is selected. Before Cursor could have been chosen. It 9
depends where you want to place the new contact. Only one rung
is affected in the example. 0
1
2
Current position.
3
Insert column After Cursor.
Note: The cursor does
4
not show when the dialog
appears. A
B
C
Column inserted,
D
ready for new element.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

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 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Insert a Row or Rung

Inserting a row is performed the same way as inserting a column
1 by either using Edit > Insert on the Menu bar, the Insert button on
the Edit toolbar or the Insert keyboard function key. Place the Edit
2 cursor on the rung where the row is to be inserted and use one of
the above methods to perform the insertion. Make the appropriate
3 selections on the dialog and press OK. A row will appear for the
instruction be added.
D
5
6
Current position.
7 Insert row After Cursor.
Note: The cursor grays out

8 when the dialog appears.

9
1
11 Add new
instruction here.

2
13 Inserting a rung is done in the same manner as inserting a row,
except select Rung in the Insert dialog. A new blank rung is
4 inserted either above or below the Edit cursor position.

A
B
C The new rung is
inserted and the rungs

D are renumbered. Rung 2

is ready to be edited.

5-28 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Using Search and Replace

A very useful tool in DirectSOFT 6 is the replace feature. Replace is
used to replace one element reference with the reference of another 1
element. To access this tool, use one of the following procedures:
Search > Replace on the Menu bar, Ctrl + R Hot Key or the 2
Replace button on the Search toolbar. The Replace dialog will
appear, as shown below, which will allow you to define the search 3
and replace procedure.
D
5
6
Add to table
button
Update in7
table button
8
9
0
1
Using the Object Section
Begin by entering an element reference in the Find what: field.
2
Enter an element reference in the thru field if there is a range of 3
references to replace. Leave this field blank if only one reference
is involved. Select whichever procedure is to be performed, 4
either Replace or Swap . Choose replace to perform the replace
function. For example, X1 to X12. Choose swap to swap the A
element references from one element to another. For example, X1
is swapped with X12 so X12 is now the former X1 element and X1 B
is the former X12 element. Next, enter the element reference to be
replaced or swapped with in the With: field. The thru field is read C
only and will be filled in as the replacement reference is entered.
The Add to table button is used to add the current object to the D
table which is used to perform multiple replacements at one time
(See the diagram on the following page). The Update in table
button is pressed if an object within the table needs to be edited.
This allows the replacement of the object in the table with the newly
edited object.

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 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

The Search Range Section

There are three range selections for the replace procedure:
1 1. All s will select the entire program as the replacement range.
2. R
 ung s will allow a certain range of rungs to be setup to perform the
2 replacement.

3 3. A
 ddress s will allow a range of addresses to be entered (addresses
to be converted to rung boundaries) to perform the replacement.

D The Document Section

There are three ways to handle the documentation whenever
5 elements are replaced or swapped:

6 1. M
 ove s selecting this will move the documentation from the source
element to the destination element.

7 2. C
 opy s this selection will copy the documentation from the source
element to the destination element.

8 3. L
 eave s this will leave the documentation at the source element.

The Object Table Section

9 The Object table shows all objects which have been added to the
1 table of replacements. To update an object, selecting it from the
table will place the object in the Object section so it can be edited.
11
2
13
4
A
B
C
D
Use the Delete from table button to delete an entry from the Object
table. Press OK once all of the selections have been made on the
dialog.

5-30 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Common Mistakes
It is not uncommon to make programming errors. The fewer errors
made, the quicker a program can be completed. Here are some of
1
the more common errors.
2
Failure to Enter the Edit Mode
Some new users will typically open a project and immediately
3
try to edit a program. Remember that you must enter the Edit
Mode. Entering the Edit Mode can be done in several ways. Use
D
either Edit > Edit Mode, Ctrl + E or press the EDIT MODE button
located on the Offline toolbar and on the Ladder palette. When in
5
the Edit Mode, the cursor box will turn a solid color.
6
AND above a Join
The rule is that after a wire has been drawn down on a rung 7
of logic to “AND” a sub-rung that contains a midline output, no
additional input logic may appear on the leg of the midline output.
8
9
Can not add input
0
logic here.
1
2
3
4
Forgetting to Select Rungs A
In order to Cut or Copy a rung or rungs, the rungs must be
selected (use Shift + up or down arrows). If nothing is selected,
B
the Cut and Copy buttons will be grayed out on the Offline toolbar
and on the Menu bar.
C
D

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 Chapter 5: Edit a Program

Notes:

1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
1
11
2
13
4
A
B
C
D

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 Chapter
Documentation
6
In This Chapter
Turn Documentation On and Off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Using the Documentation Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Documenting and Assigning Nicknames. . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Entering Rung Comments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Entering Stage Comments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Importing and Exporting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14
Prevent Documentation Loss. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-28
 Chapter 6: Documentation

Turn Documentation On and Off

Documentation is the text associated with the components and
1 structure of a DirectSOFT 6 program which is added for greater
clarity. It may refer to the elements, wiring, rungs or stages. All
2 documentation options are turned ON by default when the Options
dialog is first opened.
3
The Options Dialog
D DirectSOFT 6 allows the programmer to turn ON/OFF the
documentation in each available view. A quick way to open the
5 Options dialog is to place the mouse cursor in the displayed view
and right click the mouse. A pop-up window will appear with Options
6 as one of the selections. Select Options and the dialog will appear
like the one shown below. When the dialog opens, the Ladder tab
7 is in view by default. The other views can be selected by clicking on
the tab at the top of the dialog.
8
9
1
11
2
13
4
A
B
C The Ladder tab is showing all of the documentation types checked.
Leaving each selection checked turns ON that documentation type
D to be shown in the program. Unchecking the documentation type
will turn it OFF in the program. Most of the Options dialog features
have been discussed in Chapter 4. For turning the documentation
ON/OFF, only the Ladder, Stage, XRef and Data View (under Doc
tab) options need to be accessed.

6-2 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 6: Documentation

Documentation Selections
Most documentation refers to individual elements, therefore, it is
specific in nature. Listed below are four types of documentation 1
• Elements s the references for the individual elements, ie. X1, Y10, etc.
• Nicknames s these are alpha-numeric names that are used for the
2
various types of program elements. It is usually easier to remember the
name Start Switch than it is to remember that X1 is the input for the 3
switch.
• Descriptions s detailed description of an element. This can also be
D
used to add brief trouble-shooting steps, etc.
• Wiring s this can be used to identify panel wiring for the project.
5
6
Description
7
Wiring Info
8
Nickname

Element
9
0
1
General Documentation
2
Comments are general descriptions that are best suited for 3
descriptions of a program rung, or a section of the program.
• Rung Comments s rung comments are assigned to an individual rung. 4
•S
 tage Comments s if you are using the Stage instructions, you can
also add comments that describe the contents of any stage. A
Stage
B
Comments are
in this area C
D
Rung
Comments

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 Chapter 6: Documentation

Using the Documentation Editor

Nicknames, wiring information and descriptions for program
1 elements are entered using the Documentation Editor. The editor
2 can be accessed using Tools > Documentation Editor on the
Menu bar, Ctrl + D or by pressing the Documentation button on the
3 Tools toolbar.

D
5
6
7
8
9
1
11
Using the Scroll Buttons
2 There are scroll command buttons (arrowheads) located at the top
13 of the editor. They are shown (both directions) as E, EE, ER, E.,
etc. Each button has a different function:
4 E s Moves one element forward.
EE s Moves one page forward.
A ER s Moves to the beginning of the next data type (X, Y, C, etc.)
B E — Moves to the last documentable type.
F s Moves one element back.
C FF s Moves one page back.
RF s Move to the beginning of the previous data type.
D .F s Moves to the beginning of the first documentable point.

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 Chapter 6: Documentation

Copying Documentation Between Elements

If it becomes necessary to use the Documentation editor, all of
the familiar Windows keyboard shortcuts (copy, cut, paste, etc.) 1
can be used within the editor. For example, if there is a lengthy
description for a point, and other points are similar, the information 2
can be copied. The following example will demonstrate how this is
accomplished. 3
1. Position the cursor in the cell to be copied.
2. Double click to highlight the information.
D
3. Press Ctrl + C to copy the information in the cell. 5
4. Move the cursor to the element cell where the information is to be
copied to. (Use the Find button, Ctrl + F shortcut or scroll). 6
5. With the cursor in position to paste the information, press Ctrl + V.
7
8
9
0
1
2
3
4
A
NOTE: When copying a nickname, the new nickname will have a “?” before B
and after the newly pasted entry. This occurs because each nickname must
be unique. C
D

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 Chapter 6: Documentation

Documenting and Assigning Nicknames

1 Create an Unassigned Nickname
Element nicknames are used more often than any other type of
2 documentation. As a program is developed using nicknames,
element references do not have to be entered when a contact, coil,
3 etc. is entered. Wiring information and descriptions can also be
entered without knowing the actual element reference.
D Unassigned nickname

5 is entered (red
indicator remains on).

6 The nickname is
7 accepted without
being linked to an
element.
8 Click OK

9
Dialog appears when
1 a nickname is entered
without being linked to

11 an element.

2
13
Assign the Nickname to an Element
4 If unassigned nicknames have been used in the program, element
A references must be assigned before the program can be written
to the PLC (the PLC does not recognize nicknames, only element
B references). The Assign Nicknames dialog is used to assign
nicknames to element references. A quick way to open the dialog is
C to either press F9 (hotkey) or the Assign Nicknames button (if the
Tools toolbar is displayed). Another way is to use Tools > Assign
D Nicknames from the Menu bar. Also, if the Element Browser is
open, nickname information can be assigned by clicking on the
Assign Nicknames button in the Element Browser and the Assign
Nicknames dialog will appear as shown on the facing page.

Tip: Nicknames can be compiled and saved to disk--and then assigned

later, just before downloading to the PLC.

6-6 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 6: Documentation

Open the Element Browser

1
2
3
D
5
Click here to open the Assign Nicknames dialog. 6
The Assign Nickname dialog will appear with the list of unassigned 7
nicknames appearing in the Source Nickname column. Select
the nickname in the list and enter the element reference for the 8
nickname in the Source Element Column.
9
0
1
2
3
4
A
The reference will be duplicated in the Result column to help avoid
accidental entries. Press Assign and and the following dialog will
B
appear as a confirmation of the element entry. C
D

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6-7
 Chapter 6: Documentation

If the reference entered is correct, click OK. The Element Browser

will be in view again so that wiring information and a description,
1 if any, can be added. Pressing Exit will close the browser and the
program will have the new element in the program as shown below.
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
1
11
2
13
4
A
B
C
D

6-8 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 6: Documentation

Entering Rung Comments

Each rung in a DirectSOFT 6 program can have associated
comments. Unlike some programming packages from other
1
vendors, the comments are not tied to the outputs. Instead, the
comments remain with the rung where the comments are added
2
regardless if other rungs are deleted before a commented rung. To
edit a comment, the cursor must be on the rung to where it is to be
3
added. Now, either press the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + K, Tools >
Comment Editor on the Menu bar or press the Comments button
D
on the Tools toolbar if it is displayed. The Edit Comments dialog,
shown below, will appear.
5
6
Rung
Comment
7
8
9
0
1
2
Comments are Free-form
3
The appropriate comment can be added as necessary. The 4
Ladder view is a full screen editor, therefore, backspacing the
entire comment is not necessary to fix a spelling error. Instead, A
position the cursor over the word to be edited and double-click the
left mouse button to highlight the word, then type in the corrected B
word.
Selecting Rungs for Comments
C
Once you have edited a rung comment you can use the Page Up D
and the Page Down keyboard buttons to scroll to another rung
comment to edit. A specific rung can be found by using the Goto
button on the editor dialog.

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 Chapter 6: Documentation

Using the Scroll Buttons

There are scroll command button (arrowheads) located at the
1 bottom of the dialog. They are shown for both directions as E, EE,
E., etc. Each button performs a different function:
2
E s Moves to the next rung comment.
3 EE s Moves ahead five rung comments.
D E.s Moves to the comment for the last rung.
F s Moves to the previous rung comment.
5 FF s Moves back five rung comments.
.F s Moves to the comment for the first rung.
6 Click on the OK button after entering the rung comments.
7
8 Use the Editing Keys
The keyboard shortcut keys can be used to copy, cut and paste
9 comments between rungs.

1 1. Position the cursor at the beginning of the text to be copied or cut.

2. Press and hold the left mouse button and move the cursor to highlight
11 the text, then release the button. The Shift + Arrow keys can also be
used to highlight the text.
2 3. Use the Ctrl + C keys to copy the text or the Ctrl + X keys to cut the
text.
13 4. Locate the rung where the information is to be pasted (Use Previous,
Next or Goto).
4 5. Position the cursor where the text is to be pasted and click the left
mouse button, then press Ctrl +V to paste the text.
A 6. The Delete key can also be used to delete text.

B
C
D

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 Chapter 6: Documentation

Move Rung Comments

Rung comments can easily be moved from one rung to another with
DirectSOFT 6. This feature is useful after one or more rungs have 1
been inserted by a handheld programmer or by another computer
which did not have the documentation files available. The Move 2
comment feature can be used to match the comment(s) with the
correct rung(s). Comments can be moved for a single rung or a 3
group of rungs. To move comments, click on the Move button on
the dialog. The window will appear within the dialog. D
5
6
7
8
9
0
1
2
Fill in the appropriate fields to specify the source and destination for
moving a comment. 3
•S
 ource s This is the beginning of the group of comments to be moved.
Enter the rung number (or address) of the rung with the comments to 4
move.
•D
 estination s Enter the rung number (or address) of the rung to move A
the comments to.
•N
 umber to Move s Chose All or enter the number of comments to
B
move from the source to the destination.
•U
 nits s Select either Rung Number or Address.
C
Press OK to complete the move or Cancel to exit without performing
the operation.
D
NOTE: You can overwrite existing rung comments with this feature.
DirectSOFT 6 always provides a confirmation prompt before it completes
the move. The message reminds you that any overlapping comments will
be changed. This message will appear even if there are no overlapping
rungs. It is a reminder that existing rungs can be overwritten.

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 Chapter 6: Documentation

Entering Stage Comments

1 Use Stage View
If you are using Stage instructions, comments can be entered for
2 each stage. The Stage View must be displayed in order to enter the
comments. With a Ladder View open, the Stage View is opened by
3 clicking on View > Stage View on the Menu bar.

D
5 Stage
Comment Area
6
7
8
9
1
11 In order to enter Stage comments, the cursor must be positioned
in either of the upper quadrants of the Stage view. To open the
2 comment editor, either click on the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + K,
Tools > Comment Editor on the Menu bar or press the Comments
13 button on the Tools toolbar if it is displayed. The Comment editor
can also be opened by double-clicking the left mouse button with
4 the cursor positioned in the stage comment area. Note that the
comment editor is for Stage comments.
A
B
C Stage
Comments
D

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 Chapter 6: Documentation

Comments are Free-form

A new comment can be edited immediately. The appropriate
comment can be added as necessary. 1
Selecting Stages to Comment 2
Once you have edited a rung comment you can use the Page Up
and the Page Down keyboard buttons to scroll through the Stages. 3
A specific Stage can be found by using the Goto button on the
editor dialog. After the comments have been entered, press the OK D
button to save the comments and close the editor.
5
Editing the Comments
The keyboard shortcut keys can be used to copy, cut and paste
comments between stages.
6
1. Position the cursor at the beginning of the text to be copied or cut.
7
2. Press and hold the left mouse button and move the cursor to highlight
the text, then release the button. The Shift + Arrow keys can also be
8
used to highlight the text.
3. Use the Ctrl + C keys to copy the text or the Ctrl + X keys to cut the
9
text.
4. Locate the stage where the information is to be pasted (Use Previous,
0
Next or Goto). 1
5. Position the cursor where the text is to be pasted and click the left
mouse button, then press Ctrl +V to paste the text. 2
6. The Delete key can also be used to delete text.

NOTE: All documentation edits are written to the documentation files when
3
they are entered/edited. 4
A
B
C
D

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6-13
 Chapter 6: Documentation

Importing and Exporting

DirectSOFT 6 can import and export ladder programs, element
1 documentation (nicknames, wiring info and descriptions) and rung
2 comments from a project. The Import/Export data is expected to
be in CSV format (comma-separated variables) which is a popular
3 import/export text format for applications like Microsoft Excel and
AutoCAD. For example, Microsoft Excel can be used to generate
D an element documentation file to be imported directly into a
DirectSOFT 6 project. The existing element documentation can be
5 exported to a CSV file that can be used in diagrams in an AutoCAD
program.
6 Exporting Program Documentation

7 The project must be open in order to export program documentation.

Three export options are available to choose from, Program,
8 Element Documentation and Rung Comments. The following steps
will show how to export a program. There are two ways to export
9 a program, either select File > Export > Program from the Menu
bar or select the Export button on the File toolbar if it is displayed.
1 Either method used will open the Export Program dialog shown on
the facing page.
11
2
13 File Toolbar

4
A
B File Export
Options
C
D

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 Chapter 6: Documentation

In the Export Program dialog, select where the program is to be

exported to, enter the program name and click the Save button.
1
2
Select where to save the
exported program.
3
D
5
Enter the
program
name
6
7
8
The following dialog will appear so options can be selected and 9
saved.
0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

Click the OK button to save the program to a text file.

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 Chapter 6: Documentation

The text file can be opened with Notepad or equivalent word

processor. The Notepad example below shows what can be exported.
Note the Rung Comments and the Element Documentation.
1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
1
Export Element Documentation
11 Element information can be exported from a project to a .csv file.
2 The following illustrations will show the steps to use to export the
documentation. Press the Export Element Documentation button on
13 the File toolbar or select File > Export > Element Documentation
to export the documentation.
4
A
B
C
D

There are three different formats to select from to export. Standard,

C-more and KEPDirect Server formats. All formats generate a .csv
file in spreadsheet form.

6-16 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 6: Documentation

This is a standard format showing an Excel spreadsheet with the

element reference in column A, the nickname in column B, wiring
information in column C and description in column D. 1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
The illustration below is the C-more format showing an Excel 9
spreadsheet with the tagname (element) in column C, the data
type in column D and element reference (Address) in column G. 0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
NOTE: If unassigned nicknames are exported, they will appear in the
resultant text as the following types:
D
UB - unassigned bit
UBY - unassigned byte (useful only for R memory in the DL305)
UW - unassigned word
UDW - unassigned double-word
UU - unassigned unknown (used for uninitialized types, should never be
used)

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 Chapter 6: Documentation

Export Rung Comments

The program rung comments can be exported from a project to a
1 text file and a printout can be obtained using Microsoft Notepad or
equivalent word processor. The following dialog will appear when
2 either pressing the Export Comments button on the File toolbar if
it is displayed or by pressing File > Export > Rung Comments.
3 Select where the file is to be saved, then name the text file and
press the Save button.
D The illustration below is an example of an exported comment text
5 file shown with Microsoft Notepad.

6
7
8
9
1
11
2
13
4
A
B
C
D

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 Chapter 6: Documentation

Importing a Program
There may be a time when it is necessary to import a DirectSOFT
6 program which has been previously edited and exported as a text 1
file. This could be an entire program or just a few rungs with element
nicknames and comments. Use the following illustrated steps to 2
guide you through the import procedure.
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
0
1
2
File Toolbar 3
4
Begin by opening the New
Project dialog from the A
DirectSOFT 6 Launch
window (page 3-4). Cancel B
the New Project dialog, then
either select File > Import > C
File Import Program or press the Import
Program button on the File toolbar if it is D
displayed.

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 Chapter 6: Documentation

The Import Program dialog will appear so the program text to be

imported can be selected. Select a previously exported DirectSOFT
1 6 program to import. Choose the program text file and click Open.

2
3
D
5
6
7
8 The complete imported program will appear as shown below. In this
example, all elements, element descriptions, nicknames and rung
9 comments appear in the program along with the cross reference.

1
11
2
13
4
A
B
C
D

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 Chapter 6: Documentation

Exported programs, element documentation and rung comments

can be imported using the DirectSOFT 6 programming window if
it has been opened to edit another program. This is done by first 1
saving and closing the current program. Next, either select File >
Import > Program or press the Import button on the File toolbar. 2
The program to be imported is selected and opened as shown in
the previous example. 3
D
5
6
7
8
9
0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

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 Chapter 6: Documentation

Importing Element Documentation

To import program documentation, a project must be open. This
1 project can be the one currently open. The typical method for
importing element documentation is to import a .csv file which
2 has been previously exported. It is possible to generate element
documentation using a spreadsheet such as Microsoft Excel, but it
3 is important to follow the correct import format. The standard format
is in spreadsheet form which should be setup in columns similar
D to the the example below: element reference in column A, the
nickname in column B, wiring information in column C and element
5 descriptions in column D.

6
7
8
9
1
11
2
13
4 To import element
A documentation,
select File >
B Import > Element
Documentation or
C press the Import Doc
button on the File
D toolbar. The window
shown here will
appear.

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 Chapter 6: Documentation

Select the folder and the .csv file to be imported. Notice the Import
Method box located on the right side of the window.
There are three import methods to select: Merge (.PRJ priority), 1
Merge (.CSV priority) and Delete existing. Selecting one of
the three methods will determine the course of action which will 2
be taken if the currently open project and the imported file have
duplicate nicknames. 3
If .PRJ priority is selected, the nicknames in the imported file will be
added to the project file. If there are duplicates, the nickname in the D
project file will be kept.
If .CSV priority is selected, the nicknames will be added to the project file.
5
If there are duplicate nicknames, the import file will overwrite the ones in
the project file. 6
If Delete existing is selected, all of the element documentation of the
open project will be deleted, then it will be rebuilt with the contents of the
7
.csv file.
Press the Open button to execute the import.
8
NOTE: If the following element types are imported, they will appear in the 9
DirectSOFT 6 documentation editor with “ “ under the element type
column: 0
UB - unassigned bit
UBY - unassigned byte (useful only for R memory in the DL305)
UW - unassigned word
1
UDW - unassigned double-word
UU - unassigned unknown (used for uninitialized types, should never be
2
used)
3
Once the element documentation is imported, the Documentation
editor will be updated with the imported information. This can be 4
verified by opening the Documentation editor from Tools on the
Menu bar, the Documentation Editor button on the Tools toolbar if A
it is displayed or use Ctrl + D. When the elements are created or if
they are already used in the program, the element will be updated B
with the new information.
C
D

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 Chapter 6: Documentation

Importing Program Comments

Exported program comments are imported like the element
documentation as described on the previous two pages. To do this,
1 select File > Import > Rung Comments on the Menu bar or press
the Import Comments button on the File toolbar. The following
2 window will appear. Select the folder and the .txt file to be imported.
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
1 Also select the Import Method to use. Merge (.PRJ priority) if the
11 current project is to remain in place when the import is executed. If
comment matching occurs, a message will appear asking which one
2 to update, the imported file or the existing file. Selecting Merge (.TXT
priority) will allow the imported comments to overwrite the existing
13 ones. Delete Existing will delete the current comments and update
with the imported comments.
4 Insert Instructions

A The Insert Instructions From File feature will allow the insertion
of mnemonic text files as instructions within an open project.
B Rung Comment
Mnemonic instructions
can be inserted one time
PLC type
C or several times within
a program. To use this
Ladder mnemonics
D “Wire number”
feature, there must
be an existing text file,
such as, a file written
with MS  Notepad. This
file must be written in
“Nickname” mnemonic text form like
“Reference” “Element Description” the example on left. Note
that rung comments,

6-24 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 6: Documentation

element descriptions, element nicknames and wiring information

can be edited within the text file to be inserted. The text file needs
to be edited in the same format as shown, with a PLC type at the 1
beginning, #BEGIN, the documentation and #END. Quotation
marks are placed around each line of rung comments. Of course, 2
the ladder mnemonics are also edited with the text file. The
element documentation must be in this form: “element reference”, 3
“element nickname”, “wire number”, “description”. Quotation marks
must be used with each entry followed by a comma. If an entry is D
to be left blank, the quotation marks must not be omitted.
The mnemonics text which is to be inserted can also be edited 5
without comments like the example below. Note the PLC type is at
the beginning of the text. 6
7
8
9
PLC type
To insert the mnemonic text in a
0
program being edited (Edit Mode), either use the Tools > Insert
Instructions From File on the Menu bar or press the Insert
1
Instructions button on the Tools toolbar if it is displayed. 2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

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 Chapter 6: Documentation

The Insert Instructions dialog will appear. Select the folder where
the text file is located, then select the text file to be inserted.
1 Next, choose either Insert at Beginning, End or Before Rung
Number. How the element documentation can be imported
2 involving “collisions” with existing program documentation can
also be chosen. Select Merge (.PRJ Priority) if the existing
3 project documentation is to remain unchanged. Select Merge
(.TXT Priority) if the new documentation is to overwrite the
D existing documentation in the program. If the program element
documentation is not to be changed, select Ignore Element
5 Documentation. Press the Open button to execute the
instruction.
6
7
8
9
1
11
2
The DirectSOFT 6 Ladder view now displays the inserted
13 instructions and documentation.

4
A
B
C
D

6-26 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 6: Documentation

Restore
One option which the Insert Instructions function has that can be
useful is the Restore feature. Each time the Insert Instructions is 1
executed, a backup copy of the entire program is made before the
insert occurs. If an error is made, i.e. wrong code, just press the 2
Restore button and the program will be restored to its original state.
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

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 Chapter 6: Documentation

Prevent Documentation Loss

The documentation which is created with DirectSOFT 6 is stored on
1 disk. Each time a project is opened with DirectSOFT 6, there are
2 multiple project files opened. Apply the same precautions to your
project as you would with any other database package to avoid
3 data loss.
Backing up the project files is the best insurance to prevent loss.
D Any time changes are made to a project, make a copy of the project
before starting. If something goes wrong, the original will remain
5 intact and unchanged. There are four different methods to preserve
a project as a program is created and after the project has been
6 completed. The four methods are: Save Project (to disk), Save
Project As, Backup Project and Export Program.
7 Save Project
8 Save Project to Disk should be used to save your project often. Your
entire project, i.e., program and all documentation will be saved to
9 the drive that is being worked from, usually the C: drive. From the
Menu bar, select File > Save Project > to Disk or press Ctrl + S
1 (keyboard shortcut).
To save a project to a different folder than the one being worked
11 from, select File > Save Project As from the Menu bar. The save
as window will appear so the folder can be selected where the
2 project is to be saved. Name the project, press the Save button and
the entire project will be saved.
13
4
A
B
C
D

NOTE: The Write to Disk button on the Offline toolbar only

saves the ladder logic program.

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 Chapter 6: Documentation

Backup Project
The backup feature is another way to save your project. Selecting
File > Backup Project on the Menu bar or pressing the Backup 1
button on the Offline toolbar will open the following dialog asking if
the project is to be saved. Press the OK button to save the project. 2
3
D
5
6
The following Backup Project dialog will appear, the project can
7
be saved with the default date/time stamp or rename the folder. A
different drive can also be selected to save the project.
8
9
0
Date and Time Stamp 1
2
3
4
A
B
The last backup method is to use the export program feature as
explained previously. This method will save a program to a text file. C
One advantage of the text file is that the program or comments can
be edited without using DirectSOFT 6. D
Close all other applications that may be running to allow as much
free RAM as possible. This not only lessens chances of memory
conflicts, but also allows DirectSOFT 6 to run much faster.
Consider printing a hard copy of the program at longer intervals. If
your computer breaks down or you lose all of the data due to a disk
crash, you will at least have a hard copy of the program.
DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition
6-29
 Chapter 6: Documentation

Notes:

1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
1
11
2
13
4
A
B
C
D

6-30 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter
Other Views
7
In This Chapter
Tabbed Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Stage (RLLplus) View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
Mnemonic View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Cross Reference (XRef) View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
PID View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Trend View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Output Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
Bookmark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
View Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
 Chapter 7: Other Views

Tabbed Views
Using the Ladder View to create ladder logic programs has been
1 discussed to this point. There are other views that are output only.
These views will help to organize and better visualize the program.
2 These additional views are Mnemonic, Stage (RLLplus), Cross
Reference (XRef), Documentation Editor, Trend and PID Views.
3 Once these views are opened, each view is easily accessed by a
tab located at the top of the display window.
D
The Primary Views
5 Ladder, Stage, Mnemonics, XRef and Trend Views are the
primary views in DirectSOFT 6, and can be accessed by selecting
6 the View submenu from the Menu bar and then selecting the
view of your choice with the mouse cursor. When a new project is
7 started, the Ladder and XRef Views appear as the default (refer to
page 2-12). The Stage and Mnemonic Views can only be opened
8 from the View submenu or by right-clicking when the mouse cursor
is in any open View and selecting a different View from the Local
9 Menu. The Trend View can be opened from the View submenu or
from the Trend button on the Online Toolbar.
1
11
2
Tabs
13
4 Primary Views

A
B
C It is possible to open the Stage, Mnemonic and Trend Views along
D with the Ladder View by selecting the views one at a time from
the View submenu, thus providing a Multi-Tabbed Interface (MTI)
view. Once the views are open, you can switch from view to view
by clicking on the appropriate tab in the display window. The Stage
View also displays the Ladder View in the lower part of the view,
therefore, it may not be necessary to open the Ladder View. This
choice is left to the programmer.

7-2 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 7: Other Views

One option is to have the Documentation Editor open as a tabbed

view while editing a program. Selecting the Documentation Editor
tab allows easy access to the editor. To open the editor,
either press the Documentation Editor button on the Tools
1
toolbar (if it is displayed), use Tools > Documentation
Editor on the Menu bar or the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + D.
2
The Trend View is used to visually monitor the values of DL
controller data elements over time. This View can monitor any
3
readable numeric location or any readable bit location or any
constant value. Trend View also logs the values of the controller
D
elements on each pane of the Trend. Those values are displayed
on a moving graph.
5
One more view, the PID View, will be useful if a PLC with PID loops 6
is being used. This view is only available to the user after at least
one PID loop has been setup. Once a PID loop has been setup,
the PID View is opened from the View submenu on the Menu bar.
7
If multiple views are open in the Program display window at the 8
same time, the tabs will appear as in the illustration below.
9
0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

7-3
 Chapter 7: Other Views

Stage (RLLplus) View

Most of the DirectLOGIC PLCs support the use of RLLplus
1 instructions.These instructions (Stage, Jump, etc.) allow the
2 creation of a structured program that can be viewed as a flowchart
when the Stage View is enabled. A program flowchart may be
3 easier to follow than a comparable ladder logic program.
Troubleshooting RLLplus vs. RLL
D The old saying, “can’t see the forest, because of all the trees”
5 often holds true in ladder logic programming. Some RLL programs
may contain many interlocks and complex rungs. It may be difficult
6 to follow the logical flow of activity and the relationships between
different parts of the program. This is where Stage programming
can be better than ladder logic programming. As a ladder logic
7 program is edited with stages, DirectSOFT 6 will translate the RLL
8 into the equivalent Stage View using much more compact, and
easy-to-follow flow diagrams.
9 NOTE: Consult the PLC User Manual, Chapter 7, to learn how to
incorporate Stage Instructions in a ladder logic program.
1 An illustration of a Stage View is shown below. The flowchart area
11 is shown in the upper left part of the display while a ladder logic
area is shown in the lower half of the display. The two windows
2 are synchronized, in other words, when the flowchart is activated
with the cursor, the ladder logic will scroll to the same position
13 in the program. This can aid with troubleshooting the program.
When testing a program online with a PLC (status ON), both the
4 flowchart and the ladder logic will track each other, showing the
power flow and transitions as they occur. It is possible to look at
A another

B Flowchart Stage Comments

C
D Ladder Logic

7-4 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 7: Other Views

part of the program by opening the Ladder View and tile the two
views (refer to page 4-30). The right-hand corner view contains
the stage comments. These comments are synchronized with the
flowchart area of the display (refer to page 6-12 for details).
1
Stage Components 2
If the flowchart area of the Stage View is being viewed and
there is an uncertainty of what a component means, click on the
3
component and the corresponding equivalent in ladder logic will
come into view. Help (F1) can also be consulted for more clarity.
D
5
6
7
8
9
0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

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 Chapter 7: Other Views

Mnemonic View
1 Handheld Progammer Aid
There may be times when a DirectSOFT 6 user will need to
2 use a handheld programmer (HPP) to modify a DirectSOFT 6
ladder logic program. Since the HPP only uses mnemonics, the
3 Mnemonics View will prove to be useful as a guide. Just open
the Mnemonics View and print it on a printer. The hard copy can
D be carried to the PLC location. Consult the PLC User Manual
(Chapter 5) for the proper keystrokes required for entering the
5 mnemonic instructions.

6
7
8
9
1
11
2 NOTE: There are no display options for the Mnemonic View.

13
4
A
B
C
D

7-6 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 7: Other Views

Cross Reference (XRef) View

As mentioned on page 2-12, the Cross Reference (XRef) and
Ladder Views open by default whenever a new project is started. 1
The XRef View can be closed if desired, but since it is a dockable
view, it is a good idea to dock it if you do not want to view all the 2
time. Just click on the push-pin to dock it, and hover the mouse
cursor over the XRef tab to bring it back into view. Then, click on 3
the push-pin again or double-click on the XRef View bar at the
top to “lock” it in position again. The XRef View has two viewing D
modes, XRef Mode and Usage Mode.
5
XRef Mode
button Push-pin 6
to dock the

Usage Mode
XRef
7
button
8
9
0
1
2
3
XRef Mode 4
The XRef Mode is the default mode when the XRef View is first
opened. When in XRef Mode, the Cross Reference Table reports A
information for all elements that meet the current Query which
determines the elements to be included in or excluded from the B
XRef and Element Usage Tables. The table is divided into four
columns: C
Element - reserved for the element ID, but will display whatever Query
is selected in the Options dialog. D
Rung - rung number where the element is used.
Address - the address where the element is located in the program.
Instruction - type of instruction that contains the element.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

7-7
 Chapter 7: Other Views

A useful feature of the XRef Mode is to double-click the left mouse

button on the Rung, Address or Instruction and the program will
1 move to that location. Also, double-clicking the left mouse button
on an element will cause the Element Browser to appear.
2 Change the XRef Query
3 The XRef Element column can contain all four types of
documentation available in the Options dialog. To change the
D Element XRef Query definition, first enable the XRef View by
clicking the mouse on the table. Next, open the Options dialog
5 from the Menu bar using View > Options or press the Options
button on the Offline toolbar. You can also right-click anywhere
6 in the XRef View and choose Options from the Local Menu.
Choose the XRef tab and make the Query selections in the
Documentation section to be displayed in the Element column.
7 Press OK after making the selections.
8
9
1
11
2
13
4
A The other two sections located in the dialog, Display Mode and
Usage Options, contain options that can be selected on the XRef
B View toolbar. Also notice the box to the left of the Follow Ladder
Cursor option under the Display column. The box can be checked
C in this dialog or selected at will in the XRef Toolbar which is
explained on the facing page.
D

7-8 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 7: Other Views

XRef Toolbar
The Cross Reference View has a toolbar to move quickly to
different locations and views in a program. The available buttons 1
can be seen in the illustration below.

XRef Mode
Follow Specify XRef
Rung
Next XRef
Rung
2
Ladder Cursor

Manual rebuild
3
XRef and
Element Usage D
Tables
Usage Mode Rung XRef
Previous
XRef Rung
5
6
XRef Mode s this button brings the Cross Reference table into view if
it is not in view. 7
Usage Mode s pressing this button brings the Element Usage table
into view. 8
Follow Ladder Cursor s when the XRef View is enabled, the rung
information will be placed at the top line of the table for any rung where
9
the ladder cursor is positioned.
Rung XRef s this button transfers the current mode to a one rung mode
0
which only displays one rung in the table.
Specify XRef Rung s enabled only in the single rung view. Enter a rung
1
number or an address in the dialog pictured below, then click OK. The
2
3
4
A
program will go to and display the rung number entered. B
Previous XRef Rung s the Ladder View will display the previous rung
while only in the Rung Mode. C
Next XRef Rung s the Ladder View will display the next rung while in
only the Rung Mode. D
Manual Rebuild XRef and Element Usage Tables s manual rebuild
for elements either added or deleted later in a program. This button will
be inactive unless Auto Rebuild is not selected in the XRef DB dialog
(see page 7-11).

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

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 Chapter 7: Other Views

Usage Mode
The Usage Mode is selected to display the Element Usage Table
1 in the current Cross Reference View. The Element Usage Table
displays all elements that meet the current Query. The table is an
2 effective way to see which points have been used, which points
are free and whether or not they have been used in a range. The
3 elements are shown in groups of 8, 10 or 16 bits as determined by
the current Usage Field Size setting
D
5 Usage
6 Mode

7
8 Usage Mode
Selected

9
1 Element Usage
Table
11
2
13
Usage Mode Toolbar
4 The Usage Mode toolbar is used to select various options for
A viewing the Element Usage table.
Limit range of elements Set usage field

B Select the
to the current PLC. display length.

XRef Mode
C
D Usage Table Follow Toggle element Rebuild XRef
select button Ladder Cursor references to and Element
read left to right Usage Tables
or right to left.

7-10 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 7: Other Views

XRef DB
There is another tab on the Options dialog that can be used for
setting up the Query for the XRef View. It is the XRef DB tab 1
as seen in the dialog below. This dialog opens with the default
selections as shown. In most cases, this dialog should remain as 2
is. The Auto Rebuild may be the only selection to be disabled if it
is desired to manually update the Cross Reference View whenever 3
an element is added or deleted.
D
5
6
7
8
9
0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

7-11
 Chapter 7: Other Views

PID View
The PID View will be useful as a PID loop tuning aid. To access
1 this view, at least one PID loop must be setup.

2 NOTE: 1 Refer to your PLC User Manual, Chapter 8, PID Loop Setup to
setup a PID loop.
3 NOTE 2: PLC View is not available until you are connected with a PLC
and at least one PID loop is configured.
D PID Setup
5 To setup a PID loop, the PC must be connected to a PLC which is
online. To begin, either press the PID button located on the PLC
6 Setup toolbar (if displayed) or use PLC > Setup > PID. This will
open PID Address dialog as pictured below.
7
8
9
1
11
2
After this dialog has been completed and saved, the Setup PID
13 dialog, pictured below, is opened. The Setup PID dialog is a series
of dialogs used to setup one or more PID loops. Use the PLC User
4 Manual as a guide to setup the loop(s).

A
B
C
D

7-12 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 7: Other Views

Once a PID loop has been setup, open the PID View by selecting
it from the View submenu on the Menu bar. A Data View can also
be open to assist in tuning the PID loop(s).
1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

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 Chapter 7: Other Views

Trend View
The Trend View can be used as a debugging tool. As mentioned
1 previously, it is used to visually monitor the values of DL controller
data elements over time. It has the ability to monitor any readable
2 numeric location or any readable bit location or any constant
value. Those values are displayed on a moving graph and can be
3 logged and exported to a CSV file for importing into a third-party
application for further research.
D
Creating a new Trend View
5 A new (empty) Trend View can be created by selecting Debug >
Trend View > New from the Menu, or clicking the Trend button on
6 the Online toolbar. The following dialog is displayed prompting for
the number of Panes to initially create.
7
8
9
1
11
2 Enter the number of Panes in the Number of Panes field or use the
Up or Down arrow to set the value. Click the OK button to accept
13 or the Cancel button to abort.
A Trend View can also be created and pre-filled with the critical
4 elements by the following methods:
• R
 ight-clicking anywhere in a Data View and selecting Trend All.
A • Highlighting a range of elements in a Data View, then right-click
and select Trend Selection.
B
C The next window to appear is the Trend View Options window as
seen on following page. This window contains all of the parameters
D available for the new Trend View. Enter Starting and Ending
elements, desired display characteristics and historical options in
this window.

NOTE: Refer to the DirectSOFT 6 help file for more information on

configuration options and features of Trend View.

7-14 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 7: Other Views

1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
If the element to be added is not a
9
bit or a constant, then this causes
a secondary dialog to be displayed
0
so that the Format and Size can be
determined. Once determined, the OK
1
button will accept the selections. An
example Trend View is shown below.
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

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 Chapter 7: Other Views

Output Window
There may be an occasion when a mistake(s) has gone unnoticed
1 while a program is being edited. The mistake(s) will be detected by
DirectSOFT 6 whenever the program is accepted (compiled), and
2 displayed in the Output window as shown below.

3
D Edit cursor will
move to the error

5 rung.

6
7
8
9
Double-click on the
1 error message

11 The Output window will appear below the view being displayed, in
this case, the Ladder View. Each mistake or error message will be
2 listed. Double-clicking on the error in the Output window will move
the edit cursor to the error rung in the ladder view. Once all of
13 the errors are corrected, the program can be compiled. The error
messages in the Output window will disappear but the window will
4 remain in view as can be seen in the diagram on the facing page.
In the diagram above, notice the push-pin in the upper right-hand
A corner of the Output window. Clicking on this push-pin will auto-
hide the window, and a tab will be displayed in the lower left-
B hand corner. More about auto-hide and dockable views will be
discussed beginning on page 7-19.
C
D Output
tab

7-16 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 7: Other Views

1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
The Output window can be closed just like other windows are
closed. If you desire to open the Output window, press the Output 9
button located on the Windows toolbar if it is displayed.
If the Output window is displayed with error messages, it can be 0
cleared by pressing the Clear Output button located next to the
Output button on the Windows toolbar. 1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

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 Chapter 7: Other Views

Bookmark
A feature which can be used as either an editing or a debugging
1 aid is the Bookmark feature. This feature allows the programmer
to mark one or more rungs in his program if he wants to quickly
2 go to a marked rung. To use the feature, simply have the cursor
located on a rung and hold the <Ctrl> key down and press the left
3 mouse button (this will only work with the mouse button). The rung
which is bookmarked will appear in the Output window. Once the
D bookmark has been made, you can double-click on the bookmark
in the Output window and DirectSOFT will jump to that rung and
5 display it. The Output window can also be hidden by clicking on the
push-pin. The Output window can then be recalled by clicking on
6 the Output tab. Closing the Output window will clear all bookmarks.

7
8
9
1
11
2
Double-click on the
13 marked rung to quickly
display.
4
A Use the push-pin to
B hide and recall the Output
window or close the
Output window to clear all
C bookmarks.

7-18 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 7: Other Views

View Terminology
The terms “docked view” and “floating view” have been used in this
manual and will be clarified in this section. A “Docked View” or a 1
“docked toolbar” is a view, or toolbar, that is “docked” to a specific
edge of the Programming window. Initially, the Offline toolbar is 2
docked at the top of the Programming window below the Menu bar.
The Online toolbar is also docked at the top, but below the Offline 3
toolbar. The Ladder Palette toolbar is initially docked on the right
edge of the Programming window, and the Cross Reference View D
is docked on the left edge of the window. Primary views (Ladder,
Stage, PID, Trend, etc.) appear within the “Tabbed MDI View” 5
(Multiple Document Interface) area between the various docked
views/toolbars. The primary tabbed views are shown in the diagram 6
below.
7
8
9
0
1
2
3
4
A
Viewing the example on the next page, each of these docked views/
toolbars can be docked on any edge (e.g. the XRef View can be
B
moved and docked on the right or on the bottom). Notice that the
XRef View has been unpinned and placed in a floating position.
C
In this position, the XRef View cannot be placed in a auto-hide
position by pinning it until it is back in a docked position.
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

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 Chapter 7: Other Views

1
2
3
D
5
6
7 All docked views/toolbars can also be Floating views/toolbars,
and float outside the application frame (very handy if multiple
8 monitors are being used). The remaining area, bounded by all of
these docked views/toobars, is where the primary MDI Views are
9 positioned.
One final user interface for dockable views is the capability to
1 group only the dockable views to create a tabbed group of multiple
docked views (e.g. 2 Data Views and the XRef View can all be
11 placed in a single tabbed group). This tabbed group can then be
docked, floated or auto-hidden as a single entity. To create this
2 tabbed group, open all of the Data Views to be placed in the group,
then drag one Data View on top of a second Data View, and so
13 forth. You can also drag the XRef View over the top of this group to
complete the single dockable, tabbed group.
4
A
B
C
D tabbed group
of dockable
views

7-20 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 7: Other Views

The following table lists all of the different views/toolbars and all of
the possible frame behaviors:
Window Frame Behaviors 1
Individual
MDI
DirectSOFT 6 (cascade,
Auto-
Tabbed Docked hidden
Floating
Tabbed Group
of Docked/ 2
Window Type tile, etc. like MDI to Edge Docked Auto-Hidden/
Rel 4) to Edge Floating 3
All Toolbars A A
Ladder View A A D
Stage View A A
Trend View
Documentation
A A 5
A A
Editor
PID View A A 6
Mnemonic View A A
Cross Reference/
Usage View (XRef)
A A A A 7
Data View
Output Window
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
8
9
* s default behavior
Note that the Docked/Floating/Auto-hidden/Tabbed Framed 0
windows can all be independently set on a frame by frame basis.
For example, you can have the Ladder Palette and the PLC Setup 1
toolbars floating on a second monitor, with the Offline and Online
toolbars being docked on the top edge; then have one Data View 2
floating and three other Data Views grouped as a docked tab to the
right side of the application; and have the Cross Reference View 3
auto-hidden, and docked on the bottom edge of the application.
However, the two different MDI Frame behaviors are exclusively 4
either/or. This means that within a DirectSOFT 6 session, all
of the MDI views behave either as individual MDI frames or as A
tabbed views, but not both at the same time. You cannot have the
Ladder View be a tabbed view and the Stage View and PID View
B
be cascaded as Individual MDI frames. All MDI Views will have
Individual behavior or Tabbed behavior.
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

7-21
 Chapter 7: Other Views

Examples of the various Window Frame Behaviors are in the

picture below.
1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
1 • Ladder View and Documentation Editor s Tabbed MDI View with
Ladder View currently selected.

11 • Offline toolbar, Online toolbar and PLC toolbar s Docked to the top
edge of the application, just below the Menu bar.
2 • Ladder Palette toolbar s Docked to the right edge of the application.

13 • Data View Data10 s Docked to the left edge of the application.

• Data Views Data8 and Data9 s Docked as a Tabbed Group to the left
4 edge of the application, with Data9 currently selected.
• Data View Data7 s Auto-hidden/docked Data View that is docked to
A the left edge of the application.
• XRef View s Floating XRef View that is floating outside the borders of
B the DirectSOFT 6 application window.
• PLC Setup s Floating toolbar that is floating outside the borders of the
C DirectSOFT 6 application window.

7-22 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter
Printing
8
In This Chapter
Print the Current View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2
Print Multiple Views. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Print View Common Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
Using Print Preview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Print Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-10
 Chapter 8: Printing

Print the Current View

A printout of the program can be very useful when developing
1 a program. A printout will provide a full view of whatever view is
displayed in the DirectSOFT 6 programming window.
2 Print the Ladder View
3 To print the Ladder View, use the Print dialog to select the printing
options. To open the Print dialog either select File > Print on the
D Menu bar, press the Print button on the File toolbar if it is displayed
or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + P. The Print dialog will appear
5 like the one shown below.

6
Select All to
7 print the entire
ladder logic or

8 select the Rung

to print.

9 Select each
of the types of
Select Ladder
wire size
1 documentation
to print with the
ladder logic.
11
2
13
4
In this dialog, you can set the range to print all or any part of the
A ladder logic by either selecting All, Rungs or Addresses to be
printed. Select any or all of the ladder documentation to print with
B the ladder logic. The Miscellaneous settings allows the level of
zoom to print and the selection of the number of columns to print,
C also, the Pen Size allows the selection of the thickness of the pen
used to draw wires, contacts, coils and boxes on high resolution
D printers.

8-2 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 8: Printing

Other Print Views

There are three additional current view print dialogs, Mnemonics,
Stage and Cross Reference. Each dialog is a bit different than the 1
Ladder dialog as noted in the following diagrams. Each view must
be enabled (current view in the programming display) to open the
Print Views.
2
Mnemonics Print Dialog 3
D
Select the
Start Address
Select the
Zoom level
5
and number
and the End
Address for of columns to
print.
6
printing.
7
8
9
0
1
2
Stage Print Dialog
3
Select the Select the
4
Documentation
types for
Zoom level and
line thickness A
printing. to print.
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

8-3
 Chapter 8: Printing

Cross Reference Print Dialog

1 Edit the range Check to include Check to include
of the current the XRef printout the Usage printout
2 element. and select the and check the
documentation to options to be
3 Set All enables
(checks) all
be printed. printed.

elements.
D Clear All disables
5 (unchecks) all
elements.

6 Select the
Elements to
7 print the xref
for.
8 Select the
number of
9 columns to
use for printing
1 XRef/Usage
printouts.

11
2
13
4
A
B
C
D

8-4 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 8: Printing

Print Multiple Views

The advantage of using the Print All dialog is that all of the available
print views are available using one dialog. Open the dialog by either
1
selecting File > Print All on the Menu bar or press the Print All
2
button on the File toolbar if it is displayed. The following dialog will
appear.
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
0
1
2
The tabs located at the top of the dialog are used to select the print 3
dialog and printout setup. Click on the tab to select the print view.
The print views available when the Print All dialog is opened are: 4
Documentation, Ladder and Memory. Clicking on the right arrow on
the dialog will move the Mnemonics, Stage and XRef tabs into view. A
Select the views to be printed by checking the check box next to the
view named on the tab. The use for all of the available views has B
been explained with the exception of the Docs and Memory tabs
seen in the Print All diagram. C
Docs tab s check the elements to print the documentation for.
Elements D
Edit s edit the range of the current element.
Set All s enables (checks) all elements to print.
Clear All s disables (unchecks) all elements to print.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

8-5
 Chapter 8: Printing

Memory tab s check the V-memory addresses to print the

desired values.
1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
1 Elements
Edit s edit the V-memory range.
11 Set All s enables (checks) all V-memory to print.

2 Clear All s disables (unchecks) all V-memory to print.

Miscellaneous
13 Columns s select the number of columns to use for the V-memory
printout.
4 Online / Offline Values s select whether online data or offline data is
to be printed.
A Formatted s use previously saved format information rather than raw

B data.
Nicknames - check this to show nicknames instead of element ids.
C
D

8-6 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 8: Printing

Print View Common Setup

The Printer Setup, Page Setup and Options are common to all
of the Print Views.
1
2
Will open the 3
selected or default
printer setup dialog. D
Set print margins. 5
Printer default 6
Select a printer
of choice or print to 7
Adobe Acrobat PDF
Writer 8
Set the starting
page number for
9
the printout.
Edit the title
Enter a program
heading. Select a font
other than the
0
page with project
information and
print it.
default font.
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

8-7
 Chapter 8: Printing

Using Print Preview

Print Preview is available and is recommended before printing the
1 program. One advantage for using Print Preview before printing is
saving printer paper. You will be able to see how the program will
2 appear on paper before it is printed, and corrections can be made
before printing.
3
Print Preview Setup
D Either open the Print Preview dialog from the Menu bar using File
> Print Preview or press the Preview button on the File toolbar if
5 it is displayed. Notice that the Print Preview dialog is the same as
the Print dialog. The Print Preview is setup in the same manner
6 as the Print dialog, Use the dialog to setup the printer, the page
margins, setup the rest of the print options then press OK.
7
8
9
1
11
2
13
4
A
B
C
D

8-8 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 8: Printing

Print Preview
After pressing the OK button, the Print Preview will appear using
the full computer screen. Use the Page buttons at the top of the 1
display to scroll through the program. One Page can also be
selected and switched back to two page when desired. If the 2
displayed program does not appear the way you want to, press the
Settings button to return to the setup to make corrections. Once 3
the program preview looks the way you want it to look, press the
Print button. D
Print button
Page buttons
5
6
7
Settings will
8
return to the
Print Preview 9
Setup
0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

8-9
 Chapter 8: Printing

Print Troubleshooting
1 Parts of Program not Printed
If the program looks good in Print Preview but some parts do not
2 appear on the program printout, there may be a problem with
the color setup. When generating the data sent to the printer,
3 DirectSOFT 6 will attempt to make the program printout look as
close to the on-screen version as possible, including the colors. If
D a color printer is being used, there probably isn’t enough contrast
between the background and whatever is being printed. If the
5 printer is black and white, the same lack of contrast could be the
problem because DirectSOFT 6 will try to generate grayscale
6 colors to match the display colors.
One way to solve this problem is to tell DirectSOFT 6 to use
7 monochrome (black and white) for display. If the View toolbar is
displayed, press the Color button, otherwise, go to View > Color
8 Setup and click on the Monochrome button, then press OK. After
printing is complete, you can return to the Color Setup dialog to
9 restore the original setting.

1 Program Prints “Garbage”

As a general rule, if the Ladder View looks correct in Print Preview
11 but the program printout shows “garbage”, the first thing to suspect
is the printer driver being used. Look on the printer manufacturer’s
2 website for the latest driver for the printer, then download it and
install it on the computer. Once this is done, print one page of the
13 program in Print Preview to be sure that the problem has been
corrected.
4 DirectSOFT 6 Crashes
A If DirectSOFT 6 crashes whenever Print or Print Preview
is selected, there may be a corrupted printer setting file in
B DirectSOFT 6. Each project has a printer settings file that is
generated whenever a new project is created. It will reside in the
C project folder, and will have an extension of .prt.
To correct this, close DirectSOFT 6 and delete this file by using
D Windows Explorer. Reopen DirectSOFT 6 and try the print
operation again.

8-10 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 8: Printing

Another reason for DirectSOFT 6 crashing whenever Print or Print

Preview is selected may be from corrupted global printer settings
files. There are two files located in DirectSOFT 6\Program\Bin 1
sub-folder named PrntSrv.rst and Program.opt. These files can
be deleted from the directory after closing DirectSOFT 6. Locate
the two files by using Windows Explorer. After deleting the files,
2
reopen DirectSOFT 6 and try the print operation. 3
Print Setup Dialog
The Print Setup dialog deserves to be mentioned. Print Setup
D
can be invoked by either using File > Print Setup or pressing the
Print Setup button on the File toolbar. The dialog that appears will
5
be the Properties dialog for the printer being used. If necessary,
printer settings can be made here as well as choosing the page
6
layout which includes Landscape and Portrait orientation. 7
8
9
0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

8-11
 Chapter 8: Printing

Notes:

1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
1
11
2
13
4
A
B
C
D

8-12 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

Setup & Chapter 1
Manage
Communication
Links
9 2
3
D
5
In This Chapter 6
Establish the Communications Link. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2 7
Setup a Serial Link. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
8
Setup an Ethernet Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Setup a Modem Link. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-14
9
Comm Link Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22 0
Going Online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24 1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D
 Chapter 9: Setup & Manage Communication Links

Establish the Communications Link

In order to download a program to the PLC a communications link
1 must be established. If your PLC is connected to your computer
by a serial connection or USB-to-Serial converter, DirectSOFT 6
2 should be able to auto-configure your communications link for you.
If you are using an Ethernet link or if for some reason your serial link
3 does not auto-configure, you can follow the steps below to manually
configure a communications link to your PLC.
D
NOTE: For tips on troubleshooting a communications link, see
5 Appendix B

6
Setup a Serial Link
7 Connect the programming cable from the serial port of the PC to
the serial port of the PLC (see Appendix A for selecting the proper
8 cable for your PLC). If your PLC has a RUN\TERM\STOP switch,
place it in the TERM position. The Link Wizard can automatically
9 determine the majority of communication settings for the PLCs.

1
1
2
3
4
A
B Right click to
select Add Link.

C
D To establish a new link, activate the Link Wizard from the launch
window menu tree, by right-clicking on Comm Links, and then click
on Add Link in the dialog that appears.
1. The next step is to select a communications port. The window at the
top of the facing page will appear showing a list of communication
ports. For serial communication, select the port you will use
(commonly COM1) and click Next.

9-2 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 9: Setup & Manage Communication Links

NOTE: The COMM ports shown in the window below are those which
DirectSOFT 6 will attempt to use. Simply because a COMM port is shown
in the list does not mean the port actually exists on the PC. Open Windows
Control Panel and verify that a port exists in Device Manager. 1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
NOTE: The comm port on your PC may have to be enabled (example,
9
COM5). See Appendix B, DS600.ini File
0
2. The next window will show a list of PLC Families. Select the PLC
family by clicking on the appropriate choice. If you are unsure of the 1
PLC family but know which communications protocol to use, select
“Not Sure”. If you are using a DirectLOGIC compatible PLC, the Link
Wizard will try and detect the PLC type automatically. Click Next when
2
you are finished. 3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 9-3

 Chapter 9: Setup & Manage Communication Links

3. Now, to choose the protocol and node address. In this step, you will see a
choice of either DirectNET or K-Sequence. Assuming you have selected
the DirectLOGIC PLC family (not the DL305), the default, K-Sequence,
1 will be highlighted. The K-Sequence protocol allows you to perform write
operations to individual discrete I/O points and control relays. DirectNET
2 protocol cannot write to individual bit locations. (See Appendix A for
a list of protocols available for DirectLOGIC and compatible PLCs).
3 If your PLC has been configured with a node address other than 1, enter
that address now. Click Next when finished.
D
5
6
7
8
9
1
1
2 4. The Link Wizard will attempt to establish a communication link with the
PLC using the node address and protocol you have selected. It will try
3 the combination of 9600 Baud, and Odd Parity. If this combination is
unsuccessful, an ‘auto-baud’ sequence will be used to try and determine
4 the correct baud rate and parity combination. If these attempts are
unsuccessful, the dialogs shown at the top of the facing page will be
A displayed. You can click on the Link Editor button, and manually attempt
to adjust the port configuration. See Appendix B for further help.
B
C
D

9-4 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 9: Setup & Manage Communication Links

1
2
3
D
5
6
7
5. If the Link Wizard is successful in communicating with the PLC,
the following window will prompt you to enter a unique link name, 8
and a description of the link if desired. The description field allows
32 characters. Enter the name for the link and description then click
Finish to return to the DSLaunch window.
9
0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 9-5

 Chapter 9: Setup & Manage Communication Links

Link Status
After creating a link, the name of the link will be displayed in the menu
1 tree under the Comm Links folder icon. When you click on the link
all of the configuration information will be displayed in the DSLaunch
2 window. The status field is color-coded to help easily identify the link
status.
3 Green s link is enabled (it is active and you can use it).
Yellow s a link becomes inactive while that specific link is being edited
D using the Link Editor.

5 Red s communication error, i.e., the link has been broken or the PLC has
lost power. DirectSOFT 6 will automatically attempt to re-establish
the link.
6
7
8
9
1
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

9-6 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 9: Setup & Manage Communication Links

Setup an Ethernet Link

The Ethernet link is setup using an Ethernet Communications
Module (ECOM) installed in the PLC. The DirectSOFT 6 Link
Wizard is used to setup the link. The Link Wizard will automatically
1
determine the majority of the communication settings. It will search
for any existing connections and try to establish the link. If a link is
2
not present or a new link is to be established, the Link Wizard will
need to be activated. The following steps will guide you through the
3
link setup. D
1. Open the Link Wizard from the DSLaunch window. Right click on Comm
Links folder in the DSLaunch menu tree, then select Add Link. 5
6
7
8
9
0
1
2
Right click to
select Add Link. 3
2. Select Ethernet as the port in the Link Wizard dialog, the click Next.
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 9-7

 Chapter 9: Setup & Manage Communication Links

3. The Transport and the Transport Protocol is chosen in the next

dialog. The Transport is nothing more than a network driver. Note the
following restrictions:
1 • If the Operating System is Windows XP then you can choose either
IPX or UDP/IP. Windows Vista, 7, 8 and 10 users must choose UPD/
2 IP.
• If UDP/IP is chosen as the Transport Protocol, the PLC ECOM module
3 IP address must be changed from its default of 255.255.255.255 before
communication will occur. The following dialogs are used for this.
D
5
6
7
8
9
1 4. D
 irectSOFT 6 will use the specified Transport and Transport Protocol
1 to scan the network for any Ethernet module on the network. After the
scan is complete the following dialog will be displayed.

2
3
4
A
B
C
D NOTE: If the dialog is blank, use the drop down list to select the specific
Network Adapter (NIC) that the PLC is connected to. If the list is still blank
after selecting the specific Network Adapter, then you will need to use
NetEdit 3 to set up the ECOM module.

9-8 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 9: Setup & Manage Communication Links

If the ECOM module has been setup using NetEdit 3, the Link
Wizard dialog will display the information as shown in the sections
named Module List and Address Mode.
The Module List will display the Ethernet modules that are found 1
on the network, sorted by their Ethernet address. The Ethernet
addresses displayed are unique 12 digit addresses assigned to 2
the Ethernet module at the factory. The ECOM module will have
a label with the assigned address printed on it. When a device 3
address is selected in the Module List, the current configuration for
the selected device is displayed in all fields of the dialog. D
The Address Mode section displays the module information that
was setup using NetEdit 3. There are three module identifiers 5
shown: Module Id, Name, IP address and Ethernet address. Any
one of these identifiers can be chosen so the DirectSOFT 6 can 6
locate the Ethernet module on the network.
7
NOTE: It is important to have a unique identifier for the Address Mode
on the network. 8
If for some reason you want to change the module’s configuration,
press the Setup button to make the adjustments. The following
9
dialog will appear. 0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
The configuration for the module selected in the Devices field D
will appear. The fields that are not grayed out can be changed.
Be cautious not to duplicate any of the information when making
changes.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 9-9

 Chapter 9: Setup & Manage Communication Links

Refering to the Ethernet Module Setup dialog on the previous

page, the following Configuration fields can be changed:
1 • The Module ID should be a unique numerical identifier. If this
field is grayed-out, the module ID dip switches have been set.
2 The only way to change the ID is to change the dip switches
(refer to your particular ECOM User Manual). If the field is
3 accessible, enter a new ID.
• The Name field can contain up to 32 characters in length. If there
D isn’t a name in the field or the name is to be changed, enter a
unique name.
5 • The Description field can contain any description limited to the
available field.
6 • The IP Address field should only be changed whenever the
network IP address is changed (refer to your particular ECOM
7 User Manual). The Network Administrator should be able to
provide the address.
8 After making any change, press the Update Module button and
9 the changes will be written to the ECOM module.
The Query Network button will initiate a rescan of the network
1 using the Transport and Transport Protocol previously specified.
Press the Exit button when the changes have been completed.
1 5. D
 irectSOFT 6 will attempt to communicate with the Ethernet module
using the specified parameters. If successful, the following dialog will
2 ask for a unique Link Name (up to 16 characters) and an optional
Link Description (up to 32 characters) to be entered. Press the
3 Finish button to save the link configuration to disk.

4
A
B
C
D

9-10 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 9: Setup & Manage Communication Links

6. The successfully created link will be listed with all other links in the
DSLaunch menu tree in the Comm Links folder.

1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 9-11

 Chapter 9: Setup & Manage Communication Links

NetEdit3 Troubleshooting Tips

As mentioned previously, when using the Hx-ECOM(xxx) module
1 you will need to configure the IP address using NetEdit3. The
module comes preconfigured to use DHCP, otherwise it defaults
2 to address 0.0.0.0 and subnet 0.0.0.0.
If NetEdit3 doesn’t see the ECOM module when you press “Scan
3 Network”, check the following:
1) Verify Link Good LEDs are illuminated on module and connecting
D devices like hubs or unmanaged switches.

5 2) Turn OFF any WiFi devices or other ethernet devices.

3) Firewalls need to be turned OFF for initial connection (see Windows
6 Help). Also, turn OFF any antivirus or other protection software that
can interfere with ethernet communication.

7 4) Try to PING the ECOM module to establish basic connection (see

Windows Help, or search for resources on internet if not familiar with
8 these steps).
5) 
You may need to disable any other network adapters besides
9 the one physically connected to the ECOM or network the ECOM
is on. If you get “Transport Protocol error”, try the instructions in
1 this link: http://hosteng.com/FAQFiles/ECOM.htm#FAQ0024
Go to Step 4, Item C. The latest version of NetEdit has the ability to
select the specific network adapter, by going to the main Menu, select
1 “Network”, then “Adapter” and specifying which installed adapter you
want to use ( it also lists the IP addresses of the adapters). We
2 strongly suggest you download the latest version of NetEdit here:
http://hosteng.com/SW-Products/NetEdit3.zip
3 6) If you have a network administrator, you may need to check with
them to verify the configuration of the local network.
4 7) 
If you have Windows XP or earlier, and you still can’t make
a connection, you should consider trying the IPX protocol.
A Click the IPX button in NetEdit3. If you get the 10047 error,
you need to install the NWLink/IPX protocol to your computer
B ethernet card. See Windows Help for this procedure, or try
this link http://hosteng.com/FAQFiles/ECOM.htm#FAQ0043
C If you can’t connect to an existing/unknown ECOM100 in a network,
and the card is likely newer than 2007, by powering-down and putting
D dipswitch 6 ON, then powering up, the IP address will be reset to all
0’s, and should become visible to NetEdit3. You must power down
and turn this dip back OFF for card to be able to operate properly.
http://hosteng.com/FAQFiles/ECOM.htm#FAQ0085

9-12 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 9: Setup & Manage Communication Links

Other potential issues with ECOM modules:

- A
 ll ECOM modules need dipswitch 7 ON for IBoxes and DataWorx
communications. 1
- ECOM modules can not be located in slot 0 of a 205 system.
2
If you are trying ModbusTCP client(master) comms
with an ECOM100, look at this link for the steps to follow: 3
http://hosteng.com/FAQFiles/ECOM.htm#FAQ0050
(note that if the ECOM100 is the slave, these steps are not D
required).
5
When you have established a link to the ECOM and NetEdit can
identify it, note the F and B columns. An asterisk in a column
6
means that the firmware/booter is not the latest version (this likely
won’t hinder your operation, some firmware fixes are for very rare
7
issues.) You can go to File>Live Update ( if you have an active
internet connection - remember, as part of the connection you may
8
have had to disable your internet - you can click Live Update to get
the latest firmware/booter versions).
9
0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 9-13

 Chapter 9: Setup & Manage Communication Links

Setup a Modem Link

Establishing modem links have changed from the standard serial
1 link. DirectSOFT 6 uses Telephony Application Programming
Interface (TAPI) for modem configurations. The TAPI protocol
2 allows applications to control modems or other telephony devices
for operations such as dialing, answering or disconnecting a
3 connection. With the TAPI protocol, all of the modem support is
centralized by the Windows operating system.
D By using TAPI, the Windows modem setup utilities will be used
5 to configure the modem. Configuring the modem in this manner
should simplify the setup process and allow the selection of the
6 most recent drivers for the modem being used.

NOTE: If the AutomationDirect MDM-TEL serial modem is being used,

7 refer to the ADC MDM-TEL Modem setup folder on the DirectSOFT 6
cd that came with this manual before trying to establish a link through
8 the modem setup.

9 Modem Setup
The first series of examples were performed in Windows 2000
1 and will illustrate how to configure a modem connected to
your PC. The examples may differ depending on the Windows
1 operating system being used.

2 1. Install the modem if not already installed. Refer to the modem’s

documentation for installation information. If the modem is to be used
for other devices, it will need to be installed a second time.
3 2.Once the modem has been successfully installed, the properties

4 will need to be edited. In the Windows Start field, select Settings >
Control Panel.

A
B
C
D

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 Chapter 9: Setup & Manage Communication Links

3. Select Phone and Modem Options. A dialog with all available modems
installed will appear.
4. Choose the Modems tab, then click on Properties at the bottom. 1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
0
5. Choose 9600 as the Maximum Port Speed. 1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 9-15

 Chapter 9: Setup & Manage Communication Links

6. Select the Advanced tab and click on Change Default Preferences.

1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
1 7. Make Port speed 9600 and choose None for Flow Control.

1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

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 Chapter 9: Setup & Manage Communication Links

8. Click on the Advanced tab and choose 8 Data bits., None for Parity
and 1 Stop bits.

1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
9. Click OK until all dialogs are closed. This will setup your Windows
driver so DirectSOFT 6 can use the Windows TAPI control when
accessing the modem.
0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 9-17

 Chapter 9: Setup & Manage Communication Links

Configuring the Link

With the modem configured correctly, the link to the PLC can now
1 be established. The next series of steps will provide the information
necessary for configuring the link using DirectSOFT 6.
2 1. 
The Link Wizard can automatically determine the majority of the
communication settings, however, the specific modem information
3 (modem type, phone number, etc.) will have to be entered manually. To
activate the Link Wizard in the Launch Window, right click on Comm
D Links in the DSLaunch tree, then select Add Link.

5
6
7
8
9
1
1 Right click to

2 select Add Link.

3
4 2. Select Modem as the device, then click the Next button.

A
B
C
D

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 Chapter 9: Setup & Manage Communication Links

3. The Configure Link dialog should now be in view. First, choose the
PLC family and CPU type. Click once on the appropriate PLC Family
and a list of available CPUs for that family will appear in the PLC Type
window for your selection. Also, give the link a name and description. 1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
4. Click the Port tab on the dialog to display the port configuration
dialog. This dialog is used to setup the port to match the modem’s
configuration. Follow the steps below:
0
a. Select Modem in the Devices column. 1
b. Select the modem type that was configured in the Windows modem
setup. The can be verified or modified by clicking on the Properties 2
button or a new modem can be setup by clicking on the Add button.
c. Enter the dialing information for the modem. 3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 9-19

 Chapter 9: Setup & Manage Communication Links

5. Click the Protocol tab to display the communication protocol dialog.

The communications parameters can be defined further in this dialog.

1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
a. 
Select the communication protocol to use. Refer to the chart
9 in Appendix A for a breakdown of the various CPUs and which
protocols are supported on which ports.
1 b. If the PLC has been given a node Address other than 1, enter the
new address.
1 If necessary, adjust the Timeouts and Retries, however, the
c. 
default values should be the best choice.
2 6. Click the Accept button to save the link configuration. The following
dialog will appear. If Yes is pressed, DirectSOFT 6 will dial the
3 modem and attempt to verify that it can indeed communicate with the
PLC connected to the other modem using the defined parameters
4 in the link. DirectSOFT 6 will hangup after the connection has been
made. If No is pressed, the link configuration will simply be saved to
A disk.

B
C
D

9-20 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 9: Setup & Manage Communication Links

7. After the link has been successfully setup, the newly configured
Modem link will be listed on the DSLaunch tree under Comm Links
in the DSLaunch window. The DSLaunch window will display all the
information for the link whenever the link is selected. 1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 9-21

 Chapter 9: Setup & Manage Communication Links

Comm Link Options

There are several link options available after a link is setup. The
1 link options dialog is opened by right-clicking on the link name
which is to be accessed. The available options are shown in the
2 dialog below.

3
D
5
6
7 Selecting Run will use the link to connect to the PLC.
DirectSOFT 6 will connect to the PLC and search it for a
8 program. If a program is found in the PLC, it will be displayed
in the programming window without a program name. Also, the
9 displayed program will not have any documentation showing
because the documentation is stored with the project on disk and
1 not in the PLC.

NOTE: Double-clicking on the link name will also connect to the PLC.
1 Clicking on Error Log... will open the Link Info window
2 displaying all communication errors which have occurred on the
link along with active information for the link.
3
4
A
B
C
D

9-22 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 9: Setup & Manage Communication Links

Clicking on Edit Link... will open the Configure Link dialog

which was used whenever the link was setup. Click on the link to
be edited, make the necessary changes then press the Accept
button.
1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
There may be a time when it becomes necessary to delete a
Comm Link. To delete a link, click Delete Link... and the Delete 0
Link dialog will open, like the one below, showing the link name
and description to verify that the link is not used any longer. To 1
delete the link, click on Delete!.
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition 9-23

 Chapter 9: Setup & Manage Communication Links

Going Online
Once the program has been edited and the communications link has
1 been setup, it is time to go online with the PLC and load the program.

2 Connect the PLC

With the Ladder View displayed in the Programming window, either
3 press the Connect button on the PLC toolbar (if it is displayed) or use
PLC > Connect from the Menu bar. Select the communications link
D from the Select Link dialog, then select Use Disk from the Online/
Offline Differences dialog (refer to pages 2-22 to 2-24). This will load
5 the program into the PLC. The PLC will be in the Program Mode after
DirectSOFT 6 completes the download. Press the PLC Mode button
6 on the Online toolbar and click on Run in the PLC Modes dialog to
place the PLC online.
7 To disconnect from the PLC, simply press the Disconnect button on
the PLC toolbar or use PLC > Disconnect from the Menu bar. Select
8 Yes when asked Are you sure?, then you will be free to shut down.
9 Use the Project Folder
Once a project has been saved to disk, the project name will appear
1 on the menu tree in the Project Folder. To open the project, double-
click on its name. When the programming window is displayed, you
1 can go online following the process just discussed.

2 Use the Link

You can also connect to the PLC by using the communications link.
3 Make sure that a cable is connected to the PLC, then select the
link name from the menu tree and double-click on it. If there is a
4 program in the PLC, it will be displayed in the Programming window
when it appears. Notice that the name of the program is UNTITLED
A [Ladder View]. The PLC does not store the program name or other
documentation in its memory. All of the program documentation is
B stored on disk in the PC.

C
D

9-24 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

Debugging and Chapter
Monitoring
10
In This Chapter
Monitor with Data View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Change Value Dialog. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Using the Memory Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Test Mode Operations for Debugging. . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Trap Monitor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Stack Monitor (DL440 Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Trend View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Check DirectSOFT 6 File Revision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Monitor with Data View

Chapter 2, Quick Start, described how to edit a program and
1 go online with the PLC. There was also a discussion on how to
monitor the status of the program. This chapter will discuss more
2 monitoring and debugging features of DirectSOFT 6.

3 Using Data View

Using the Status to monitor a program is very useful. The Data
D View window is more useful since you can do much more in one
view. The Data View window has more advantages, such as:
5 • View status of elements.

6 • Read and write data values.

• Multiple Data Views can be open at the same time.
7 • Since they “float”, they can be placed at convenient locations.
• Data View is also conveniently docked by default, and can be set to
8 auto-hide by clicking on the push-pin. Multiple Data Views can be
tabbed together as one dockable or floating window.
9 •
Use Data View to monitor the program all views (ladder, stage,
mnemonic) on the same screen.
10 • The Data View window can be saved by name.

11 • Data View windows are independent of projects, and can be used for
multiple projects.
2 Open a New Data View Window
A new Data View window can be opened in any one of three ways;
13 the menu bar Debug > Data View > New, the keyboard shortcut
4 Ctrl + Shift + F3 or the Data button on the Online toolbar.

A By default, the Data

View windows are
B assigned names
Data1, Data2,
C etc. consecutively.
This name can be
D changed for the
current view using
the Options dialog.

10-2 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

The following diagram is an example of a newly opened Data

View.
1
2
3
D
5
6
7
A Closer Look
8
Data Format Format Size Clear Edits
Write All 9
Edits to PLC
10
Select 1
Edits
Mode Edits Column 2
Write
Current Edit to 3
PLC
4
A
A closer look at Data View will show the basic components. B
•S elect Edits Mode s enables/disables the Edits column. When
the column is enabled, Edits can be written to the PLC. The C
Edits column is not available when disabled.
•D ata Format s change the format (bit, binary, Octal, decimal,
D
etc.) displayed in the Status column for a selected row.
•F ormat Size s choose the selected Data Format displayed in
the Status column(1, 16, 32, WORD, etc.).
• Clear Edits s this will clear all data entries from the Edits
column.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

10-3
 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

•W
 rite Current Edit to PLC s the data value for one element can
be entered in the Edits column and written to the PLC with this
1 button.
•W
 rite All Edits to PLC s multiple data values can be entered in
2 the Edits column and written to the PLC.

3 Data View Options

D
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
The Data View window can be customized for a particular user or
2 users. To customize Data View, click on the Data View window, then
use View > Options on the menu bar, press the Options button on
13 the Offline toolbar or right-click in the Data View and choose Options.
The Options dialog will open with the Data View tab in view as shown
4 above.
The dialog will open with default selections checked in the General
A Settings in the Display 1 tab. More settings are continued in the
Display 2 tab. Checking Col 1 shows display format may be
B beneficial at times. This will show the display format to the right of the
element in the first column. Not all requirements are the same, and
C experimenting with the General Settings will determine what works
best for you.
D

10-4 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Select Bits for Display

The Bit Display Settings area to the right of the General
Settings, is only available under the Display 1 tab. There are three 1
selections for controlling or monitoring bits with the PLC in the Run
Mode, either one, two, all three or none can be selected (enabled). 2
•S
 tatus Bits s when this is enabled, the status of the element will be
shown in the Status column if Status On is enabled.
3
•P
 ause Bits s enabling this will allow inputs (or other logic) to operate
while disabling selected outputs.
D
•O
 verride Bits s selected I/O points in Data View can be turned ON/
OFF if this is enabled.
5
The diagram below shows what a Data View can look like when 6
all three Bit Display Settings are enabled. Notice that the outputs
are the only elements to have all three sets of data bit buttons in 7
the Edits column. Each group of bit setting buttons can have the
displayed indicator changed from the default to any one of twenty 8
selections.
9
10
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
NOTE: The buttons in the Edits column will only be displayed when the D
PLC is in the Run Mode and Status is selected. Also, they will be disabled
for DirectNET links.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

10-5
 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Click on the bit button to be changed and a selection window for that
button will appear as shown in the diagram below. Make a selection,
1 such as the light bulb, by clicking on it. The indicator will appear in the
button and also on the Data View.
2
3
Click on
D Status On
button to

5 change the
indicator.

6
7
8 Indicator
selection
window.
9
10
11
2
13
4
A
B
C Indicator is
in buttons
D

10-6 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Data View Documentation Options

Next to the Display 2 tab is the Doc tab. Select this tab to set
up the documentation to be displayed on the Data View window. 1
Whatever documentation (Elements, Nicknames, etc.) is to be
displayed in the Element column is enabled or disabled here. 2
The current Data View window can also be renamed from Data1,
Data2, Data3, etc. to any name to better identify it. Enter the 3
new name for the current Data View in the Title field. The name
entered can contain up to 32 characters. D
5
6
7
8
9
Enter new name here. 10
1
2
3
Apply Options 4
Notice the three boxes next to the Apply options to: circled in
the above diagram. These boxes are in view while the dialog is A
open.
Select the view the options are to be applied to when the OK B
button is pressed.
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

10-7
 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Data View Mode Options

Next to the Doc tab is the Mode tab. The mode selections will
1 determine whether the data in the Status column will be Read
Only (no writes) or Read/Write. A Data View can be setup for
2 Read Only if changes to data will not be permitted by whoever
is observing it. Read/Write should be selected for monitoring
3 and debugging a program. Leave Safety enabled so the write
operation can be confirmed.
D
5
6
7
8
9
10
11 Make Data View Entries
2 The columns in a new Data View window are blank whenever it
is first opened. The entries are entered in the Elements column.
13 The type of entries that can be made are element references,
memory addresses or nicknames. For example, control relay C1
4 or Test Output 1 are valid entries. Also, R000 for a data register
or V1200 for
A a V-memory
location can be
B entered.
The example
C here shows
elements and
D a memory
location which
have been
entered while
Online with
Status enabled.

10-8 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

It really doesn’t matter if entries are made in the Element column

with the PLC Online or Offline, Status On or Status Off. Entries can
be made with the PLC Offline, then it can be placed Online later to
monitor the program.
1
Whenever a Data View window is opened, it appears to the left of 2
the Ladder View (see the example on the facing page). Keep in
mind that the Data View can be repositioned and resized to make 3
room for a larger Ladder View like the example below. The Data
View position in the example may be radical, but it may be more D
convenient for the user.
5
6
7
8
9
10
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

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 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Data Format and Size

There are two small fields located in the top left-hand corner of the
1 Data View window. The one on the left is the Data Format field which
displays the element type when it is selected in the Element column.
2 If the selected element is a bit type, then Bit will be displayed in the
field. If desired, Bit can be changed to Binary by clicking on the down
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
arrow next to the field. A dialog will drop down with the available
10 selections to chose. The field to the right of the Format field is the
Data Format Size field. The size refers to the data length. As an
11 example, Bit is equal to 1 and Word is equal to 16 bits. The selection
of the Data Format and Size is left up to the programmer monitoring
2 the program.

13
4
A Bit changed to

B Data Format
Types
Binary (16 bits)

C
D

10-10 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Write the Edits

Debugging a program is not beneficial unless the user can change
an element or enter data in a memory location. Changes (edits) 1
are made in the Edits column. All of the edits are placed in a buffer
prior to writing them to the PLC. There are three buttons located 2
at the top of the Data View window which are associated with the
Edits column. These buttons are pointed out in the example below. 3
The Clear Edits button will clear everything out of the Edits buffer
so new edits can be entered. Single edits can be entered into D
memory, such as a counter setpoint value. Simply enter the value
in the Edits column in the counter row. A single edit can also turn 5
on a control relay by clicking on the ON button for the relay. Once
both types of entries (edits) are made, click on the button with the 6
single arrow pointing to the PLC, Write to PLC. Multiple values
or control relays can also be written to the PLC. The entries or
7
ON buttons are selected as for the single edit. After the edits are
made, click on the button with four arrows pointing down at the
8
PLC. The edits will be written to the PLC one at a time.
Write
9
Clear Edits
Current Value
to PLC
Write Multiple
Values to PLC
10
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D
WARNING: I/O points can be turned on by using the Override
buttons. Caution must be taken when forcing I/O to prevent
accidental harm to personnel and equipment.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

10-11
 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Auto-increment
Auto-increment is a feature that can be used to enter elements
1 sequentially. For instance, if a group of control relays , C10,
C11, C12 and C13 are to be monitored, enter C10 then click on
2 it again, and then hold down Ctrl + Enter and control relays will
be entered until the Enter key is released. If there is an element
3 that has been entered previously in Data View, click on the
element nickname or reference, then use the Ctrl + Enter keys
D as mentioned above. The elements will be entered in sequence
below the starting point and any elements that were below the
5 start point will be pushed down below that point.

6
7 Click on an
element, then
8 press Ctrl + Enter
to make sequential
9 entries.

10
11
2
13 Editing Entries
4 Editing the entries can only be accomplished by using the
standard keyboard shortcuts. Click on the element to be edited,
A then use either Ctrl + C or Ctrl + X to copy or cut the element.
Ctrl + V is used to paste the element.
B WARNING: Because Data View follows the conventions of
C spreadsheet pasting, be aware that the pasting operation will
overwrite any field that has been selected prior to the paste.
D Consequently, it is preferred to paste the data into an empty field.

Elements can be deleted from a Data View at any time. Select

the item by clicking on it, then either use the Delete key, Edit >
Delete, the Delete button on the Edit toolbar or right-clicking on
the element then select Delete in the pop-up menu. The deleted
elements are not placed on the clipboard, therefore lost.

10-12 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

An editing feature that can be useful is the ability to select more

than one item in Data View by using the method used to select
rungs in the Ladder View. Select the first item in the group, then 1
use the Shift + Arrow keys to mark a range of items either
horizontally or vertically. A more simple way to mark items is 2
to click on the first item in the range, and hold the button and
drag the mouse arrow over the rest of the last item to mark. The 3
marked items can then either be deleted, cut, copied or you can
change the Data Format or Data Size of the selected items all to D
the same format or size.
Save the Data View Window
5
Once the Data View window has been setup for debugging and 6
monitoring a program, it is a good idea to save it so it can be
opened and used later. If the Debug toobar is displayed, click 7
on the Save button and the Save dialog will open. The Data
View can be named something else instead of the default ( 8
Data1, Data2, etc.), then save the Data View to the Projects
folder by clicking on the Save button. The Save dialog can also 9
be opened by using Debug > Data View > Save from the Menu
bar. If a duplicate Data View is needed, either use the Save As 10
button on the Debug toolbar or Debug > Data View > Save As
from the Menu bar. 1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

10-13
 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Using Pause Bits

A Pause Bit can be set for each output in the Data View window. By
1 setting the Pause Bit, the output status can be controlled when the
PLC transitions from Test Run to Test Program. The ability to hold
2 output states is useful, since it allows key system I/O points to be
maintained.
3 The Pause Bit is set to maintain the output status, and the Pause Bit
D is turned off to allow the PLC to turn off the output on the transition to
Test Program mode.
5 The Pause Bit option is selected for outputs in the Data View Options
tab as seen below. The On/Off Pause buttons will then show on the
6 Data View.

7
8
9
10
11
2 To set the Pause Bit for an output, click on the respective pause
button (letter P). Click on the blank button to turn the pause feature
13 Off. When in the Off mode, the Pause Bit is not set and the output will
turn off on the transition to Test Program. The letter ‘P’ in the Status
4 column indicates the Pause Bit is set for that output.

A
B
C
D
Pause Bits set Pause Buttons

10-14 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Use Override Bits to Control I/O

(DL05/06/240/250-1/260/350/450/454 Only)
If your PLC supports Override Bits, they can be set for each input 1
and output using Data View. Setting these bits allows the status
of the input or output to be controlled by a programming device 2
instead of the field device wired to the I/O module. It is similar to
forcing an I/O ON or OFF.
3
To use the Override Bits, they must be enabled in the Data View
Options dialog. Select Override Bits just like the Pause Bits were
D
selected. Click on the Select Mode button at the top of the Data
View window to view the Override Bits buttons. Expand the Data
5
View window if necessary so the buttons will show. 6
7
Select
8
Mode button
9
10
Override Buttons 1
2
3
To set an Override Bit for an I/O point, click on the respective 4
Override button with the letter ‘O’. Clicking on the blank button will
turn the Override feature Off. The letter ‘O’ in the status column A
indicates the Override Bit is set for that I/O point.

NOTE: Override bits clear out on a Program to Run transition.

B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

10-15
 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Change Value Dialog

1 WARNING: Only authorized personnel should make changes to the

2 program elements or data values. Changes made while the PLC is

in Run Mode become effective immediately. Throughly consider the

3 impact of making changes in order to minimize the risk of personal

injury or damage to equipment.

D The Data View window can be used to make dynamic changes to I/O
and change data values stored in memory. The status of an I/O point
5 is performed by using the dynamic edit buttons, and the data values
are changed by typing new values in the Edit column. Both types of
6 edit take effect only when they are written to the PLC.

7 Use the Change Value Dialog

Turning On/Off I/O points (only with Override bits set) and writing data
8 values to memory locations can also be accomplished by using the
Change Value dialog. When using this dialog, it is not necessary to
9 have Status on to make changes to the PLC, but it is a good idea to
be able to see the changes when they are made.
10 To open the Change Value dialog, either press the Change Value
button located on the Online toolbar, use Ctrl + Shift + F2 or, with
11 Status on and not in the Edit mode, double click on the element to
change. The following dialog will appear.
2
13
4
A
B
C
D

The dialog will open with either a default reference or the reference
that was double-clicked on showing in the Element window.

10-16 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Specify an Element Reference or Nickname

Since nicknames and element references are used when editing
a program, they can also be used with the Change Value dialog. 1
If an element with a nickname is enabled in the program when the
dialog is opened, the nickname will appear in the Element field. An 2
element does not need to be enabled to open the Change Value
dialog. If the default reference (C0) is displayed when the dialog is 3
Specify the
D
element reference
or the nickname. 5
Current Value is 6
either ON or OFF.
7
The element type
will be displayed 8
here.
9
10
1
opened, either type in the element reference or the nickname that
2
is to be changed. The dialog will always open with the Current
Value displayed. The displayed element will either be On or Off.
3
The Current Value can also be a memory location. (see below).
4
The Element field
can have a memory
location.
A
B
The Curent Value
field will display the C
data in memory.
D
The data types
are displayed
here.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

10-17
 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Enter a New Value

To change the state (value) of a bit data type, such as a control relay,
1 enter the reference or nickname. The example diagram below has C1
entered in the Element field. To change it from Off to On, simply click
2 the On under New. Like Data View, the new state will not be written to
the PLC until it is told to. Do this by pressing the Write to PLC button.
3 The Current Value will change to read On.

D
5
6 Change Current
Press the Write
to PLC button.
Value to ON.
7
8
9
10
11
2
13
4 Current Value
now reads ON
A
B
C
D

NOTE: To force I/O, use the Override editor.

10-18 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

To write to a V-memory location, type the memory location in

the Element field. The value in memory will appear in the current
value view. To change the value, enter it in the New field, then 1
press the Write to PLC button. The new value is written to the
2
3
Data will be
dynamically
D
displayed here.
5
6
7
8
9
10
V-memory location. The value in the memory location will be
displayed under Current Value. 1
When an I/O reference or a memory location is entered in the
Element field, the status or value will be displayed in the New 2
value field as well as under the Current Value. By clicking on the
Read from PLC button, the Current Value and the New field will
3
be updated with the current status or data.
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

10-19
 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Using the Memory Editor

1 WARNING: Only authorized personnel should make changes to the
program elements or data values. Changes made while the PLC is in
2 Run Mode become effective immediately. Thoroughly consider the
impact of making changes in order to minimize the risk of personal

3 injury or damage to equipment.

Another debugging tool which DirectSOFT 6 features is the

D Memory Editor. The Memory Editor can be used to view and
change data in a multiple of memory locations. This is especially
5 helpful for:
• Entering or changing values in V-memory or Data Registers for use as
6 constants, timer/counter presets, etc.
• Entering text strings into a block of V-memory or Data Registers.
7 Either press the Memory Editor (Memory) button located on the
8 Tools toolbar, use Tools > Memory Editor on the Menu bar or
use the keyboard shortcut, Ctrl + Y. The following diagram is an
9 example of the Memory Editor.

10
11
2
13
4
A
B
Select the Locations to View
C To use the Memory Editor, first use the Find button located in the
D upper right-hand corner of the editor. A dialog will appear for the
entry of the memory address to begin the range to be viewed or
edited and press OK.

NOTE: The Memory Editor cannot be used to access bit registers (I/O as
registers or V-memory). For example, R600 is entered to access Timer
600 in a DL305 system, or V1000 to access Counter 0 actual value in a
DL05 PLC.

10-20 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

1
Enter
memory Find 2
address for button
start of range
to view.
3
D
Entering V1000 for the memory range will display the alias CTA0. 5
The alias could have also been entered. Notice the Format area
where the default, BCD/Hex, has been automatically selected. 6
This is the proper format for the actual counter value. If the user
wishes to view it in a different format, simply click on one of the 7
formats shown to change the default. Also, the data size can be
selected in the same manner. How the data is viewed is strictly 8
up to the user. Any one of the sixteen data fields can be selected
to enter data. Once new data is entered in the data field, press 9
the Write to PLC button to update the PLC. The Memory Editor
will not update the data being viewed automatically. To view 10
data being updated, press the Read from PLC button. Press this
button each time you wish to view data being updated. 1
There may be times when a block of memory will be need to
be setup with data and saved for use during debugging. Simply 2
enter the data in each data field to be written to the PLC. After
entering the data, press the Write to Disk button to save the
3
data. Use the Read from Disk to re-enter the data in memory.
Read from Disk and Write to Disk buttons.
4
A
B
Read from PLC and Write to PLC buttons. C
Data fields
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

10-21
 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Test Mode Operations for Debugging

1 Select Test Mode
DirectLOGIC PLCs support most Test Mode operations which
2 DirectSOFT 6 features (only the DL440, DL450 and DL454 support
all Test Mode operations). Test Mode operations can be a useful tool
3 for debugging programs. Have Status on when using the Test Mode
feature to assist with debugging your program. Enter the Test Mode
D from either the Run Mode or Program Mode, by either pressing the
Mode button on the Online toolbar, using PLC > PLC Modes on the
5 Menu bar or using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + R. The PLC
Modes window shown below will appear. Select Test then OK.
6
7
8
9
10
11 If the PLC is in the Run Mode when Test is selected, the CPU will still
2 be scanning the program and Test RUN will be displayed in the PLC
Mode Indicator at the bottom of the program display window.
13
4
Stop PLC
A Scan button

B
C To use the Test Operations, open the Test Operations window by
selecting the Test button from the Debug toolbar. The PLC must
D be in the Test Program Mode. The PLC can be placed in the Test
Program Mode from the above window by clicking on the Stop PLC
Scan button which will be the only button highlighted in the window
when in Test Run. The Test Program Mode can also be entered from
the Program Mode by opening the PLC Modes window and selecting
Test.

10-22 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Test Program Operations

There are four operations available for all DirectLOGIC PLCs in
the Test mode only: 1
1. S
 tart PLC Scan s this places the PLC into the Test Run mode
and will start the execution of the PLC. The PLC will continue
2
executing until the Stop PLC Scan button is pressed.
2. S
 top PLC Scan s this places the PLC into the Test Program
3
mode which will stop the execution of the PLC. D
3. S
 ingle Scan s will start the execution of the PLC program for
one scan, and then stop execution of the program. 5
4. M
 ultiple Scans s is used to execute the PLC program for
a given number of scans. Use this when in the Test mode. 6
Enter the number of scans in the entry field of the pop-up
window, and press OK. The PLC will change to Test Run 7
mode until the given number of scans have been executed at
which time the PLC will change to Test Program mode. This 8
item is only available when the PLC is in the Test mode.
Two additional Test Operations are only available for the DL440, 9
DL450 and DL454 PLCs, they are:
Breakpoint s specify an instruction address at which to stop
10
the PLC. Pressing OK will execute the program until it reaches
the address, and then the PLC is placed into Halt Mode.
1
Use this in the Test Program mode, Breakpoint will place the
PLC into Test Run mode until the specified address is executed
2
then returns the PLC to Test Halt mode. Use Breakpoint only in 3
the test mode.
BREAK Instruction s this instruction changes the operational 4
mode of the CPU from Run to the Test Program mode. The
Break instruction allows V-memory and image register data to A
be retained where it would normally be cleared with the STOP
instruction or a normal Run to Program transition. (see the B
DL405 User Manual or the D4-454-M).
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

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 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

The Test Operations Window

When in one of the Test Modes, the Test Operations window can
1 be opened with the Test button located on the Debug toolbar or
by using Debug > Test Mode Operations from the Menu bar,
2 and the following window will appear. The window has six buttons
to be used for Test Operations mentioned on the previous page.
3 The buttons available for each test mode will be highlighted. Only
one button, Stop PLC Scan is available in Test Run, and two
D buttons are only available for use with the DL440/450/454 PLCs,
Single Step and Breakpoint.
5
Breakpoint
6 Start PLC Scan

7
Single Step
8
Stop PLC Scan
9 Single Scan Multiple Scans

10
11
2
13
4
A
B
C
D

10-24 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Trap Monitor
Access the Trap Monitor 1
The DL06, DL250-1, DL260, DL450 and DL454 uses an additional
diagnostic tool called a Trap Monitor. The Trap Monitor is used to 2
trap (capture) element data at a specific address rather than after
a scan. The Trap Monitor can be a useful tool if you wish to look at 3
some ladder logic in the Test Run mode. An example might be to
check a math routine to see if it is working properly. D
To use the Trap Monitor, either press the Trap button located on
the Debug toolbar, if it is displayed, or use Debug > Trap Monitor
5
on the Menu bar. The Trap Monitor can only by used in the Test
Run Mode. If the PLC is not in Test Run, a message will appear
6
to ask you if it is safe to switch the PLC to Test Run mode. Select
the “Switch to....” button. Another dialog will appear and ask if you
7
are sure it’s okay to switch to Test Run. Once the PLC is placed in
Test Run, the dialog shown below will appear. A definition of the
8
basic components will be helpful before using the Trap Monitor. 9
This is the address
of the trapped 10
element (not the
Enable trap
push-pins shown in
rung number). 1
The element
disabled position.
trapped at the
above address.
2
3
This area is read
only and will display
the data for the
Press this
button to change
4
trapped element. the format of the
Element Value to A
be read.
B
C
The Trap Monitor can be used as shown above by entering the D
element address and the element reference to read the data in
the read only area of the dialog. The address can be left alone
while the element reference is being changed if it is necessary to
read the Element Value at that address. Or, the Address can be
incremented or decremented leaving the Element Value alone to
check the data at different addresses.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

10-25
 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Another way to use the Trap Monitor is to enable the two

Trap push-pins. When the pins are enabled, the Address can
1 be incremented or decremented while observing the Element
located at the new Address. The read-only data will also change.
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
If you want to “step” through a program area to check the data in
10 V-memory locations, just leave the Trap Monitor dialog as shown
above, then place the ladder program cursor over the element
11 (box) with the memory reference in it. You can then read the data
in the read only area.
2
13
4
A
B
C
D

10-26 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Use with Data View

The Trap Monitor is normally used in combination with one or
more Data Views so the inputs and outputs of the Ladder Logic 1
or Stage program can be controlled. The Trap Monitor is useful to
look at math operations in a program. The format for the values 2
being read can be specified (Decimal, Hex or Octal). Press the
button in the lower right-hand corner of the dialog to open another 3
dialog to set the format.
D
5
6
7
8
NOTE: The Trap Monitor feature is not available to use with the DL05.
9
10
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

10-27
 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Stack Monitor (DL440 Only)

1 Access the Stack Monitor
The Stack Monitor monitors PLC accumulator and data stack.
2 Either use the Debug->Test Mode Operations->Breakpoint
dialog or the BREAK instruction to monitor the PLC accumulator
3 and data stack at a specific address.
D Access the Stack Monitor by either pressing the Stack button
located on the Debug toolbar or by selecting Debug > Stack
5 Monitor from the Menu bar. This feature is used most frequently
with segments of programming which require debugging math
6 operations.

7
8
9
10
11
2
13
4
A
B
C
D

10-28 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Trend View
As mentioned in Chapter 7, Trend View is used to visually monitor
the values of DL controller data elements over time. The Trend
1
View can monitor any readable numeric location or any readable
bit location or any constant value.
2
The Trend View logs the values of the controller elements on each
pane of the Trend. Those values are displayed on a moving graph.
3
The Trend View also provides a historical mode which lets the D
programmer view all of the data that is currently stored for each of
the data points on the display. The logged data values can also be 5
exported to a CSV file for importing into a third-party application
for further research. 6
A new (empty) Trend View can be created by selecting Debug >
Trend View > New from the Menu, or clicking the Trend button 7
on the Online toolbar. Enter the number of Panes in the Number
of Panes field or use the Up or Down arrow to set the value. Click 8
the OK button to accept or the Cancel button to abort.

NOTE: Refer to the DirectSOFT 6 help file for more information on

9
configuration options and features of Trend View. 10
Using the Trend View 1
Once a Trend View has been created and its display options have
been configured, the Trend will begin collecting data for each of 2
the controller elements on each of the panes and displaying the
data in graphical form as seen below. 3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

10-29
 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Some things to be aware of when using Trend Views:

• Discrete points, integer values and real values are placed in
1 separate panes.
• Variables are graphed using solid lines.
2 • Constants are graphed using dotted horizontal lines.

3 • Red vertical lines indicate a loss of communication.

• Blue vertical lines indicate communication is re-established.
D
The Crosshair Cursor
5 The crosshair cursor is displayed anytime the mouse cursor
6 moves over any of the panes in a Trend View. The crosshair
provides a visual reference when comparing values displayed on
7 the Panes of a Trend. If there are multiple Panes in the Trend
View, the vertical bar of the crosshair will extend through all of
8 them.
Using the CTRL key and the scroll wheel on the mouse will put the Trend
9 View into Historical Mode and zoom into or out of the area under the
center of the crosshair as follows:

10 • C
 TRL + scrolling upward will zoom into the area by decreasing the
Time Scale
11 • C
 TRL + scrolling downward will zoom out of the area by increasing
the Time Scale.
2 Left-clicking the mouse will take a snapshot of all the values on
13 all the Panes on the Trend at the time where the crosshair was
located, then present the data on a snapshot dialog.
4
A
B
C
D
Clicking the Copy Contents to Clipboard button will copy the
data displayed on the snapshot dialog to the Windows clipboard,
which can then be pasted into any other Windows application for
further processing.

10-30 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

1
2
3
D
5
Looking at the above Trend View, notice the following menu 6
options at the top of the View.
Trend View Options - opens the Trend View Options dialog to specify 7
the controller elements that will be included in the Trend and to choose
how those elements will be displayed on the Trend. When this button is 8
clicked, the last pane that had focus will be selected (highlighted) when
the Trend View Options menu comes up. 9
Toggle Historical Mode - stops the real-time (live) update of the trend
displays and adds a scroll bar to the bottom of the trend panel that 10
allows the user to scroll backwards in time through all of the data that
is currently stored for each of the data points on the displays. The data
gathering for each data point on the trend displays will continue while the
1
Trend View is in historical mode. When the Trend View is in historical
mode the tab name will have the word [HISTORICAL] added to it.
2
Clicking the button again will re-enable the real-time (live) update of the
trend displays and the trend graphs will be updated with all of the data
3
that was gathered while the displays were in historical mode. 4
Export Range - is used to export the values that are currently stored for
each data point on the trend. All of the accumulated data points or only
the data points between two user-selected time stamps can be exported.
A
Synchronize with Other Trend Views - is used to synchronize the time
frame and the starting time stamp of multiple Trend Views so that all
B
synchronized views will display the same start time and the same
amount of time.
C
Click the Sync button to display a list of the available Trend Views. Select
the Views from the list that are to be synchronized with the current view
D
then click the Synchronize button.
Begin Recording - click this button to begin the recording session. The
button face will change from a red circle to a black square with Stop
as its new name and the word [RECORDING] will be displayed in the
dialog’s tab. Clicking this button again will stop the recording and a Save
As dialog will prompt for the filename in which to save the recorded data.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

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 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Pause Recording - stops recording data while the button is depressed.

The button will appear depressed and the word [RECORDING -
1 PAUSED] will be displayed in the dialog’s tab. Click the button again
to continue recording data or click the Cancel button to stop the
2 recording session completely.

3
D Time Scale - sets the overall amount of time to be displayed in all of
the panes.
5 The Time Scale can be set to the following:

6 - 500ms
- 1 Second

7 - 5 Seconds
- 10 Seconds
- 20 Seconds
8 - 30 Seconds
- 45 Seconds
9 - 1 Minute (default)
- 2 Minutes
10 - 5 Minutes
- 7 Minutes
11 - 10 Minutes
- 30 Minutes
- 1 Hour
2 The Time Scale value is set by the following methods:
13 • Clicking on the Time Scale icon at the desired interval location
• Clicking on the Time Scale icon at the desired location then use the
4 arrow keys or the mouse scroll wheel to decrease or increase the
value
A • Clicking and holding the slider and dragging left to decrease and
right to increase the value
B
C
D

10-32 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Check DirectSOFT 6 File Revision

DirectSOFT 6 has a quick and easy method of looking at the
various versions of the files which comprise the software. This
1
feature may never be used, however, this may be useful in the
future as additional features are added in upgrade packages, new
2
products, etc. 3
Open the Version Browser by double-clicking on Version
located under Utilities on the DSLaunch menu tree. D
5
6
7
8
Double-click
here 9
10
1
2
3
4
A
TIP: A simple way to check the DirectSOFT 6 version is to open a
project program and select Help > About. B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

10-33
 Chapter 10: Debugging and Monitoring

Notes

1
2
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
2
13
4
A
B
C
D

10-34 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

Protocols Appendix
and Cable
Diagrams A
In This Appendix
Cables and Protocols. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2
Programming Cable Diagrams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6
 Appendix A: Cables and Protocols Diagrams

Cables and Protocols

DirectLOGIC CPUs provide many communication port possibilities.
A It is helpful to know which programming cable and protocol to use.

2 DirectLOGIC PLC Programming Cable and Wiring Standard Reference

CPU Port Cable Standard Jack Style
3 Port 1 D2-DSCBL RS-232 RJ12 6P6C
Port 2 D2-DSCBL RS-232 RJ12 6P6C
D D2-DSCBL RS-232
RS-232
RJ12 6P6C
DL05
5 D0-DCM
D2-DSCBL-1 RS-422
RS-485
HD15

6 H0-ECOM(100)
Port 1 D2-DSCBL
10/100 BASET
RS-232
RJ45 CAT 5E
RJ12 6P6C

7 Port 2 D2-DSCBL-1
RS-232
RS-422 HD15
RS-485
8 DL06 D2-DSCBL RS-232
RS-232
RJ12 6P6C
D0-DCM
9 D2-DSCBL-1 RS-422
RS-485
HD15

1 H0-ECOM(100)
Port 1 D2-DSCBL
10/100 BASET
RS-232
RJ45 CAT 5E
RJ12 6P6C
D2-230 RS-232
11 D2-DCM D3-DSCBL-2
RS-422
DB-25

Port 1 D2-DSCBL RS-232 RJ12 6P6C

2 D2-240
Port 2 D2-DSCBL RS-232
RS-232
RJ12 6P6C
D2-DCM D3-DSCBL-2 DB-25
13 H2-ECOM(100)
RS-422
10/100 BASET RJ45 CAT 5E

4 Port 1 D2-DSCBL RS-232

RS-232
RJ12 6P6C

A D2-250(-1)
D2-260
Port 2 D2-DSCBL-1 RS-422
RS-485
HD15

RS-232
B D2-DCM
H2-ECOM(100)
D3-DSCBL-2
RS-422
10/100 BASET
DB-25
RJ45 CAT 5E
C D3-330 D3-232-DCU
Port 1
D3-DSCBL-2
D3-DSCBL-1
RS-232
RS-232
DB-25
RJ14 4P4C
D3-340
D Port 2
Port 1
D3-DSCBL-1
D2-DSCBL
RS-232
RS-232
RJ14 4P4C
RJ12 6P6C
RS-232
Port 2 D3-DSCBL-2 RS-422
D3-350
RS-485 DB-25
RS-232
D3-DCM D3-DSCBL-2
RS-422

A-2 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Appendix A: Cables and Protocols Diagrams

DirectLOGIC PLC Programming Cable and Wiring Standard Reference

CPU Port Cable Standard Jack Style
Port 0
Port 1
D4-DSCBL
D3-DSCBL-2
RS-232
RS-232
DB-15
A
D4-430
D4-440 D4-DCM D3-DSCBL-2
RS-232
RS-422
DB-25
2
H4-ECOM(100) 10/100 BASET RJ45 CAT 5E
Port 0 D4-DSCBL RS-232 DB-15 3
Port 1 D3-DSCBL-2 RS-232 DB-25
D4-450
Port 2
Port 3
D2-DSCBL RS-232
RS-422
RJ11 6P6C D
D4-454
D4-DCM D3-DSCBL-2
RS-232
RS-422
DB-25
5
H4-ECOM(100) 10/100 BASET RJ45 CAT 5E

Notes:
• To convert an RS-232 cable to USB, purchase part number USB-RS232.
7
• To connect to RS-485 with USB, purchase part number USB-485M. 8
• EA-MG-PGM-CBL is a USB alternative for the D2-DSCBL.
- Do not use EA-MG-PGM-CBL with SureStep stepper drives. 9
• F
 or RS-232/RS-422 use cable part number L19772-100.
• F
 or RS-485 use cable part number L19827-100. 0
• F
 or Ethernet, Category 5E cable is recommended as a minimum.
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

A-3
 Appendix A: Cables and Protocols Diagrams

Cables and Protocols (cont’d)

A DirectLOGIC PLC Protocols Supported
MODBUS MODBUS
CPU Port DirectNET K-Sequence ECOM
RTU TCP
2 Port 1 • • •
Port 2 • • •
3 •
•
•
•
•
•
DL05
D D0-DCM
• • •
•

5 H0-ECOM(100)
Port 1 • • •
• H0-ECOM100

6 Port 2
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
7 DL06 •
•
•
•
•
•
D0-DCM
8 • • •
•

9 H0-ECOM(100)
Port 1 • • •
• H0-ECOM100

D2-230 • •
1 D2-DCM
• •
slave only

Port 1 • • •
11 Port 2 • • •
D2-240 • •
2 D2-DCM
H2-ECOM(100)
• •
slave only
• H2-ECOM100

13 Port 1 •
•
•
•
•
•

4 D2-250(-1)
D2-260
Port 2 • • •
•
• •
A D2-DCM
• •
slave only
H2-ECOM(100) • • H2-ECOM100
B D3-330 D3-232-DCU
Port 1
•
•
D3-340
C Port 2
Port 1
•
• •
•
•

D D3-350
Port 2
•
•
•
•
•
•
• • •
• •
D3-DCM slave only
• •

A-4 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Appendix A: Cables and Protocols Diagrams

Cables and Protocols (cont’d)

DirectLOGIC PLC Protocols Supported A
MODBUS  MODBUS
CPU Port DirectNET K-Sequence ECOM
Port 0 • •
RTU
•
TCP 2
D4-430
Port 1 •
•
•
•
•
3
D4-440 D4-DCM slave only
•
H4-ECOM(100
•
• H4-ECOM100 D
Port 0 • • •
Port 1 • • • 5
Port 2 • • •
D4-450
Port 3 • • •
D4-454
• •
D4-DCM slave only
H4-ECOM(100)
• •
• H4-ECOM100
7
8
9
0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

A-5
 Appendix A: Cables and Protocols Diagrams

Programming Cable Diagrams

A Pin labeling conforms to IBM DTE and DCE standards

2
3 , D4-454

D
5
6
7
8
9
1
11
2
13
4
A
B
C
D

A-6 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Appendix
Communications
Troubleshooting B
In This Appendix
Communications Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2
Editing the DSxxx.ini File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-10
Other Possible Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-15
 Appendix B: Communications Troubleshooting

Communications Resources
If you are using an ECOM and have Windows XP on your PC
A with a firewall (particularly with SP2), then you must do one of the
following:
B 1. Turn the firewall OFF

3 2. C
 reate an exception for CSMAIN.EXE application (located in the BIN
folder under your DirectSOFT folder)

D 3. C
 reate an exception for port #0x7070 (28784) for both TCP and UDP
protocols, which is the port number that all of our Ethernet devices

5 use for communication.

You can control which communications resources on your PC
6 you want to let DirectSOFT use by altering the DirectSOFT
initialization file (DS600.INI):
7 Startup

8 Using the resources enabled in the .INI file, DirectSOFT’s

CommServer tries to find PLCs on startup. If it finds any, it
9 creates DirectSOFT links to them. If it finds none, it opens without
creating links. While using the communication resources on your
1 PC during startup, one of the following events/messages will
occur:
11 • DirectSOFT comes up normally.
• “Error connecting to PLC!” or “No response from PLC!”
2 T
 his means DirectSOFT found the resource on your PC OK, but it had
trouble connecting to the PLC.
13 - Check cabling or other physical devices outside of the PC.

4 - If you are using a DL105, they tend to be a bit more sensitive
to marginal cables and electrical noise. Try a new cable,
especially if you can use the same setup successfully when
A talking to other DL PLCs (e.g. DL205).

B - On a DL305 system make sure the power supply is capable of

supplying enough power for the DCU. If the PLC base is old,
then you may need to replace it in order to get communications
C to work or try external power for the DCM.
- Microsoft ActiveSync could be using the COM port.
D • “ Error: cannot access comm port. The port may not be present
or another app may be using it”
T
 his means DirectSOFT can’t gain access to the COM port because
something else is using it.
- Check to see if anything else is using COM port, (Start -->
Control Panel --> Administrative Tools --> Services) for
example:
B-2 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition
 Appendix B: Communications Troubleshooting

i) RSLogix
ii) PDA Software (Palm Pilot, Pocket PC, etc.)
iii) GPS Software A
iv) Digital Camera Software
v) IR (infrared) Drivers
B
vi) Microsoft ActiveSync 3
vii) Palm OS HotSync
viii) Harmony Services D
- Sometimes if upgrading operating systems (e.g. Windows 2K
to Windows XP) the COM ports can become dysfunctional. 5
You may have to disable all COM ports in the BIOS and then
reinstall the upgrade and re-enable the ports in the BIOS. 6
- If using a USB-to-Serial converter or a USB Port Replicator,
its driver may not act like a regular COM port. (DirectSOFT 7
“thinks” it is talking to a regular COM port). If this is the case
there is no immediate fix. Host Engineering periodically 8
updates DirectSOFT attempting to compensate for these
kinds of driver problems. 9
-
If using a USB-to-Serial converter, sometimes it is very
important that you load the driver first, before connecting the 0
device itself. In fact, in some cases if this is done in the wrong
order it takes special steps to fix the problem. See the website
of the manufacturer of your converter for details.
1
- Try disabling all resources in the .INI file. 2
• “Transport protocol error”
 his means you are using Ethernet as a link and it timed out. This is
T 3
commonly due to one or more of the following issues:
- Bad cabling; check all cables to make sure they are OK (e.g.
4

Are they susceptible to noise due to bad shielding, etc?).
- Using wrong cable (crossover instead of straight-through or
A
vice versa). Make sure that the Link light is ON; this means
that the cable electrical connection is good.
B
-
The cable is running through a very electrically noisy
environment.
C
- ECOM not seated properly. It should be flush with other cards
or filler caps.
D
- If your PC has two or more NICs (Network Interface Cards),try
one of these options:
 se the Pic a Nic feature to select the network card that the
-U
PLC is connected to.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

B-3
 Appendix B: Communications Troubleshooting

- Reprioritize
 your NICs by going to Advanced Settings. This is
different depending on which Windows OS you have:
A If you have Windows XP:
(1) Start -->Control Panel.
B (2) Double-click on the “Network Connections” icon.
(3) O
 n the menu at the top, select Advanced -->
3 Advanced Settings...

D

If you have Windows Vista:
(1) Start --> Control Panel.
5 (2) D
 ouble-click on the “Network & Sharing Center”
icon.
6 (3) A
 t the left of this window, click on “Manage
network connections.”
7 (4) P
 ress the <ALT> key to make a menu appear at
the top of this window.
8 (5) O
 n the menu at the top, select Advanced -->
Advanced Settings...
9 If you have Windows 7/8/10:

1 (1) S
 tart -->Control Panel (Windows 8; in Desktop
View move the cursor to the right hand side of the

11
screen then at the bottom select Control Panel.).
(2) Select “Network and Intranet” at the top.
2 (3) D
 ouble-click on the “Network & Sharing Center”
icon.
13 (4) P
 ress the <ALT> key to make a menu appear at
the top of this window.
4 (5) O
 n the menu at the top, select Advanced -->
Advanced Settings...
A Once you have the Advanced Settings pulled up, then it
is the same for all Windows OSs:
B (1) O
 n the “Adapters and Bindings” tab, in the top
window, select the connection you are using.
C (2) U
 se the green arrows at the right to move this
connection to the top of the list.
D (3) P
 ress <OK> and close Network Connections
window.
(4) You may have to reboot your PC.

B-4 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Appendix B: Communications Troubleshooting

- Uninstall or disable one NIC.

-M
 ake sure that the NICs don’t have common protocols
enabled (i.e. IPX and TCP/IP). In other words, you might
enable IPX on one NIC and TCP/IP on the other NIC, but not
AA
on both simultaneously.
-T
 here are multiple LAN connections in your Network
BB
Connections. Disable all but the one you are planning on
using. 33
-T here are “Bridged” LAN connections in your Network
Connections. Unbridge them by setting them simply to
DD

“Disabled.”
- There are WAN connections enabled. Disable them.
55
-U sing an H0-ECOM/ECOM100 and the PLC firmware is not 66
up to date. Make sure it is.
-U sing an H0-ECOM/ECOM100 and a D0-06LCD display but 77
it is not up to date. Make sure the LCD has a date code of
032A or later. 88
-U sing an H2-ECOM/ECOM100 and you have it installed in
Slot 0 (the slot adjacent to the CPU). Install it in a different
slot.
99
-U sing an H4-ECOM/ECOM100 and it has bent or retracted 00
pins on the ECOM and/or the CPU. Check for bent/retracted
pins. 11
- The ECOM, CPU or the backplane is bad.
- Extremely busy network traffic. Isolate the network. 22
-B usy network or PLC sluggishness. Under the Link’s
Advanced Settings (Link Editor, Port Tab), try increasing the
33
Timeout and Retry values (e.g. Try going to a DOS command
prompt window and using the “ping” command to ping 44
the ECOM’s IP address. If Ping works, note the response
times. In the link’s Advanced Settings (Link Editor, Port AA
Tab), increase the Timeout value to at least 2 or 3 times the
response value.). BB
• “PLC is not in terminal mode!...”
 he mode switch on the PLC is in the RUN or STOP position. Switch it CC
T
to the TERM position.
• “Unable to open Online Program”
DD
T
 he mode switch on the PLC is in the RUN or STOP position. Switch it
to the TERM position.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

B-5
 Appendix B: Communications Troubleshooting

• “CSMAIN.EXE error” or DirectSOFT locks up or mouse hangs

up.
A T
 his means that DirectSOFT’s CommServer has accessed a
resource on your PC that has a conflict or doesn’t exist.
B - First try upgrading to at least DirectSOFT v4.0 Build 22. We
believe we have fixed the last of these types of failures in this
3 build (If you have v3.0 there are some improvements in Build
80, however, it could still have some problems since we have
D
stopped development on v3.0).
- If you have DSData simultaneously using the same link as
5 DirectSOFT then instead, make separate links (i.e. one link
for DSData and one link for DirectSOFT).

6 - Try disabling all resources in the .INI file.

- Make sure TCP/IP protocol is loaded.
7 - If using v4.0 Build 16 or earlier, or v3.0 Build 71 or earlier, you
may need to:
8 (1) Upgrade to later version;

9 (2) M
 ake sure IPX protocol is loaded (see DirectSOFT
FAQ0183 for installing protocols) for the NIC you are
using.
1 - Microsoft ActiveSync could be using the COM port.

11 • “Error opening connection to Ethernet device”

T
 his is usually caused by having two or more NIC (Network Interface
2 Cards), try one of these options:
- Reprioritize your NICs by going to Advanced Settings. This is
13 different depending on which Windows OS you have:
If you have Windows XP:
4 (1) Start -->Control Panel.

A

(2) Double-click on the “Network Connections” icon.
(3) O
 n the menu at the top, select Advanced -->
B
Advanced Settings...
If you have Windows Vista:
C (1) Start --> Control Panel.
(2) D
 ouble-click on the “Network & Sharing Center”
D icon.
(3) A
 t the left of this window, click on “Manage
network connections.”
(4) P
 ress the <ALT> key to make a menu appear at
the top of this window.
(5) O
 n the menu at the top, select Advanced -->
Advanced Settings...

B-6 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Appendix B: Communications Troubleshooting

If you have Windows 7/8/10:

(1) S
 tart -->Control Panel (Windows 8; in Desktop View
move the cursor to the right hand side of the screen
then at the bottom select Control Panel.).
A
(2) Select “Network and Intranet” at the top. B
(3) D
 ouble-click on the “Network & Sharing Center”
icon. 3
(4) P
 ress the <ALT> key to make a menu appear at the
top of this window. D
(5) O
 n the menu at the top, select Advanced -->
Advanced Settings... 5
Once you have the Advanced Settings pulled up, then it is
the same for all Windows OSs: 6
(1) O
 n the “Adapters and Bindings” tab, in the top
window, select the connection you are using.
7
(2) U
 se the green arrows at the right to move this
connection to the top of the list.
8
(3) P
 ress <OK> and close Network Connections
window.
9
(4) You may have to reboot your PC. 0
- Uninstall or disable one NIC.
- Make sure that the NICs don’t have common protocols enabled
1
(i.e. IPX and TCP/IP). In other words, you might enable IPX
on one NIC and TCP/IP on the other NIC, but not on both 2
simultaneously.
• “Comm error reading program from PLC” 3
T
 he mode switch on the PLC is in the RUN or STOP position. Switch it
to the TERM position.
4
- This error means that DirectSOFT received an incorrect response
from the PLC, so the physical connection is probably OK;
A

however, it is possible that the port of the PLC itself is defective.
- If you are using a USB-to-Serial converter it could be there is an
B
incompatibility between your PC and the converter. (e.g. we know
of an incompatibility between the Belkin F5U409-CU converter
C

and the Toshiba 5005 laptop).
- Make sure you are not running two copies of DirectSOFT
D
simultaneously (like v3.0 and v4.0). Also, along these lines, if you
do install two versions, this is OK as long as they are in different
folders and are not run at the same time.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

B-7
 Appendix B: Communications Troubleshooting

-
We have found that RSLogix (Allen-Bradley) software
interferes with the PC’s communcations over serial ports
(e.g. COM1). So if doing a serial link and you get this error,
A it could be due to this software. Make sure that this software
is not running in the background, or that it does not run in
B the Terminate Stay Ready (TSR) fashion.
- Increase the link’s Retries and Timeout values; especially if
3 using a modem link.

D - If using a modem link, make sure that both the Compression
and Error Correction are turned OFF.

5 • “Knowledge base mismatch”

 essage means the CPU picked for the link is not supported in the
M
6 installed version of DirectSOFT.
• “Error attempting to access unlocked device”
7  his is caused when trying to reconnect to a PLC after DirectSOFT
T
disconnected from it improperly. Solution is normally to either try
8 again, or power cycle the PLC.
- To prevent this from happening in the future, either:
9 -
Use the PLC -->Disconnect from DirectSOFT before
unplugging the cable to the PLC.
1 - Close DirectSOFT before unplugging the cable to the PLC

11 • Goes offline by itself after using the link.

 e have found the only remedy for this strange behavior is to
W
2 uninstall DirectSOFT and then reinstall it.
• Get a PLC password prompt; but the PLC doesn’t have a
13 password.
 his is caused by data errors in the communication. The problem
T
4 is electrical noise either due to an excessively noisy environment,
or a bad cable (e.g. shielding going bad).
A • “Comm error unlocking PLC”
T
 he first thing DirectSOFT tries to do when connecting is to unlock
B the PLC. This is to see if the PLC sends back a warning that there
is a password. If you get this message instead of a password
C prompt, it means that something went amiss when DirectSOFT
attempted to unlock. The PLC sent back an invalid response or
D didn’t send a reply at all. For solutions try the things listed under
“Transport protocol error” above.
• “Support for the PLC type specified in the link is not installed”
T
 his is usually caused by one of the following:
- Unknown PLC specified in the link, therefore check if the
CPU specified in the link matches your hardware.

B-8 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Appendix B: Communications Troubleshooting

- PLC is not supported with the version of DirectSOFT you are

using.
-D
 irectSOFT cannot find the knowledge base DLL. This is
usually an installation problem. You may need to uninstall and
A
reinstall DirectSOFT making sure you are the Administrator of
your PC.
B
- PLC responding to link is sending an invalid identifier. This may 3
be a PLC problem. You might try power cycling the PLC.
• “Error reading PLC ID” D
This means the link can talk to the PLC port, but it cannot actually get
the PLC ID (i.e. it’s connected properly but the specific transaction to 5
read the PLC ID fails).
- H4-ECOM/ECOM100s or DCMs have bent pins on either the 6
module itself or on the PLC’s backplane for that slot.
- Communication is attempted using DirectNET (or ECOM) 7
protocol instead of K-sequence (this will be repaired in
DirectSOFT v6.0) 8
• “Operation not supported”
T
 his means DirectSOFT gave a command that the PLC did not
9
recognize, or the checksum of the transmission was incorrect.
Possible solutions are as follows: 0
- Check physical connection (COM port, cable, USB-to-serial
driver, etc.)
1
- Slow baudrate down. If this works, this is an indication of 2
possible noise interference.
- Attempt to clear scratchpad memory in the PLC and power 3
cycle.
- A means of troubleshooting would be to use the Dump = 1 4
feature. See the following, under DUMP heading.
A
USB-TO-SERIAL Devices B
These devices have drivers with them that should make them act
like regular COM ports. However there have been a few vendors C
that don’t do this with their drivers. DirectSOFT “thinks” it is
talking to a COM port, Ethernet NIC or modem. D
The order of installation, however, seems to be important:
(1) Install USB device driver first.
(2) Connect the USB device secondly.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

B-9
 Appendix B: Communications Troubleshooting

DUMP ( used to troubleshoot SERIAL and MODEM links)

When you can’t figure out why things won’t work right, you can use
A this debug function with a little help from Automation Direct, or Host
Engineering. This parameter is in the .INI file.
B - To edit the DUMP parameter in the .INI file, see the section on
editing DSxxx.ini.
3
D After making the needed .INI file change you should start the debug
window logger:
5 (1) Start --> Programs --> AutomationDirect Tools --> DBWin32
Logger
6 (2) S tart DirectSOFT. DirectSOFT will ask you if you want to
enable the debug mode. Answer <YES>.
7 (3) Now DirectSOFT will dump information into the open debug
window. Save this data into a text file and send to Automation
8 Direct or Host Engineering.

9
1 Editing the DSxxx.ini file
PICK THE GROUP OF INSTRUCTIONS BELOW THAT BEST
11 APPLIES TO YOUR PC.
If you have Windows Vista, skip to the heading Windows Vista
2 below. If not, read the information under the heading “Windows XP
and Windows 7/8.”
13
4 Windows XP and Windows 7/8/10
• If you have DirectSOFT v3, then the .INI file must be searched for
A and manually edited. The easiest way to do this is:
(1) Close DirectSOFT and DSLaunch.
B (2) Use the Windows Start button: Start -->Run…

C (3) Type in ds300.ini and press OK. This will open the file in
NotePad text editor.

D

(4) Make the edits; save the file and exit.
(5) Restart DSLaunch (or DirectSOFT).
• If you have DirectSOFT v4, v5 or v6, then the easiest way to edit
this file is:
(1) Close DirectSOFT.
(2) Start DSLaunch.

B-10 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Appendix B: Communications Troubleshooting

(3) 
In the left column under Utilities, double-click DS400.ini (or
DS500.ini, or DS600.ini). This will open the file in NotePad text

editor.
(4) Make the edits; save the file and exit.
A
(5) Restart DSLaunch (or DirectSOFT). B
• Another option to try if the steps above do not work:
(1) Close DirectSOFT. 3


(2) Click Start button.
(3) I n the Search programs and files box, type in DS400.ini (or
D

DS500.ini, or DS600.ini). 5
(4) Click on the search result and edit that file; save the file and exit.
(5) Restart DSLaunch (or DirectSOFT). 6
7
Windows Vista
Windows Vista has some extra protection features, so the above 8
procedures may not work depending on its settings. Windows Vista
has a feature called UAC (User Access Control) that is, by default, 9
turned on. However, it is possible to turn this feature off, and this
dramatically affects the editing of the .INI file. 0
To modify the UAC setting:
(1) Use the Windows Start button: Start -->Control Panel.
1
(2) Click on User Accounts. 2
(3) Click on Turn UAC ON/OFF. This will tell you if this feature is ON
or OFF. Depending on this setting go to the proper section below 3
(UAC=ON or UAC=OFF).

UAC = ON
4
With UAC=ON, the security measures of Windows Vista create A a
virtual store copy of your .INI file and redirect DirectSOFT to use this
copy instead of the one that is normally stored in the C:\Windows B
folder.
• If you have DirectSOFT v3, v4, v5.0 or v5.1 then you will have to C
find this file manually and edit it:
(1) Close DirectSOFT and DSLaunch. D
(2) 
Use Windows Explorer to browse to: c:\Users\<username>\
AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Windows\
(3) Find the DS300 (or DS400, or DS500, or DS600.INI) file and
open it with NotePad.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

B-11
 Appendix B: Communications Troubleshooting

(4) Make your edits; save the file and exit.

(5) Restart DSLaunch (or DirectSOFT).

A • If you have DirectSOFT v5.2, v5.3 or v6:

(1) Close DirectSOFT.
B (2) Start DSLaunch.
(3) In the left column under Utilities, double-click DS500.ini (or
3 DS600.ini). This will open the correct file in NotePad text
editor.
D (4) Make your edits; save the file and exit.

5 (5) Restart DSLaunch (or DirectSOFT).

UAC = OFF
6 Regardless of the version of DirectSOFT, this procedure has to
be used:
7 (1) Close DirectSOFT and DSLaunch.
8 (2) Use the Windows Start button: Start -->Run…
(3) Type in ds300.ini (or ds400.ini, or ds500.ini, or ds600.ini)
9 and press OK. This will open the file in NotePad text editor.
(4) Make your edits; save the file and exit.
1 (5) Restart DSLaunch (or DirectSOFT).

11
Other Editable Parameters
2 The following parameters can be added (or adjusted) in the
DS600.INI (DS300.INI / DS400.INI / DS500.INI) file.
13 • C
 OMxEnable: Enable, disable, add or delete serial COM port
4
resources for links.
• ModemEnable: Enable or disable serial modem resource.
A
links.
• EthernetEnable: Enable or disable Ethernet resources for

B • A
 utosense: Enable or disable the autosensing of links on
startup. (Once links have been created, they are validated
C each time you start DSLaunch).
• D
 ump: Causes link to output serial connection debug
D information to a file for troubleshooting links. This feature is
used in conjunction with DBWin32 logger.

B-12 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Appendix B: Communications Troubleshooting

• P
 ROGRAM COLORS: Modify default program colors. The
parameter numbers and colors are not defined in a user-
friendly manner. Therefore this should only be used to fix a
problem.
A
• U
 DPPortNumEnable: Enable or disable UDP port numbering
parameter for links.
B
• PROJECT PATH: Modify default project path. 3
• LadderPalette: Enable or disable ladder logic palette.
• UseLargeBtns: Modify toolbar button size. D


• BACKUP PATH: Modify default backup project path.
• RTSxDelay: Modify serial RTS timing control.
5
• O
 nTheWeb: Enable, disable the DSLaunch’s “DirectSOFT
on the Web” feature.
6
• INFLOOPTIMEOUT: Set DirectSOFT’s internal loop timeout
value as a protection against infinite loops that can cause
7
crashes. This number is the maximum number of loops
allowed to do an internal operation in DirectSOFT. Under
8
normal conditions, this number will never be reached. But
in cases where there could be very large databases, this
9
number may need to be increased to allow DirectSOFT
more loops to complete a certain operation. 0
1
2
3
4
A
B
C
D

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

B-13
 Appendix B: Communications Troubleshooting

Parameter Heading in
Syntax Notes Example
Name File
x = COM port number
A COMxEnable [devasync.dll] COMxEnable=y y = 0 (to disable) COM5Enable=1
1 (to enable)
B x = 0 (to disable)
ModemEnable [devasync.dll] ModemEnable=x ModemEnable=1
3 1 (to enable
x = 0 (to disable)
EthernetEnable [devether.dll] EthernetEnable=x EthernetEnable=1
D [Comm
1 (to enable)

Autosense Autosense=x Autosense=0

5 Server]
x = 0 (to disable)
Dump [devasync.dll] Dump=x Dump=1
6 1 (to enable)
PROGRAM [PROGRAM x = parameter number
7 COLORS1 COLORS]
x=y
y = color number
9=16711680

8 UDPPortNum
Enable2
[devether.dll]
UDPPortNum
Enable=x
x = 0 (to disable)
1 (to enable
UDPPortNumEnable=1

9 PROJECT
PATH
[PATHS]
PROJECT
PATH=x
x = <folder path>
PROJECT PATH=c:\
MyProjects
x = 0 (to turn off)
1 LadderPalette3 [SETUP] LadderPalette=x
1 (to turn on)
LadderPalette=1

11 UseLargeBtns4 [SETUP] UseLargeBtns=x

x = 0 (use small buttons)
1 (use large buttons)
UseLargeBtns=1

2 BACKUP PATH [PATHS]

BACKUP
PATH=x
x = <folder path>
BACKUP PATH=c:\
MyBackups
x = On (for on-delay)
13 RTSxDelay [devasync.dll] RTSxDelay=y Off (for off-delay) RTSOnDelay=5
y = <milliseconds>
4 OnTheWeb [DSLaunch] OnTheWeb=x
x = 0 (to disable)
OnTheWeb=1
x = 1 (to enable)
A INFLOOPTIME
[SETUP]
INFLOOPTIME
x = 1 to 4294967296
INFLOOPTIMEOUT=
OUT5 OUT=x 65536
B
C Notes:
1-O nly use this to fix a problem. The parameter and color numbers are not defined in a
user-friendly manner.
D 2 - Became available with DirectSOFT v3.0c Build 54 (01-Sep-2000).
3 - Became available with DirectSOFT v4.0 Build 18 (09-Dec-2002).
4 - Only available in DirectSOFT v4.0. Not available in DirectSOFT v5.0.
5-O  nly modify this if you have received the “Infinite Loop Timeout” message. This
parameter became available with DirectSOFT v4.0 Build 20 (27-Jun-2003).

B-14 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

 Appendix B: Communications Troubleshooting

Other Possible Issues

How to Change USB-Serial Port Assignment
1. Close DSLaunch and DirectSOFT.
A
2. 
Use Windows Start button: Start > Control Panel > System >
Hardware > Device Manager (WinXP or earlier). Or Start > Control
B
Panel > Device Manager (WinVista/Win7). Depending on your
version and setup of Windows, these paths might be more or less 3
direct than listed. You can also type in Device Manager in the
Windows Help and get specific directions. D
3. Go to Ports, expand the section and locate your USB converter. It
must be here, with no yellow warnings, and must have a COM port 5
assigned (e.g. COM5 or similar).
4. Right-click on the adapter, select Properties. 6
5. Select the Port Settings tab.
6. Click the <Advanced> button.
7
7. There will be a field in the lower left that shows the COM port 8
assignment. Click the right edge of that field, and all the COM ports
will show up. 9
8. Select COM1 or COM2 (as long as they do not show “In Use”)
9. Click <OK> on all the windows that opened up. Your USB adapter 0
should now show the COM port you have selected.
10. Close Device Manager and Control Panel.
1
11. Start DSLaunch/DirectSOFT. They might auto-detect your PLC
and create a link for you. If not, then follow the normal procedure to
2
create a link and select whichever COM port you selected for your
adapter. 3
“PORT UNAVAILABLE OR IN USE” 4
This message is typically caused by the Allen-Bradley software
RSLinx controlling the COM ports. You must turn it off with Task A
Manager. Allen-Bradley Harmony can also cause this. Siemens
software can cause this as well. In much rarer instances, docking B
stations or IR transfer adapters can also cause problems.
C
Laptop AC Adapter Issue
If you are having problems connecting to a PLC with a laptop, D
and you are using a serial connection or USB-to-Serial converter,
try closing DSLaunch/DirectSOFT, removing the AC adapter so
you are running just from battery. Then re-open DirectSOFT and
try to connect again.

DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition

B-15
 Appendix B: Communications Troubleshooting

NOTE: Exhaustive FAQ’s for DirectSOFT as well as other HOST

Engineering products can be found at: http://hosteng.com/
A
B
3
D
5
6
7
8
9
1
11
2
13
4
A
B
C
D

B-16 DirectSOFT 6 User Manual, 2nd Edition