Hello Engineers,

In this Newsletter, we are going to see how can we simulate Allen Bradley PLC’s program with Machine simulator 4. We require following software setup:

1. Studio 5000 Logix Designer - I have chosen 33 version of the

2. Studio 5000 Emulate Ver 33 - Dummy PLC

3. RS Linx classic Gateway - It supports the OPC communication.

4. Machine Simulator Ver 4

Step 1- Studio 5000 Emulate: Dummy PLC

Create a Machine emulator with the revision of the software and the slot number.

Step 2- Studio 5000 Logix designer

a. Controller tags

The program tags should be the controller tags to have a communication between the Emulator and Machine Simulator.

b. Write a PLC program

As you can see, I have written a simple program for the operation of the conveyors.

c. Download a program into the emulator

Select the Emulator slot in which the program has to be downloaded.

Step 3- RS Linx Classic

OPC communication tags

1. Click on New and give topic name ‘Conveyor’.

2. Select the Emulator path

3. Click on Apply and done

Step 4- Machine simulator 4

If you want to know more about the Machine Simulator, do visit - New Machine Simulator Version 4.0 (beehiiv.com)

Select the Machine Environment from the library or you can prepare it yourself.

Select OPC_Driver_Enh

1. Select OPC server - RSLinx Server

2. OPC Topic - Conveyor (Please do not make spelling mistake)

3. Add PLC’s output in driver’s output table

4. Add PLC’s input in driver’s input table

5. Click Accept

After this drag and drop Inputs and output tags in the Machine Simulator table and connect them to the MS tags.

Click on ‘Start driver and exit’.

The communication status between the Emulator and machine simulation is shown at the left bottom of the screen.

That’s it. Thanks for reading till the end.

PLC Tutorials Team.