Message Logger

Overview

The message logger records (system) events on the controller and displays them in the Message logger editor of the Logic Builder. If an error is detected, this information can help to localize the error and to solve the issue. The Message logger editor allows you to retrieve and process data of various message logs consecutively from the controller. You can also add message logger files which have previously been saved.

The Message logger editor provides the following functions:

  • Saving the displayed message logs to a file.

  • Removing message logs from the list.

  • Adding comments to each line.

  • Highlighting lines with certain properties in a specified color.

NOTE: The message logger is only supported by Modicon M262 Logic/Motion Controllers and PacDrive controllers. On Modicon M262 Logic/Motion Controllers, the message logger only displays the messages as described in the Log view of the controller device editor. The following IEC functions are not supported by Modicon M262 Logic/Motion Controllers.

For a description of the IEC functions for interacting with the message logger, refer to the SystemInterface Library Guide:

You have the following options to open the Message logger editor:

  • Double-click the Message logger node in the Tools tree.

  • Right-click the Message logger node in the Tools tree, and execute the command Edit object from the contextual menu.

  • Right-click the Message logger node in the Tools tree, and execute the command Open view and add message logger from the contextual menu to open the Message logger editor, and to load a new message log.

Elements of the Message logger Editor

The Message logger editor contains a list of message logs numbered consecutively. The displayed time corresponds to the time the item was added to this editor.

To expand the sub entries of a message logger, click the plus (+) icon to the left of the logger entry.

Some entries are highlighted in color. This helps you to identify lines with comparable properties within the Message logger. You can adjust it by right-clicking an entry and executing the commands of the contextual menu. After saving or sending, the color settings are retained.

Command of the contextual menu

Keyboard shortcut

Description

Show help of diagnosis code

F1

Opens the help topic corresponding to the diagnostic code (Diag.Code) of the selected entry.

Edit comment

–

You can add a comment to each entry. This allows you to provide additional information on the detected error which may help future service requirements.

Copy

Ctrl+c

Copies the contents of the selected line to the Clipboard.

Add message logger from the controller

–

Adds a new message logger to the Message logger editor inserting a consecutive number and the present time stamp.

Reset message logger (only available in Logic Builder)

–

Creates an empty message logger in the Message logger editor and deletes the message logger on the controller.

NOTE: All message logger entries of the controller are deleted.

Save message logger to file

–

Opens a Save as... dialog box. Enter a file name and browse to the directory where you want to save the file.

Load message logger from file

–

An Open... dialog box is displayed. Browse to the message logger file to open. A new message logger is added to the Message logger editor. A consecutive number is assigned, but no time stamp is created.

Import message logger from controller (only available in Logic Builder)

–

An Import dialog box is displayed. Browse to the message logger file that was saved (by a user or the application) in the controller. A new message logger is added to the Message logger editor. A consecutive number is assigned, but no time stamp is created.

Remove message logger from list

Delete

Deletes one or more selected message loggers from the list.

Mark lines

–

Highlights selected lines.

For further information, refer to the section Highlighting Lines.

Use selected line for comparison

Insert

Highlights the selected line in bold in order to facilitate comparison with other lines. Click another message in order to display the time difference to the line marked in bold in the status bar

Example:

Time difference: 0.00:03:36.992 of 500(1) regarding 481(1))

Do not compare

–

Resets the line selected for comparison and removes the bold font.

Expand/collapse list

–

Expands or collapses the message logger entries simultaneously.

Highlighting Lines

You can color lines to highlight message loggers that have certain properties in common.

Example:

You can highlight in pink the rows that contain the value 2 in the column Type.

You can highlight in green the lines with Diag. code = 8002.

To define your own color criteria, proceed as follows:

Step

Action

Result

1

Right-click the cell with the desired selection criterion (for example, column Diag. code and cell value 8014).

The contextual menu opens.

2

Execute the command Mark lines (Diag. code=8014).

The submenu providing the available colors opens.

3

Select the highlighting color, for example, blue.

The lines that meet the selected criterion Diag. Code=8014 are highlighted in blue.

If you choose a color that is already assigned to a criterion, the assignment is overwritten.

After you have assigned these criteria, they will be shown for selection as subentries of the command Mark lines of the contextual menu.

To remove a specific color highlighting from the list, right-click a line that is highlighted in this color, and execute the command Mark lines > unmark.

To remove all colors from the list, right-click one highlighted line and execute the commands Mark lines > unmark all.

NOTE: It may happen that one line matches several valid color selection criteria. For example, the color green and red could correspond to the Diag. code=8014. In this case, the color used is the color that is listed first in the contextual menu.