Adding Devices by Drag and Drop

Overview

EcoStruxure Machine Expert provides a multi-tabbed catalog view on the right-hand side of the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder.

To add a device to the Devices tree, select the respective entry in the Hardware Catalog, drag it to the Devices tree, and drop it at a suitable node. It is added automatically to your project.

Adding Controllers

To add a controller to your project, proceed as follows:

Step

Action

1

Open the Hardware Catalog by clicking the Hardware Catalog button in the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder toolbar if it is not already opened.

2

Select the tab Controller in the Hardware Catalog.

Result: The controllers suitable for your EcoStruxure Machine Expert project are displayed in the Hardware Catalog.

3

Select a controller entry in the Controller tab, drag it to the Devices tree and drop it at a suitable node. You can drop a controller at any empty space inside the Devices tree.

Result: The controller is added to the Devices tree as a new node with different subnodes depending on the controller type.

Adding Expansion Devices

To add an expansion device to a controller, proceed as follows:

Step

Action

1

Open the Hardware Catalog by clicking the Hardware Catalog button in the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder toolbar if it is not already opened.

2

Select the tab Devices & Modules in the Hardware Catalog.

Result: The expansion devices suitable for your EcoStruxure Machine Expert project are displayed in the Hardware Catalog.

3

Select your expansion device, drag it to the Devices tree and drop it at a suitable subnode of a controller.

NOTE: Suitable subnodes are expanded and highlighted by EcoStruxure Machine Expert.

Result: The expansion device is added to the Devices tree below the subnode of the controller.

4

If the expansion device requires a communication manager, this node is added automatically to the Devices tree.

If several communication managers are available for your expansion device, a dialog box is displayed allowing you to select the suitable communication manager.

Adding Devices and Modules

To add a field device to a controller, proceed as follows:

Step

Action

1

Open the Hardware Catalog by clicking the Hardware Catalog button in the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder toolbar if it is not already opened.

2

Select the tab Devices & Modules in the Hardware Catalog.

Result: The field devices suitable for your EcoStruxure Machine Expert project are displayed in the Hardware Catalog.

3

Select a field device entry in the Devices & Modules catalog view, drag it to the Devices tree, and drop it at a suitable subnode of a controller.

NOTE: Suitable subnodes are expanded and highlighted by EcoStruxure Machine Expert.

Result: The field device is added to the Devices tree below the subnode of the controller.

4

If the field device requires a communication manager, this node is added automatically to the Devices tree.

If several communication managers are available for your field device, a dialog box is displayed allowing you to select the suitable communication manager.

Adding Devices from Device Template

To add a device from a device template, proceed as follows:

Step

Action

1

Open the Hardware Catalog by clicking the Hardware Catalog button in the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder toolbar if it is not already opened.

2

Select the tab Devices & Modules in the Hardware Catalog.

3

Select the option Device Template at the bottom of the Devices & Modules tab.

Result: The device templates suitable for your EcoStruxure Machine Expert project are displayed in the Devices & Modules tab.

4

Add them to the Devices tree as described in the Adding Devices from Template chapter.