Step 2: Configuration

The “Quick” Route to getting started is to use the sample simulation project that comes with TOP Server and is loaded by default.  Later in the Quick Start Guide we will show you how to build a configuration starting from nothing.  Click here for more information on the TOP Server Simulation Features.

To load the sample configuration if it is not loaded in your TOP Server:

• Click on the File Menu
• Open and in the \Program Files\Software Toolbox\TOP Server 5\Projects folder
• The is a file named "SIMDEMO.OPF" - this file is the saved configuration for our simulation demo.
• Note: By default simdemo.opf is marked Read-Only.  If you make changes to the simdemo.opf sample project, you should save it under a different file name. 

When the file is open, the TOP Server screen will appear as shown below.  By default, the Configuration Interface is connected to the Runtime so changes you make are committed to the runtime as soon as you make them.  If you want to work offline and then update the Runtime when ready, click Runtime->Disconnect on the TOP Server menu.  If you later want to commit your changes to the Runtime, you can click Runtime->Connect and TOP Server will ask you to save your changes and if you want to update the Runtime with your changes.  Click to learn more about offline configuration.

You will see that there are 5 channels configured with a total of 10 devices.

In the TOP Server, a "Channel" corresponds to a communications port for serial connections or a single thread of execution for Ethernet connections. Under each channel, provided the PLC protocol being used supports multi-drop, you can have multiple Devices. A Device is a PLC or piece of hardware.  Click for more about multi-channel configuration.

If you then click on the name of any given device in the configuration - for example "Device_6" under "Channel_4", you will see that in the right hand window pane, a set of tags are shown. We have pre-configured some tags for you in this example

Each Tag corresponds to a single memory location in the PLC or the device. You can add tags by right clicking on the device name and selecting "New Tag" or by right clicking in the window where the tags are shown and selecting new tag.

Valid memory addresses for the Simulation Driver:

• K0 to K9999 - tags that user can read/write values to - can be configured as any memory type except Boolean. Attach a .BitNumber suffix to do a Boolean tag - for example K0.03 is the 4th bit (bits numbered 0 to 15) in the word 0 in the K memory area
   
• R0 to R9999 - tags that user can from and we constantly update them with incrementing integer data so you have data that changes - can be configured as any memory type except Boolean. Attach a Bit Number suffix to do a Boolean tag - for example R0.03 is the 4th bit (bits numbered 0 to 15) in the word 0 in the R memory area
   
• S0 to S999 - String tags - you can read/write strings from these tags
   
• Ramp, Sine, Random, User - tags that can be configured to simulate data based on configuration.