Twido Simulator - Online Help
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Twido Simulator - Online Help
Scope
This is the Online Help for the Twido Simulator. The Twido Simulator is a feature of TwidoSuite
which allows you to test, run and a debug a program by simulating a connection between a PC
and any Twido PLC, expansion module and option.
What's in this Part?
This part contains the following chapters:

Twido Simulator
© 2011 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved.
Twido Simulator
Overview
This section explains how to use the Twido Simulator.
Twido Simulator allows you:
 to simulate a connection between a PC and any Twido PLC, expansion module and option
 to run and test a program without a real Twido PLC, expansion module and option connected
to your PC.
What's in this Chapter?
This chapter contains the following topics:








How to Use Twido Simulator
Twido Simulator Dashboard
Twido Simulator Overview Window
Time Management Panel
Discrete Input Settings
Analog Input Settings
Outputs Tracing
Tracing Configuration
© 2011 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved.
How to Use Twido Simulator
See: Related Topics
Submit Feedback
Accessing Twido Simulator
To access the Twido Simulator select Program → Program and click the Twido Simulator button
at the bottom right of the TwidoSuite screen.
Result:
 TwidoSuite switches automatically to Program → Debug → Animate the program.
 The Twido Simulator overview window appears.
 The Dashboard pops up.
 If an RTC is configured or embedded, the Time Management Panel is also displayed.
NOTE: These windows are not resizable.
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Although the Twido Simulator is available with an invalid program, only a valid program can be
simulated.
For more information on how to validate a program, refer to Analyzing a Program in the TwidoSuite
Programming Software Online Help.
Twido Simulator Hardware Configuration
Twido Simulator Overview is loaded with the configuration created in the Describe screen.
NOTE: Network elements, Exchange Instruction (EXCH), PID, FC, VFC and PLS/PWM cannot be
simulated.
Twido Simulator Windows
There are several windows in the Twido Simulator:
 Twido Simulator Dashboard
 Twido Simulator Overview Window
 Time Management Panel
 Discrete Input Settings
 Analog Input Settings
 Outputs Tracing
 Tracing Configuration
Twido Simulator Functionalities
The following functionalities are available in Twido Simulator:
 Animate the program
 Manage animation tables
 Check PLC
 Monitor hardware configuration
 Monitor software configuration
 Monitor described configuration
 Monitor the behavior
NOTE: For more information concerning these features, refer to chapter Debugging Online Using
Program Animation Tables in TwidoSuite Programming Software Online Help
Stopping Twido Simulator
To stop the Twido Simulator, click the button
at the bottom right of the TwidoSuite screen.
After stopping the simulation TwidoSuite returns to the screen displayed before starting Twido
Simulator.
NOTE: It is not possible to backup the Twido Simulator program before stopping.
© 2011 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved.
Twido Simulator Dashboard
See: Related Topics
Submit Feedback
Overview
You can use the Twido Simulator dashboard to issue the following commands to the controller:



Run (in simulate mode)
Stop
Initialize
Selecting Run (in Simulate Mode)/Stop/Initialize
When the TwidoSuite application is in simulate mode, these commands can be selected from the
Twido Simulator dashboard shown below:
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Run (in Simulate Mode)
To RUN the program in simulate mode, click
to execute the application. The simulated inputs
are updated and data values are set according to the application instructions. This is the only state
where the simulated outputs are updated.
Stop
Click
to stop the execution of the program. The simulated inputs are updated and internal
data retains its last values. Simulated outputs are not updated in this state.
Initialize (Init)
Click
to initialize the program. The simulated inputs are updated and data values are set to
their initial state. No simulated outputs are updated from this state.
LED Display
RUN, ERR, and STAT LEDs are simulated in the Twido Simulator dashboard as they would
appear on a connected base controller (for details about these LEDs, see the Twido Hardware
Reference Guide).
The following are states of the simulated LEDs as they appear in the Twido Simulator dashboard.
For RUN and ERR LEDs:
RUN LED
ERR LED
Description
OFF
Flashing red
No valid configuration in controller
Flashing green
OFF
Controller is stopped
ON green
OFF
Controller is running
Flashing green
Flashing red
Controller is halted
OFF
ON red
Detected system error. Must cold
restart
The operation of the STAT LED is defined by user logic.
Closing and Reopening Control Panel Dashboard
To close the control panel dashboard:
To re-open the dashboard, click the button as shown below:
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Expanding Dashboard
To expand/reduce the control panel dashboard, click as shown below
The dashboard is then expanded as shown below. It may be reduced again by clicking the same
expansion/reduction button.
NOTE: The Current PLC scanning period must always be set to 0.
© 2011 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved.
Twido Simulator Overview Window
See: Related Topics
Submit Feedback
Overview
The Twido simulator overview window shows the state of inputs/outputs of all the described base
controller and expansion modules.
The hardware configuration of the overview window is the same as the one in the Describe
window.
Structure of the Overview Window
The overview window is shown below:
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1. Click to minimize to tray. When the overview window is minimized, the Twido Simulator icon
appears in the satus area (on the bottom right of your screen). Double click on this
icon to restore the overview window.
2. Inputs states:


3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Click to set/reset the corresponding input
Double click to open the discrete input settings window
Outputs states: double click to open the output tracing window
Click to always toggle the overview window on top
PWR LED: Indicates if the simulated PLC is powered up.
RUN LED: Indicates the state of the simulated PLC, refer to the LED display table.
ERR LED: Indicates the state of the simulated PLC, refer to the LED display table.
STAT LED: The operation of the STAT LED is defined by user logic
Base controller and expansion modules references
Expansion modules that cannot be simulated
Inputs/Outputs
States of Discrete I/O are defined by 2 different colors:
 Green: I/O set to 1.
 Gray: I/O set to 0.
States of Analog I/O are defined by:
 "-": I/O not configured.
 Number: I/O current value.
Contextual Menu
Right click on the Overview Window to expand the following contextual menu:
 Time Management...: Opens the Time Management panel.
 Output Tracing...: Opens the Output Tracing window.
Accessing Input Settings
To access analog input settings, double click on the analog input LED.
To access discrete input settings, double click on the discrete input LED.
© 2011 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved.
Time Management Panel
See: Related Topics
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Overview
The Time Management Panel allows to control the timing of the simulation (Action on the time
management panel modifies the RTC time accordingly and immediately), you can choose:
 The beginning and the end of the simulation
 To accelerate the simulation.
NOTE: The default initial time of the simulation is the time of your PC.
The default duration of the simulation is 7 days.
Accessing the Time Management Panel
If an RTC is configured or embedded, the Time Management Panel automatically pops up at the
start of the Twido Simulator.
If the Time Management Panel is not present, right-click on the Overview Window and "Select
Time Management..." to make it appear.
Structure of the Time Management Panel
The Time Management Panel is shown below:
1. Beginning time: Time at the beginning of the simulation
2. Stop at the end:


If this box is checked, then when end time is reached the simulator stops and a
window pops up with the following text: End Time Reached! PLC switches to STOP
even if you don’t click OK.
If this box is not checked the simulation stays in RUN mode.
3. End time: Time at the end of the simulation
4. A cursor indicates the current time progression.
You can move manually the cursor to set current time.


If the current time is former to the beginning time then the cursor will go on "Beginning"
If the current time is posterior to the end time then the cursor will go on "End".
5. Simulator status:




6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
: Simulator in Stop mode
: Simulator in Run mode
: Simulator in fast forward
: Simulator in fast rewind
Indicates the current time of the simulation
Back to beginning time
Fast rewind in time
Fast forward in time
Go to the end time.
Set the level of fast forward/rewind in time
© 2011 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved.
Discrete Input Settings
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See: Related Topics
Submit Feedback
Overview
The section below describes how to set discrete input.
Accessing the Discrete Input Settings Window
To access the discrete input settings double-click on the discrete input LED.
Structure of the Discrete Input Settings Window
The discrete input settings window displays all the discrete inputs of the chosen hardware
configuration as shown below:
Discrete Input Settings Field
The discrete input settings fields displayed in the above figure are detailed in the following table:
Field
Possible Values
Function
Inputs
Input addresses
Address of each discrete input
Set to 1/0
Check box selected or not.
Selected inputs are set to 1 or 0.
The discrete input settings button displayed in the above figure are detailed in the following table:
Field
Function
Set all to 1
Click this button to set all inputs to 1
Set all to 0
Click this button to set all inputs to 0
Cancel
Click this button to discard all changes
OK
Click this button to save all changes
Help
Click this button to launch the Twido Simulator online help
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Analog Input Settings
See: Related Topics
Submit Feedback
Overview
The section below describes how to set analog input.
Accessing the Analog Input Settings Window
To access the analog input settings double-click on the analog input LED.
Structure of the Analog Input Settings Window
The analog input settings window displays all the analog inputs of the chosen hardware
configuration as shown below:
Analog Input Settings Field
The analog input settings fields displayed in the above figure are detailed in the following table:
Field
Description
Inputs
Address of each analog input
Change value field
Displays the value of the corresponding variable according to the
position of the slide bar.
Not available if the input is not configured
Change value slide bar
Allows you to change the value of the selected analog input.
Not available if the input is not configured
© 2011 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved.
Outputs Tracing
See: Related Topics
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Overview
The outputs tracing window shows the variation of analog and discrete outputs over time.
Structure of the Outputs Tracing Window
The outputs tracing window is shown below:
NOTE: Tracing can be affected if your PC has too many applications open.
Analog Outputs Tracing
Evolution of analog output values are displayed on 74 sample points.
Discrete Outputs Tracing
Evolution of discrete output values are displayed on 74 sample points. The Scale of the analog
display is calculated from the analog historical value
Configuration of the Outputs Tracing
To open the tracing configuration window click the configure button.
© 2011 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved.
Tracing Configuration
See: Related Topics
Submit Feedback
Overview
The section below describes how to set the tracing configuration.
Accessing the Tracing Configuration Window
To access the tracing configuration window click on the Configure button of the outputs tracing
window.
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Structure of the Tracing Configuration Window
The tracing configuration window is shown below:
You can modify values for the Sample Interval by either selecting a value from the drop-down list
or by entering your own value.
NOTE: The maximum number of configurable outputs is 8.
Tracing Configuration Field
The tracing configuration fields displayed in the above figure are detailed in the following table:
Field
Possible Values
Function
Select
Check box selected or not
Selected outputs are displayed on the
output tracing window
Outputs
Output addresses.
Address of each discrete and analog
output.
Sampling
Interval
Drop down list.
Sampling interval of the output tracing
graphic
From 1 to 300s.
The tracing configuration buttons displayed in the above figure are detailed in the following table:
Field
Function
Help
Click this button to launch the Twido Simulator online help
Cancel
Click this button to discard all changes
OK
Click this button to save all changes
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