Silecs Basics

Create a new silecs-design

• First create a new FESA class .. check here for details on that
• Create the .silecsdesign xml file:

  silecs -c ~/path/to/workspace/MyClass/src/MyClass.design

• You can now modify the .silecsdesign file with any xml editor. (In eclipse best pick open-with --> other --> internal editors --> XML Editor and check the checkbox "Use it for all '*.silecsdesign' files")
• Add some Blocks / Registers to the file, according to your required PLC-configuration
  • For each Block you can choose to generate a property in FESA ( @generateFesaProperty )
  • For each Register a device-specific field will be generated in FESA, using the matching FESA-datatype
  • For each Register you can choose to generate a value-item in FESA ( @generateFesaValueItem )
  • Keep in mind that you can use the Block/Register model defined here per "silecs-device"
• Check if the xml-document is valid:

  silecs -v ~/path/to/workspace/MyClass/src/MyClass.silecsdesign

  • If it is not valid, first fix remaining problems.
• Safe the document when it is valid.

Create a new silecs-deploy

• First create a new FESA deploy unit .. check here for details on that
• Create the .silecsdeploy xml file:

  silecs -c ~/path/to/workspace/MyDU/src/MyDU.deploy

• You can now modify the .silecsdesign file with any xml editor. (In eclipse best pick open-with --> other --> internal editors --> XML Editor and check the checkbox "Use it for all '*.silecsdeploy' files")
• Add a new Controller
  • The "host-name" of the controller should be the network-name of your plc
  • "protocol" can be DEVICE_MODE or BLOCK_MODE. Which one fit's better depends on your use-case. See here for more info.
  • Select the "SilecsDesign" name / version which you want to run on the controller
  • Add a "Device" to your "SilecsDesign" for each design-instance(silecs-device) which you want to run on this controller
  • Select your PLC-model (You can replace "Siemens-PLC by" by right-click --> replace-with --> ... )
• Check if the xml-document is valid:

  silecs -v ~/path/to/workspace/MyDU/src/MyDU.deploy

  • If it is not valid, first fix remaining problems.
• Generate code:

  silecs -g ~/path/to/workspace/MyDU/src/MyDU.deploy

  • in generated/controller the files which have to be loaded into the PLC(s) can be found

Test your setup

• upload the controller-code to the PLC
  • Check this Wiki page for PLC-specific details
• Run all PLC's on which you want to use the new configuration
• Connect to the PLC by using the SILECS Diagnostic Tool

  • silecs -d ~/path/to/workspace/MyClass/src/MyClass.silecsdeploy

  • Pick the class you want to test
  • Pick the controller which you want to test and press ConnectPLC
  • Press sent / receive on the different Data-Fields to check if the connection is working
• Optional: You can script access to the PLC by using the silecs-cli-client

Make use of the FESA-Part

Generate code for the FESA Class

• Open your silecs design document (.silecsdesign)
• Generate code to update the fesa .design file and generate C++ code:

  silecs -g ~/path/to/workspace/MyClass/src/MyClass.silecsdesign

• The related SILECS C++ code will be generated into the "common" folder of the FESA-class
• Make use of it in the actions of your FESA-class, according to your needs
• Check the Silecs Code Snippets in order to see how to access plc blocks/registers
• Dont forget to call the method ::setup in the specificInit method of your FESA-class, like described in the Silecs Code Snippets
• Make sure to update the Makefile.specific to build against the silecs library
• Modify the generated FESA-class, according to your needs ( Check the FESA Wiki for help on that ! )
• Later on you add additional SILECS Blocks/Registers in the .silecsdesign and generate according FESA properties/fields
  • Please note that old silecs-properties/fields in FESA are not removed automatically (e.g. if a Property is renamed )

Modify the generated FESA Deploy-Unit

• Check the FESA deploy-unit document
• Probably you need to define scheduler, so that the generated SILECS RT-Actions get Scheduled
• Make sure to update the Makefile.specific to build against the silecs library
• Modify the generated FESA-Deployment-Unit, according to your needs ( Check the FESA Wiki for help on that ! )
• Compile and link the deployment-unit ( Press on the target "make all" in the eclipse make-target view )

Modify the FESA instantiation-File

• Create a instance-file fo the FEC on which the FESA-binary should run
• Usually it makes sense to create a FESA-device for each SILECS-device you defined

Deliver & Run the FESA binary

• TODO: Add detailed manual on how to deploy for a yocto FEC !!! (See as well https://git.gsi.de/silecs/opensilecs/-/issues/94 )
  
• Start the FESA class with

  -usrArgs -silecsParamPath,/path-to-param-folder

• Please refer to the FESA Wiki for help on that !
• For Siemens-PLC's: The dynamic snap7 library, which is needed in order to communicate with a plc is not available per default on a FEC.
  • You will notice that when attempting to start the FESA-binary via the start-script
  • You will need to copy the .silecsparam to the FEC
  • When using the daemon, the .silecsparam file will not be available by default, to fix that, go to e.g. asl733:/common/export/nfsinit/myFECName
  • ln -s ../global/silecs_siemens 45_silec_siemens
    • make sure that the number is lower than the one for the fesa script, otherwise you will need to wait 5min until your binary is started by the daemon (failover)
  • reboot the FEC