To Work With Creating PLC Drawings from a File

The PLC I/O requirements of a project, in spreadsheet or database format, can drive automatic generation of the I/O schematic drawings.

Create PLC Drawings

1. Click Import/Export Data tab Import panelPLC I/O Utility. Find
2. Select the spreadsheet and click Open.
3. In the Spreadsheet to PLC I/O Utility dialog box, enter a value for the beginning line reference number for the first ladder of the drawing. Specify any other options to use for the ladder reference numbers.
4. Specify how you want the module to be placed in the drawing.
5. Click Start.

   AutoCAD Electrical constructs a set of PLC I/O drawings based on the information carried in the PLC spreadsheet. Ladders and modules insert automatically, breaking at the bottom of one ladder and continuing on the next.

Change and Save the Settings

1. Click Import/Export Data tab Import panelPLC I/O Utility. Find
2. Select the spreadsheet and click Open.
3. In the Spreadsheet to PLC I/O Utility dialog box, do one of the following:
   • Click Setup to define how the drawings should be set up (based on the default settings). It includes how many ladders you want inserted, the type and orientation of the ladders, spacing, and number of rungs. You can also define the module placement, style, scale, and in-line device placement and spacing.
   • Click Browse to select an existing setting file that you can then edit and save.
   • Click Setup then click Spreadsheet/Table Columns to define what column in your spreadsheet or database table goes with what data value in the utility. The first page of this dialog box deals with the overall module information. The sub-dialog box (accessed from clicking the More button) identifies the column data for up to nine in-line connected devices for each I/O point.
4. Click Save to save the settings to a file for future use.
5. Enter a file name for the settings (the file extension is ".WDI") and click Save.

Read the Settings

1. Click Import/Export Data tab Import panelPLC I/O Utility. Find
2. Select the spreadsheet and click Open.
3. In the Spreadsheet to PLC I/O Utility dialog box, click Browse.
4. Select a previously created file (it has a ".WDI" file extension) and click Open.

   Your settings are now restored and are used for the drawings generated from the selected spreadsheet or database table.