Project Explorer

The Project Explorer toolbox is a window that displays machine application information in a tree-structure representation. This window contains all the following items used to design, implement, test, and document the application.

Figure 3-2: Project Explorer with Controller type and IP address.

Item	Description
Hardware	Devices that make up the system such as Controllers, EtherCAT***EtherCAT is an open, high-performance Ethernet-based fieldbus system. The development goal of EtherCAT was to apply Ethernet to automation applications which require short data update times (also called cycle times) with low communication jitter (for synchronization purposes) and low hardware costs Motion Bus, servo and stepper drives, HMI"Human-machine interfaces " Also known as computer-human interfaces (CHI), and formerly known as man-machine interfaces, they are usually employed to communicate with PLCs and other computers, such as entering and monitoring temperatures or pressures for further automated control or emergency response devices, I/O Terminals, etc.
PLC"Programmable Logic Controller" A Programmable Logic Controller, PLC, or Programmable Controller is a digital computer used for automation of industrial processes, such as control of machinery on factory assembly lines. Used to synchronize the flow of inputs from (physical) sensors and events with the flow of outputs to actuators and events (IEC"International Electrotechnical Commission" IEC is a not-for-profit, non-governmental international standards organization that prepares and publishes International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies 61131-3)	Programs that control the system User-defined Functions and FunctionA function calculates a result according to the current value of its inputs. A function has no internal data and is not linked to declared instances. Blocks
Motion	Pipe Networks or PLCopenA vendor -and product- independent worldwide association active in Industrial Control and aiming at standardizing PLC file formats based on XML Axis objects Cam profiles

You can navigate in the project-tree by entering the item's initial letter, or by means of the arrow keys.

A project is made of several items that are:

System
Controller
- PLC
- Motion
  - Profiles
  - Pipe Network or PLCopen
- Controller Onboard I/O
- EtherCAT
- References
- Fieldbus
- Control Panel
- KVB Project
- SafePLC2 Project
HMI Device
- KVB Project

Node Names: Allowable characters for node names include A-Z, a-z, 0-9, . (period), - (hyphen), and _ (underscore).

System

This item concerns the whole project. A right-click opens its menu that provides the following options:

Command	Description
Add HMI Device	Add a new HMI device with a KVB panel. For mode details see HMI Device below.

Table 3-1: System Node - Contextual Menu

[Top]

Controller

This item displays the controller's IP address and controller hardware type. It is also used to Access the WebServer From the IDE. The webserver functionality may be used directly within the IDE. For more information on the webserver see Using the KAS Web Server.

Please note that the IP address is shown as 127.0.0.1 if the system is in simulation mode.

Command	Description
Add Control Panel	Add a new contol panel to the controller. For more details see Control Panel.
Import Control Panel	Import a pre-configured control panel for use in the project. See Import a Control Panel for more information.
Add KVB Project	Add a new KVB panel which is embedded into the contoller. For more details see KVB Project.
Import KVB Project	Import a compressed ("zipped") KVB project, which may be created in KAS or KVB. The system will validate the compressed KVB project and add the panel.
Add SafePLC2 Project	Add a node to the tree that allows you to access a SafePLC2 project directly from the KAS IDE. See Working with SafePLC2 Projects for more information.
Import SafePLC2 Project	Select a `.SPL2` file to import. There may only be a single instance of a SafePLC2 project in the KAS IDE. If none exists, a SafePLC2 Project will be added to the end of the Project tree. If there is a project you will be prompted to overwrite the project or cancel the import. Note that the import cannot occur if SafePLC2 is running.
Add Fieldbus	Add a node to access the Fieldbus Editor. See for more information.
Access Web Server	This command opens the web server interface in the GUI"Graphical User Interface" A GUI is a type of user interface which allows people to interact with a computer and computer-controlled devices. See Access the WebServer From the IDE and Using the KAS Web Server for more information.
Properties	Open a dialog box to configure the controller. See Configure the Controller for a full description of this dialog box. Figure 3-3: Configure the Device Parameters Description IP Address or COM: allows for connecting to and downloading your application to the controller. Changing this value modifies the IP address for the Controller. The last 10 IPs entered are accessible and are stored with the project. Selecting an item in the list and pressing the 'Delete' key will clear the entry from the list. When you click to choose the simulation mode, this address is disabled. Do not use leading zeroes when entering an IP address. The connection to the controller will automatically fail if leading zeroes are used. For example, use 10.2.3.40 instead of 010.002.003.040. The Controller type can be a AKD PDMM or PCMM. Different Implementations Version number is used to ensure both versions of your application on the KAS IDE and the KAS RuntimeIn computer science, runtime (or run-time) describes the operation of a computer program, the duration of its execution, from beginning to termination (compare compile time). Within KAS, runtime also refers to the virtual machine that manage the program written in a computer language while it is running are the same Enabling "Download project source to the controller" allows for comparing source on the controller to the source on your computer. The "Enable PLC variable remote access" is disabled by default. Enabling it will allow users to read/write variables using an HTTP connection. "ModbusModBus is a serial communications protocol and is now the most commonly available means of connecting industrial electronic devices. ModBus is often used to connect a supervisory computer with a remote terminal unit in supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems. Versions of the ModBus protocol exist for serial port and Ethernet (it is widely used with TCP/IP over Ethernet) Configuration" sets what the Modbus will connect to and the Cycle Time specifies the update rate.

Table 3-2: Controller Node - Contextual Menu

A controller is composed of a PLC item, a Motion item, control panels, an EtherCAT Motion Bus and some References. These items are described in the following sections.

[Top]

PLC

This item contains all the PLC (Virtual Machine) part of the controller. The following items can be present in this item:

Program items
Subprogram items
Some "Defines"

Command	Description
Libraries	Import new libraries

Table 3-3: PLC Node - Contextual Menu

Programs

Command	Description
New Program	Add new program items (SFC,ST,FBD, IL or FFLD)
Cycle	Configure the cycle of the virtual machine For mode details on Cycle, see "Define the PLC Cycle"
Import	Import a saved program

Table 3-4: Program Node - Contextual Menu

Programs and Subprograms can be reordered by drag-and-drop. Dragging an item up the list places it above the program you drop it on, while dragging down places it below.

Command	Description
Add Child SFC"Sequential function chart" It can be used to program processes that can be split into steps. The main components of SFC are: - Steps with associated actions - Transitions with associated logic conditions - Directed links between steps and transitions	Add a child program to this program. Note that this is reserved for the first SFC program only.
Import Child SFC	Import a saved SFC program to the current program. Note that this is reserved for the first SFC program only. How to import all children from one project to another? Export each program one at a time from the existing project Save the program (specify a location and a name, avoiding spaces in the file name) Close the project Open the project to be updated Import each saved program in the project tree Rename the program if needed Please note that only local variables are copied (not the global variables)
Export	Save the selected program to your file server, avoiding spaces in the file name.
Rename	Rename the selected program.
Delete	Delete the selected program.
Print SFC and All Level 2	Print all PLC programs. See Print for more details.

Table 3-5: Program Item - Contextual Menu

You can double-click to open the program in the workspace.

[Top]

Subprograms

Command	Description
New Function (Subprogram)	Add a new subprogram item (ST,FBD, IL or FFLD)
New UDFB"User Defined Function Block" UDFB can be used as a sub-function block in another program of the application. It is described using FBD, LD, ST or IL language. Input / output parameters of a UDFB (as well as private variables) are declared in the variable editor as local variables of the UDFB	Add a new UDFB item (ST,FBD, IL or FFLD)
Import	Import a saved program

Table 3-6: Subprogram Node - Contextual Menu

You can create your own functions as well as functional blocks that are called UDFBs (User-Defined Functional Blocks). For each of them, you can use the following commands:

Command	Description
Export	Save the selected subprogram onto your file server
Rename	Rename the selected subprogram
Create Unlocked Copy	Duplicate the selected, locked subprogram. The duplicate will not be locked.
Delete	Delete the selected subprogram
In/Out Parameters	Open the Program Properties dialog box to Declare Functions or Function Blocks. This item is disabled for locked UDFBs.

Table 3-7: Subprogram Item - Contextual Menu

You can double-click to open the subprogram in the workspace.

Defines

This item contains all the global definitions in the scope of the corresponding device.

You can double-click a Define item to show these global definitions. A file of internal defines can be found in [the installation directory of the KAS IDE]\Astrolabe\Bin\HwDef\lib.eqv.

Use the Defines List

[Top]

Motion

The motion item contains the motion-specific items (i.e. the Profiles and PipeNetwork items).

Command	Description
Motion Engines	Choose the motion engine for your application between PLCopen and PipeNetwork

Profiles

This item contains all the cam profiles in the project.

Command	Description
New Profile	Create a new cam profile and add it to this device (.csv, .cam) For mode details, see "Adding Cam Profiles"
Import	Import already existing cam profiles to your project
Show compiled code	Show the code corresponding to the selected cam profile

Table 3-8: Profiles Node - Contextual Menu

Right-clicking on a cam profile provides additional commands.

Command	Description
Rename	Provide the cam profile a unique name
Delete	Remove the cam profile from the list
Export	Save the cam profile in CAM (.cam) format
Properties	Open a dialog to modify the cam profile's Master/Input Slave/Output Offset and Scale values.

For more information on cam profiles see Adding Cam Profiles and Cam Profile Editor.

[Top]

Pipe Network

This menu applies to the Pipe Network in the project.

Command	Description
Import and replace	This command replaces the existing Pipe Network with a pre-saved Pipe Network. You will be presented with a dialog box to locate the pre-saved file. The Pipe Network Editor will be opened when the file is imported.
Export	Export the Pipe Network to a file for reuse.
Show compiled code	Show the code corresponding to the Pipe Network

The existing EtherCAT axis mapping is lost when using Import and replace. Additionally, profiles assigned to Cam blocks are cleared at this time.
1. Double-click on EtherCAT in the Project View to open the EtherCAT Devices tab tab so you can reassign the axes.
2. Double-click on any Cam blocks, and set the Profile_Name parameter.

You can double-click to open the Pipe Network in the workspace.

PLCopen

Command	Description
New Axis	Add a new axis to your project For mode details, Create PLCopen Axis
Show compiled code	Show the code corresponding to the PLCopen

Table 3-9: PLCopen Node - Contextual Menu

Axes

Each axis is listed here, whether it is found via a scan of the EtherCAT network, or added manually. To add an axis manually, right-click and select New Axis. For each PLCopen axis you can use the following commands:

Command	Description
Properties	Open a dialog box to configure the PLCopen axis data
Delete	Delete the selected axis

Table 3-10: Axis Item - Contextual Menu

Axes Groups

Axes Groups are collections of related axes defined by the data type AXIS_GROUP_REF, typically used by coordinated motion and function blocks such as MC_SetKinTra. Right-click on this section to create a new Axes Group. Groups are populated by dragging an existing axis from the above section into the group.

The following commands are available by right-clicking on a group.

Command	Description
Delete	Delete the selected Axes Group
Rename	Change the name of the Axes Group.

[Top]

Control Panel

This item holds the Control Panel item used to provide a basic interface between you and the virtual machine.

For more details, Design the Control Panel with the Internal Control Panel Editor
For a more advanced tool to build HMI, KVB Project

Command	Description
Rename	Rename the selected Control panel
Delete	Delete the selected Control panel
Export	Export the control panel for use in other projects. See Export a Control Panel.

Table 3-11: HMI Control Panel Node - Contextual Menu

You can double-click to open the Control Panel in the workspace.

Controller Onboard I/O

Command	Description
Properties	Open the Properties dialog box to configure the local I/O for the PDMM or PCMM controller. Configure Controller Onboard I/O

Command

Description

Properties

Open the Properties dialog box to configure the local I/O for the PDMM or PCMM controller.

Configure Controller Onboard I/O

Table 3-12: Controller Onboard I/O Item - Contextual Menu

[Top]

EtherCAT

This item gives access to all the devices linked to the EtherCAT Motion Bus.

Command	Description
Add Device…	Add a Kollmorgen drive, power supply, or coupler, pr a third-party EtherCAT device to the EtherCAT node in the Project view.
Scan Devices	TheKAS Runtime sends EtherCAT messages to discover the devices present in the network EtherCAT Devices tab
Enable/Disable Online Configuration Mode	Toggles Online Configuration Mode on and off. See Online Configuration Mode for more information.
Properties	Open the Properties dialog box. Configure EtherCAT Motion Bus

Table 3-13: EtherCAT Node - Contextual Menu

Add & Configure Third Party Devices

AKD2G Drive

You can double-click an AKD2G to set its parameters. Configure the AKD2G/AKD Drive

Command	Description
Rename	Rename the selected drive
Delete	Delete the selected drive
Configuration	Opens the Configuration tab for the AKD GUI.
Properties	Select the Properties menu to access the EtherCAT device's configuration views.

Table 3-14: AKD Drive Item - Contextual Menu

AKD Drive

You can double-click an AKD to set its parameters. Configure the AKD2G/AKD Drive

Command	Description
Rename	Rename the selected drive
Delete	Delete the selected drive
Configuration	Opens the Configuration tab for the AKD GUI.
Properties	Select the Properties menu to access the EtherCAT device's configuration views.

Table 3-15: AKD Drive Item - Contextual Menu

AKD-C Central Power Supply

You can double-click an AKD-C to set its parameters. Configure the AKD2G/AKD Drive

Command	Description
Rename	Rename the selected device
Delete	Delete the selected device
Properties	Select the Properties menu to access the EtherCAT device's configuration views.
Configuration	Opens the Configuration tab for the AKD GUI.

Table 3-16: AKD-C Drive Item - Contextual Menu

AKD-N Drive

You can double-click an AKD-N to set its parameters. Configure the AKD2G/AKD Drive

Command	Description
Rename	Rename the selected drive
Delete	Delete the selected drive
Properties	Select the Properties menu to access the EtherCAT device's configuration views.
Configuration	Opens the Configuration tab for the AKD GUI.

Table 3-17: AKD-N Drive Item - Contextual Menu

AKT2G (EtherCAT) I/O Coupler

The Coupler node acts as a gateway for E-Bus I/O slices.

Command	Description
Rename	Rename the selected coupler
Delete	Delete the selected coupler
Properties	Select the Properties menu to access the EtherCAT device's configuration views.

Table 3-18: AKT2G I/O Coupler Node - Contextual Menu

Note that these commands are disabled when the controller is running.

See Remote Input/Output Terminals for links to detailed documentation for each device.

AKT (K-Bus) I/O Coupler

The Standard I/O Coupler node gives access to its I/O slices.

Command	Description
Add I/O Slice	Add a new slice (Digital or Analog Input and Output) to the selected Standard I/O Coupler
Rename	Rename the selected coupler
Delete	Delete the selected coupler
Properties	Select the Properties menu to access the EtherCAT device's configuration views.

Table 3-19: Standard I/O Coupler Node - Contextual Menu

Note that these commands are disabled when the controller is running.

See EtherCAT Coupler Error Handling And Diagnosis in the Troubleshooting section for information about diagnosing the coupler LEDs.

I/O Slice

AKT2G (E-Bus) slices are children of the EtherCAT node while AKT (K-Bus) slices are children of the AKT I/O Coupler.

Command	Description
Rename	Rename the selected slice
Delete	Delete the selected slice
Properties	Open the Properties dialog box to configure the I/O slice Map Input and Output to Variables

Command

Description

Rename

Rename the selected slice

Delete

Delete the selected slice

Properties

Open the Properties dialog box to configure the I/O slice

Map Input and Output to Variables

Table 3-20: I/O Slice - Contextual Menu

[Top]

Device

Double-clicking a Device accesses its EtherCAT device configuration views.

Command	Description
Rename	Rename the selected device
Delete	Delete the selected device
Add Module…	Add a module to an MDP device. Add Modules to Third Party EtherCAT Devices.
Properties	Access the EtherCAT device's configuration views

Table 3-21: Device - Contextual Menu

Module

Command	Description
Rename	Rename the selected module.
Delete	Delete the selected module.

References

This item allows you to insert references into your project. Each reference is a user-defined reference that links any kind of deliverable to your project (for more details, refer to Use the Reference Folder)

Command	Description
Insert Reference	Link any kind of deliverable to your current project
Delete	Delete the reference
Properties	Open the referenced file in the workspace

Table 3-22: Reference Node - Contextual Menu

You can double-click to open the Reference in the workspace.

Fieldbus

This item holds the Fieldbus Editor to configure the EthernetEthernet is a large, diverse family of frame-based computer networking technologies that operate at many speeds for local area networks (LANs)/IP or Profinet fieldbusesA Fieldbus is an industrial network system for real-time distributed control (e.g. CAN or Profibus). It is a way of connecting instruments in a plant design. For mode details,

[Top]

HMI Device

This item holds the HMI (Human Machine Interface) item used to provide an advanced interface between you and the virtual machine.

Command	Description
Add KVB Project	Add a new KVB panel to the controller. For mode details, Add an HMI Device Note that this command is disabled when a KVB panel already exists
Import KVB Project	Import a compressed ("zipped") KVB project, which may be created in KAS or KVB. The system will validate the compressed KVB project and add the panel.
Rename	Rename the selected HMI device
Delete	Delete the selected HMI device

Table 3-23: HMI Device Node - Contextual Menu

KVB Project

Command	Description
Open KVB	Opens the associated KVB project.
Rename	Rename the selected KVB panel
Delete	Delete the selected KVB panel
Export	Save a copy of the panel in a compressed (.zip) file.

Table 3-24: KVB Panel Node - Contextual Menu

You can double-click the entry to open the KVB panel in Kollmorgen Visualization Builder

SafePLC2 Project

Command	Description
Delete	Delete the SafePLC2 project
Export	Select a location and name to export/create a SafePLC2 file.
Open SafePLC2	Creates or opens a synchronized SafePLC2 project. See Working with SafePLC2 Projects for more information.
Rename	Rename the SafePLC2 project

Table 3-25: SafePLC2 Project Node - Contextual Menu

You can double-click the entry to open SafePLC2.

[Top]