Starting an XG5000 Project - LS Electric XGB PLC from AutomationDirect

Once we have a CPU or PLC rack assembled and powered, it is time to work with our first project! To begin, open the XG5000 software. Once in the software, most functions will be grayed out since we haven’t established a project yet. To establish a project, we will need to either create a new project, open an existing project, or upload a project already in a CPU. To create a new project, go to the icon that looks like a fresh sheet of paper in the upper-left of the tool bar, or go to Project -> New Project in the file menu. Once we have done this the “New Project” pop-up window will open. In this window we will give our project a name. For this example, we will call it “ExampleProject.” We will then select our save location by clicking the small ellipsis next to “File directory.” We also need to select our CPU type. For this example, we are using the XEM-DN32HP CPU. It is from the XGB series of PLCs, so we will select the XGB(IEC) drop-down option for the CPU series, and the XEM-DxxxHP for the CPU type. If you aren’t using the XEM-DN32HP for your project, you should select your CPU series and part number here. We can then give the PLC in this project a name and can even configure the initial program that is automatically created with the project. We can change the name of the program and/or the language for programming it. Once we select “OK,” a new project will be created with the settings we selected, and we will see the software layout show information about the new project. To open an existing file rather than creating a new one, click on the folder icon in the upper left corner or go to Project > Open Project. We can then choose a previously created project and select “Open.” For these first two project options we may work with the project offline without connecting to a CPU. To upload an existing project from a CPU that is already programmed, we will select the “Open from PLC icon” or go to “Project > Open from PLC.” Once we select this option a connection will need to be established with the CPU to allow the upload. If we are working with a new or opened project offline, we will also have to establish a connection to download our project and any changes made to the CPU.