Command ‘Scan for Devices’

Function: This command establishes a brief connection to the hardware and determines the devices in the network. You can then adopt the devices found into the device tree of your project.

Call: Main menu Project, context menu of a device object in the device tree.

Requirement: The settings for communication with the control device are correct. The gateway and the PLC are running. The device supports the scan function.

Note

To use the scan functionality, you must log in once in order to load the library to the controller.

The command refers to the master controller selected in the device tree. For example, an already inserted PROFINET IO controller can be selected and the command used to determine the I/O devices and I/O modules assigned to it.

After scanning, the dialog box Scan for Devices appears with the results.

Dialog box ‘Scan Devices’

Scanned devices
Device Name, Device Type, Address, Station Name, etc.

Data about the scanned device depending on network type.

When you change a value in the list of scanned devices, the value is shown in italics. This indicates that the new value has been changed in the editor in CODESYS, but not in the device. When you download the value to the device, it is shown normally.

Value that indicate differences between the project and the scanned device are shown in orange.

If several device descriptions are available for the scanned device, then the name is displayed in bold. The selection of the matching device description is resolved differently for different fieldbuses. Details can be found in the corresponding fieldbus sections.

If a device description cannot be found, then the following message is shown: “Attention! The device was not found in the repository.” Depending on the bus system, additional information is displayed, such as manufacturer number and product number. The device cannot be inserted into the project without the installed device description.
Show differences to project

9e502625110334e2c0a8640e01a2708a_9a3f06830c0506c5c0a8640e012f0ace : The table in the dialog box also shows additional configured devices (in the device tree of the project).

9e502625110334e2c0a8640e01a2708a_4681610f0c058035c0a8640e0049916a : The table shows all scanned devices. The configured devices are not shown.
Scan for Devices Starts a new search.
Copy to project The device that is selected in the table is inserted into the device tree in the project. If nothing is selected, then all scanned devices are shown.

Attention

If you insert devices, which are available in the device tree, to the device tree with Copy all devices to the project, then the following should be noted. The data of the Process data and <…> I/O mapping tabs of the existing devices can be overwritten with the data of the newly inserted devices.

Configured devices

This part of the dialog box is visible only when you select the Show differences to project option.

Differences between the scanned and configured devices are color-coded. Devices in green are identical on both sides. Device in red are available only in the view of the scanned or configured devices.
9e502625110334e2c0a8640e01a2708a_dbaf42886bf35e8fc0a8640e004a3155 If you have selected a device in both views, then the scanned devices are inserted above the selected configured device.
9e502625110334e2c0a8640e01a2708a_2e5ef9b56bf3cd8bc0a8640e004a0474 If you have selected a device in both views, then the scanned devices are inserted below the selected configured device.
9e502625110334e2c0a8640e01a2708a_62e2e9826bf47402c0a8640e00029671 If you have selected a device in both views, then the configured devices are replaced by the selected scanned device.
9e502625110334e2c0a8640e01a2708a_af5c5c816bf41ba5c0a8640e01f9dbf0 All scanned devices are copied to the project.
9e502625110334e2c0a8640e01a2708a_48eeb5256bf2cf32c0a8640e00f6e291 Deletes the selected configure device.

The dialog boxes for the scan differ depending on the type of device. Please refer to the help pages for the respective device editor.

See also