Main Menus

The controls, more precisely the menu bar and the toolbar (symbol bar) of the TwinCAT System Manager are described below.

The menu bar comprises the following six options:

File, Edit, Actions, View,Options and ?(Help).

Where present, the toolbar icons are displayed next to their corresponding menu entries.

Main Menus 1:

The title bar shows the name of the currently loaded TwinCAT System Manager project or "Unnamed" if a new project has not yet been saved under a name.

The standard Windows controls also appear in the right-hand corner of the title bar:

Main Menus 2: Moves the System Manager to the task bar without closing the project

Main Menus 3: / Main Menus 4: Adjusts the System Manager view to small or full screen display (Minimize / Maximize).

Main Menus 5: Exits / closes the TwinCAT System Manager.

Main Menus 6:

Not all menu entries are active at all times

As the TwinCAT System Manager is context-sensitive, not all menu entries are active at all times!

”File” menu

Main Menus 7:

New Main Menus 8:

Creates a new System Manager project (blank configuration).

Open Main Menus 9:

Opens a dialogue for the selection of an existing saved System Manager project.

Open Currently Active Main Menus 10:

Opens the project file whose configuration is currently active in the TwinCAT system.

Save Main Menus 11:

Saves the current configuration in a TwinCAT System Manager *.wsm file (respectively *.tsm file under TwinCAT 2.9).

Save As

Saves the current configuration in a *.wsm file with user-defined name and location.

Hint:

At TwinCAT version 2.9, a new file format (Structured Storage) was implemented for saving of TwinCAT System Manager configurations. This new file format gets the file extension *.tsm.
Alternatively, also under TwinCAT 2.9, configurations can be opened from WSM-files or saved into files with *.wsm extension. To achieve this, the appropriate extension is to be selected at "Save as type:" in the "Save As.." dialog.

Main Menus 12:

New file format

From TwinCAT 2.9, a newly implemented format (Structured Storage) is used by default to save the system configuration. This new file format has the extension .tsm.

Alternatively, WSM files can still be read in under TwinCAT 2.9, or newly created configurations can be saved with the file extension *.wsm. To do this, simply select the appropriate file extension in the "Save as..." selection dialog.

Enable Compression

To be lenient with the limited resources on devices of the CX1000 and BXxxxx classes, an optional compression feature for saving of *.tsm configurations has been implemented at TwinCAT 2.9.

"Enable Compression" is activated by default and achieves, depending on the project, a space saving of 80% and more.

Properties

Under this new menu item at TwinCAT 2.9, extended document information regarding the System Manager project can be found and edited.

Print Main Menus 13:

Opens Printing dialog if high-lighted. Printable section required.

Print Preview

Presents view of the selected window which is prepared for printing (depending upon selected area of the System Manager).

Printer Set-up

Opens the printer settings dialogue box.

Exit

Closes the TwinCAT System Manager.

”Edit” menu

Main Menus 14:

Undo

Reverses the last action.

Cut Main Menus 15:

Copies selected object to the clipboard and removes it from the current configuration.

Copy Main Menus 16:

Copies selected object to the clipboard.

Paste Main Menus 17:

Inserts elements from the clipboard to the current position.

Insert with links Main Menus 18:

Inserts elements with present link from the clipboard into the current position.

Main Menus 19:

All are not always available

Not all of the above functions are available in every context.

”Actions” menu

Main Menus 20:

Generate Mappings Main Menus 21:

Creates assignment between two process images.

Check Configuration Main Menus 22:

Checks the current configuration for plausibility.

Activates configuration Main Menus 23:

Saves and activates the current configuration. This function can be selected from the Command line without opening the System Manager.

Main Menus 24:

New backup location for configuration data

From version TwinCAT 2.8, the project-related configuration data is no longer saved in the Windows Registry, but in a newly introduced XML file with the name "CurrentConfig.xml". This file can be found in the subdirectory: \TwinCAT\Boot.

Starting/restarting TwinCAT in run modeMain Menus 25:

Starts or restarts the TwinCAT system with the currently saved configuration. From TwinCAT version 2.9, this button is also used to switch from CONFIG to RUN mode. In addition, a possibly configured PLC boot project is loaded and started if "Auto Boot" is activated (see also the description:TwinCAT system -> User interface -> TwinCAT system control ). This function can be selected from the Command line without opening the System Manager.

Main Menus 26:

Target system

From TwinCAT 2.9, this button is used to start the TwinCAT target system selected via "Choose Target System" with the currently loaded configuration (by default, the target system is always the local PC). The ADS-AMSNetID and the name of the currently selected target system machine (TwinCAT PC, CX1000 or other TwinCAT target system) is displayed in the lower right corner of the System Manager. If the target system is the local PC, the name "Local" is displayed instead of the network name. If the currently selected target is a remote system, its name is also displayed in the title bar. The current mode is indicated in the lower right corner of the System Manager window, as well as additionally by means of a color change at the TwinCAT system control (in this case to the color green).

Start/restart TwinCAT in config modeMain Menus 27:

This remote configuration option (also called "remote configuration") is new with TwinCAT version 2.9. It switches the TwinCAT system into config mode. This functionality is required, among other things, in order to be able to configure devices of the Beckhoff CX1000 class, for example, which do not have the TwinCAT System Manager locally (see also: "Choose Target System"). The current mode or status is displayed on the far right in the lower corner of the System Manager window, and, for a local target system, by means of a color change on the TwinCAT system control (in config mode, for example, this is the color blue).

Reload DevicesMain Menus 28:

Rescans the I/O configuration at the selected target system and displays it in the System Manager tree view.

Choose Target System Main Menus 29:

With this item you can select the appropriate target system, where the configuration must be made for (see also:"Set/Reset TwinCAT to Config Mode").

Read Target Server Versions

Reads the current TwinCAT server versions available on the prior selected target system.

Update Bus Coupler/IP Link Firmware

Updates the Firmware of Beckhoff Bus Couplers or Fieldbus Boxes through serial COM port.

Access Bus Coupler/IP Link Register Main Menus 30:

The user can access any available register at a Bus Coupler or Fieldbus Box module via COM port or TCP/IP address after entering the necessary information in the upcoming dialog.

Export XML Description

Saves the configuration data of the currently highlighted tree item as a XML Description file to disk.

Import XML Description

Imports the configuration data of a previously saved XML Description file into the current System Manager configuration.

Check Variable Links

Validates the current mapping information.

”View” menu

Main Menus 31:

Toolbar

Displays or hides the tool bar.

Status Bar

Displays or hides the status bar. The status bar is displayed at the lower edge of the main window.

Split

Activates a movement off a dividing line between the tree view and the dialogues in the System Manager main window.

Show Logger Output Main Menus 32:

Displays or removes the Logger Window at the lower edge of the System Manager.

Show Watch Window

Displays/removes the Watch Window within the System Manager.

Show Current Real Time Capacity Main Menus 33:

Displays/removes the real time load of the (starting) TwinCAT system in the lower right-hand corner of the main window.

Show Online Data Main Menus 34:

Displays/removes the online data of the configured variables. The current configuration for a display must be active, i.e. saved, in the registry and the TwinCAT system must be started.

Show Sub Variables Main Menus 35:

Displays the sub-variables of variables.

Show Expert Mode Main Menus 36:

Displays or removes seldom used parameters for various settings dialogues in the System Manager.

”Options” menu

Main Menus 37:

Language

Opens the selection menu to select one of the languages supported by the TwinCAT System Manager.

Main Menus 38:

Languages

If the other languages are grayed out, the System Manager has found the corresponding DLLs, but they are not up-to-date.

Check PLC Project Changes

If this option is selected, a message box appears when saving configuration changes to PLC projects. This message box requests the PLC Configuration to be re-loaded in.

Open Logger Automatically Main Menus 39:

Automatically opens the Logger Window when System Manager is started and displays current TwinCAT events.

Open last Used File

Automatically opens the last saved *.wsm file when System Manager is started.

Select Last Tree Element

Automatically opens the last saved display of the configuration tree.

Generate BAK-File

When this option is selected a ”Current Name”.bak file is created as a backup file with each saving.

Auto Save to Target

When this option is selected, additionally to the local system the configuration is also saved to the target system (e.g. when configuring a CX1000 or BXxxxx). By default, the configuration is saved in a zipped version. See also: "Enable Compression".

Show Real-Time Ethernet Compatible Devices

See: Reference | "Ethernet Miniport (Real-Time)"

Change PCMCIA Base Address

Opens settings dialogue to change the PC Card base address. After making changes it is necessary to restart Windows.

”Help” menu (?)

Main Menus 40:

Help Topics Main Menus 41:

Opens the TwinCAT System Manager Help files. Help is a part of the Beckhoff Information System. If you require an English version of Help, you need to install the English language Beckhoff Information System.

Help Context Main Menus 42:

When the Beckhoff Information System is installed, opens the Help page relating to the area selected in the System Manager.

About TwinCAT System Manager Main Menus 43:

Calls up information about the current installed version of the TwinCAT System Manager.

Other switching elements on the tool bar

FindMain Menus 44:

Opens device search dialog within the System Manager.

Device searchMain Menus 45:

If you have selected the entry "I/O Devices" (below I/O - Configuration) in the tree view on the left, a device search function can be triggered via the toolbar button shown here. The first step is to start searching for supported I/O devices and – if these are found – then continue with the search for connected devices ("boxes") and their terminal equipment, or IP link extension modules.

Main Menus 46:

This functionality is only implemented universally from TwinCAT 2.9. To be able to run it, the target system must be in config mode. (The current mode is displayed in the lower right corner of the main window.)

Change free run status Main Menus 47:

After activating this button, with a target system in config mode, supported I/O devices can be set to free run mode. I/O variables of bus terminals can then also be written without configured and activated task (e.g. without PLC project).

Main Menus 48:

If the target system was previously in run mode, the button "Reloading the I/O devices" (reloading the configuration) in the toolbar must be pressed once to be able to set the I/O devices to free run mode.

Full expand tree below selected item Main Menus 49:

After pushing this button, the entry marked in the TreeView will be shown in the fully expanded view.