Learning about Logix Emulate 5000

Much like the SoftLogix solution, Logix Emulate 5000 controllers enable you to create a PC-based Logix controller rack. RSLogix Emulate 5000 is a virtual Logix controller and rack, designed to allow you to debug your Logix program code using advanced features such as breakpoints and tracepoints:

• Breakpoints:Breakpoints can be added to a program by using the breakpoint (BPT) instruction. A BPT instruction will cause the executing program to stop once energized and a prompt to appear. The values that caused the BPT instruction to energize are displayed in the prompt.
• Tracepoints: Tracepoints can be added to a program using the tracepoint (TPT) instruction. When a TPT instruction is energized, it writes a trace entry to a trace window or log file.
  

Breakpoint and tracepoint instructions monitor the state of a program's logic when the logic is in specified conditions. When the specified condition for the rung is true, breakpoints stop program emulation and the tracepoints log specified data.

Using Emulate 5000, you can create a virtual test rack using similar modules to a physical rack, and even test your project with a Human Machine Interface (HMI). However, Emulate 5000 is not capable of controlling real I/O. Also, the communication modules are not supported by Emulate 5000. A typical RSLogix Emulate 5000 solution consists of modules that are configured in a virtual Logix rack to mimic the end solution. The logic is downloaded and monitored using Logix Designer/RSLogix 5000 in order to troubleshoot it. Logix Emulate 5000 is packaged with the Professional edition of Studio 5000 or RSLogix 5000. However, it can also be purchased separately if you are not currently using the Professional edition. Emulate works very similarly to SoftLogix, as we will see in the following sections.