Good morning Jimmy,

Thanks for your question!

To use the Emulator with FactoryTalk View Studio for testing purposes, you'll need to add RSLinx Classic to your project, but before you do, follow the following steps:

1) Open, RSLinx Classic, then Topic Configuration, and delete any OPC topics you are not using (this is to avoid conflicts with RSLinx Enterprise):

https://theautomationschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/TheAutomationSchool-UsingEmulate-01.jpg

2) Now create a new Topic for your Emulated PLC, giving it a unique name (I'd also recommend changing the Data Collection rate to 100ms):

https://theautomationschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/TheAutomationSchool-UsingEmulate-02.jpg

https://theautomationschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/TheAutomationSchool-UsingEmulate-03.jpg

3) Now in View Studio, open your project and delete and shortcuts your are not using (this is to avoid conflicts with RSLinx Classic) OR, if you are not using RSLinx Enterprise, delete it from your project and skip step three (you can always add RSLinx Enterprise back later)

4) If you're going to have both RSLinx Classic and RSLinx Enterprise in your project at the same time, check to be sure all topics and shortcuts have unique names (i.e. strange things happen when you have RSLinx Classic and RSLinx Enterprise in the same ViewStudio project AND you have a Topic name that is the same as a Shortcut name (this is to be avoided if possible)

With the above done it's now safe to add RSLinx Classic to your project, and you can use your Topic name just like you would use your shortcut name, and import HMI Tags as shown in the upcoming lesson 🙂

https://theautomationschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/TheAutomationSchool-UsingEmulate-04.jpg

Hope this helps,

Shawn Tierney,
Instructor at The Automation School