Importing/Exporting AutomationML APC Files

AutomationML (Automation Markup Language) is a vendor-independent XML-based data format which allows to exchange engineering data between engineering systems. For additional information on AutomationML, see www.automationml.org.

The AutomationML APC file (APC = Automation Project Configuration; describes the data model for the data exchange with ECAD systems) stores the engineering information such as the bus structure including the hardware configuration (configured controller, devices, modules, etc.) with the connected variables. PLCnext Engineer supports the import and export of these AML APC files, thus allowing to exchange data between an ECAD system and PLCnext Engineer.

AutomationML APC import

You can import an AML APC file into an existing project and merge the content of the AML APC file into the opened project. When importing the data, the following applies:

If a device cannot be identified uniquely, a dialog appears where you can select an alternative device from the list of devices available in the default or referenced libraries. If you select an alternative device, the device specified in the AML APC file is replaced by the alternative device and inserted into the PLANT (see the import procedure below for a description of the dialog).
If a project device and the AML device have the same device ID, but a different type, the project device is replaced by a device from the default or referenced libraries matching the device type in the AML APC file. This applies also, if only the device version differs.
If the AML APC file contains no version information, but the type doesn't differ then the project device is kept.
If there is no device with the same device ID as the project device in the AML APC file, the project device is removed. The removed devices will be added to the RECYCLE BIN (if enabled in the 'Extras > Options' dialog under the 'Tool | Recycle Bin' category).
A device in the AML APC file, for which no matching device can be found in the project, is added to the project (provided that the device is available in the default or standard libraries).
The AML TagTable (contains information on the variables, data types of the variables, etc.) is imported to the 'Default' group in the Data List of the controller node. The name, data type, and, if available, the comment as defined in the TagTable are transferred to the corresponding column in the Data List table. When importing, the IDs of the variables in the project and the variables in the AML APC file are compared. Here, the following applies:
- If the AML tag is linked to a channel (represents the process data item), the variable created from this tag is connected to the process data item (derived from the channel) in the Data List.
- If a variable in the project is connected to another process data item in the AML APC file, this connection is removed and the variable will be connected to the process data item defined in the AML APC file.
- A variable in the project that is not defined in the AML APC file is kept.
- If a variable in the project has the same name as a variable in the AML APC file, but a different variable ID, a new variable with the same name is added to the Data List. As variables names must be unique within their scope, an error is reported in the Error List. You must rename the variable to fix the error.
If a string property is available in multiple languages in the AML APC file, the string for the current PLCnext Engineer user interface language is imported, otherwise the default string is imported.

Note
The import of the AML APC file fails if the AML APC file contains no compatible devices contained in the default or referenced libraries or the AML APC file is invalid.

AutomationML APC export

You can export your project to an AML APC file to provide the data to other programming systems. The 'Export' command creates the AML APC file based on your project topology (PLANT structure).

The following information is exported to the AML APC file:

PLANT structure with subordinated devices.
The name of the device in the AML APC file is exported from the 'AML APC station name' property of the controller (indicated in the controller's 'Settings' editor under the 'Identity' group).
Variables with assigned process data items.
The variables and the assigned process data items from the controller's Data List are exported. For each variable a tag is created in the TagTable in the AML APC file. The tag name equals the name of the variable. For each variable, the data type and comment settings are transferred to the AML APC file.

What do you want to do?

Import an AutomationML file to an opened project

Open the project into which you want to import the AML APC file.
Select 'File > Import > Import AutomationML APC...'. The 'Open' dialog appears.
In the 'Open' dialog, select the AML APC file (*.aml) you want to import and click 'Open'.

If a device cannot be assigned uniquely by its type and version to a device within the default libraries or referenced libraries, the following dialog appears:

The dialog shows, on the left side, a preview of the topology hierarchy that will be imported to your project. For each device, the read-only 'Action' column indicates the type of operation that is applied on the device when importing. The actions have the following meaning:

Action Description

Empty column The project device matches the AML device. Only the data of the device instance in the PLANT will be updated.

'Add' There is no project device matching the AML device. A new device instance will be added to the project.

'Remove' There is no device in the AML APC file which matches the device from the project. This device will be removed from the project.

'Replace' The project device matches the AML device, but they have different types or versions. The project device will be replaced with the type definition matching the AML information.

'Move' There is a device in the project matching the AML device, but they have different parent devices. The project device will be moved to the parent defined by the AML APC file.

'Position' There is a device in the project matching the AML device under the same parent, but at a different position/slot. It will be moved to the position defined by the AML APC file.

'???' No type definition matching the AML information can be found. The device will not be imported

Action	Description
Empty column	The project device matches the AML device. Only the data of the device instance in the PLANT will be updated.
'Add'	There is no project device matching the AML device. A new device instance will be added to the project.
'Remove'	There is no device in the AML APC file which matches the device from the project. This device will be removed from the project.
'Replace'	The project device matches the AML device, but they have different types or versions. The project device will be replaced with the type definition matching the AML information.
'Move'	There is a device in the project matching the AML device, but they have different parent devices. The project device will be moved to the parent defined by the AML APC file.
'Position'	There is a device in the project matching the AML device under the same parent, but at a different position/slot. It will be moved to the position defined by the AML APC file.
'???'	No type definition matching the AML information can be found. The device will not be imported

With an activated checkbox in the 'Online' column it is indicated that the device from the AML APC file has been correctly identified. The 'Online details' on the right provides read-only information about a selected device retrieved from the AML APC file.

From the 'Type' list on the left, select the device(s) and child device(s) to be used instead of the device(s) defined in the AML APC file as shown in the following figure.

Click 'OK' to start the import. (With 'Cancel' the dialog is closed and nothing is imported.) After the import, check the Error List for any errors occurred during the import operation and correct the errors if necessary.

Export the project to an AutomationML file