6 - The Resources

6.12Target Settings

The "Target Settings" is an object of the 'Resources'. Here you define, which target shall be used for the project and how it will be configured. If a new project is started with 'Project' 'New', a dialog will open where the target, that means a predefined configuration for a target, has to be set.

The list of available targets depends on which Target Support Packages (TSP) are installed on the computer. These describe platform specific basic configurations and also define, to which extent the configuration can be modified by the user in the CoDeSys Target settings dialogs.

Please regard: If no TSP is available, only the setting 'None' will be offered in the target system selection box. This will switch to simulation mode automatically and no configuration settings will be possible.

Target-Support-Package

A Target Support Package (TSP) must be installed before starting by the aid of the installation program InstallTarget which might be part of the CoDeSys-Setup.

A Target Support Package (TSP) contains all the files and configuration information necessary to control a standard platform with a program created in CoDeSys. What has to be configured: codegenerator, memory layout, PLC functionality, I/O modules. In addition libraries, gateway drivers, ini-files for error messaging and PLC browser have to be linked. The central component of a TSP is one or more Target files. A Target file directs to the files which are in addition necessary to configure the target. It is possible that several target files share these additional files.

The default extension for a Target file is *.trg, the format is binary. Additive definitions are attached to the entries in the target file which determine whether the user can see and edit the settings in the CoDeSys dialogs.

During installation of a TSP the target file for each target is put to a separate directory and the path is registered. The associated files are copied to the computer according to the information of a Info file *.tnf . The name of the target directory is the same as the targets name. It is recommended to store the target specific files in a directory which is named with the manufacturers name.

The files which get installed with a TSP are read when CoDeSys is started. The target settings which are done in the CoDeSys dialogs will be saved with the project.

Please note: If you use a new target file or if you have changed the existing one, CoDeSys has to be restarted to read the updated version.

Dialog Target Settings

The dialog Target Settings will open automatically, when a new project is created. It also can be opened by selecting the menu item 'Target Settings' in the register 'Resources' in the Object Organizer.

Choose one of the target configurations offered at Configuration.

If no Target Support Package has been installed, only 'None' can be selected, which means working in simulation mode. If you choose one of the installed configurations it depends on the entries in the target files, which possibilities are left to customize this configuration in the CoDeSys dialogs. If you choose a target configuration, for which there exists no valid licence on the computer, CoDeSys asks you to choose another target.

If a configuration is selected, which is provided with the entry "HideSettings" in the corresponding target file, you only can see the name of the configuration. Otherwise there are five dialogs available to modify the given configuration:

1.Target Platform

2.Memory Layout

3.General

4.Networkfunctionality

5.Visualization