Object: IEC Symbol Publishing

The IEC Symbol Publishing object contains an editor for configuring variables and IEC data types from the project for publishing via an OPC UA Server. A group of symbols can be compiled and configured for each created object.

The editor is a newer alternative to the already known editor for the Symbol Configuration.

Use the Add Object dialog to attach one or more IEC Symbol Publishing objects below an OPC UA Server object below the Communication Manager. You can change the object name, for example to webvisu, if the symbols are to be used for exchange with a web visualization.

Editor: IEC Symbol Publishing

Function: Configuration of a symbol set for exchange via OPC UA

Call: Double click or Edit Object command on the desired <name of IEC symbol publishing> object in the device tree

The editor consists of two tabs: On the IEC Symbol Editor tab, you configure the symbol set to be published from individual variables from the project. On the Symbol Type Editor tab, you work with whole data types, such as GVL and FB.

Note that the editor works with variables and types from the precompile state of the project. If changes are made to variables or types in the project, then it can create inconsistencies with the current configuration in the symbol publishing editor. They are indicated at the relevant places in the editor by icons of the type error, warning, or information. A tooltip on the icon provides more information about the inconsistency and a possible fix. The tooltip contains at least the message text, which also appears in the message window in the IEC Symbol Publishing category.

Refresh	Refreshes the display in the editor according to the current situation in the project
Use access rights defined in the user management	: The access rights to the symbol set are taken from the current settings in the user management of the controller.

Tab: IEC Symbols Editor

On this tab of the editor, you configure individual variables from the application as symbols to be published. You do this by dragging the desired variables from the Precompile Sets from the left part of the tab to the right part, where the symbols can then be configured.

Precompile Sets	The tree structure shows all variables which are already available for publication in the project before compilation. To do this, the project scans the following: <device>.<application>: Project POUs below the device application Libraries: Integrated libraries Pool: Project POUs in the POUs view A list of excluded types can be found in the tooltip after the Why does variable not appear icon.
Sync	This button is operable as long as there are inconsistencies between the current symbol configuration and the project. In this case you will see icons of the type error, warning, or information. After correcting the inconsistencies, synchronize the editor with the project again.
	The display of information about the configured symbols can be filtered. In the list after , you select which table columns are to be displayed. When you enter a string in the search field, the search hits are highlighted in yellow in the table.
Table of configured symbols	Information about the individual symbols, depending on the set filter: Symbol: Variable name (example: `iVar`) Path: Variable path, example. `PLC_PRG.iVar`, `PLC_PRG.fb1_inst` IEC type: IEC data type of the variable (example: `INT`, `FB1`) Symbol Type (Exported Type Name): Name of the symbol under which it will appear after export. In the case of structured types, the instance can be selected here. Access Rights: Permissions to the symbol. Example: Read/Write Comment: Comment stored in the application code

Tab: Symbol Type Editor

On this tab of the editor, you configure entire "symbol types" for publishing. To do this, you drag the desired IEC Data Types from the left part of the window to the right side into the configuration table. Then there you can configure for each symbol type in detail which of its components should be exported with which access rights and with which name.

You can also filter the display in this table via and search for strings.

Symbol Type (Exported Type Name)	The name of the symbol type dragged from IEC data types can be edited. It is used after export as defined here.
Members	The button opens the Data type members of <symbol type> dialog (see above).
IEC Type	IEC data type as defined in the project (example: `Color`)

Dialog: Data type members of <symbol type>.

Call: button on the IEC Symbol Type Editor tab in the Members

In this dialog, you select which members of the symbol type in question should be exported as symbols. You can define a name for each member under which it will be exported, including the access rights.

Export	: The member is exported as a symbol.
Exported Name	Default: Member name (IEC Name) from the project; can be edited
IEC Name	Member name from the project
IEC Type	IEC data type of the member (example: `INT`)
Symbol Type (Exported Type Name)	Name of the data type to which the member belongs (example: `Color`)
Access Rights	Access right to the symbol (Read, Write, Read/Write)

Above the table, there are filter and search options, just like on the editor tabs described above.

Tab: Alarm Group Editor

Tip

This functionality is available in CODESYS Communication version 4.6.0.0 (and higher) and CODESYS Development System version 3.5.21.0 (and higher).

On this tab, you define which alarm groups are published with this symbol set via OPC UA. Only alarm groups that have the ACK_REP acknowledgment method can be published via OPC UA.

Sync	The display is refreshed.
Export	A file with information about the alarms available via OPC UA is exported. Possible file formats: `.json`, `.csv`
Alarm groups (left)	Display of the alarm groups of the application
Alarm groups (right)	The alarm groups displayed here are published with the symbol set via OPC UA. You can map alarm groups in this area by dragging the alarm groups from the Alarm groups area on the left into this area. Note: Only alarms that have the `ACK_REP` acknowledgment method can be published via OPC UA. If alarms in an alarm group do not have the `ACK_REP` acknowledgement method, then this is displayed in the tooltip.

For more information, see: IEC Symbol Set Configuration