Focus is on user friendliness

As the performance capability of a system grows, so do the requirements of its user friendliness. This is the only means of ensuring the usability of the system. With SCOUT, the engineering system for SIMOTION, particular emphasis has therefore been placed on user friendliness:

• The engineering for Motion Control, PLC and technology as well as the drive configuration and commissioning are all performed in the same manner in the same engineering environment.
• All tasks are largely resolved in a graphical manner: Configuring, programming, testing and commissioning.
• Intuitive operation, context-sensitive help functions and automatic consistency checks make engineering easier, especially for those users who are new to Motion Control programming.
• All the tools that are associated with the SCOUT engineering system are integrated, giving a uniform Look & Feel.

The SCOUT engineering system supports you step-by-step, making the engineering easy and efficient.

SCOUT can be used in SIMATIC STEP 7, either with standardized data management and configuring procedures, or as a stand-alone engineering tool (SCOUT Stand-Alone).

SCOUT TIA (SIMOTION in the TIA Portal) is available as an optional package for TIA Portal V13 and above and is included in the scope of supply of SCOUT.

Programming for everyone

The following options can be selected for programming SIMOTION with the SCOUT engineering system:

• Graphic programming with Motion Control Chart (MCC)
• Graphic programming with Drive Control Chart (DCC); (not for SCOUT TIA)
• Ladder logic (LAD)/Function block diagram (FBD), often used as PLC programming languages
• High-level language Structured Text (ST), including object-oriented programming

In addition to motion control commands (e.g. referencing of axis), commands for I/O access, logic and calculations, subroutine calls and control of the program flow are also available.

Complex motion relationships are also easy to set up using the graphical cam editors.

Central management with integrated tools

All the data for your complete machine can be managed in a single project: Configuration data, programs, movement profiles and drive data.

The appropriate tools are then called from the central project management, e.g. for entering a cam or for commissioning a drive.

Test and diagnostics

SCOUT supports the testing, commissioning and error diagnostics of SIMOTION applications with a series of tools, such as those providing program status, control variables, trace, and the axis control panel.

SIMOSIM integrated simulation

SIMOTION V5.1 features SIMOSIM, a runtime simulation feature integrated into the engineering system. The virtual test environment allows the testing of user programs without hardware needing to be connected. This makes it possible to optimize program parts at an early phase of development, reducing subsequent commissioning times.