SoMachine V4.

1
How to make a project with
SoMachine?
By DUBOIS Julien

Dont forget, I decline all responsibilities on your installation

of SoMachine and your utilisation too. I am not the god of
SoMachine and I cant to say it. I am not the master. I give you
the ways to make little program after, you should practice
again and again if you want really discover all the
functionalities. So good luck and courage if you want to
continue to see this slideshow.
And I use the french version of SoMachine. Cause I am french.

You should to open SoMachine if you want to really learn how to male a
project

So lets go.

Table of content
1.
2.
3.

What is SoMachine
What are the controllers who could be use with
SoMachine?
The basics: how to make a project.

SoMachine
SoMachine is a Schneider's software. We can make controller
program with this in Grafcet, Ladder etc....
I wiill show you how to use it, the basics to begining.
And in the time, we complexify the lesson.

Controller software?
We can program a controller with that.
We can program only the Schneider's controller in those
different version:

TM221
TM241
TM251
Etc...

I don't write all of sub-products of this controllers, they are so

many.

The Basics
I am going to show you pictures of the software. The first
window, how you make a project, configure it and I dont say
anymore.

After the installation

of the sofware or for
your first utilisation,
you arrive on this first
window.
We find areas.

We have 5 areas, the

last part is in the top of
the window, its the
main menu, you can to
make a new project,
open an old project,
save, save as,
configuration, connect
to an API and the help
section.
You see Logic Builder,
Vijeo-designer etc
They are shortcuts for 2
Windows this and after
this. After this main
menu disappear for
another menu.

The last area

1
4
3

1.

You find the

project of you did.
You can to
connect the
controller to the
PC make a new
project or open a
project on your
computer.

1
4
3

2.

The news come

from Schneider, if
you want to read,
its your choice.

1
4
3

3.

On this area you

will find the
projects what you
will make with
SoMachine. The
name, the date of
last modifying and
his path.

1
4
3

4.

Here you can find

some information
on the project, if
you have one.

1
4
3

When you choose

New Project (Nouveau
Projet), you arrive on
this window.
They let you the choice
of how you want to
make a project.
If its the first time,
choose Use the
assistant, else choose
Blank Project.
I dont know the others
choice, I cant say you
what they do.

This is the Window

assistant.

You have 3 main areas on

this screen.
1.
2.

3.

You write the name

of the project
You choose the
langage of
programmation. You
can modify later if
you want but I want
you choose SFC (It
looks like Grafcet)
You choose your
controller, if you
have one of them,
find him.

And you can make the

project.

1
2

In fact, when you chose

make a project with the
assistant, you chose the
configuration of the
project, what is your
controller for example.

Now, choose
Controller. Its time
to program.
The progressbar
on the bottom of
the window show
you what does he
do.

Maybe you have to wait, but after you arrive here.

On the top-left of the screen, you

have the navigation window of your
project.
If you drop the file tree, you have
MAST and MaPOU.
MAST contains the programs who
will be execut in the controller. So
if you make a Grafcet (or SFC) and
if you want to test him in the
software or in the controller, don't
forget to add it in the MAST
directory.
MaPOU is the name of the prpgram who will be in the controller or test in the software. You can to remove it
or let it here,

You have GVL and MaPOU.

GVL contains all variables make by you. If you want make a
variable, go on GVL, open it and you write the variable, his
type, his name and if he contains a value or not.
If you open MaPOU (PRG) you can modify the program.
Note: I am going to show you how to make more than 1
program in the software. Each program that I will show you
are in SFC, not ladder or other programmation langage
support in SoMachine.

So, this is MaPOU program. It's look like a Grafcet but

it is in SFC.
It has the same syntax like Grafcet, we need a init
step. SoMachine calls them Init. It's usefull because
you know where the program begin.

I continue with the toolsbar. He contains all of

the function that we need to make SFC
program.
I am going to present from the left to the right
the buttons, what do they do, and a picture at
the end to show you a example of each button.

I begin with this 3 buttons. They let you make

actions to the steps. Personnaly I never use
this functions. But when the program arrive to a
Step, maybe we have to say what has he do at
the entry of the step or at the end before to go
to the next step.

The 2 next buttons let you make Steps. Before

or after the actual Step you are.

With the first button, you make a Step

before the actual Step, here Ii make a
new step before the Init step. And
SoMachine make automatically a
transitionn between the new step and
the actual step.

The second button make a step

before the actual step. Its the
same function. But he makes a
step after.
Note: To make a real step after
the Init step or after the step you
want, select the transition, not the
step you want to make a step
after. Else SoMachine makes a
step after the step you want but
the transition isnt respect like in
this picture, Trans0 should to be
after Init, not after Step0 the new
step. Dont forget.

This 2 next button let you make a OR/AND

branch.
SoMachine begin to make a OR branch. If
you want to make a AND branch,

Right click of the mouse and

select the OR/AND branch.
Here in french,
OR=Alternatif
AND= Parallle

To add an action to a Step, select

the Step and click on Insert an
action.

You can add many actions as you want

with the other button.

You can modify the type of

the action. D for Delay etc
Click on the 3 points at the
right of the new textbox to
choose an other type of
action

And thats it. The software is in your hand.

In the next slideshow I show you an example of program.
After, it
See you soon.
The next slideshow will present you how to write variables, use them in
SFC. Make more than 1 SFC program and how to simulate the program.