Table of Contents

MP STUDIO 2 Phase 1 · Create Your First Project

한국어 | English

This page is for first-time users of MP STUDIO 2. You will select a model in a new project, create a rung in which output P32 turns ON when input P0 is ON, and then save it, set up communication, download it and monitor it.

Software Model used Result
MP STUDIO 2 MPS-8A8R(T)-S P0 NO contact → P32 output coil

Workflow from creating the first project to checking it on the device

1. Before You Start

Have the following ready:

We recommend disconnecting the output loads the first time, while you write and download the program. If you do not have a device, you can run the same circuit on your PC with Phase 8 · Simulation.

2. The First Screen

When the program starts, ① an empty ladder opens. The top band has ② the file and tool buttons and ③ the device pill, and the row below it has ④ the menus and ⑤ the program tabs. Choose contacts and coils from ⑥ the symbol rail on the left, and check the selected cell in ⑦ the Inspector on the right.

Figure 1. The empty ladder that opens at first launch

The first time you run the program, a notice about error reports is shown once. When an error occurs, diagnostic information (logs and system info) is sent to the developer automatically; a project file is sent only if you attach it yourself to a problem report. You can turn this off at any time with Help → Send Error Reports Automatically.

To look at the bundled example program first, select Project → Open Example.

3. New Project and Model Selection

  1. Select Project → New Project or press Ctrl+N. If you have unsaved changes, choose whether to save them in the confirmation window.
  2. Select Setting → Device or click the Devices button in the top band to open the Device Select window.
  3. Under ① the series buttons, select MPS.
  4. Under ② Model, select MPS-8A8R(T)-S.
  5. Check that ③ Device Name and ④ P Area have changed to the selected model, and click ⑤ OK.

Figure 2. The Device Select window with MPS-8A8R(T)-S selected

When you change the series, the option Reset the data memory sizes to this model's defaults. appears. If you check it, the memory area sizes change to the defaults of the new model; if you leave it unchecked, the current settings are kept.

A new project takes over the model setting of the previous project. Check the model shown in the device pill in the top band to make sure it matches your actual device. Changing the model also changes the available I/O addresses and memory sizes.

4. Placing the P0 Contact and P32 Coil

Select a cell on the ladder canvas first, then press a function key or a symbol rail button to place an element in that cell.

  1. Click the first cell of the first row.
  2. Press F2 or click ① F2 (NO) on the symbol rail to place an NO contact.
  3. Press Enter or double-click the cell to open the Edit Contact window, enter P0 in Address and click OK.
  4. Press → to select the second cell and press F9 to place an output coil. The coil is placed at the right end of the row, and the contact and coil are joined with a horizontal line automatically.
  5. On the coil cell, press Enter to open the Edit Coil window and enter P32 as the address.

Figure 3. Entering P0 as the contact address in the Edit Contact window

If you start typing an address such as P0 directly on an empty cell, the Insert Contact (NO) window opens, and clicking OK places an NO contact with that address.

Figure 4. A rung with the P0 contact and the P32 output coil

The ① F2 button does the same as the F2 key. In ② the finished rung, check that the contact and coil addresses are correct. If an address does not exist on the model or has the wrong format, the cell turns red. While there is a red cell you can neither download nor monitor, so correct the address. For example, the I/O addresses available on MPS-8A8R(T)-S are P0 to P9 and P32 to P39.

5. Saving

  1. Select Project → Save Project or press Ctrl+S.
  2. The first time you save, choose the location and file name in the window that opens. The project is saved as an .mpl file.
  3. Check that the document name in the top band has changed to the file name you saved.

To save under a different name, use Ctrl+Alt+S (Save As).

6. Communication Port Setup

  1. Connect the device to the PC with the download cable, and check the COM number under Device Manager → Ports (COM & LPT) in Windows. If the port does not appear, install the driver listed in the product table and reconnect the cable.
  2. Select Setting → Communication Port or click the Communication button in the top band.
  3. Under ① Channel, select the COM port you found. If it is not in the list, click ② Refresh port list on the right to read the port list again.
  4. Click ③ OK to save the setting.

Figure 5. Selecting the download channel in the Communication Setting window

The communication port setting is saved with the project. Ethernet connections and the serial channel modes are described in Phase 6.

7. Download

  1. Click Download on the right of the top band or select Run → Download. The shortcut is Ctrl+T.
  2. The program check, conversion to device code, the device firmware version check and the transfer run in turn, and the progress is shown in a progress window.
  3. Do not turn off the device or disconnect the cable during the transfer.
  4. The download has finished when the Download complete window appears. Click Monitoring in this window to start monitoring right away.

Figure 6. Download sequence

Caution: Ctrl+T downloads the program to the device immediately, without a confirmation window. First make sure the communication port is the device you intend to connect to.

8. Checking Operation with Monitoring

  1. Click Monitoring in the top band or press Ctrl+M.
  2. Check that ① the device pill shows the monitoring state and the scan time (SCAN).
  3. When a signal arrives at P0, ② the P0 contact changes to the power-flow color, and when P32 turns on, ③ the P32 self-holding contact and the P32 coil are also shown in the power-flow color.
  4. To stop monitoring, press Esc or Ctrl+M.

Figure 7. The ladder with input P0 ON and P32 in the power-flow color (the bundled example running in simulation)

Figure 7 shows the bundled example (Project → Open Example) running in simulation. Monitoring a real device uses the same colors, and the device pill shows Monitoring · port.

9. First Project Shortcuts

Shortcut Action
Ctrl+N New Project
F2 Place an NO contact
F9 Place an output coil
Enter Edit the selected cell
Ctrl+S Save Project
Ctrl+T Download
Ctrl+M Turn monitoring on or off

10. Completion Check

You have completed Phase 1 when all of the following are true:

Following Along with Other Models

Model First digital input First digital output
MPS-8A4R(T)-S · MPS-8A8R(T)-S · MPS-8A8R · MPS-16A8R(T) · MPS-16A16R(T) · MPS-16A8R8T P0 P32
MPA-8A8R(T) to MPA-32A32R(T) P0 P32
MPA-48A48R(T) · MPA-64A64R(T) P0 P64
MPS-16A8R(T)-R2 P0 P20

For the I/O addresses of your model, see Phase 5 · Memory and Symbols and the product page.

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