What's New in Studio 5000 Version 37?

Rockwell Automation's Studio 5000 version 37 was released on the 1st of October 2024.

In this post, I'll walk you through the new features and improvements that have been made with this release.

Let's start by looking at the changes made to the Help system.

Online Help in Studio 5000 Logix Designer

In this version of Studio 5000, you know have the option to access Online Help. The advantage of Online Help is that you get the latest documentation and support resources, not the documentation that was shipped with Studio 5000 Logix Designer.

When you access the Help system, you will be prompted to select local or online help:

Its important to note that Local Help is still available and will continue to be updated with each new release of Studio 5000 so you won't be stuck if you are onsite with no internet.

By default, Local Help is enabled. You can switch to Online Help in the workstation options menu.

Instruction Toolbox in Studio 5000 Logix Designer

Another major usability change to Studio 5000 version 37 is the introduction of an Instruction Toolbox which replaces the Program Element Toolbar.

Just like the Program Elements Toolbar, the Instruction Toolbox groups program elements logically in folders. The Instruction Toolbox also introduces a search bar which makes it easy to find specific instructions.

If you prefer the Program Elements Toolbar, it can still be reactivated in the software.

The Instruction Toolbar is an effort by Rockwell Automation to standardize the user interface and experience across its applications. As you can see in the image below, the Instruction Toolbox in Studio 5000 is aligned with the Instruction Toolbox in other Rockwell Automation products like FactoryTalk View Studio and Studio 5000 View Designer.

Enhanced OPC UA Workflow

Studio 5000 version 37 also changes the way OPC UA is enabled in a project.

As you might remember, OPC UA support was introduced with Studio 5000 version 36 and required the use of MSG instructions to enable the OPC UA client and server functionality.

As of Studio 5000 version 37, you no longer need to use MSG instructions to enable a controller's OPC UA functionality. Instead, OPC UA functionality is enabled directly in the controller's properties.

This is good because it means that the status of the OPC UA functionality will show up in comparison reports and is more transparent when troubleshooting or debugging.

Service Edition

As of version 37, the previously retired Studio 5000 Service Edition is back.

This is an edition of Studio 5000 with very limited functionality that is designed specifically for maintenance staff and technicians who need to view, upload, and download projects but not write or modify code.

The Service Edition of Studio 5000 Logix Designer has primarily been introduced to support the use of the Studio 5000 Logix Designer SDK (which I'll talk about in the next section). The Service Edition of Studio 5000 Logix Designer let's you use all of the SDK's functions without buying a Studio 5000 Professional Edition License.

Studio 5000 Logix Designer SDK

Release in parallel with Studio 5000 version 37, is the Studio 5000 Logix Designer SDK version 2. This Software Development Kit allows you to automate your Studio 5000 Logix Designer workflows using external applications.

With version 2 of the SDK, you can develop a .NET application with C# that can;

• Open and Save projects as ACD, L5x, or L5k files
• Perform partial Import/Export of project components like Tasks, Programs, Routines, Rungs, Add-On Instruction's, UDTs, Tags with Alarms, Trends, and Devices
• Create new projects
• Build a project
• Change a controller's type
• Upgrade a project
• Perform safety-related functions like Safety Lock/unlock, Generate/Remove Safety Signature

Logix SIS 

Studio 5000 version 37 contains the initial roll out of Rockwell Automations Safety Instrumented System.

The main improvement in Studio 5000 version 37 is that GuardLogix controllers can be used in a redundant configuration. Just like with standard controllers, redundancy is enabled with a checkbox in the Controller Properties dialog.

Wrap Up

Studio 5000 Logix Designer version 37 has introduced some usability improvements but no major changes.

Personally, I think the most exciting aspect of this release is the updated SDK which will enable companies to implement automated code generation and testing more easily.