# Reading ControlLogix String Tags **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [November 2, 2023, 12:50pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-controllogix-string-tags/81375 "2023-11-02T12:50:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Simen\_Minerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Simen\_Minerd](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Simen_Minerd)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 12:50pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-controllogix-string-tags/81375/1 "2023-11-02T12:50:39Z")
I know there are lots of topics related to read string tags, I read lots of them, I still cannot not get it to work. When I read a controllgoix String tag, ignition creates a LEN tag and a DATA folder(PLC a String data type is actually a LEN tag as DINT, and DATA array of 82 SINT). In the DATA Folder, the data array element is "short" data type, it is actually showing ASCII number. Why can ignition read PLC String tag as string? Does anybody know if Ignition has built in tool to read PLC string tag? Has anybody find a reliable way to convert it into a tag? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 12:52pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-controllogix-string-tags/81375/2 "2023-11-02T12:52:58Z")
Used drag-n-drop, did you? Try creating an OPC tag with datatype = string and configure the OPC Item Path to that string address. ---
**Author:** ![Felipe\_CRM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Felipe\_CRM](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Felipe_CRM)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 1:16pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-controllogix-string-tags/81375/3 "2023-11-02T13:16:40Z")
On all of the Ignition versions I've worked with, I've never had any issue just using the "browse devices" function to import a string tag. That automatically creates the OPC tag for me and everything. This is on a ControlLogix 1756-L72S: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/8/9/899c1ade398f98b89c5c84ff2c1306413a710031.png) ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/e/9/e9f2b5ac2b8249835f3ac97f5033419124ee75dc.png) EDIT: Just tried drag-and-drop (dragging over the entire string) and it worked as well. There may be something weird going on with OP's specific setup. ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 1:20pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-controllogix-string-tags/81375/4 "2023-11-02T13:20:32Z")
Which driver and what version of Ignition are you using? ---
**Author:** ![Simen\_Minerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Simen\_Minerd](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Simen_Minerd)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 1:40pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-controllogix-string-tags/81375/5 "2023-11-02T13:40:03Z")
My does not come in as String single tag. I comes as a folder. ---
**Author:** ![Simen\_Minerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Simen\_Minerd](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Simen_Minerd)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 1:41pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-controllogix-string-tags/81375/6 "2023-11-02T13:41:39Z")
Ignition 8.1 and OPC-DA COM. I am reading simulator tag, it should not mater. all other normal data type are OK, except string. ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 1:42pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-controllogix-string-tags/81375/7 "2023-11-02T13:42:17Z")
> [@Simen\_Minerd](#): > > Ignition 8.1 and OPC-DA COM. I am reading simulator tag Err, what? Okay so not using one of our drivers at all then? In this case it's entirely up to the server you are connected to how a String is modeled. ---
**Author:** ![Simen\_Minerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Simen\_Minerd](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Simen_Minerd)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 1:42pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-controllogix-string-tags/81375/8 "2023-11-02T13:42:29Z")
The problem is it come in as folder, and breaks array in to tags. ---
**Author:** ![Felipe\_CRM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Felipe\_CRM](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Felipe_CRM)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 1:43pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-controllogix-string-tags/81375/9 "2023-11-02T13:43:23Z")
Is there some reason you are unable to use one of the Logix drivers to connect to the PLC? What model and firmware version is it? ---
**Author:** ![Simen\_Minerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Simen\_Minerd](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Simen_Minerd)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 1:44pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-controllogix-string-tags/81375/10 "2023-11-02T13:44:14Z")
I also have connection as device, it is showing the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Simen\_Minerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Simen\_Minerd](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Simen_Minerd)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 1:44pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-controllogix-string-tags/81375/11 "2023-11-02T13:44:58Z")
It is not a PLC, it is the Emulator, just OPC tags from Emulator. ---
**Author:** ![Simen\_Minerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Simen\_Minerd](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Simen_Minerd)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 1:45pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-controllogix-string-tags/81375/12 "2023-11-02T13:45:54Z")
I might have to give up the idea of passing strings from PLC. I can just type the text in Ignition. ---
**Author:** ![Felipe\_CRM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Felipe\_CRM](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Felipe_CRM)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 1:47pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-controllogix-string-tags/81375/13 "2023-11-02T13:47:29Z")
> [@pturmel](#): > > Try creating an OPC tag with datatype = string and configure the OPC Item Path to that string address @Simen_Minerd have you tried this yet? It's a little more work but shouldn't be too bad if it works. You should still be able to copy the OPC path from the OPC browser panel, as well. Unfortunately I'm guessing your options are pretty limited with RSLogix Emulate, see the following post: > [@OPC to Emulate, still looking for answers](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/opc-to-emulate-still-looking-for-answers/80088/3): > > Keep in mind that Logix Emulate (all versions) does not listen for EtherNet/IP connections. You must make an OPC connection, not a native driver connection. Rockwell's new Logix Echo emulator does listen for EtherNet/IP connections and can be reached with Ignition's native driver. (And my new one, fwiw.) If you need to emulate older firmware, and are trying to truly replicate what will happen with the native driver in the future real application, you probably want to use SoftLogix, not Emulat… ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 1:48pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-controllogix-string-tags/81375/14 "2023-11-02T13:48:49Z")
> [@pturmel](#): > > Try creating an OPC tag with datatype = string and configure the OPC Item Path to that string address > [@Felipe\_CRM](#): > > have you tried this yet? I would expect this to work with a direct driver connect, but probably not with the OPC COM connection. With a direct driver connection the String shouldn't show up as a folder in the OPC browse. ---
**Author:** ![Simen\_Minerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Simen\_Minerd](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Simen_Minerd)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 1:49pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-controllogix-string-tags/81375/15 "2023-11-02T13:49:06Z")
I used the Default Loopback driver to connect to Emulator, it shows the same thin. It could be the communication model is use. ---
**Author:** ![Simen\_Minerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Simen\_Minerd](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Simen_Minerd)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 1:50pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-controllogix-string-tags/81375/16 "2023-11-02T13:50:09Z")
It could be the communication model issue. ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 1:50pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-controllogix-string-tags/81375/17 "2023-11-02T13:50:13Z")
You're not understanding me. Ignition's OPC UA server has "drivers" to connect to different PLCs, including Logix. You are apparently not using one of those, but rather using an OPC COM connection to the RSLinx? OPC server. This is fine, because most people can't seem to get connections to Emulate to work, and it's not clear whether they are even supported (see recent thread about this by @pdixon ) ---
**Author:** ![Simen\_Minerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Simen\_Minerd](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Simen_Minerd)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 1:53pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-controllogix-string-tags/81375/18 "2023-11-02T13:53:40Z")
Yes, I am connected to RSLinx OPC server. ---
**Author:** ![Felipe\_CRM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Felipe\_CRM](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Felipe_CRM)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 1:53pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-controllogix-string-tags/81375/19 "2023-11-02T13:53:48Z")
Browsing through that thread (I notice you've been on there as well, Simen), I saw that @pturmel and @jlandwerlen managed to get a direct driver to work as long as Emulate was v32 or higher: > [@OPC to Emulate, still looking for answers](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/opc-to-emulate-still-looking-for-answers/80088/43): > > @pdixon, I know your question is about making OPC connections to RS Emulate, but I'm going to answer the question about making native Ignition driver connections to RS Emulate. Reviewing my first comment in this topic, I am happy to report that I was wrong. Necessary software, with versions I confirmed to work. Newer versions are expected to work: RSLogix\_Emulate5000 (install folder) aka "Studio 5000 Logix Emulate" (as shown in Control Panel Apps list), v32. FactoryTalk Linx, v6.11 R… If you could get that setup working you'd be in the clear. ---
**Author:** ![Simen\_Minerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Simen\_Minerd](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Simen_Minerd)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2023, 1:54pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-controllogix-string-tags/81375/20 "2023-11-02T13:54:25Z")
Mine is vs32. [Next page](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/reading-controllogix-string-tags/81375.md?page=2)