Starting via the program icon

 All devices found are displayed in the search results area.

 Devices can be added to the project from the search results window by double-clicking,
dragging & dropping or using the "Add" button
 If only one device is found, it is automatically added to the project.
Starting via the project icon
 The saved project is opened exactly as it was saved
 All interfaces are searched for connected devices.
 If devices are found as they were saved in the project (same types, same addresses,
same FW versions), work on the project can continue
 If deviations from the saved version are identified in the search results and these result
in the devices not being able to be connected in the normal way, please change to the
Topology view and click on the Reassign connections button.
Quick search after starting
On startup, regardless of how a project was started, the Ethernet and USB interfaces are
always tested for connected devices and all devices found are displayed in the search
results window.
A double-click on the program icon starts SOPAS ET, opening a new project.

1. A quick search for connected devices is carried out via the Ethernet, USB and IO-Link
interface.
2. The progress bar indicates how far advanced the process is. The x symbol to the right of
the progress bar allows the search process to be closed prematurely.
3. All devices found are listed in the search results window. If they have a topology, this
will be displayed.

The devices found can be added from the search results area to the project using drag &
drop, by double-clicking, via the Enter key, or using the Add icon. They still remain in the
search results, but will be grayed out.
Devices can only be parameterized, configured and monitored if they have been added to
the project. No actions can be carried out on the device in the search results window.
1. Any devices found can be selected in the search results window. Selecting multiple
devices is also possible. This is done in the same way as in Windows with Ctrl+A (Select
All), Ctrl+mouse, Shift+mouse or Shift+arrow up/down key.
2. Selected devices can be added from the search results window to the project using drag
& drop, by double-clicking, via the Enter key, or via the Add icon. The devices are still
displayed in the search results.

Devices can only be parameterized, configured and monitored if they have been added to
the project. No actions can be carried out on the device in the search results window.
One or more devices can be added to the project at the same time.

1. To do this, highlight one or more devices in the search results window and then click on
the Enter key
2. The Task window appears
3. The selected devices are added to the project one after the other
1. To parameterize a device, double-click on the desired device. The device window
showing all the device parameters will be opened. Here, you can carry out the
parameterization, load parameters to or from the device, or monitor parameter values.

The parameter values are retained in the project even if you close the device window.

Only when the main window is closed will you be made aware that
 parameters must be permanently stored in the device (not applicable to all devices).
 parameter values will be lost if the project has not yet been saved.
After SOPAS ET was started, no devices were found, even though they have been
connected.

Some devices do not support an AutoIP mechanism or they are downstream of a router
that is blocking the AutoIP broadcast. Others can be connected via serial interfaces that are
not verified by the default quick search. In this case, please observe the notice window.

The recommended procedure is as follows:

1. Click on the Search settings... button.
2. The dialog box for configuring the device search is displayed. Follow the instructions.
The Device family oriented search is recommended.
More detailed information on the search settings can be found in the Main Window –
Search Results/Search Settings Wizard section
If devices are connected via Ethernet, it can often be the case that although they were
found by the device search, their IP addresses do not match the IP address of the PC being
used. If these devices are added to the project from the search results window, they will be
displayed as shown above.
1. The IP address of the device can be changed automatically or manually using the Edit
icon. This icon only appears if the appropriate device has been found via the AutoIP
mechanism. Alternatively, you can click on the Edit IP address message in the status bar
of the device tile.
Clicking on the icon displays the TCP/IP Settings dialog box, where you can change the
IP address of the device either automatically or manually.
2. If the Automatic button is pressed, the network is checked for used IP addresses. An
unused and suitable IP address is suggested. The suggested IP address is transferred to
the device by clicking OK.
3. An IP address can be assigned manually. However, when doing so, it is important to
make sure that the address to be assigned is not yet in use and matches the IP address
of the PC. If the manually assigned IP address does not match, it will no longer be
possible to go online.
Confirm storage of the IP address by clicking OK.
4. If the IP address does not match, a note will alert you.

Note:
There are two ways of dealing with an unreachable IP address:
The device is added to the project and the IP address is adjusted. The device boots up. You
can then continue to work with the device. For more information about assigning IP
addresses, refer to the section Main Window – Search Results/Non-reachable devices.
However, sometimes it may not be desirable to change the IP address of the device. For
example, if it is connected to a PROFINET network, its IP address must not be changed. In this
case, the IP address of the PC being used must be adjusted to that of the network.
Devices are found and displayed in the search results window regardless of whether a
driver is available.

1. If a device, for which there is still no matching device driver, is added to the project, this
is indicated with the message Install device driver. To install the device driver, click the
message Install device driver in the footer of the device tile. The device management
window opens and guides you through the installation of the device driver.
Note:
If the device is used for the first time and the appropriate driver has never been installed, a
general SDD icon, instead of the device image, appears in the device tile. If the SDD has
previously been installed and then removed from the catalog, the device image is displayed,
as shown above, despite the fact that the SDD is not available.

2. If you try to open the device window by double-clicking on the device tile, the message
No driver installed for device … appears.

3. In the device catalog, there is the option to reload device drivers (SDD). These can be
downloaded from the Internet or from any data carrier.
Note:
SOPAS ET is downloaded and installed without a device driver.
It is recommended that SOPAS ET be started immediately after installation. After starting for
the first time, the device catalog will prompt you to download the device drivers you need.
An Internet connection is required for this operation.
There are devices that have the correct device driver on board. If such a device is used and
the driver has not yet been installed, the driver is loaded from the device as soon as the
device is added to the project from the search results window.
If devices do not support this feature, the device drivers (SDDs) must be loaded via the
device catalog (3). These can be loaded either from the Internet or from a data carrier.
For more information about handling device drivers, refer to the section Main Window –
Device Catalog/Device Management – Installation
Double-clicking on the project icon starts SOPAS ET, opening the saved project.

1. If saved devices were connected at the time of saving and were online, they will still
have the same connection properties. When opening, you will be asked if these devices
should be reconnected online. If you confirm with Yes, the devices stored in the project
file are added to the workspace one after the other and connected online.
2. The Task window shows which device is currently being added. The dialog box is closed
automatically once all devices stored in the project file have been added.
3. In this case, a quick search for connected devices is also carried out. All devices found
are listed in the search results window. Including those that are already in the project.

The devices found can be added to the project from the search results area using drag &
drop, by double-clicking, via the Enter key, or using the Add icon. If a device is already
included in the project, it cannot be added again.
If a device has more than one connection, it can be added to the project once each time it
is connected.

If the devices cannot be connected online as expected, change to the Topology view and
perform Reassign connections. (See next chapter)
If devices cannot be connected online after a project has been opened, despite the
connection information being stored, the connections must be adjusted in most
cases. This is done in an automated process in the Topology view using the
Reassign connections button.

1. Change to the Topology view (for more information, see Main Window –
Topology View)
2. Click on Reassign connections. If device windows have already been opened,
you will be prompted to close them all
3. Connections in the search results window are browsed and reassigned
4. Example:
 Devices in the project connected via COM1 and downstream via the SICK CAN
network.
 The real connection is different to that stored in the project.
 After clicking on Reassign connections, the devices saved in the project will be
assigned new connections. See next page.
The reassigned connections include the devices that are connected via Ethernet and grayed
out in the search results.

5. The assigned connection is Ethernet and CAN

6. Using the Undo and Redo buttons (to the right of the Reassign connections button), the
default suggestion can be undone or restored.
Following reassignment of the communication connections, the devices are in Offline
mode. You can switch the device online by pressing the Offline toggle switch in the
device tile.
7. The connection can be adjusted manually by clicking on the arrow key. See next page.
In addition to automatic assignment of connections, it is also possible to assign connections
manually.

1. Click on the arrow in the device tile.

2. A list of possible connections is displayed. The list only shows devices of the same type,
however the devices may have different versions. The list is compiled from the devices
found in the search results window.
Each entry in the list can be selected with a click of the mouse. Clicking on an entry in
the list reassigns the connection accordingly.
If the reassigned connection relates to a device with a different SDD version, the device
driver will be replaced. This can only be done if all device windows are closed. All device
windows must therefore be closed before reassigning the connections.
Clicking on the No connection list entry disconnects the existing connection. The device
tile then has no connection to a physical (connected) device. Going online is not
possible in this state.

Note:
For the sake of simplification, it is assumed in the case shown here that the necessary device
drivers are present in the device catalog. However, it may be the case that no device drivers
are available. Either for the devices in the project or for the devices found in the search
results. This case is shown on the following pages.
When a project is opened, you might find that no matching device drivers are present in
your SOPAS installation for either the devices stored in the project or the devices found.
The following situation is depicted in the above image:

1. Devices, for which there are still no matching device drivers in the device catalog, are
saved in the project. This is indicated by the message Install device driver displayed in
the status bar of the device tile.
2. The required device driver version can also be seen in the device tile. Comparing with
the search results window shows that the versions are different.
3. The search results include devices found with an SDD version different to the project,
for which there are also no device drivers in the device catalog. This status is not
displayed in the search results window. This information would be obtained if devices
were dragged into the project.
4. The connection information for the devices stored in the project does not correspond
with the connections of the devices found in the search results window. In the example
above, the devices stored in the project have been connected via serial interface COM1.
Locally, the devices were found via the Ethernet interface.

In the status shown above, you cannot connect the devices online or open the device
windows to parameterize devices.

5. Click on Reassign connections. The process is set out on the following pages.
6. After the Reassign connections button has been clicked, the process of reassigning the
connections starts.
7. As a result, device SDDs that are missing in the project are also determined. The list of
devices is displayed. Click on Yes to replace the SDDs.
8. The SDDs that are not yet present are listed. Click on OK.
9. The process of reassigning the connections is complete. In the project:
1. Connections were reassigned
2. SDD or, if SDDs are not present, version information is reassigned
3. The status Install device driver is set in the device tiles for which there are no
matching SDDs yet. The required SDDs can be loaded from the Internet or the device
by clicking on the status message in the device tile or via the device catalog.

Note:
For slow connections (such as serial interface or CAN), the SDD upload from the device can
take a few minutes to complete. Therefore, it is recommended that the missing SDDs be
loaded from sick.com. For this purpose, an Internet connection is required. Several SDDs can
be loaded at the same time, even from different devices, which speeds up the process
significantly compared to uploading from the device.
SOPAS is a software solution whose core component is the UDD (Uniform Device
Description). All SOPAS devices are based on the same formula, which is made up of
different device-specific entries. Such a formula is referred to as a device description and is
device-specific. Each SOPAS device has a device description. All device descriptions are
based on the same formula, which means that they all follow the same rules and their
devices have the same basic functionality.

The device description provides the following benefits:

 If a device has been modified, the changes are made in the device description so that
the data is always consistent
 No changes to SOPAS ET will be required if the device has been changed -->
independence of SOPAS ET
 All devices will be described in the same way and will therefore have the same basic
functions such as parameters, attributes, communication protocol, etc.
 As all SOPAS devices support the same communication protocol, communication
between SOPAS devices and SOPAS is implicitly incorporated
 Different software (products) such as SDD (SOPAS Device Driver, formerly JAR file), parts
of the device firmware (communication firmware and middleware), OPC servers, web
servers, etc. can be automatically generated in the same way for all SOPAS devices. Once
created, all generators and SOPAS ET functions are available for all SOPAS devices.

Another part of SOPAS is the generators. These generate software from the device-specific
device description.
Today, generators are available for:
 Generation of middleware and communication firmware for the device as C code
 Generation of Java code for device visualization (SDD)
 Generation of the namespace for the OPC server
 Generation of the web server

In addition, there is
 A wrapper to convert the SDDs into DTMs
 SCL (SOPAS Communication Library) to enable integration of SOPAS devices into
proprietary (HMI) applications.

The best-known part of the SOPAS platform is SOPAS ET (SOPAS Engineering Tool). It offers
general functions such as project management, going online and offline, device catalog,
import/export, data logger, device assignment, device comparisons, printing etc. The
framework incorporates the SDDs to allow device visualization and configuration.
The SDD (SOPAS device driver) is a software exponent of a physical device. Adding a device
to the project is the equivalent of creating an instance for an SDD.

The SDD outlines:

 The interfaces on a device
 The communication behavior of a device
 The parameters and methods adopted by a device

Parameters are defined by:

 Their type, range, names and index

Name and index:

 Names of the parameters remain identical across all firmware versions
 Indexes are automatically assigned to the parameters during the generation process and,
as such, vary from one version of an SDD to another!

NOTE:
Some devices support SDD upload. This means that the SDD is in the device and can be
loaded to the SOPAS ET device catalog immediately after a connection is established. In this
case, the SDD is not required in advance. Other devices, such as Inspector, do not have
enough memory for an SDD and therefore do not support SDD upload. In order to be able to
use such devices in the project, an SDD is required in advance. It must be installed using the
device manager in the device catalog, ideally after installation.
For slow connections, such as a serial or CAN connection, uploading the SDDs can take a
long time. In these cases, it is again recommended that the required SDDs be installed in
advance via the device catalog.
Enter "sopas" in the search bar (1)at www.sick.com.
All results for this term will appear. Click on the entry with the latest version number (2).
The download page for SOPAS ET is displayed. Click on the Download button (3) to
download SOPAS ET.

SOPAS ET does not contain any SDDs. This optimizes the download volume.
SDDs can be installed via the device catalog after installation of SOPAS ET.
More detailed information can be found in the Main Window – Device Catalog chapter in
this document
SOPAS ET can be installed from a CD or using the downloadable SopasETSetup.exe file.
The following shows installation using the download.
The above installation steps do not show the full installation process, just the key steps
during installation.

1. Select whether you want to install the program or copy the portable version to your
hard drive.
It is always recommended to install the program. This will ensure that all SOPAS ET
features and drivers are available.
It is NOT recommended to use the portable version, as no installation is performed and
some necessary drivers are consequently not installed. The portable version should only
be used if installation is not possible (e.g. if no administration rights are available).
2. Installation: Select the language for the installation. This selection only determines the
language of the installation wizard. Regardless of the installation language chosen, all
SOPAS ET languages can be selected retrospectively. The following languages are
supported:
 English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Brazilian Portuguese,
Japanese
3. Select whether you would like to have an icon on the desktop and in the list of
programs in the Start menu, and then click Next >
4. Select the installation location for SOPAS ET. It is recommended that the default
location is not changed. Click on Next >
5. The installation process will begin. Please wait until this has fully completed and the
 next page appears.
6. The Run SOPAS Engineering Tool checkbox is preselected. With the Close button,
installation is completed and SOPAS ET is started.
It is recommended that you leave the checkbox selected and start SOPAS ET immediately
after installation. This will guide you to install the device drivers.

During CD installation, you will also be asked whether you would like to perform standard or
customized installation.
For standard installation, all SDDs on the CD are installed.
For customized installation, you can select the SDDs to be installed.
6. After the initial start of SOPAS ET, you will be prompted to install SDDs. Click Yes.
7. The Manage installed devices dialog box is displayed. Click Next >.
8. A list of all SDDs will appear. Select the device SDDs that you are using. For more
information, see the Main Window – Device Catalog chapter
The SOPAS ET main window consists of two areas:

1. The project area is the workspace. Devices can only be worked on if you are in this area.
Here, you can switch devices online and offline, export them, or import new devices.
You can see how they are topologically related. The view can be toggled between tiles,
device list, or topology. From here, device windows can be opened by double-clicking
on a device. The lower part of the project area displays notifications (shows actions
carried out by the tool) and the data recorder.
2. The right-hand area contains the device search, the device catalog and the catalog of
emulated devices.
3. If updates are available for device drivers that are already installed, this is indicated in
the status bar.

SOPAS ET can be operated in two display modes. The mode shown above is the standard
mode. The Contrast mode can be activated in the View menu. Only the standard mode is
used in this document. The contrast mode offers the same functionality; the only difference
is the color selection. The colors used are high contrast. This mode is especially useful for
users working in a particularly bright environment.

The individual areas of the main window are explained in more detail on the following
pages.
1. Devices can be displayed in the project area of the main window in different ways. The
views are toggled using the icons as described in (1). Possible views include:
1. Device tiles
2. Device list
3. Topological display

All views show the same information about the device and offer the same actions.
The context menu of the devices is also available in the list view. It can be opened by right-
clicking on a device in the list.
1. Open the context menu for the project area.
2. The context menu for the project area includes the following options:
Snap to grid:
Devices are automatically aligned to an invisible grid. This ensures that they are always
exactly next to each other and below each other with equal spacing.
The device tiles cannot be positioned so that they overlap in this mode.
Multi-selection with Shift+mouse click includes all the devices between the first and the
last selected device according to the lines highlighted.
Free positioning:
In this mode, devices can be positioned freely (even overlapping each other) in the project
area.
Multi-selection with Shift+mouse click includes the devices on the lines and rows within a
virtual plane. Not all of the devices in the row sequence are selected here.

In both cases, the tiles can only be positioned within the project area.

The size of the project area can be changed with the Add row, Add column, Remove row,
and Remove column menu items. This will determine how many devices can be displayed
next to each other and below one another and where devices are positioned when they are
added to the project. If the devices to be added do not match the virtual plane, this will be
expanded with additional rows.

Remove selected devices removes the devices selected in the project.

Plates, List and Networkswitch the project view.
Devices found that can be seen in the search results window can be added to the project
using drag & drop, by double-clicking, Enter key, or using the Add icon. The devices are
still displayed in the search results.
Each device tile represents a device and includes the following information:
1. Device type and application-specific names (location name). In the example above:
CLV62x (dut)
2. Further information about the device. This includes the device image, the SDD version
and the serial number (S/N) of the device
3. Connection properties. This includes the information about the interface via which a
device is connected, the address it has, and whether it is online or offline.

The device tile has some controls that are explained below:
4. Online/Offline toggle switch — toggles the device mode between online and offline.
The text also changes between online and offline and indicates the current status of the
device (it does not display the action executed when clicked.)
5. Login/Logout — opens the Login dialog box. A user level can be selected and the
password for this user level entered here. Once login is successfully completed, the text
on the toggle switch changes from Login to Logout. If the toggle switch is pressed
again, the user is logged out of the device.
Login is required in order to be able to write parameter values to the device. Many
devices have read-only parameters that are often only visible once the user has logged
in to the device with the appropriate user level.
Different information about the status of the device can be displayed in the status bar of
the device tile.
6. If a device has an IP address that does not match that of the PC and if it was found via
the AutoIP mechanism, the message Edit IP address is displayed in the status bar of the
device tile. The dialog box for assigning the IP address can be opened by clicking on the
message.
7. The TCP/IP Settings dialog box allows a new IP address to be assigned to the device
automatically or manually via the AutoIP mechanism so that communication between
the device and PC is possible. For more information on this dialog box, refer to the
Troubleshooting – Device is not reachable chapter
8. If devices are added to the project area and there is no suitable driver available, the
information Install device driver is displayed in the status bar of the device tile. The
dialog box (Install device driver) can be opened by clicking on the information.
9. In the Install device driver dialog box, it is possible to select the location from where
the device driver is to be loaded. There are two options.
1. Sick.com or disk – the device driver is loaded from the Internet or a data carrier,
such as a USB stick
2. Device upload – loads the device driver from the device (if you have a slow
connection such as a serial interface or CAN, the SDD upload can take several
minutes). (For more information, see Device Catalog — Device Driver Management
— Installation
Various actions specific to the respective device, such as going online/offline, exporting or
importing, can be executed via the context menu of the device tile.
1. The context menu of the device tile is opened via the arrow in the top right corner of
the device tile.
2. The context menu includes the following options:
 Open device window — opens the device window in which the device is parameterized
 Go online – establishes a connection between SOPAS ET and the respective device
 Go offline – drops the connection between SOPAS ET and the device. The connection
information detailing how a device is connected remains intact.
 Connection – only accessible in offline mode
 New... — this option enables a device SDD to be connected with a physically
connected device, i.e. enables connection information to be assigned to this
device SDD. This option is only available when the device is offline. A connection
can only be set if there is no existing connection. If a connection already exists,
this must first be removed using the "Remove connection" option. An existing
connection can also be edited.
 Edit... – This option allows you to edit the connection settings
 Remove connection – deletes the connection information
 Change IP address... – allows the IP address of the devices connected via Ethernet which
were found by AutoIP to be amended
 Open terminal… opens the terminal window.
 Read from device – reads all of the parameter values from the device and transfers them
to the device shown in SOPAS ET and represented by the device SDD.
 Write to device – writes the parameter values from the device SDD in SOPAS ET to the
connected device. Only parameter values that can be written at the currently active user
level are written to the device.
 Login – logs the user in at a specific user level that can be defined by the user. The user
level and the password must be entered in the designated dialog box. Parameter values
can only be written to the device when the user is logged in to the device. Different
parameter values can only be written to the device at certain user levels; this is specific to
the device in question.
 Logout – logs the user out of the device. No parameter values can be written to the
device when the user is logged out of the device.
 Import...
 From file... – imports a device of the relevant type from a *.sopas file and
overwrites the parameter values with those saved in the *.sopas file. If the device
with parameters being imported is online, the parameters from the *.sopas file are
immediately written to the device. Only those parameter values that can be
written at the current user level are written to the device.
 From cloud… — opens a dialog for selecting a configuration stored in the cloud,
imports the configuration selected there and overwrites the parameter values. If
the device with parameters being imported is online, the parameters from the
*.sopas file are immediately written to the device. Only those parameter values
that can be written at the current user level are written to the device. This menu is
only enabled when you are logged in to the cloud.
 Export…
 Export to file – exports the device and the corresponding project information and
saves these in a *.sopas file.
 To cloud - exports the device and its project information and stores it in the cloud.
Before that, a dialog box is opened in which the name of the configuration and the
order number must be specified. Only device parameters where the order number
is white-listed can be exported to the cloud. This menu is only enabled when you
are logged in to the cloud.
 Download firmware... — opens the dialog box that helps you to load a new firmware
version onto the device. This menu item is only available if you are logged in to the device
and the device is online.
 Delete device – permanently deletes the device from the project, although it will still be
possible to find it in the search results window. The parameter values of the deleted
device will be lost if you do not transfer them to the device before deleting.
The following text explains the Connection option of the device tile context menu in more
detail:
6. In this dialog, you can assign a new connection, edit an existing connection or delete a
connection. Assigning a new connection ensures that the parameter record for a device,
represented by the device tile, is connected to a different physical device, or the
connection is established with the same device in some other way or via another
communication channel. Parameter records can thus also be copied from one device to
another, for example.
If a device has been added to the project from the device catalog, it does not yet have a
connection. In this case, only the option New … can be selected.
7. You have the choice between Ethernet, serial and IO-Link connection. To edit the
Ethernet connection, select Ethernet and click >.
8. You can then choose between the CoLa A/B and CoLa 2 protocols.
9. The page with the properties of the Ethernet interface is displayed. All Ethernet
connection properties can be edited here. Once the appropriate settings have been
made, click Finish. The settings are applied and the dialog box is closed.
10. It is also possible to change the connection type completely and to select one of the other available
connections (e.g. a serial connection) and then click >. (This is only useful if your device actually has this
interface and is also connected using it.)
11. The page with the properties of the chosen connection is displayed (serial connection shown here). All
connection properties of the chosen interface can be edited here. Once the appropriate settings have
been made, click Finish. The settings are applied and the dialog box is closed.

Note:
If the connection properties are changed, this can result in the connection to the device being disconnected and
the device no longer being able to go online.
Explanations of the individual properties of the respective interface can be found in the
chapter Main Window — Search Results/Search Settings Wizard
The List view is the best option if a project has a large number of devices and an overview
of as many devices as possible on one screen is desired.

This view contains the state of the devices, the type, the application-specific name, the
serial number of the devices. If the devices are connected, the connection information and
the SDD version are also shown. The columns can be displayed or hidden by clicking on the
plus (1) in the last column.

The order of the columns can be changed by clicking on a column heading and dragging it
to the left or right.

If devices are topologically connected to other devices (master devices), this is indicated in
the table by the arrow (2) and the indented position.

Right-click to access the context menu of a device in the list; the context menu corresponds
to that of the device tile.
The Topology view shows the communication relationship between devices. A topology
only exists in relation to communication if devices are only "reachable" via a different
device.
If devices are networked with each other and there is direct access to the devices, these
are not shown in a topology.

If topologically related devices and others that are directly connected are present in the
project, the Topology view will be pre-sorted, ensuring that topologies are arranged at the
top and the topology of free devices is underneath.

Device tiles cannot be moved or zoomed in on in the Topology view.

The individual elements of the Topology view are explained in the Quickstart chapter.
1. The device search results, activation of the search and the search settings are located
on the right-hand side of the main window under the Device search tab. If the tab for
this window is not available, you can display it via the Search results view menu.
2. All devices found are listed in the search results window. They can be added to the
project by dragging and dropping, double-clicking on the mouse, using the Add button
or the Enter key. If the device is expanded, further information about the device can be
found.
 Device image – is used for better identification of the device found
 Connection – provides information on the type of connection, such as USB. If it is an
Ethernet connection, the IP address and MAC address are displayed. If the IP
address of the device is in an address range that does not match that of your PC,
you will be prompted to change the IP address of the device when adding the
device to the project.
 Version – provides information about the firmware version of the device. If an SDD
(SOPAS Device Driver), i.e. a device from the device catalog, has been added in
advance that has a different version to that of the device found, it may not be
possible to connect the found device to that in the project. In this case, the
Reassign connection function is available in the Topology view, which ensures that
the connection can be established.
 MAC address – only appears for devices that are connected via Ethernet and
uniquely identifies the connected device.

Connections via Ethernet

Devices can always be added to the project using the methods described above. This also
applies to devices whose IP addresses are not suitable.
If the IP address of a device does not match that of the PC, the device is found, but a
connection cannot be established. These devices therefore cannot be reached and
communication with SOPAS ET cannot be established.
This type of device can also be added to the project. After it has been added to the project,
the device can be assigned a new IP address. For more information on this, see the section
Main Window – Search Results/Non-reachable devices.
Sometimes, it is possible that the IP address of the device may not be changed, for example
if it is connected to a PROFINET network. In this case, the IP address of the PC being used
must be adjusted.

3. The context menu of the device includes the following options:

 Details... – opens a window that shows more details about the connected device. These
provide information on the device and its version, driver version (SDD version) and
connection.
 Add... – adds the respective device to the project. If the device is already included in the
project, adding is not possible.
After SOPAS ET has been started, interfaces are searched for connected devices and devices
found are displayed in the search results window.
However, it is possible that some devices cannot be found. This is the case, for example,
with devices that do not support AutoIP. In addition, devices might not have been switched
on until after SOPAS ET was started. Devices that are connected via a serial interface or
Ethernet devices that support AutoIP but are connected downstream of a router will also
not be found on initial startup.

In these cases, a targeted search can be configured and started.

1. Pressing the Search devices: Default button will perform a new search for devices
connected via USB and Ethernet. This default search also includes the search for IO-Link
devices.
2. A list of saved search settings can be displayed using the arrow to the right of this
button. Clicking on one of the entries will start the preset search. Initially, this list only
consists of the entries "Default" and "Manage search settings…".
3. The search criteria can be customized using the Search settings... button. For more
information, refer to the section Main Window – Search Results/Search Settings
Wizard.
4. The search results window has a toolbar with the following functions (listed from left to
right):
 Add – adds the devices selected in the search results to the project. Multiple
devices can also be selected.
  Identify – activates a sound or flashing signal from a device selected in the search
results window. This feature is useful for identifying individual devices in a network
consisting of identical devices and being able to name them, for example,
according to their task or position in the system. This function must also be
supported in the device. Not all devices support this feature.
 Expand all – expands all devices shown in the search results. In the example
above, only one device is expanded. This enables the device image, the version of
the device driver (SDD) and the serial number of the device to be displayed. More
details about the device can be retrieved from the context menu (arrow in top
right corner) of the search results window.
 Collapse all – all expanded devices are collapsed
 Manage search settings… – opens the corresponding dialog.
5. The option Manage search settings… opens the corresponding dialog. Here, saved search
settings can be deleted, imported and exported and their order can also be changed.
Search settings can be saved in the project. The search setting that is active at the time of
saving is automatically saved in the project. If additional search settings are to be saved,
these must be moved from the top area of the dialog (Global search settings) into the
lower area (Project search settings) using the arrow (6) between the two areas. The
global search settings are retained during this process.
1. The search results window has a context menu that is opened via the menu icon (1).

An overview of the individual menu items (from top to bottom):

 Add devices to project – adds the selected devices to the project one at a time and
switches the devices online.
 Details... – shows further details for the device selected in the search results window.
These provide information on the device and its version, driver version (SDD version) and
connection.
 Expand all – all the devices found are expanded so that the device image and SDD
version are visible. If further device details are required, these can be found under
"Details".
 Collapse all – all expanded devices are collapsed
 Sort by – sorts in ascending or descending order by device type or connection
 Device search protocol... – opens a window in which the individual requests and
responses are displayed. In the event of problems, it is possible to verify whether, for
example, more devices have been registered than have been shown.
 Manage search settings... – opens a dialog box that allows saved search settings to be
deleted or their order to be changed.
If you did not find any or all of the devices, there may be a number of different reasons for
this:

 Your devices are connected via a serial interface. Serial interfaces are not taken into
account in the standard (default) search. It would slow down the startup of SOPAS ET
considerably if there were a large number of virtual COM ports on a PC.
 Your devices are connected via Ethernet but do not support an AutoIP mechanism.
These devices are also not found by a standard search, as they do not respond to the
AutoIP request.
 Your devices are connected via Ethernet and support AutoIP, but are located
downstream of a router that does not forward AutoIP requests.

In these cases, it is necessary to adjust the search settings according to the situation.

1. The search settings wizard can be opened using the Search settings... button.
2. Select a method for searching for devices.

The device family oriented search is recommended. No knowledge of interface settings is

required for this.
If the interface oriented search is selected, interface settings must be configured.
Device family oriented search

When is this type of search recommended?

As a rule, it is always recommended that the device family oriented search be used, as each
device can be found via this route.
Only if certain properties are urgently required, and these are different from the default
connection, should the interface oriented search be used instead.

Process for the device family oriented search:

3. Select the device family to be searched for. Multiple device families can also be
selected.
4. The names of the device families can be entered in the search filter.
5. The interfaces supported by the device can be selected to be used for the search.
Ethernet and USB interfaces are generally preselected, as they do not have any adverse
impacts on performance.
6. With an Ethernet connection, devices can be found via the AutoIP mechanism. Some
devices do not support this. In these cases, an IP address or IP address range must be
specified. This is done using the Add... button.
7. If the serial interface has been selected and the device is connected via a serial
interface, the COM interface used must be selected. If the interface to which the device
is connected is not known, all COM interfaces should be highlighted.
Note: If all COM interfaces are selected, the device search may take a little longer.
8. The configured search can be named and saved. Clicking on Finish starts the device
search according to the configuration. If a search setting has not been assigned a name,
the search will be saved as "Untitled".
9. The saved search settings are still available afterwards. The saved searches are selected
in the search results window via the drop-down menu of the Search devices: xxx
button. As soon as one of the entries in the list is clicked, the search will be executed
according to the selection and the text on the button is updated accordingly. (Example
above: The text of the button has been changed to the name of the search setting – in
this case "Lector" has replaced the "Default" entry. The name of the button is now
"Search devices: Lector".)

The last used search setting is used again when SOPAS ET is restarted.
Interface oriented search:
Knowledge of the necessary interface settings for the respective connected device is a
prerequisite for the interface oriented search.
Please refer to the device documentation for the required settings.
For Ethernet connections, the IP addresses of the devices must be known; these usually
depend on the local circumstances.
The more interfaces included in the search, the longer the full search takes.

When is this type of search recommended?

As a rule, it is always recommended that the device family oriented search be used, as each
device can be found via this route.
However, if, for example, special timeouts or a specific baud rate are required for a serial
connection, this can be set with the aid of the interface oriented search.

Process for the interface oriented search:

1. Select Interface oriented search and click >.
2. A selection of supported interfaces and protocols is displayed. Select the interface
and/or the appropriate protocol and click >. The next steps depend on the selection
made. Here, the Ethernet and Serial connection are selected and presented. If
additional or other interfaces have been selected, the wizard may look different or be
displayed in a different order.
Ethernet TCP/IP – advanced settings: These settings must not be changed. They should also
only be edited by specialist personnel. If this setting is incorrect, it can result in no devices
being found.

3. Ethernet TCP/IP settings:

The AutoIP option is activated by default. If the device you are using does not support
AutoIP, you can disable this option. This may speed up the search process.
If the device does not support AutoIP or is connected to a different subnet, e.g.
downstream of a router, then it will not be found using AutoIP search. In this case, the
IP address of the device or an IP address range must be specified. This is done using the
Add... button and the corresponding dialog box (3.1)
If a previously added IP address is selected (3.2), it can be edited or deleted. Using >,
additional settings for the Ethernet TCP/IP search can be configured.
4. TCP/IP CoLa protocol selection:
SOPAS devices communicate using the CoLa protocol. Some devices have a web server
and can be configured via an HTTP REST interface.
By default, all three options are selected.
5. TCP port SOPAS devices that communicate via CoLa A/B support the ports 2111 and
2112 as standard. If you only want to find devices via one port, you can disable the
others.
SOPAS devices that communicate via CoLa 2, support the port 2122 as standard.
6. Protocol – SOPAS devices can, with a few exceptions, communicate in CoLa 2, CoLa A
(ASCII) or CoLa B (binary) as an option, but not all devices always support all types of
 communication. The protocol settings only have an effect on CoLa A and CoLa B
communicating devices.
It is recommended that the CoLa dialect is always set to auto detect. This ensures that
the device in use is always found. Another selection can mean that a connected device
cannot be found as it does not support the default protocol.
Parameters can be addressed by index or by name. The CoLa Addressing Mode setting is
used to select how parameters are accessed. Access via index ensures optimized
performance as the volume of data to be transmitted is smaller. If communication by
name (recommended) is used, other applications such as the OPC server or a PLC can still
communicate with devices in the same way without any changes, even if a device is
replaced with a newer device with newer firmware. The is due to the fact that although
the indexes may in fact change from one device version to another, the parameter names
and their types and value ranges must stay the same.
Duplex mode and Byte order are device-specific and can be found in the device
documentation.
7. Timing – should only be changed if there are particular requirements for timeouts (e.g.
remote connections via wireless networks).

CoLa = Command Language

Most SOPAS devices support the "standard" (CoLa A/B) protocol via the serial interface. The
OD devices and the DME5000 communicate via the serial interface of other protocols. If a
connection is to be established with one of these devices, the appropriate protocol must be
selected on the second page of the wizard.

If "Serial communication (Standard)" was selected on the second page of the wizard, the
following page appears after setting the Ethernet interface: Serial (Standard): Select COM
ports.

7. All COM interfaces available on the PC being used are offered for selection. If you know
the COM interfaces to which the devices are connected, select only these interfaces. If
you do not know, select all interfaces. The more COM interfaces you select, the longer
the search will take.
8. Most SOPAS devices support multiple baud rates. Select one that is supported by the
device being used. Information about the supported baud rates can be found in the
device documentation. The more baud rates you add to the search, the longer the
search can take.
9. The format for communication can be found in the device documentation. Most devices
communicate as shown in image (9). Protocol and timing must be handled as described
for Ethernet TCP/IP. > will take you to the next dialog box.
10. Now you can give the configuration a name under which it should be saved. Finish
starts the search in the preconfigured manner and the dialog box is closed. If a search
setting has not been assigned a name, the search will be saved as "Untitled".
1. The device catalog and SDD management are located on the right-hand side of the main
window. If the tab for the device catalog is not visible, you can display it via the Device
catalog view menu.
The device catalog contains device drivers (SDD – SOPAS Device Driver). SDDs represent
devices and constitute the device parameter record with default parameter values.
2. SDDs can be added to the project by double-clicking, by drag & drop, using the Enter
key or the Add button. The Add button is only enabled if at least one SDD is selected in
the catalog (shown here with blue background). It is disabled if nothing or only one
category such as "Gas flow products" is selected.
SDDs are used to parameterize devices. Either offline, i.e. without actually being
connected to a device, or online. In the case of the online method, an SDD added from
the catalog has been connected to a device found in the device search, or a device from
the device search has been added to the project. The device is parameterized in the
device window. This can be opened by double-clicking on a device tile.
3. The device catalog can be updated or new devices can be added to the device catalog
from different sources. Both of these operations are performed using the gear icon (3).
4. Expanded device, with advanced information on the SDD such as the version and the
creation date.
5. Context menu of SDDs - it contains the following functions:
Add: Adds the selected device SDD to the project
Uninstall - Uninstalls the selected device. If a device group has been selected, all SDDs
in this group will be uninstalled. If multiple SDDs are selected, all selected SDDs will be
uninstalled. The uninstall process takes place via the device driver management dialog
 box (see also Device Catalog – Device Driver Management)
Export... – exports the selected SDD to a data carrier. The export takes place via the
device driver management dialog box (see also Device Catalog — Device Driver
Management).
Note:
SDDs can be exported from and imported to the device catalog using the drag & drop
function. During export, the help files and device images are also saved to the data
carrier. Therefore, multiple files are saved per device. As a result, it is not recommended
to drag the SDDs to the desktop.

If physically connected devices are found with the device search and if these are added to
the project, the corresponding SDDs must be present for these devices. This is the only way
to facilitate parameterization of the devices. SDDs can be loaded from the Internet1), from a
data carrier or from the device.
If SDDs are to be loaded from the Internet or a data carrier, this is done via the gear icon (3)
with the aid of a wizard.
If SDDs are loaded from the device, this is done automatically when a device found is
dragged from the device search results into the project 2). The loaded SDDs are
simultaneously added to the device catalog.

1) An Internet connection must be available.

2) Note: Not all devices support the uploading of SDDs.
The device driver management provides support when:
1. Installing new SDDs
2. Updating the catalog with new SDD versions
3. Exporting SDDs to a data carrier
4. Uninstalling SDDs that are no longer required

The Next > button will take you to the next step in the process, which is dependent on the
action selected.

Please note that SDDs should always be installed or uninstalled via the device driver
management and never manually!
SDDs can ...
1. ...be downloaded from the SICK portal From sick.com. SOPAS ET connects automatically
with the portal and lists all SDDs (SDD versions) not yet installed. The prerequisite for
this is an Internet connection
1. SDDs that are not yet in the catalog are listed and available for downloading.
2. The selection can be refined by typing the device name, the name of the device
family or any other description such as the version in the search window. Once at
least one device has been selected, the > button is enabled. Pressing the > button
starts the download.
3. The devices that have been downloaded and added to the catalog are listed. The
dialog box is closed with the Finish button.
2. … be loaded From disk, if you have been sent an SDD by email or you have downloaded
it from the SICK website.
1. SDDs that are located on a data carrier can be found and selected using the Browse
button.
2. The selected SDDs are displayed in the dialog box. The > button will take you to the
next screen of the wizard
3. The progress of the action is shown here. Once all of the selected SDDs have been
copied to the database, the wizard can be closed with the Finish button.
1. If there are new versions available for the existing SDDs in the catalog, this is indicated
in the footer of the main window (1).
Note: In most cases, only new build versions of an SDD are identified as a new version. If
the version number increases, this will be regarded as a new SDD and not as a new
version of an existing SDD. This is due to the fact that the range of functions of the SDDs
changes from version to version and parameters can be deleted or added.
2. If Refresh is selected in the device manager and the Next > button is clicked, all new
SDD versions of existing SDDs in the catalog are displayed. Once at least one SDD has
been selected, the Next > button is enabled. The selected SDDs are added using Next >.
The dialog box is then exited with Finish.
3. The message No devices indicates that all of the SDDs available in the SOPAS portal are
already present in the device catalog. No further action is required.
1. Once a device has been selected in the list of devices present in the catalog, the Next >
button is enabled.
2. The SDDs removed as a result of the selection made are listed again. The listed SDDs are
removed with Next >.
3. Successful completion of this operation is confirmed with the display of the SDDs
removed. The dialog box is exited with Finish.
1. The Emulators window is located on the right-hand side of the main window. If the tab
for this window is not available, you can display it via the Emulators view menu.

Emulators are devices implemented in software that allow you to work as if you were
connected to a device. A real device is not required.
One or more devices is (are) dragged into the project. The device is started in the
background (an *.exe file is run).
Emulated devices are handled in the project in exactly the same way as physically
connected devices.

Note:
The more emulated devices you add to the project, the more processes are started that will
increase the load on the CPU of your PC. Concurrent working with a number of emulators
can seriously slow down the performance of your PC.
The menu (1) consists of several entries (2), each of which includes several menu items (3).
If icons are displayed to the left of the menu items, this means that these menu items are
also available in the toolbar (4).
Keys or shortcuts (5) displayed to the right of the menu items indicate how the respective
menu items can be called up via the keyboard. A table of all available shortcuts can be
found below in the Keyboard Operation chapter of this document.
The individual menu items are explained in more detail below.
Project menu:
 New – opens a new project. Opening a new project closes the project currently open. If
you have not yet saved the project currently open since it was last edited, you will be
reminded before creating a new project that any changes made will be lost if you do not
save the project currently open.
 Open – opens an existing project. You can then browse locally or on the network. The
"Browse" dialog box is opened if you execute this menu item. If you have not yet saved
the project currently open since it was last edited, you will be reminded before opening
a new project that any changes made will be lost if you do not save the project currently
open.
 Save – saves the active project. If it is being saved for the first time, a name and location
must be specified. The Save project dialog box is opened for this purpose. Saving again
will overwrite the previously saved project. The Save dialog box is no longer opened.
 Save as... – saves the current project under a different name. The newly saved project
becomes the active project. The previously active project is closed.
 Recent projects – displays a list of recently opened projects. The list can include up to 4
 projects. Clicking on an entry in this list opens the selected project. If a project is already
open, this will be closed.
 Page setup... – allows the pages to be printed in terms of size, orientation, and the 4 page
margins.
 Create PDF – Creates a PDF file.
 Project properties... – allows a project to be given a name or an existing name to be
changed and a project to be given a password to protect it against unauthorized changes
or opening.
 Exit – closes SOPAS ET. Before closing:
 A check is carried out to ascertain whether a permanent save was carried out for
all devices that support this
 Connections are disconnected
 A check is carried out to ascertain whether any changes have been made since the
last save

If one or more of these checks turns out to be negative, a dialog box is displayed with the
relevant option.
Note:
Only one project can be edited at any one time in SOPAS ET.
Device menu:
 Search for devices... – starts the search for connected devices in accordance
with the last-used search settings as set in the search results window via the
Search settings... button.
 Open device window... — pens the device window where the device can be
parameterized and monitored. A device window can also be opened by double-
clicking on the device tile or on a list entry in the List view.
 Diagnosis – is a device-specific function and is therefore only active and
available for selection if a corresponding device exists and is selected in the
project.
 Copy – copies the parameter set for a selected device (tile or list entry) to the
SOPAS ET clipboard.
 Paste – pastes the parameter set from the SOPAS ET clipboard and adds it to
the project as a new device, if no device is selected. If a device has been
selected, the parameter set is copied from the clipboard to the device. If the
device to which the parameter set is to be copied is online and in immediate
download mode, the copied parameters are immediately written to the device.
 Select all – selects all the devices in the project. After this action, all the devices
are selected and can be deleted, moved or exported together, for example.
 Clear selection – clears the selection of devices that have been selected. It is
irrelevant here which and how many devices are selected when this function is
executed. Afterwards, no device is selected.
 Delete – deletes the devices currently selected. This option is only active if at
 least one device is selected.
 Go online – switches the device online. Data can only be exchanged with the
devices, i.e. devices can be configured and their parameters and measurements
can be monitored, in online mode. Going online is only possible if a device has a
connection. This can be seen by the toggle button connection in the device tile. It
is only possible for a device to go online if the description says "Connection". If
there is no connection, it is not possible for a device to go online. In this case, a
connection must first be established.
 Go offline – switches the connection mode to offline; the connection remains
intact. In this mode, parameter values cannot written to the device and
measurements cannot be monitored.
 Change connection... – allows a new connection to be assigned to a parameter
set (i.e. to a device in the project). A connection can be established to another
device or to the same device via a different interface. Parameter sets can thus be
copied to different devices, for example.
 Login... – allows a user to log in to the device at a certain user level. Many
parameters can only be written at a certain user level. The user must log in to the
device in order to change the values of such parameters.
 Logout – cancels the login. Once the user has logged out, parameters secured by
the user level can no longer be changed. For security reasons, you should always
log out from the device after changing parameters. This will ensure that your
settings can no longer be changed.
 Import... – imports one or more devices. If a device in the project is selected, the
parameters of the imported device are copied to those of the selected device. This
is subject to there being devices of the same type as the selected device in the file
to be imported. If there are several devices in the import file, these are listed
regardless of type. You can select one of the listed devices. The parameters of the
selected device are written to the selected device.
If no device has been selected, the devices saved in the file to be imported are
added to the project as new devices. If devices with connection settings are
imported and if these are identical to devices in the project, connection settings are
removed on import. This is because multiple devices with the same connection
may not exist in one project.
 Export – exports devices selected in the project to a *.sopas file. This menu item is
only available if at least one device in the project has been selected. Before
exporting, specify where the file should be saved and what it should be called. If
only a single device is exported, a name is suggested. This is made up of the
device type and the application-specific name of the device in the project. The file
name can be changed in the Export dialog box.
 Protected Export... – exports a device selected in the project. The serial number
of the destination device (to which the exported file is later to be imported) as well
as a user level and the corresponding password must be entered. This option is
only available if only a single device is selected in the project.
 Device group – opens a dialog box where devices can be grouped together. Only
 one group of devices can be defined. In the device window, a parameter value for
the device can then, for example, be loaded to all of the devices in the group. In
addition, it is possible to log in to and log out of a group of devices.
 Compare devices... – allows two or more devices to be compared. The individual
parameter values of the devices to be compared are compared. For more
information, see Comparing Devices.
 Download firmware... – opens the dialog box which helps you to load a new
firmware version to the device. This menu item is only available if you are logged in
to the device and the device is online.
 Properties... – opens a dialog box which displays the properties of a device.
These properties include device type, version, and build information. The
application-specific name of the device can also be changed in this dialog box.
(Does not apply to all devices.)
Parameter menu:
 Read from device – reads all device parameters from the device and saves them in the
project.
 Write to device – writes the parameter record saved in the project to the device. Only
those parameters that can be written at the user level selected by the user are
transferred to the device. Parameters that cannot be written at the respective user level
are not accepted by the device. Some devices only accept new parameter values
permanently, once the permanent save has been performed. If the permanent save is
not performed, the new values are discarded and the old values are re-activated after
restarting a device.
 Write modified parameters – only writes those parameter values that have been
changed and can be written at the respective user level to the device. This function is
only available in conjunction with "Write on demand" mode.
 Save permanent – permanently saves the parameter values last transferred to the
device. In other words, these values are saved by the device so that they are still intact
after a restart of the device.
 Read parameters from device group – allows parameters to be read from a previously
defined group of devices. The parameters are read in the same way as the parameters of
an individual device, with the difference being that this action is only performed once for
all of the devices rather than for each device separately.
 Write parameters to device group – allows parameters that are saved in the project to
be transferred to a predefined group of devices. Only those parameters that can be
written at the user level selected by the user are transferred. It is advisable to log in to
 the grouped devices in advance. To log in to a group of devices, go to the Device – Login
menu. In the dialog box that appears, click on the Group button. This only appears if there
is more than one device in the project.

View menu:
The individual areas of the main window can be displayed or hidden in the View menu.
These are the Device catalog, Search result and Emulators areas.
 Arrange device windows in tiles – ensures that the device windows to be opened are
arranged according to certain predefined rules. The windows can be organized in two or
three columns, or in one or two rows. If you would like to open two SOPAS ET instances
with two different projects at the same time and be able to immediately assign device
windows to the respective instance, you can, for example, arrange all the windows on the
left-hand side in one instance and all windows on the right-hand side in the other
instance. It is thus clear at any given time which window belongs to which instance and
therefore to which project.
 High contrast mode activates high contrast mode in the main window and device window.
This mode is particularly useful if the user is working in direct sunlight or using a screen
with low contrast.
Note: This feature is only available for new generation device windows.

Tools menu:
 Terminal – opens the Terminal window. The terminal allows you to monitor
communication between SOPAS ET and a connected device. More information about the
terminal can be found in the section Other Functions - Terminal.
 Multi Device View – opens a new window to support handling multiple devices in one
project. Note: This view is a function of version V2.38 and therefore to be used only with
devices which do not yet use the new design of the device window (from Version 3.2).
 Language – changes the language of the main window. After the language has been
changed, you will be prompted to restart SOPAS ET. The language is not changed until
after a restart. The language change also controls the language of the device window.
However, if a device SDD does not support a language selected by you, the information
pertaining to this device will be displayed in the default language, English. The device
window itself is displayed in the selected language.
 Options – provides the option to perform a few general settings in SOPAS ET. This
includes:
 Switching measuring units
 Restricting the device pages to be printed
 Switching the automatic search for new SOPAS ET versions on/off
 Enabling the recording of all communication between SOPAS ET and connected
devices
 Switching the project name view to project name, file name or both
 Resetting all changes made such as the suppression of some messages
 Datarecorder – displays or hides the datarecorder at the bottom in the main window.
 Configure datarecorder – opens the dialog box to configure the datarecorder. For more
 information on the datarecorder, refer to the Datarecorder chapter further on in this
document.

Help menu
 SOPAS ET Manual – opens the manual for the SOPAS ET version
 Print service report – Creates a PDF file with information about the version of SOPAS ET
used and about the project, as well as the included devices and their drivers
 Check for updates – checks whether a newer version of SOPAS ET is available compared to
the installed version. A connection to the Internet is required for this function.
 About... – displays a dialog box with version information on the SOPAS ET version
installed.

cloud menu (cloud)

 Log in to cloud… — opens the SICK ID login dialog.
 Log out from cloud — logs out the logged in users from the SICK ID.
 Import from cloud — Imports a device configuration stored in the cloud into the project.
There are two ways to import a configuration. It can either be imported As a new device...
or you can Overwrite an existing device...with this configuration. This menu is only
enabled when you are logged in to the cloud.
 Export to cloud… — Exports the parameter set of the selected device to the cloud. Opens
a dialog in which a name of the configuration and the order number of the device must be
specified. Only white-listed devices can be exported to the cloud. This menu is only
activated if you are logged in to the cloud and a device is selected in the project.
1. Double-clicking on a device tile opens the corresponding device window where the
device is parameterized.
Please make sure that you do not click on the controls, i.e. online/offline, login/logout
and the connection button of the device tile.
2. The device window where the device can be parameterized and monitored is opened.

Help on handling the individual devices can be opened by pressing the F1 key.
1. Double-clicking on a device tile opens the corresponding device window where the
device is parameterized.
Note:
Please make sure that you do not click on the controls of the device tile, e.g.
online/offline, login/logout and the connection button, as this will result in the action
that was clicked being executed, rather than the device window being opened.

The device window where the device can be parameterized and monitored is opened.

Help on handling the individual devices can be opened by pressing the F1 key.
1. Device pages are opened via the device tree in the normal way. The tabs for the open
pages are located at the bottom.
2. In addition, there are devices with a central view and leporello folds under which the
individual parameters are shown.

Note:
It is not possible to toggle between the individual operating concepts. These are device-
specific.
1. The status of the device is shown in the left-hand part of the status bar. The
corresponding function can be called up by double-clicking on an entry in the status bar.
 Current user level: opens the Login dialog box
 Device type: opens the Device properties window
 Online/offline status: changes the online/offline status
 Not synchronized: reads all parameters from the device
 Download immediately: switches between immediate download and download
on demand
2. The read and write action and the CPU utilization are shown in the right-hand part of
the status bar.
The menu of the device window consists of several entries, each of which includes several
menu items. If icons are displayed to the left of the menu items, this means that these
menu items are also available in the toolbar (6).
Keys or shortcuts (7) displayed to the right of the menu items indicate how the respective
menu items can be called up via the keyboard. A table of all available shortcuts can be
found below in the Keyboard Operation chapter of this document.
The individual menu items are explained in more detail below.

1. Device menu:
 Go online – establishes a connection between SOPAS ET and the respective device
 Go offline – drops the connection between SOPAS ET and the device. The connection
information detailing how a device is connected remains intact.
 Login – logs the user in at a specific user level that can be set by the user. The user level
and the password must be entered in the designated dialog box. Parameter values can
only be written to the device when the user is logged in to the device. Different
parameter values can only be transferred to the device at certain user levels; this is
specific to the device in question.
 Logout – logs the user out of the device. No parameter values can be written to the
device when the user is logged out of the device.
 Import SDV file... – a parameter record created with a 2.xx version of SOPAS ET (an *.sdv
file) can be imported using this option and transferred to the device. If you wish to
import a parameter record from a *.sopas file, you can do this in the main window. You
can run the import either by dragging & dropping, by importing to a device tile or using
 Import in the Device menu of the main window. See also Device Tile Context Menu
chapter.
 Export SDV file... – a parameter record can be exported in SDV format. This format should
only be used if the record should be made available to anyone who uses SOPAS ET V2.xx.
If this is not the case, the current export format in the main window should always be
used. In doing so, a *.sopas file is created.
 Page setup... – allows the pages to be printed in terms of size, orientation, and the 4 page
margins.
 Print preview – opens a window with a print preview. It is possible to scroll through the
pages with the controls at the top of the window. (Scrolling with the mouse does not turn
the pages.)
 Print... – prints the entire project. All parameters including their values are printed.
Printing is organized in such a way that the parameters are printed together in a group
according to the pages in the device SDD. If a project contains a number of devices,
printing can take a little while.
 Export to PDF – creates a PDF file containing the parameters of the device and the values
of these parameters. A PDF file cannot be imported again. It merely serves as
documentation.
 Properties... – opens a dialog box which displays the properties of a device. These
properties include device type, version, and build information. In this dialog, you can also
change the application-specific name of the device (does not apply to all devices) as well
as the Write immediately to device/Write to device on demand setting.
 Close – closes the device window

2. Device-specific menu. The entry in the menu of the device window is carried out by the
device itself and differs from device to device in terms of the name and content.

3. Parameters menu
 Undo — this function enables you to cancel the last action applied on a device page.
 Redo — this function enables you to repeat the action applied on a device page that was
canceled with the Undo function.
 Write all parameters to device — this function enables you to transfer all parameters
from SOPAS ET to a connected device. The parameter values are transferred according to
the user level and take effect immediately.
 Write modified parameters – the "Write modified parameters" function transfers only
those parameters that have been modified since the last synchronization from the project
to a connected device. The parameter values are transferred according to the user level
and take effect immediately.
 Read from device – the "Read all parameters from device" function allows you to read the
complete parameter set from a connected device.
 Save permanently — the “Save permanently feature” allows you to transfer all the
parameters from SOPAS ET to the permanent memory of the connected devices. The
saved parameters are then retained even after the device is rebooted. If this function is
performed, all devices are initially listed in the project. Select the devices for which you
 want to perform this function and confirm by clicking OK. Devices that do not support this
function cannot be selected.
 Import SOPAS parameters backup – an *.spb file can be imported with this function. SPB
files are used to save parameter records in a format suitable for the web server. The SPB
export is only available in the device window and only in conjunction with devices that
have a web server.

4. View menu
 Context Help — the Context Help function displays or hides the Context Help window in
the bottom left corner of the device window. In the Context Help window, you are shown
information on the pages, parameter groups and parameters that are currently
highlighted.
 Single – you can use the Single function to bring the workspace together into one
window.
 Horizontally split – the workspace can be split into 2 horizontal windows with the
Horizontally split function. To display an open page in another window, drag the page's
tab into one of the windows by holding down the mouse button and moving the mouse.
 Vertically split – the workspace can be split into 2 vertical windows with the Vertically
split function.
 T-shaped – the workspace can be split into 3 windows with the T-shaped function.
 Rotated T-shape – the workspace can be split into 3 windows with the Rotated T-shape
function.

5. Help menu
 Help – opens the device help page in a separate window. If you have installed more than
one device driver (SDD), all installed devices are displayed in the open Help window.

6. Toolbar – see next slide

7. Shortcut to perform the relevant action.

If devices should behave identically but are not doing so, the Compare devices... function
can be used to find out which parameters are different.
Only two devices can be compared at a time.

1. To compare devices, select two devices in the project and choose the Compare
devices... option in the main window of the Device menu.
2. The devices highlighted in the main window are automatically compared and the
comparison result is displayed. Entries shown in red indicate differences. Parameters
shown in gray are only present in one of the devices and do not exist in the other.
3. All devices in the project are shown on the right-hand side of the Compare devices
window. You can change the devices to be compared. To do so, one of the devices that
has just been compared must be removed from the comparison window. A new device
from the device list can be added in its place either by using the drag & drop function or
right-clicking and selecting Add.
4. The parameters can be edited in the Compare device window. Editing is disabled by
default and must be enabled using the pencil icon (as shown above).
5. Once editing is activated, the two white arrows that can be used to copy the values
from right to left or left to right are activated. Alternatively, parameter values can also
be edited individually. Double-clicking on the value switches the display to editing
mode. Some parameters are password protected. To edit these you must be logged in at
the user level required for each particular parameter. You can log in to the device via
either the device window or the main window.
6. Using these icons, the entire lists of parameters can either be expanded or collapsed.
7. The list can be filtered. The following filtering options are available:
• Enter the parameter name or a value. All entries that contain the character strings
or values displayed are shown.
• In addition, the upper/lower case filter can be added.
• It is also possible to show only the differences and hide all other parameters.
8. All previous actions carried out can be viewed in the log window. The log section can be
opened by clicking on Log in the lower half of the comparison window.

Note: Using the Device Compare menu, you can also export the comparison results as an
Excel table.
The terminal allows the exchange of data between a device and SOPAS ET to be monitored
and recorded.
In addition, commands can also be sent from the terminal to the device.
1. Start the terminal from the device tile context menu Open Terminal.
2. The terminal window opens, the connection to the device is established and the data
exchange is displayed. One telegram is displayed per row.
3. If you select a telegram, the entire telegram will be displayed in the center of the
window, both in ASCII/binary (depending on the framing selection – see below) and in
plain text.
4. In a final step, the display can still be influenced. The following options are available:
 No framing — only the user data is displayed. The protocol-specific information
is hidden.
 CoLa ASCII/binary/CoLa2 — the entire framing including the CoLa (Command
Language) start and end characters are displayed as above.
 User defined — the telegram framing is displayed according to the user
specification.
5. Icons from left to right:
 ASCII: Default setting. The telegram is displayed in ASCII characters.
 Hex: Commands can be input in hex.
 Hex Input Help: Commands can be input in ASCII and are automatically
translated and displayed in hex.
 Delete history: Deletes the list of the last commands entered.
 Send: The input command is sent.
  Send file: The commands that are present in a selected file are sent.
6. Connections section: The last used connections are displayed in the connections section
and can be used again. To change the connection, the current connection must first be
interrupted.
7. Right-click to access the context menu of a telegram. It offers the following options:
 Copy: The highlighted telegrams are copied to the clipboard and can then be
added from there into different applications.
 Export…: A*.log file is saved into a directory of your choice. The file can be opened
in the terminal window or other applications such as Editor or Excel.
 Select all: Selects all telegrams.
 Clear logging data: Deletes all telegrams from the log window.

When you close the terminal window, you will be asked whether you want the recorded
telegrams to be saved.

Note: more terminal functions, such as macros, save/export/import, write hex values etc. can
be found in the terminal help in the terminal window.
1. The datarecorder is opened by clicking on the Datarecorder link in the bottom left-hand
corner of the main window.
2. The datarecorder must be configured in advance. In other words, what data is to be
logged and in which way (if modified, time-based, etc.) must be specified. Configuration
is performed in the Datarecorder configuration dialog box. Open this using the
Configure icon (2).
The Datarecorder configuration dialog box is opened. Here,
 the file where the data logged is to be saved can be created or selected. The following
file formats are supported:
 *.data – SOPAS ET recorder file format
 *.xlsx – Excel 2010 and later
 *.xls – Excel 97-2033
 *.csv – universal export format (comma-separated vector)
 *-zip – ZIP file (can be used for large data volumes if these are to be sent by e-mail,
for example)
 the type of recording can be determined (time- or event-based)
 the duration of recording can be specified. If the duration is 00:00:00, recording runs
until it is stopped manually.
 the parameters to be recorded can be selected. The filter helps in the search for
parameters if their names are known.
The configuration is confirmed with OK and the dialog box is closed.

Functions:
Recording can be started with the recording icon (3). When recording is in progress, the
recording icon flashes and the stop icon is enabled. Recording can be stopped with the stop
icon (4). Once recording has been stopped, the play icon (5) is enabled. The recorded
parameter values on the device pages can be monitored with this icon.

Note: Only parameters that are reachable at the current user level can be recorded.
6. A recorded *.data file can be exported. Clicking on the icon (6) opens a dialog box that
offers assistance with the export.
7. It is possible to refine the export to a specific recorded time period, or to only include
certain parameters in the export.
8. If parameters are exported to CSV format, further settings can be configured.
 The file can be split so that a file is created for each recorded variable
 The file can be left as it is
 Split file by rows. Per file, 32,768, 656,535 or 86,400 rows can be selected.
 Split file sizes accordingly. A file size can be specified in KB.
 The field separator dictates how the individual variables are to be separated from
each other. The following separators are provided: , ; : (Tab) (Space)
 The decimal separator determines how real values are displayed. It is possible to
choose between the system default separator (.) or (,). This selection is made if an
output other than the default output is required.
The following user levels are available for all devices:
 Operator (generally, no password is required)
 Maintenance engineer (password required)
 Authorized customer (password required)
 Service (password required)

Note:
Some devices can have different names for the user levels.

Some device parameters are only displayed and can only be edited once the user has
logged in at a specific user level. Which parameters in which
user level can be edited is device-specific.

1. Clicking on the >>Group button expands the Login window and lists all of the devices in
the project.
2. In the expanded Login window, the devices into which the user wishes to log in can be
selected.
Note:
If SOPAS ET is closed, the compiled group will not be saved and will be lost.
3. If there is only one device in the project, the >>Group button is not displayed.
1. Double-clicking on the tab of a device page maximizes this page. Double-clicking the tab
again minimizes the device page again.
1. The Options dialog is located in the Tools menu
This dialog offers different settings options of the SOPAS ET:
General tab
 Switching the unit system
 Automatic search for new SOPAS ET versions when starting the tool
 Automatic adjustment of the communication timeout according to the interface used
and the measured response times
 Automatic adding of a device to the project if only one connected device is found after
starting the tool
 Automatic starting of device search after starting the tool. If this option is deactivated,
after starting SOPAS ET, you must click on the search button in the search results window
to find connected devices
2. Any type of communication between SOPAS ET and the devices can be recorded. This
function is disabled by default. Although the terminal can only record communication
with devices that are already online, this function allows recording of communication
even before a connection has been established. The function is activated by selecting
the checkbox Record all communication to the file below.
3. In addition, a file for recording the communication must also be specified using the
Open button.
Note:
The recording can quickly become very large and exceed the storage space on your hard
drive.
Certificates tab
4. Add Certificate — opens the "Add certificate" dialog. Here, an alias name can be
assigned for the certificate and the certificate can be added. The "Open" button opens
the browser in which the certificate file can be selected.
5. The added certificate appears here.
Note:
Certificates are required to write data to or read data from the cloud from your network.
SOPAS ET requires a special certificate whenever your IT systems use certificates that do not
trust Java keystore.

Proxy tab
6. Proxy — You can use custom or operating system proxy settings. If both options are
selected, the user-defined options are used.
If custom settings have been selected, either HTTP or HTTPS must be selected. Please
note that HTTP is not a secure protocol. The IP address and the port of the proxy server
must also be specified. This information is usually provided by your network
administrator.
Once you have selected the internal operating system settings, no further settings need
to be configured.
If neither option is selected, it is very likely that SOPAS ET will not be able to connect to
the cloud to store or download parameter records there. In this case, however, it is
possible to communicate with locally connected devices via HTTP.
If both are to be possible, i.e. both the connection to the cloud and to devices connected
locally via HTTP, additional Exclusions must be selected and the IP addresses of the
locally connected devices must be entered. Separate the individual addresses with a ;.
The "Exclusions" option is not enabled until at least one of the top two options is
selected.
Note: A proxy server acts as a security barrier between your internal network and the
Internet, preventing others from accessing information on your internal network on the
Internet. The necessary information about the proxy setting is provided by the IT department.
1. The Options dialog is located in the Tools menu
This dialog offers different settings options of the SOPAS ET:
General tab
 Switching the unit system
 Automatic search for new SOPAS ET versions when starting the tool
 Automatic adjustment of the communication timeout according to the interface used
and the measured response times
 Automatic adding of a device to the project if only one connected device is found after
starting the tool
 Automatic starting of device search after starting the tool. If this option is deactivated,
after starting SOPAS ET, you must click on the search button in the search results window
to find connected devices
2. Any type of communication between SOPAS ET and the devices can be recorded. This
function is disabled by default. Although the terminal can only record communication
with devices that are already online, this function allows recording of communication
even before a connection has been established. The function is activated by selecting
the checkbox Record all communication to the file below.
3. In addition, a file for recording the communication must also be specified using the
Open button.
Note:
The recording can quickly become very large and exceed the storage space on your hard
drive.
Certificates tab
4. Add Certificate — opens the "Add certificate" dialog. Here, an alias name can be
assigned for the certificate and the certificate can be added. The "Open" button opens
the browser in which the certificate file can be selected.
5. The added certificate appears here.
Note:
Certificates are required to write data to or read data from the cloud from your network.
SOPAS ET requires a special certificate whenever your IT systems use certificates that do not
trust Java keystore.

Proxy tab
6. Proxy — first choose between user-defined or operating-system-specific proxy settings. If
both are selected, then the user-defined settings are used.
If custom settings are selected, either HTTP or HTTPS must be selected. Please note that
HTTP is not a secure protocol. The IP address and the port of the proxy server must also
be specified. This information will usually be obtained from your network administrator.
Once you have selected the internal operating system settings, no further settings need
to be configured.
Note: A proxy server acts as a security barrier between your internal network and the
Internet, preventing others from accessing information on your internal network on the
Internet. The necessary information about the proxy setting is provided by the IT department.
Device parameter sets can be easily stored in the cloud and imported back into a project.
For example, this functionality can be used as extended storage, as a backup, or as a
distribution channel within organizations and among employees.
You need a SICK ID for the import and export. You will receive this from the SICK office
responsible for you. The SICK ID is used to log in to SICK to access this cloud service, among
other things.

1. Export to cloud — opens the export dialog. You enter a name for the configuration and
the order number of the device here. Click OK to start the export. All parameters of the
device are written to a *.sopas file and stored in the cloud. This configuration can then
only be viewed or imported only when logged in using the same SICK ID.
2. Import from the cloud — opens the import dialog. The order number of the device
type for which the parameter data set is imported is specified here. If configurations are
available for this device type, these are listed. One of the listed configurations can be
selected. With OK, the selected configuration is either imported as a new device or on
the selected device. The parameters of the selected device are overwritten. If the
device is in online mode, the imported parameters are written to the device. Only the
parameters that can be written at the current user level are written to the device.

Note:
cloud import and export can be called up from the context menu of the device box.
In order to access the cloud, a number of settings must be configured beforehand,
depending on the network. Firstly, it may be necessary to provide a certificate and secondly,
to configure proxy settings. Both actions can be completed in the Tools/Options menu. For
more information, see the "Menu" — "Tools/Options" dialogue.
Here, you will find information about which version of the tool you are using, you can
create a new project, see and open recent projects, open SOPAS ET help or go to the SOPAS
ET website.
 Datum

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