plcviz 0.3.3

PLC code visualization - graphs, dependencies, and documentation
Documentation

plcviz

PLC code visualization tool - generate SVG diagrams from L5X (Rockwell) and PLCopen XML (IEC 61131-3) files.

Example Output

Example combined graph

Features

  • Structure graphs: Program/POU containment hierarchy
  • Call graphs: Function/FB call relationships
  • DataType dependency graphs: UDT nesting relationships (PLCopen)
  • Multiple formats: L5X (Rockwell) and PLCopen XML (Siemens, CODESYS, Beckhoff, B&R)
  • Multiple export types: Controller, Program, and AOI exports (L5X)

Supported Formats

L5X (Rockwell Automation)

  • Logix5000 / Studio 5000 exports (.L5X)
  • ControlLogix, CompactLogix, SoftLogix platforms

PLCopen XML (IEC 61131-3 TC6)

  • Siemens TIA Portal
  • CODESYS
  • Beckhoff TwinCAT
  • B&R Automation Studio
  • Beremiz
  • Any IEC 61131-3 compliant tool

Installation

Binary Releases (Recommended)

Download pre-built binaries from GitHub Releases:

Linux:

curl -L https://github.com/radevgit/plc/releases/download/plcviz-v0.3.2/plcviz-v0.3.2-x86_64-linux.tar.gz | tar xz
chmod +x plcviz
sudo mv plcviz /usr/local/bin/

Windows:

# Download from GitHub Releases and extract
# Add to PATH or run from current directory
.\plcviz.exe --version

From Source

Requires Rust 1.70+:

cargo install --path .

Usage

# Generate structure graph (default)
plcviz project.L5X > structure.svg
plcviz project.xml > structure.svg  # PLCopen

# Generate call graph
plcviz -t call project.L5X > calls.svg

# Generate combined graph (structure + calls)
plcviz -t combined project.L5X > combined.svg

# DataType dependency graph (PLCopen only)
plcviz -t dataflow project.xml > datatypes.svg

# Include AOIs in the graph (L5X only)
plcviz -a project.L5X > with_aois.svg

# Generate example graph (no file needed)
plcviz example > example.svg

Graph Types

Type L5X Support PLCopen Support Description
structure ✅ ✅ Containment hierarchy (Programs/POUs)
call ✅ ✅ Function/FB call relationships
dataflow ⚠️ (example) ✅ Tag relationships / DataType dependencies
combined ✅ ✅ Structure + call edges

Supported Export Types

L5X

  • Controller: Full project exports (multiple programs)
  • Program: Single program exports
  • AddOnInstructionDefinition: AOI exports with internal routines

PLCopen

  • Project: Full project with POUs (programs, functions, function blocks)
  • DataTypes: User-defined types and structures

Format Detection

plcviz automatically detects the file format:

  • PLCopen: Detected by <project xmlns="http://www.plcopen.org/xml/tc6...">
  • L5X: All other XML files

License

MIT