How to convert an .ACD to .L5X, with or without Studio 5000
L5X is the format that travels: between Studio 5000 versions, into Git, into scripts and viewers. Getting there from an .ACD normally needs the same Studio 5000 version that saved it.
In Studio 5000, open the .ACD and choose File › Save As, then pick Logix Designer XML (.L5X). That needs a Logix Designer version at least as new as the one that saved the file. Without it, Rungview Pro converts the .ACD to .L5X on your own computer: open the project, then export it as L5X. The result imports into Studio 5000 like any other L5X, including older versions as long as the project uses nothing they lack.
In Studio 5000
- Open the .ACD in Logix Designer.
- File › Save As.
- Change the file type to Logix Designer XML File (*.L5X).
- Save. The .ACD stays as it was; the L5X is a new file next to it.
To export just one routine, AOI or UDT, right-click it in the Controller Organizer and choose Export.
Without Studio 5000
Rungview reads the .ACD directly. On Pro, open the project and choose Export L5X. The export contains the controller, tasks, programs, ladder routines, tags, data types and AOIs. Structured Text from an .ACD is exported as recovered statements, because the .ACD stores ST in compiled form; comments in ST routines aren't recovered yet.
Before you import it
- Check the controller type. The L5X names the target processor. Importing into a project for a different controller can need module changes.
- Check instructions and modules. An older Studio 5000 rejects instructions or module profiles it doesn't have, and lists them.
- Protected AOIs stay protected. Their logic isn't in any export.
- Test offline first. Verify the imported project in Studio 5000 before going anywhere near a running controller.
Why convert at all
An L5X lets someone with an older version import the logic, lets you keep readable history in Git, and works in free tools. It's also a good archive format: in ten years an XML file is easier to read than a binary that only one vendor's software understands.
Turn the .ACD into an .L5X
Open the project and export it, on your own computer. Pro is $9 a month or $59 a year.
Get Rungview
.ACD and .L5X · read-only, never touches the PLC · files stay on your computer · cancel Pro any time.
FAQ
Does converting change the original .ACD?
No. Both Studio 5000 and Rungview write a new .L5X and leave the .ACD untouched.
Can I convert L5X back to ACD?
Yes, in Studio 5000: open or import the L5X and save it as .ACD. Rungview doesn't write .ACD files.
Is the export complete?
The logic, tags and structure are. Project extras like trends may not carry over, and ST comments from an .ACD aren't recovered yet.