How to view an .L5X file as ladder, not XML
Open an L5X in a text editor and you get thousands of lines of XML with the rungs buried inside CDATA blocks. Everything is there; it's just not readable.
An .L5X file is Studio 5000 Logix Designer XML. It opens in any text editor, but rungs appear as one-line neutral text such as XIC(Start_PB)OTE(Motor_Run);. To see it as ladder logic you can import it into Studio 5000, or open it in an L5X viewer. Rungview opens L5X files free with no limit: it draws each ladder routine, shows Structured Text as written, lists all tags and shows every place each tag is used.
What's inside an L5X
The root element is RSLogix5000Content, with attributes for the software revision and export date. Under it, a Controller holds DataTypes, Modules, AddOnInstructionDefinitions, Tags, Programs and Tasks. Each ladder rung is a Rung with a Text element in neutral text and an optional Comment. Structured Text routines hold their source line by line.
Reading neutral text by hand
Neutral text reads left to right like the rung. XIC(A) is a normally open contact, XIO(B) a normally closed one, OTE(C) an output coil. Square brackets are branches, with commas separating the legs: [XIC(Start),XIC(Run)]XIO(Stop)OTE(Run); is a classic seal-in. It works for short rungs; for a routine of 200 rungs, you want it drawn.
Viewing it in Rungview
Drop the L5X in. You get the project tree, each ladder routine drawn rung by rung with comments and tag descriptions, Structured Text as written, and a tag table. Click any tag to see every rung or line that reads or writes it. It all runs on your computer, and L5X viewing is free.
Partial exports
Studio 5000 can export a single routine, rung or AOI as L5X. Those files describe only a fragment, without the full controller and its tags. Rungview is built around full project exports; ask for File › Save As › L5X of the whole project when you can.
Open your L5X free
Drop the export in and read it as ladder. No card, no limit.
Get Rungview
.ACD and .L5X · read-only, never touches the PLC · files stay on your computer · cancel Pro any time.
FAQ
Is viewing L5X files really free?
Yes. The free plan opens any number of L5X projects with ladder, ST, tags and cross-reference.
Can I edit the L5X in Rungview?
No. Rungview is read-only. Edit in Studio 5000, or in a text editor if you know the format well.
Do I need Studio 5000 installed?
No. Rungview reads the file itself.