NOTE: The newest version of this article is located HERE

When powering on a PanelView Plus for the first time, its boots up to the main Configuration Mode menu screen. From here, the user has several options:

• Load an application from internal memory, of from a Compact Flash Card (versions 3.0-5.1,) SD Card (versions 6.0-7.0,) or from most USB Flash Drives.
• Run the loaded application
• Edit the loaded applications settings
• Edit the Terminal Settings
• Change the setting for “Delete Log Files Before Running”

In many cases the programmer with first enter the terminal settings that match the requirements on his system, including network settings. However, it’s often the case that someone will need to modify these settings at a later date, so gaining access to this menu in the future is very import.

Once a FactoryTalk View Machine Edition (ViewME) Runtime File (.mer) is loaded and running, the easiest and most convenient way to return to the “Configuration Mode” is to place a “Goto Config” button on one of the project’s graphic display screens. In many cases, the programmer will chose to put this button on a secured screen so operators don’t accidentally press it and exit the application.

Occasionally a programmer forgets to put a “Goto Config” button on any screen in the project. And when the ViewME application is set to automatically load and run, the “Configuration Mode” no longer displays on boot. An easy fix for this is to download a new project that does have a “Goto Config” button, but if some time has passed since the unit was programmed, or if a different programmer is now working on the terminal, the existing network settings may not be known and there there’s no way to download to the terminal.

In the early days of the product, I would resort to disassembling the terminal by removing the “Logic Board” from the “Display Module.” I would then remove the internal Compact Flash card, put it into my PC, and move off all the .mer files I could find. By doing this, and reassembling the unit, when the PVPlus was powered back on and it didn’t find the startup file it was programmed to run it would simply boot to the “Configuration Mode” and I was back in.

Fortunately, in version 3.20.09 Rockwell later added a built-in “boot up sequence” interrupt that allows users to bypass the launching of the default project. When units with the newer firmware are turned on, the user can either press a small “White Box” on the bottom left of a touch screen terminal, or presses the “F1 Key” on a keypad terminal, to force the PVPlus to boot to the “Configuration Mode.”

With how to access the “Configuration Mode” explained above, tomorrow we’ll talk about what to do if the “White Box” doesn’t show up on boot, and what to do if the “F1 Key” on a keypad unit doesn’t launch the “Configuration Mode.” Until then, if you’ve ever been locked out of you PanelView Plus, or had to use one of the above strategies to get back into the “Configuration Mode,” we’d love to hear from you. Just use the “Leave a reply” form at the bottom of this page to let us know your thoughts on this subject.

Sincerely,

Shawn Tierney
Editor-in-Chief/Publisher
Insights In Automation

The post How To Access The PanelView Plus Configuration Mode appeared first on Insights In Automation.

NOTE: The newest version of this article is located HERE

Why is the PanelView Plus “Goto Config Mode” white box missing on boot? Why doesn’t pressing F1 on boot bring me to the PanelView Plus configuration mode?

Yesterday we discussed how to get into the “Configuration Mode” of a PanelView Plus, and we learned the easiest way to do so was to either put a “Goto Config” button in your FactoryTalk View Machine Edition (ViewME) project, or intterupt the boot process of the terminal by pressing the “White Box” in the lower left corner of a touch screen unit, or the “F1 Key” on a keypad unit.

But what do you do when the “White Box” doesn’t show up, or the “F1 key” doesn’t work?

There’s two reasons why this may be happening:

First, it could be your PanelView Plus has a firmware version prior to 3.20.09. If that’s the case, the firmware loaded in your terminal predates the inclusion of the “White Box” and “F1″ power-up auto load interrupt. In these cases I highly recommend backing up all the .mer files on your PanelView Plus, and well as recording all your network and communication settings, and then flashing your unit up to the latest firmware available for your PVPlus, which would be version 5.1+.

You may also have to visit the Rockwell Software Downloads Page to find a copy of the 3.0 to 3.1 firmware migration files as last time I checked 3.0 first has to be migrated to 3.1 before it can be migrated to any other version

The second reason you may not see the “White Box,” or the “F1 Key” does not work to interrupt the boot process could be because you have a PanelView Plus 6 with firmware 6.0. It’s quite an annoyance that version 6.0 of the PVPlus 6 did not have this feature which so many people rely on, and to bring the feature back you’ll need to first flash your PanelView Plus 6 to version 6.1. And just like when flashing a PanelView Plus, before you do so you should back up all your .mer files which are on the terminal, and well as record all the terminal’s network and communication settings.

Once your PVPlus 6 terminal is flashed to 6.1 you still need to enable the “White Box” / “F1 Key” functionality. To do this you must exit “Configuration Mode” to get to the “Windows CE” desktop. And to do that you’ll need to know the password, which by default is “password.”

Once in Windows CE, open the Control Panel, chose “System,” then “Start-up Options,” then “Boot Option,” and select “Detect safe mode request at startup.” It’s quite a few steps, but it does bring back the “White Box” and “F1 Key” boot-up functionality, which I have to say is much better than the option provided in version 6.0 required plugging in a USB keyboard into the back of the PVPlus 6.

If you have anything you would like to add to the above, or have any questions on this information, please feel free to use the “Leave a reply” form below to comment on this article.

Sincerely,

Shawn Tierney
Editor-in-Chief/Publisher
Insights In Automation

The post Why Is The White Box Missing On My PanelView Plus? Why Doesn’t F1 Bring Up Configuration Mode? appeared first on Insights In Automation.

NOTE: The newest version of this article is located HERE

On Monday and Tuesday we discussed how to access the “Configuration Mode” of the PanelView Plus and PanelView Plus 6. One additional way we did not yet cover is using an “autorun.bat” file on a USB Memory Stick (aka USB Thumb Drive, USB Flash Drive.) These script are written to automatically move all your FactoryTalk View Machine Edition (ViewME) Runtime Files (.mer) off your terminal so when it’s rebooted it doesn’t find the needed .mer file and therefore returns to the “Configuration Mode.”

The “autorun.bat” file used for this purpose is a simple text based file reminiscent of the old DOS files of the same name. When you place one of these files in the root folder of your USB Memory Stick, and insert it into your PVPlus, it immediately runs. And while the commands in the “autorun.bat” file aren’t limited to coping your “.mer” files to and from your USB memory stick, this is what the two below samples scripts are designed to do.

The below scripts are custom ones I created for a client with a PanelView Plus 6 firmware rev6.0 terminal. The first backs up all the .mer files on the terminal to the USB Memory Stick , and then deletes them from the terminal. The second script copies all the .mer files from the USB Memory Stick back to the Terminal. Both files are written for the PanelView Plus 6, which runs on Windows CE 6.0. However they each include documentation on the changes needed to make them work with PanelView Plus versions prior to v6 which run Windows CE 4.x:

@echo off

REM    *** THIS FILE MUST BE NAMED autorun.bat TO WORK ***

REM    *** This is the backup and delete all .mer’s autorun.bat file ***

REM    THIS FILE IS DESIGNED FOR A PANELVIEW PLUS UNIT THAT ARE RUNNING 6.0 OR NEWER FIRMWARE ONLY, AS

REM    THE USB STORAGE DEVICE PATH HAS BEEN RENAMED FROM

REM    “STORAGE CARD2″

REM    TO

REM    “USB STORAGE”

REM    AND THE MER FILE DIRECTORY HAS CHANGED FROM

REM    “\storage card\rockwell software\rsviewme\runtime\”

REM    TO

REM    “\Application Data\Storage Card\Rockwell Software\RSViewME\Runtime”

REM    Step 1 – Make a backup directory for the MER files on the PVPlus 6

CD\Application Data\Rockwell Software\RSViewME\ MD Backup

REM    Step 2 – Copy the MER files to the backup directory created above REM    Note – file operations require names with spaces to be in quotes

CD Runtime COPY *.* “\Application Data\Rockwell Software\RSViewME\Backup”

REM    Step 3 – Copy the MER files to the USB STORAGE DEVICE

REM    NOTE – for this path to work, this USB STORAGE DEVICE must be the first or only USB STORAGE DEVICE inserted into the PVPlus 6

COPY *.* “\USB Storage”

REM   Step 4 – Now try and make the correct directory on the USB stick (may already exist)

CD\USB Storage

MD Rockwell Software

CD Rockwell Software

MD RSViewME

CD RSViewME

MD Runtime

CD Runtime

REM   Step 5 – Now COPY all the MER files to the correct directory on the USB stick

CD\Application Data\Rockwell Software\RSViewME\Runtime

COPY *.* “\USB Storage\Rockwell Software\RSViewME\Runtime”

REM   Step 7 – Now Delete all the files from the application directory to force the system to boot to the Configuration Menu

CD\Application Data\Rockwell Software\RSViewME\Runtime

DEL *.mer

REM    The process is now complete

REM    Tell the operators to allow 120 seconds from when they insert the card before they remove it

REM    Remove the USB stick and cycle power to the terminal

REM    This file was written by Shawn Tierney, InsightsInAutomation.com

PanelView Plus 6.0 autorun.bat file script text used to copy .mer files from the usb memory stick to te terminal:

@echo off

REM    *** THIS FILE MUST BE NAMED autorun.bat FOR IT TO WORK ***

REM    *** This is the restore all .mer’s autorun.bat file ***

REM    THIS IS DESIGNED FOR UNIT THAT ARE RUNNING 6.0 OR NEWER FIRMWARE ONLY, AS

REM    THE USB STORAGE DEVICE PATH HAS BEEN RENAMED FROM

REM    “STORAGE CARD2″

REM    TO

REM    “USB STORAGE”

REM    AND THE MER FILE DIRECTORY HAS CHANGED FROM

REM    “\storage card\rockwell software\rsviewme\runtime\”

REM    TO

REM    “\Application Data\Storage Card\Rockwell Software\RSViewME\Runtime”

REM    Step 1 – Copy all the .mer files to the correct directory on the PanelView Plus 6

CD\Application Data\Rockwell Software\RSViewME\Runtime

COPY “\USB Storage\Rockwell Software\RSViewME\Runtime\*.*”

REM    The process is now complete

REM    Tell the operators to allow 120 seconds from when they insert the card to when then remove it

REM    Remove the USB stick and cycle power to the terminal

REM    This file was written by Shawn Tierney, InsightsInAutomation.com

Hopefully the above autorun scripts will come in handy if you ever lock yourself out of your PVPlus, or if you just want an easy way to backup all your .mer runtime files on your terminal. If you have any stories about being locked out of your PVPlus, or have a similar script to share, please use the “Leave a reply” form at the bottom of this page to share your comments with the rest of us.

Sincerely,

Shawn Tierney
Editor-in-Chief/Publisher
Insights In Automation

The post How To Automatically Run A USB Flash Drive Script On The PanelView Plus appeared first on Insights In Automation.

NOTE: The newest version of this article is located HERE

Rockwell’s FactoryTalk View Studio Machine Edition (ViewME) and PanelView Plus (PVPlus) can be a little challenging for new users to learn. I still remember my own frustration trying to setup RSLinx Enterprise for the first time when I received my beta copy of FactoryTalk View Studio 3.0 back in late 2003.

Since then, Rockwell has released nearly a dozen FactoryTalk View Studio Machine Edition (ViewME) and PanelView Plus (PVPlus) Quick Start Videos on their Allen-Bradley website at www.AB.com, and in today’s article I’ll list all of these videos, and provide a direct link to view each one:

Section 1: Getting Started with FactoryTalk ViewStudio

Video 1: Glossary of Terms

Section 2: Getting Connected with FactoryTalk ViewStudio

Video 2: Set Up a PanelView Plus for Communications

Video 3: Select and Connect Communication Cables

Video 4: Create a New Application and Define Startup Settings

Video 5: Set Up Communications within an Application

Video 6: Define Project Settings

Video 7: Create a New Graphic Display and Add a Numeric Display Object

Video 8: Create Navigation Buttons

Video 9: Test a Graphic Display and the Application

Video 10: Create a Runtime File

Video 11: Download the Runtime Application to the PanelView Plus Terminal

I hope you’ve found this listing of Rockwell’s FactoryTalk View Studio Machine Edition (ViewME) and PanelView Plus (PVPlus) Quick Start Videos helpful. If you have, or would like to offer your own opinion on the usefulness of these Rockwell videos please use the “Leave a reply” form below to comment on this article.

Sincerely,

Shawn Tierney
Editor-in-Chief/Publisher
Insights In Automation

The post FactoryTalk View Studio Machine Edition (ViewME) and PanelView Plus (PVPlus) Quick Start Videos from Rockwell Allen-Bradley (A-B) appeared first on Insights In Automation.

NOTE: The newest version of this article is located HERE

Clients often ask me about available data logging options for the CompactLogix and ControlLogix. And as of version 21, the controller itself still has no native data logging feature (maybe in v22?)

While you can create trends in RSLogix5000 which you can later export to CSV file, this solution isn’t automated and not very fool proof. So what can you do? Below are some popular ways to automate data logging with your CompactLogix and ControlLogix:

Option 1: Log to CompactFlash or SD Memory

In version 16 of RSLogix 5000 Rockwell added sample code demonstrating the ability to programmatically create a text file on the removable CompactFlash or SD card which many newer models support. To do this simply review the include sample code, “CF_Read_Write_Example” which can be found in your “RSLogix5000\Projects\Samples\ENU\Rockwell Automation\v16″ directory, or the manual here.

UPDATE: There is a separate sample code download which does log to CSV file – for more information see this Blog Post HERE.

• Free
• Log in text file
• Can format as CSV
• Plenty of space for large logs

Cons:

• Text file saved in a binary format
• Manual retrieval
• Not a database solution
• Possible noise issues with older CompactLogix processors (more info here)

Note: Versions of the above mentioned code prior to version 16 didn’t contain error checking code and are therefore not recommended.

Option 2: Log internally to array, retrieve with MS Excel and RSLinx Classic

It’s a fairly easy task to write a routine to log data to an internal array. And it’s also quite easy to setup MS Excel and RSLinx Classic (Single Node for 1 PLC, OEM for many) to read that array (search RSLinx Classic help on EXCEL to find VBA sample code.)

However, trying to automate this process with VBA in MS Excel could be more work and effort than it’s worth.

Pros:

• Fairly simple coding in PLC
• Extracting data to Excel via RSLinx Classic is fairly easy using sample code in RSLinx Classic help files.

Cons:

• Writing and testing code to automate could be time consuming
• Reliability issues
• Data not in a database.

Option 3: PanelView Plus CE or 6 (or ViewME Station) DataStore ActiveX

The PanelView Plus CE, PanelView Plus 6, and ViewME Station all have the ability to use a free Rockwell ActiveX called “DataStore.” What this object does is simply log tags you choose to a CSV file which you can later copy to your PC and open in MS Excel.

Pros:

• Automated data collection using your PVPlus 6 or CE at no extra charge

Cons:

• Manual retrieval
• Not in a database

Option 4: XLReporter from SyTech  

For over a decade I’ve been a fan of this simple yet elegant package which is basically a report generating add-on for MS Excel.

Before using this package, my automated RSView32 datalog reports were VBA queries of my RSView32 collected datalogs which I stored in MS Access. while this old method worked great, it was technically far beyond what most clients wanted to do to generate reports.

But with XLReporter, Ms Excel, and RSLinx Classic you can not only setup data collection into spreadsheets directly, but you also can generate some good looking reports automatically. For more information on XLReporter, check out their website at www.TheReportCompany.com.

Pros:

• No code to write
• Easy to use
• Great tech support

Cons:

• Price starts around $1000 (without RSLinx or MS Excel)
• Not a database (options to read databases can be purchased)

Option 5: FactoryTalk View Site Edition  

ViewSE’s data logging features are fairly extensive. You can configure unlimited number of datalogs, and run up to 20 simultaneously. Each datalog can have up to 10,000 tags in it (ViewSE has no tag limit,) and they can be logged to either a compressed format (extractable with a free utility,) or better yet to any database which supports ODBC (MS SQL Server Express is included.)

Pros:

• Supports 20 datalogs simultaneously logging 10,000 tags each
• Supports most databases via ODBC
• Comes with RSLinx Classic and Enterprise (ViewSE versions)

Cons:

• Can’t easily view data directly in MS Excel
• Cost of ViewStudio Development and ViewSE runtime (if not already owned)

Option 6: FactoryTalk Historian SE

For the most robust data collection I recommend FT Historian SE. This package is built to do one thing well – large volume time series data collection. Based on the world’s largest installed base of data collection software (OSI PI,) Rockwell has included easy to use hooks to setup logging of data from it’s PLC’s, and has also included it’s popular web based trending and reporting package, VantagePoint.

Pros:

• World class solution based on OSI PI with space saving data compression
• Easy connectivity to PLC’s, especially using RSLinx Enterprise or OPC.
• Excel plugin for easy viewing of collected data
• Comes with full web based trending and reporting package (VantagePoint)

Cons:

• Requires Microsoft Server 2008 R2
• Cost of lowest tag count roughly $4500

I hope you’ve found this article about my thoughts on how to datalog data from the ControlLogix and CompactLogix helpful. If you have a question or would like to offer your own data logging option please use the “Leave a reply” form below to comment on this article.

Sincerely,

Shawn Tierney
Editor-in-Chief/Publisher
Insights In Automation

The post Data Logging Options For CompactLogix and ControlLogix appeared first on Insights In Automation.

NOTE: The newest version of this article is located HERE

With the release of the PanelView Plus 6 700-1500, Rockwell chose to no longer support the legacy Remote I/O (RIO) network.

However, for users who still need to replace old RIO PanelViews, Rockwell has made several new catalog numbers for the original Panelview Plus with firmware 5.1 and RIO support available.

These models (listed below) all have the Remote I/O communications module pre-installed. They also all have color displays, are DC powered, and are planned to be available through 2015:

7″ Screens

• Catalog Number  / Model /  Input
• 2711P-T7C1D2 PanelView Plus 700  Touchscreen
• 2711P-T7C1D6 PanelView Plus CE 700  Touchscreen
• 2711P-B7C1D2  PanelView Plus 700 Keypad/Touchscreen
• 2711P-B7C1D6  PanelView Plus CE 700 Keypad/Touchscreen

• Catalog Number  / Model /  Input
• 2711P-T10C1D2  PanelView Plus 1000  Touchscreen
• 2711P-T10C1D6  PanelView Plus CE 1000  Touchscreen
• 2711P-B10C1D2  PanelView Plus 1000  Keypad/Touchscreen
• 2711P-B10C1D6  PanelView Plus CE 1000  Keypad/Touchscreen

12″ Screens

• Catalog Number  / Model /  Input
• 2711P-T12C1D2  PanelView Plus 1250  Touchscreen
• 2711P-T12C1D6  PanelView Plus CE 1250  Touchscreen
• 2711P-B12C1D2  PanelView Plus 1250  Keypad/Touchscreen
• 2711P-B12C1D6  PanelView PlusCE 1250  Keypad/Touchscreen

15″ Screens

• Catalog Number  / Model /  Input
• 2711P-T15C1D2  PanelView Plus 1500  Touchscreen
• 2711P-T15C1D6  PanelView Plus CE 1500  Touchscreen
• 2711P-B15C1D2  PanelView Plus 1500  Keypad/Touchscreen
• 2711P-B15C1D6  PanelView Plus CE 1500  Keypad/Touchscreen

If you’re looking for more information about using FactoryTalk ViewStudio and the PanelView Plus on Remote I/O, you should find the below Rockwell manuals helpful:

FactoryTalk View Machine Edition User Guide

PanelView Plus User Manual

PanelView Plus Remote I/O Communication Module

Migrating Standard PanelView Applications

Migrating Enhanced PanelView Applications

Sincerely,

Shawn Tierney
Editor-in-Chief/Publisher
Insights In Automation

The post Panelview Plus with Remote I/O support appeared first on Insights In Automation.

NOTE: The newest version of this article is located HERE

Recently, a client called asking if it would be possible to replace a PanelView 550 with a new PanelView Plus. The answer is yes, but the ease of doing so will depend greatly on the model.

Note: In this article we’ll focus on the physical replacement, leaving the software migration to a future article.

Cutout compatibility

The first question that comes to my mind when replacing a legacy HMI is cutout compatibility. To address this we first, need to know what display types and sizes the PanelView 550 came in, and I’ll list those below:

• Touchscreen: 125mm (h) x 158mm (w) x 64mm (d)
• Keypad, or Keypad and Touchscreen: 144mm (h) x 243mm (w) x 86mm (d) , plus mounting holes for studs.

Now let’s look at the PanelView Plus 600 dimensions:

• Touchscreen: 123mm (h) x 156mm (w) x 98mm (d)
• Keypad, or Keypad and Touchscreen: 142mm (h) x 241mm (w) x 98mm (d)

Comparing the two models we can see the PanelView Plus 600 is just a couple of millimeters smaller than the PanelView 550, which on the surface should make it a nice drop in replacement (assuming you have the increased depth of 98mm.)

This is the case with the touchscreen terminal, but the mounting holes for the PanelView 550 Keypad and Keypad/Touch studs prevent the PanelView Plus 600  Keypad and Keypad/Touch gasket from completely sealing.

To get around this, Rockwell makes an “adaptor plate,” the 2711P-RAK4, which completely seals the old cutout and allows the installation of either a (1) Keypad PanelView Plus 400, or (2) Touchscreen PanelView Plus 600. Unfortunately, there is no cutout adaptor plate to mount a PanelView Plus 6 Keypad or Keypad/Touch model in the PanelView 550 Keypad and Keypad/Touch cutout.

For more details about PanelView dimensions and adaptor plates please reference the below manuals:

• PanelView Standard models and dimensions: 2711-UM014G-EN-P
• PanelView Plus models and dimensions: 2711P-UM001J-EN-P
• PanelView Plus 6 models and dimensions: 2711P-UM006C-EN-P
• The 2711-RAK4 adaptor plate: 2711P-IN020A-MU-P

Communications compatibility

The second feature we need to check compatibility for is the communications type.

For PanelView 550 models which communicated via Ethernet (2711-x5A20,) Serial DF1 (2711-x5A16,) or Serial DH-485 (2711-x5A5,) direct equivalents exist in the PanelView Plus 6 family.

If the PanelView 550 part number contained an “A2″ (DH-485) you could either use a PanelView Plus 6 with 1761-NET-AIC as described in our earlier article here, or use the equivalent legacy PanelView Plus model (limited time availability.)

For more information about the legacy PanelView Plus models, please reference the following manual:

2711P-AP002B-EN-P

I hope this review of the size and network considerations to replace a PanelView 550 with a PanelView Plus 600 was helpful. If you have any questions or comments please leave them below using the “leave a reply” form at the bottom of this page.

Sincerely,

Shawn Tierney
Editor-in-Chief/Publisher
Insights In Automation

The post Replacing a PanelView 550 with a PanelView Plus appeared first on Insights In Automation.

A review of all the blogs posted this week on The Automation Blog @ www.TheAutomationBlog.com

Remotely controlling your Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus using VNC

Monday, October 28th

In this article we show you how you can remotely control your PanelView Plus CE or PanelView Plus 6 with a free VNC app for your PC. Read the full story here.

Using an Apple iPad or iPhone to monitor and control your Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus

Wednesday, October 30th

In this article we show you how you can remotely control your PanelView Plus CE or PanelView Plus 6 with a free VNC app for your Apple iPad or iPhone. Read the full story here.

What is ViewPoint?

Friday, November 1st

In this article we discuss what ViewPoint is and what platforms it’s supported on. Read the full story here.

By Shawn Tierney

The post This week on The Automation Blog, Sunday November 3rd, 2013 appeared first on Insights In Automation.

A review of all the blogs posted this week on The Automation Blog @ www.TheAutomationBlog.com

Seven things you need to know before using ControlLogix

Monday, November 25th

In this article we discuss seven things you need to know before using Allen-Bradley’s ControlLogix for the first time. Read the full story here.

Seven things you need to know before using the PanelView Plus

Tuesday, November 26th

In this article we discuss what we learned about Prosoft’s new, “Ethernet over Blue Hose” technology at Automation Fair 2013. Read the full story here.

The Seven Allen-Bradley and Rockwell websites I use the most

Wednesday, November 27th

In this article we share the other booths and products that got our attention at Automation Fair 2013. Read the full story here.

By Shawn Tierney

The post This week on The Automation Blog, Sunday December 1st, 2013 appeared first on Insights In Automation.

Today on The Automation Blog we discuss one reason why it make take your PanelView Plus several minutes to boot, and the work around.

Read the Article

By Shawn Tierney

The post Why does it take several minutes for my PanelView Plus to boot? appeared first on Insights In Automation.

NOTE: The newest version of this article is located HERE

When powering on a PanelView Plus for the first time, its boots up to the main Configuration Mode menu screen. From here, the user has several options:

• Load an application from internal memory, of from a Compact Flash Card (versions 3.0-5.1,) SD Card (versions 6.0-7.0,) or from most USB Flash Drives.
• Run the loaded application
• Edit the loaded applications settings
• Edit the Terminal Settings
• Change the setting for “Delete Log Files Before Running”

In many cases the programmer with first enter the terminal settings that match the requirements on his system, including network settings. However, it’s often the case that someone will need to modify these settings at a later date, so gaining access to this menu in the future is very import.

Once a FactoryTalk View Machine Edition (ViewME) Runtime File (.mer) is loaded and running, the easiest and most convenient way to return to the “Configuration Mode” is to place a “Goto Config” button on one of the project’s graphic display screens. In many cases, the programmer will chose to put this button on a secured screen so operators don’t accidentally press it and exit the application.

Occasionally a programmer forgets to put a “Goto Config” button on any screen in the project. And when the ViewME application is set to automatically load and run, the “Configuration Mode” no longer displays on boot. An easy fix for this is to download a new project that does have a “Goto Config” button, but if some time has passed since the unit was programmed, or if a different programmer is now working on the terminal, the existing network settings may not be known and there there’s no way to download to the terminal.

In the early days of the product, I would resort to disassembling the terminal by removing the “Logic Board” from the “Display Module.” I would then remove the internal Compact Flash card, put it into my PC, and move off all the .mer files I could find. By doing this, and reassembling the unit, when the PVPlus was powered back on and it didn’t find the startup file it was programmed to run it would simply boot to the “Configuration Mode” and I was back in.

Fortunately, in version 3.20.09 Rockwell later added a built-in “boot up sequence” interrupt that allows users to bypass the launching of the default project. When units with the newer firmware are turned on, the user can either press a small “White Box” on the bottom left of a touch screen terminal, or presses the “F1 Key” on a keypad terminal, to force the PVPlus to boot to the “Configuration Mode.”

With how to access the “Configuration Mode” explained above, tomorrow we’ll talk about what to do if the “White Box” doesn’t show up on boot, and what to do if the “F1 Key” on a keypad unit doesn’t launch the “Configuration Mode.” Until then, if you’ve ever been locked out of you PanelView Plus, or had to use one of the above strategies to get back into the “Configuration Mode,” we’d love to hear from you. Just use the “Leave a reply” form at the bottom of this page to let us know your thoughts on this subject.

Sincerely,

Shawn Tierney
Automation Consultant

The post How To Access The PanelView Plus Configuration Mode appeared first on Insights In Automation.

NOTE: The newest version of this article is located HERE

Why is the PanelView Plus “Goto Config Mode” white box missing on boot? Why doesn’t pressing F1 on boot bring me to the PanelView Plus configuration mode?

Yesterday we discussed how to get into the “Configuration Mode” of a PanelView Plus, and we learned the easiest way to do so was to either put a “Goto Config” button in your FactoryTalk View Machine Edition (ViewME) project, or intterupt the boot process of the terminal by pressing the “White Box” in the lower left corner of a touch screen unit, or the “F1 Key” on a keypad unit.

But what do you do when the “White Box” doesn’t show up, or the “F1 key” doesn’t work?

There’s two reasons why this may be happening:

First, it could be your PanelView Plus has a firmware version prior to 3.20.09. If that’s the case, the firmware loaded in your terminal predates the inclusion of the “White Box” and “F1” power-up auto load interrupt. In these cases I highly recommend backing up all the .mer files on your PanelView Plus, and well as recording all your network and communication settings, and then flashing your unit up to the latest firmware available for your PVPlus, which would be version 5.1+.

You may also have to visit the Rockwell Software Downloads Page to find a copy of the 3.0 to 3.1 firmware migration files as last time I checked 3.0 first has to be migrated to 3.1 before it can be migrated to any other version

The second reason you may not see the “White Box,” or the “F1 Key” does not work to interrupt the boot process could be because you have a PanelView Plus 6 with firmware 6.0. It’s quite an annoyance that version 6.0 of the PVPlus 6 did not have this feature which so many people rely on, and to bring the feature back you’ll need to first flash your PanelView Plus 6 to version 6.1. And just like when flashing a PanelView Plus, before you do so you should back up all your .mer files which are on the terminal, and well as record all the terminal’s network and communication settings.

Once your PVPlus 6 terminal is flashed to 6.1 you still need to enable the “White Box” / “F1 Key” functionality. To do this you must exit “Configuration Mode” to get to the “Windows CE” desktop. And to do that you’ll need to know the password, which by default is “password.”

Once in Windows CE, open the Control Panel, chose “System,” then “Start-up Options,” then “Boot Option,” and select “Detect safe mode request at startup.” It’s quite a few steps, but it does bring back the “White Box” and “F1 Key” boot-up functionality, which I have to say is much better than the option provided in version 6.0 required plugging in a USB keyboard into the back of the PVPlus 6.

If you have anything you would like to add to the above, or have any questions on this information, please feel free to use the “Leave a reply” form below to comment on this article.

Sincerely,

Shawn Tierney
Automation Consultant

The post Why Is The White Box Missing On My PanelView Plus? Why Doesn’t F1 Bring Up Configuration Mode? appeared first on Insights In Automation.

NOTE: The newest version of this article is located HERE

On Monday and Tuesday we discussed how to access the “Configuration Mode” of the PanelView Plus and PanelView Plus 6. One additional way we did not yet cover is using an “autorun.bat” file on a USB Memory Stick (aka USB Thumb Drive, USB Flash Drive.) These script are written to automatically move all your FactoryTalk View Machine Edition (ViewME) Runtime Files (.mer) off your terminal so when it’s rebooted it doesn’t find the needed .mer file and therefore returns to the “Configuration Mode.”

The “autorun.bat” file used for this purpose is a simple text based file reminiscent of the old DOS files of the same name. When you place one of these files in the root folder of your USB Memory Stick, and insert it into your PVPlus, it immediately runs. And while the commands in the “autorun.bat” file aren’t limited to coping your “.mer” files to and from your USB memory stick, this is what the two below samples scripts are designed to do.

The below scripts are custom ones I created for a client with a PanelView Plus 6 firmware rev6.0 terminal. The first backs up all the .mer files on the terminal to the USB Memory Stick , and then deletes them from the terminal. The second script copies all the .mer files from the USB Memory Stick back to the Terminal. Both files are written for the PanelView Plus 6, which runs on Windows CE 6.0. However they each include documentation on the changes needed to make them work with PanelView Plus versions prior to v6 which run Windows CE 4.x:

@echo off

REM    *** THIS FILE MUST BE NAMED autorun.bat TO WORK ***

REM    *** This is the backup and delete all .mer’s autorun.bat file ***

REM    THIS FILE IS DESIGNED FOR A PANELVIEW PLUS UNIT THAT ARE RUNNING 6.0 OR NEWER FIRMWARE ONLY, AS

REM    THE USB STORAGE DEVICE PATH HAS BEEN RENAMED FROM

REM    “STORAGE CARD2”

REM    TO

REM    “USB STORAGE”

REM    AND THE MER FILE DIRECTORY HAS CHANGED FROM

REM    “storage cardrockwell softwarersviewmeruntime”

REM    TO

REM    “Application DataStorage CardRockwell SoftwareRSViewMERuntime”

REM    Step 1 – Make a backup directory for the MER files on the PVPlus 6

CDApplication DataRockwell SoftwareRSViewME MD Backup

REM    Step 2 – Copy the MER files to the backup directory created above REM    Note – file operations require names with spaces to be in quotes

CD Runtime COPY *.* “Application DataRockwell SoftwareRSViewMEBackup”

REM    Step 3 – Copy the MER files to the USB STORAGE DEVICE

REM    NOTE – for this path to work, this USB STORAGE DEVICE must be the first or only USB STORAGE DEVICE inserted into the PVPlus 6

COPY *.* “USB Storage”

REM   Step 4 – Now try and make the correct directory on the USB stick (may already exist)

CDUSB Storage

MD Rockwell Software

CD Rockwell Software

MD RSViewME

CD RSViewME

MD Runtime

CD Runtime

REM   Step 5 – Now COPY all the MER files to the correct directory on the USB stick

CDApplication DataRockwell SoftwareRSViewMERuntime

COPY *.* “USB StorageRockwell SoftwareRSViewMERuntime”

REM   Step 7 – Now Delete all the files from the application directory to force the system to boot to the Configuration Menu

CDApplication DataRockwell SoftwareRSViewMERuntime

DEL *.mer

REM    The process is now complete

REM    Tell the operators to allow 120 seconds from when they insert the card before they remove it

REM    Remove the USB stick and cycle power to the terminal

REM    This file was written by Shawn Tierney, insightsinautomation.com

PanelView Plus 6.0 autorun.bat file script text used to copy .mer files from the usb memory stick to te terminal:

@echo off

REM    *** THIS FILE MUST BE NAMED autorun.bat FOR IT TO WORK ***

REM    *** This is the restore all .mer’s autorun.bat file ***

REM    THIS IS DESIGNED FOR UNIT THAT ARE RUNNING 6.0 OR NEWER FIRMWARE ONLY, AS

REM    THE USB STORAGE DEVICE PATH HAS BEEN RENAMED FROM

REM    “STORAGE CARD2”

REM    TO

REM    “USB STORAGE”

REM    AND THE MER FILE DIRECTORY HAS CHANGED FROM

REM    “storage cardrockwell softwarersviewmeruntime”

REM    TO

REM    “Application DataStorage CardRockwell SoftwareRSViewMERuntime”

REM    Step 1 – Copy all the .mer files to the correct directory on the PanelView Plus 6

CDApplication DataRockwell SoftwareRSViewMERuntime

COPY “USB StorageRockwell SoftwareRSViewMERuntime*.*”

REM    The process is now complete

REM    Tell the operators to allow 120 seconds from when they insert the card to when then remove it

REM    Remove the USB stick and cycle power to the terminal

REM    This file was written by Shawn Tierney, insightsinautomation.com

Hopefully the above autorun scripts will come in handy if you ever lock yourself out of your PVPlus, or if you just want an easy way to backup all your .mer runtime files on your terminal. If you have any stories about being locked out of your PVPlus, or have a similar script to share, please use the “Leave a reply” form at the bottom of this page to share your comments with the rest of us.

Sincerely,

Shawn Tierney
Automation Consultant

The post How To Automatically Run A USB Flash Drive Script On The PanelView Plus appeared first on Insights In Automation.

NOTE: The newest version of this article is located HERE

Rockwell’s FactoryTalk View Studio Machine Edition (ViewME) and PanelView Plus (PVPlus) can be a little challenging for new users to learn. I still remember my own frustration trying to setup RSLinx Enterprise for the first time when I received my beta copy of FactoryTalk View Studio 3.0 back in late 2003.

Since then, Rockwell has released nearly a dozen FactoryTalk View Studio Machine Edition (ViewME) and PanelView Plus (PVPlus) Quick Start Videos on their Allen-Bradley website at www.AB.com, and in today’s article I’ll list all of these videos, and provide a direct link to view each one:

Section 1: Getting Started with FactoryTalk ViewStudio

Video 1: Glossary of Terms

Section 2: Getting Connected with FactoryTalk ViewStudio

Video 2: Set Up a PanelView Plus for Communications

Video 3: Select and Connect Communication Cables

Video 4: Create a New Application and Define Startup Settings

Video 5: Set Up Communications within an Application

Video 6: Define Project Settings

Video 7: Create a New Graphic Display and Add a Numeric Display Object

Video 8: Create Navigation Buttons

Video 9: Test a Graphic Display and the Application

Video 10: Create a Runtime File

Video 11: Download the Runtime Application to the PanelView Plus Terminal

I hope you’ve found this listing of Rockwell’s FactoryTalk View Studio Machine Edition (ViewME) and PanelView Plus (PVPlus) Quick Start Videos helpful. If you have, or would like to offer your own opinion on the usefulness of these Rockwell videos please use the “Leave a reply” form below to comment on this article.

Sincerely,

Shawn Tierney
Automation Consultant

The post FactoryTalk View Studio Machine Edition (ViewME) and PanelView Plus (PVPlus) Quick Start Videos from Rockwell Allen-Bradley (A-B) appeared first on Insights In Automation.

NOTE: The newest version of this article is located HERE

Clients often ask me about available data logging options for the CompactLogix and ControlLogix. And as of version 21, the controller itself still has no native data logging feature (maybe in v22?)

While you can create trends in RSLogix5000 which you can later export to CSV file, this solution isn’t automated and not very fool proof. So what can you do? Below are some popular ways to automate data logging with your CompactLogix and ControlLogix:

Option 1: Log to CompactFlash or SD Memory

In version 16 of RSLogix 5000 Rockwell added sample code demonstrating the ability to programmatically create a text file on the removable CompactFlash or SD card which many newer models support. To do this simply review the include sample code, “CF_Read_Write_Example” which can be found in your “RSLogix5000ProjectsSamplesENURockwell Automationv16” directory, or the manual here.

UPDATE: There is a separate sample code download which does log to CSV file – for more information see this Blog Post HERE.

• Free
• Log in text file
• Can format as CSV
• Plenty of space for large logs

Cons:

• Text file saved in a binary format
• Manual retrieval
• Not a database solution
• Possible noise issues with older CompactLogix processors (more info here)

Note: Versions of the above mentioned code prior to version 16 didn’t contain error checking code and are therefore not recommended.

Option 2: Log internally to array, retrieve with MS Excel and RSLinx Classic

It’s a fairly easy task to write a routine to log data to an internal array. And it’s also quite easy to setup MS Excel and RSLinx Classic (Single Node for 1 PLC, OEM for many) to read that array (search RSLinx Classic help on EXCEL to find VBA sample code.)

However, trying to automate this process with VBA in MS Excel could be more work and effort than it’s worth.

Pros:

• Fairly simple coding in PLC
• Extracting data to Excel via RSLinx Classic is fairly easy using sample code in RSLinx Classic help files.

Cons:

• Writing and testing code to automate could be time consuming
• Reliability issues
• Data not in a database.

Option 3: PanelView Plus CE or 6 (or ViewME Station) DataStore ActiveX

The PanelView Plus CE, PanelView Plus 6, and ViewME Station all have the ability to use a free Rockwell ActiveX called “DataStore.” What this object does is simply log tags you choose to a CSV file which you can later copy to your PC and open in MS Excel.

Pros:

• Automated data collection using your PVPlus 6 or CE at no extra charge

Cons:

• Manual retrieval
• Not in a database

Option 4: XLReporter from SyTech  

For over a decade I’ve been a fan of this simple yet elegant package which is basically a report generating add-on for MS Excel.

Before using this package, my automated RSView32 datalog reports were VBA queries of my RSView32 collected datalogs which I stored in MS Access. while this old method worked great, it was technically far beyond what most clients wanted to do to generate reports.

But with XLReporter, Ms Excel, and RSLinx Classic you can not only setup data collection into spreadsheets directly, but you also can generate some good looking reports automatically. For more information on XLReporter, check out their website at www.TheReportCompany.com.

Pros:

• No code to write
• Easy to use
• Great tech support

Cons:

• Price starts around $1000 (without RSLinx or MS Excel)
• Not a database (options to read databases can be purchased)

Option 5: FactoryTalk View Site Edition  

ViewSE’s data logging features are fairly extensive. You can configure unlimited number of datalogs, and run up to 20 simultaneously. Each datalog can have up to 10,000 tags in it (ViewSE has no tag limit,) and they can be logged to either a compressed format (extractable with a free utility,) or better yet to any database which supports ODBC (MS SQL Server Express is included.)

Pros:

• Supports 20 datalogs simultaneously logging 10,000 tags each
• Supports most databases via ODBC
• Comes with RSLinx Classic and Enterprise (ViewSE versions)

Cons:

• Can’t easily view data directly in MS Excel
• Cost of ViewStudio Development and ViewSE runtime (if not already owned)

Option 6: FactoryTalk Historian SE

For the most robust data collection I recommend FT Historian SE. This package is built to do one thing well – large volume time series data collection. Based on the world’s largest installed base of data collection software (OSI PI,) Rockwell has included easy to use hooks to setup logging of data from it’s PLC’s, and has also included it’s popular web based trending and reporting package, VantagePoint.

Pros:

• World class solution based on OSI PI with space saving data compression
• Easy connectivity to PLC’s, especially using RSLinx Enterprise or OPC.
• Excel plugin for easy viewing of collected data
• Comes with full web based trending and reporting package (VantagePoint)

Cons:

• Requires Microsoft Server 2008 R2
• Cost of lowest tag count roughly $4500

I hope you’ve found this article about my thoughts on how to datalog data from the ControlLogix and CompactLogix helpful. If you have a question or would like to offer your own data logging option please use the “Leave a reply” form below to comment on this article.

Sincerely,

Shawn Tierney
Automation Consultant

The post Data Logging Options For CompactLogix and ControlLogix appeared first on Insights In Automation.

NOTE: The newest version of this article is located HERE

With the release of the PanelView Plus 6 700-1500, Rockwell chose to no longer support the legacy Remote I/O (RIO) network.

However, for users who still need to replace old RIO PanelViews, Rockwell has made several new catalog numbers for the original Panelview Plus with firmware 5.1 and RIO support available.

These models (listed below) all have the Remote I/O communications module pre-installed. They also all have color displays, are DC powered, and are planned to be available through 2015:

7″ Screens

• Catalog Number  / Model /  Input
• 2711P-T7C1D2 PanelView Plus 700  Touchscreen
• 2711P-T7C1D6 PanelView Plus CE 700  Touchscreen
• 2711P-B7C1D2  PanelView Plus 700 Keypad/Touchscreen
• 2711P-B7C1D6  PanelView Plus CE 700 Keypad/Touchscreen

• Catalog Number  / Model /  Input
• 2711P-T10C1D2  PanelView Plus 1000  Touchscreen
• 2711P-T10C1D6  PanelView Plus CE 1000  Touchscreen
• 2711P-B10C1D2  PanelView Plus 1000  Keypad/Touchscreen
• 2711P-B10C1D6  PanelView Plus CE 1000  Keypad/Touchscreen

12″ Screens

• Catalog Number  / Model /  Input
• 2711P-T12C1D2  PanelView Plus 1250  Touchscreen
• 2711P-T12C1D6  PanelView Plus CE 1250  Touchscreen
• 2711P-B12C1D2  PanelView Plus 1250  Keypad/Touchscreen
• 2711P-B12C1D6  PanelView PlusCE 1250  Keypad/Touchscreen

15″ Screens

• Catalog Number  / Model /  Input
• 2711P-T15C1D2  PanelView Plus 1500  Touchscreen
• 2711P-T15C1D6  PanelView Plus CE 1500  Touchscreen
• 2711P-B15C1D2  PanelView Plus 1500  Keypad/Touchscreen
• 2711P-B15C1D6  PanelView Plus CE 1500  Keypad/Touchscreen

If you’re looking for more information about using FactoryTalk ViewStudio and the PanelView Plus on Remote I/O, you should find the below Rockwell manuals helpful:

FactoryTalk View Machine Edition User Guide

PanelView Plus User Manual

PanelView Plus Remote I/O Communication Module

Migrating Standard PanelView Applications

Migrating Enhanced PanelView Applications

Sincerely,

Shawn Tierney
Automation Consultant

The post Panelview Plus with Remote I/O support appeared first on Insights In Automation.

NOTE: The newest version of this article is located HERE

Recently, a client called asking if it would be possible to replace a PanelView 550 with a new PanelView Plus. The answer is yes, but the ease of doing so will depend greatly on the model.

Note: In this article we’ll focus on the physical replacement, leaving the software migration to a future article.

Cutout compatibility

The first question that comes to my mind when replacing a legacy HMI is cutout compatibility. To address this we first, need to know what display types and sizes the PanelView 550 came in, and I’ll list those below:

• Touchscreen: 125mm (h) x 158mm (w) x 64mm (d)
• Keypad, or Keypad and Touchscreen: 144mm (h) x 243mm (w) x 86mm (d) , plus mounting holes for studs.

Now let’s look at the PanelView Plus 600 dimensions:

• Touchscreen: 123mm (h) x 156mm (w) x 98mm (d)
• Keypad, or Keypad and Touchscreen: 142mm (h) x 241mm (w) x 98mm (d)

Comparing the two models we can see the PanelView Plus 600 is just a couple of millimeters smaller than the PanelView 550, which on the surface should make it a nice drop in replacement (assuming you have the increased depth of 98mm.)

This is the case with the touchscreen terminal, but the mounting holes for the PanelView 550 Keypad and Keypad/Touch studs prevent the PanelView Plus 600  Keypad and Keypad/Touch gasket from completely sealing.

To get around this, Rockwell makes an “adaptor plate,” the 2711P-RAK4, which completely seals the old cutout and allows the installation of either a (1) Keypad PanelView Plus 400, or (2) Touchscreen PanelView Plus 600. Unfortunately, there is no cutout adaptor plate to mount a PanelView Plus 6 Keypad or Keypad/Touch model in the PanelView 550 Keypad and Keypad/Touch cutout.

For more details about PanelView dimensions and adaptor plates please reference the below manuals:

• PanelView Standard models and dimensions: 2711-UM014G-EN-P
• PanelView Plus models and dimensions: 2711P-UM001J-EN-P
• PanelView Plus 6 models and dimensions: 2711P-UM006C-EN-P
• The 2711-RAK4 adaptor plate: 2711P-IN020A-MU-P

Communications compatibility

The second feature we need to check compatibility for is the communications type.

For PanelView 550 models which communicated via Ethernet (2711-x5A20,) Serial DF1 (2711-x5A16,) or Serial DH-485 (2711-x5A5,) direct equivalents exist in the PanelView Plus 6 family.

If the PanelView 550 part number contained an “A2” (DH-485) you could either use a PanelView Plus 6 with 1761-NET-AIC as described in our earlier article here, or use the equivalent legacy PanelView Plus model (limited time availability.)

For more information about the legacy PanelView Plus models, please reference the following manual:

2711P-AP002B-EN-P

I hope this review of the size and network considerations to replace a PanelView 550 with a PanelView Plus 600 was helpful. If you have any questions or comments please leave them below using the “leave a reply” form at the bottom of this page.

Sincerely,

Shawn Tierney
Automation Consultant

The post Replacing a PanelView 550 with a PanelView Plus appeared first on Insights In Automation.

A review of all the blogs posted this week on The Automation Blog @ www.TheAutomationBlog.com

Remotely controlling your Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus using VNC

Monday, October 28th

In this article we show you how you can remotely control your PanelView Plus CE or PanelView Plus 6 with a free VNC app for your PC. Read the full story here.

Using an Apple iPad or iPhone to monitor and control your Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus

Wednesday, October 30th

In this article we show you how you can remotely control your PanelView Plus CE or PanelView Plus 6 with a free VNC app for your Apple iPad or iPhone. Read the full story here.

What is ViewPoint?

Friday, November 1st

In this article we discuss what ViewPoint is and what platforms it’s supported on. Read the full story here.

By Shawn Tierney

The post This week on The Automation Blog, Sunday November 3rd, 2013 appeared first on Insights In Automation.

A review of all the blogs posted this week on The Automation Blog @ www.TheAutomationBlog.com

Seven things you need to know before using ControlLogix

Monday, November 25th

In this article we discuss seven things you need to know before using Allen-Bradley’s ControlLogix for the first time. Read the full story here.

Seven things you need to know before using the PanelView Plus

Tuesday, November 26th

In this article we discuss what we learned about Prosoft’s new, “Ethernet over Blue Hose” technology at Automation Fair 2013. Read the full story here.

The Seven Allen-Bradley and Rockwell websites I use the most

Wednesday, November 27th

In this article we share the other booths and products that got our attention at Automation Fair 2013. Read the full story here.

By Shawn Tierney

The post This week on The Automation Blog, Sunday December 1st, 2013 appeared first on Insights In Automation.

Today on The Automation Blog we discuss one reason why it make take your PanelView Plus several minutes to boot, and the work around.

Read the Article

By Shawn Tierney

The post Why does it take several minutes for my PanelView Plus to boot? appeared first on Insights In Automation.