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Need Help with RSLinx

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Hi, I am new to this forum and to Allen Bradley products. I have a recently purchased machine at work that is down and I need to connect to the controller to examine the logic. I have all of the software (Factory Talk, Rs linx Enterprise, Control Logix 500 installed on my computer. I am having problems adding a driver in RSLinx to allow for serial communication between my PC and the Control Logix controller. It appears that all menus and options are grayed out and I cannot add a serial driver. If I go into security access rights the "current security server is blank", the "current security user" is blank my computer is listed as a resource but for all actions are "denied". I configured a Factory Talk Local and network directory and thought that that was all that I needed to do. Can someone tell me what I need to do establish rights in RSLinx and allow me access to adding drivers. I am at a loss and need to try to get this machine running before Monday morning?

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RA products seem to work best in WinXP Pro and you should have administrator rights. Thats the best I can think of right now considering I have not experienced your exact problem.

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Thanks for the quick response. I am using Windows XP Pro and have administrator rights on this computer.

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Oh, I just noticed you mentioned RSLinx Enterprise and NOT regular RSLinx. You need good old regular RSLinx to connect RSLogix5k to your PLC. Enterprise is a different product and is required for development of RSViewME applications. You can download RSLinx from the AB website but it should have come with RSLogix 5000 and may have been a seperate selection on the install CD. Does that help? Edited by jstolaruk

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The post about needing RSlinx Classic is correct for RSlogix 5000. Also when you installed Logix 5000 did you do it with or without security server. Unless you have a reason to need security I always install Logix without the security server. It just causes more headaches. Being new let me give you an overview {albeit simplified} of whta your ideal connection experience should be like. 1. You connect your Serial Cable between the PC and PLC. 2. You make sure that no other program {Check Fax Service and modem Service} is using or listening to the com port. 3. You open RSlinx Classic and select the Communications Configure drivers. 4. You Select the RS232 DF-1 Devices Driver. 5. You configure the DF-1 driver to the correct Com port and then use the auto configure button. If auto configure is successful, proceed. If not post your error messages here. this post} 6. Next Open the RSWHo Whindow of RSlinx, by pressing the RWsho button. use the explorer type tree to find your new driver and hopefully your new processor. 7. If that is successful minimize RSLinx and Open RSlogix. 8. Choose the Communications who active and respeat the RSwho type browe to your PLC. 9. Select Upload and enjoy. Any More problems all of us here will try and help.

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First, let me say thanks for the quick help. You guys are great! I hope as I become more familiar with A-B PLC products that I can repay the favor. Based on jstolaruk's information on using RSLinx Classic I tried to install it last night. I found it on my RSView CD and tried to install it. However, I can't help but think that maybe I did install it already since the menu options that I received were to modify the installation, repair it, or uninstall it. I selected the option to repair it just in case there was a problem with the installation. (I have had problems during the past week with getting RSView to run and have tried a number of things based on Rockwell support, but that's another story) Any way, at this point I'm a little confused on how to get RSLinx classic to run. It seems that the RSLinx driver starts automatically when I start my computer (based on what I see in my computer services) but is it RSLinx classic or professional, I can't tell. Also, when I go into "All Programs" - under the START menu, Rockwell Software, RSLINX, I don't see any option to start RSLinx classic or professional. There is only one option! When I select it, RSLINX professional starts. How do I start RSLinx classic instead???????? Also, I don't believe that I installed the security server as I am the only one using the software and have no need for it. I feel the same way... that it will probably only cause more headaches.

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Do you see the icon circled in red below in the bottom right hand corner of your screen. If you do, RsLinx is running. Click on it to open it up. It hides when minimized

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Yes I do. When it opens the title bar says RSLinx Professional and most options are grayed out and I can't install any drivers. What I am hearing is that I need RSLinx classic with RSLogix 5000. Any idea how I start it instead? As I mentioned... I'm almost certain it is installed.

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Can you get to Communications > Configure Drivers Did you install the Activation file for RsLinx Professional? Professional is a style of RsLinx Classic. RsLinx Classic can be Lite, Single Node, OEM, Professional, Gateway, and SDK Edited by TWControls

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Yes, the activation has been installed and RSLinx doesn't ask for it. When I go into Communications, Configure Drivers, everything is grayed out and when I use the pull down for "Available Driver Types" there are none listed. Again, the title bar says that it is RSLinx Professional and I am being told that I need to run RSLinx Classic!?

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What version of RSLinx is it? (You can find out by going to "Help" and "About") They didn't start using the term "Classic" until 2.50. If you have 2.43 or below, it'll just say RSLinx Professional. (If infact you have it activated for Professional). It is the same product though, despite the different name. My thought is maybe the drivers didn't get added to the system registry somehow, and you might need to uninstall and re-install RSLinx

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It's version 2.43.22 I just purchased it within the past month. I just uninstalled it and re-installed it without any change. Any other ideas? I can't believe that this should be that difficult!

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Never heard of it being this difficult. But we will work through it. Now did you just purchase RsLinx Professional in the last month or do you know that your support contract is good with it? If so go download the latest version. It will be 2.50. And if you haven't purchased RsLinx Professional in the last month, your support contract isn't good, or it won't let you download it, download RsLinx Lite 2.50. That will get you going then you can sort out the problems with Professional later. On reason I am wondering about Professional is you say you installed RsLinx off of a RsView CD. RsLinx Professional would have came on its own CD

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Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I checked through my CDs again and found one for RSLinx Classic (the reason I passed over it to start with because I thought the RSLinx Professional I had already installed was better) in smaller letters below it said Professional version 2.50 (CPR 7). I installed it and I was able to install a driver and connect. My problem now is that it says that I need to update the controller firmware to ver. 1.4. Where would I find that file? Do I need to download it or is it on the computer or CD somewhere?

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Can you provide a screenshot of the error which says you must upgrade the controller to ver 1.4? What I think is really happening is that the controller is version 1.4 {a factory default version} and your RSlogix 5000 software is some other version CPR7 would most likely be version 15. For Logix 5000 to work your PLC and Software must be the same version. Thankfully one pre 10 version and all post 10 versions can co-exist on a laptop. I'd suggestn flashing your PLC to the version of your RSlogix as there is no version 1.4 software available. The ControlFlash utility which came with your Logix CD will do this for you. You can also expect to have to flash Ethernet, ControlNet, Devicenet and Data highway communication cards when the first come out of the box.

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Bob is right on. Your controller sounds like it's right out of the box (version 1.x is boot firmware only, like the BIOS on your computer) and needs to have the controller operating system loaded onto it. The operating systems for ControlLogix controllers are specific to the version of the editor/compiler software you're using. If you have RSLogix 5000 v13, for example, you're going to want to load v13 firmware into the controller. ControlFlash software is the utility that allows you to load firmware into any ControlLogix module. The best way to load firmware is via Ethernet; if you have to use RS-232 you're going to be waiting quite a while. The Forum (or a user manual) can tell you how to set up Ethernet interface modules for first use. Can you post exactly which type of controller you have ? It's incongruous that you said that the "machine is down" and that you need to "look at the logic", but the symptoms tell us that your controller has never had firmware loaded into it. If this controller was working yesterday but identifies itself as a factory-default today, it's probably been badly damaged; I have never heard of a controller "losing" it's operating system. In reading my own post I realized I missed a few things: ControlFlash software and all the current firmware files is included on your RSLogix 5000 CD. Updated firmware is available for download (it's bundled into a ControlFlash installation) from the Rockwell Automation support website. You need a valid support contract to download new firmware.

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In reply to Ken and BobLfoot: The controller that I am working with now is one that we just purchased as a spare. My plan was to use it as a breadboard to learn programming and communicating while at home. I figured that if I could communicate with it and load the machine software on to it I'd be able to do the same with the PLC on the machine at work. I wanted to be ready for Monday morning with everything operational on my computer to be able to connect to the machine that is down and diagnose the problem. Well, today has not been a good day. While I was connected to the PLC I needed to do some rerouting of extension cords so I unplugged the power adaptor to my laptop (so that I was running on the battery) and unplugged and re-plugged in the PLC. After that RSLInx would not see the PLC anymore. I suspect that something may have happened to my serial port on my computer because I cannot get any other serial devices to work off it. So now I have to start from scratch and try to connect through the ethernet port, which from what I understand is not going to be as easy as connecting through the serial port. This probably isn't such a bad thing as you mention that the ethernet port is a lot faster. I already installed the driver for it in RSLinx but have no clue as to what to do from there. The module is flashing a 'bootp' number which is strange since the module on the machine at work flashes the IP address. I connected a hub between the computer and the PLC module and was able to establish a link according to the light on the ethernet module but RSLinx doesn't see the PLC. I am pretty frazzled at this point!

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First Things First - Relax, Take a deep breath and be Calm. Ethernet is not hard, just takes a little thought and work. Let me cover it as simply as I can. 1. Your "Bootp" PLC means that it has no IP Address. It needs to find a bootp server. That is the bad news. The good news is that Rockwell gave you one as part of RSLinx. 2. Rockwell DHCP-Bootp server is a simple program. Now before you launch it open you PC network properties and write down the IP address, and Gateway of your PC. For the rest of this post I'll assume your gateway is 192.168.1.1 Network mask is 255.255.255.0 and your PC IP 192.168.1.100. While writing down things write down that string of letters and numbers that are on the ethernet card. This is it's Mac ID. 3. When you start the bootp server it will ask for Gateway and Mask, Enter them to match your PC. 4. Now with Bootp up and running power cycle your PLC. This will force a new bootp cycle by the ethernet card. When the Bootp server logs the request on its screen, right click on the PLC's mac id and select assign. Assign an IP to your PLC like 192.168.2.101. 5. Depending on the Ethernet driver you chose to use you may have to enter the PLC ip under its config. If however you are using the Ethernet IP Driver the PLC should show up. 6. IF you can see the PLC in Linx then right click on it and set properties. THis will make the IP Address permanent and keep you from having to bootp every time. 7. If Linx can see your PLC and you have a permanent IP you are ready to flash the new processor. 8. Couple of flash hints. Turn off screensaver and make sure you are on AC Power. You want nothing {Antivirus Sfotware, etc} that will interrupt your flashing of the PLC. 9. Good Luck - I'll check for more posts later tongiht since you are working from home.

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I can't tell you how much I really appreciate your patience and help. I followed your instructions (which were very clear and well written) and everything seemed to go ok however I cannot see the PLC under the AB-ETHIP-1, ethernet driver I now have the IP address that I assigned to the PLC through the DHCP-Bootp server (192.168.1.102 w/192.168.1.1 gateway and 255.255.255.0 subnet mask). with the "link and net" lights flashing. My PC is at 192.168.1.100, 255.255.255.0, 192.168.1.1 The status of the PC connection is " and connected" and the activity shows sending and reveiving bytes. It looks like it should work!? When I open the driver configuration in RSLinx there are two options to select "Browse local subnet" in which the IP address and subnet are grayed out and the second is "Browse remote subnet" which allows for setting the IP address and subnet. I tried both and tried the PC IP address and the PLC IP address in the Browse remote option without success. Any other ideas of what I may have missed?

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You may want to try using the standard "Ethernet Devices" driver in Rslinx and enter the IP address of your PLC...192.168.1.102. Another thing to try is open the Windows Command prompt window Programs -> Accessories and see if you are able to ping the PLC. ex C:\>ping 192.168.1.102. Post your results of trying these two things..

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Forgive me getting rusty but I have not used the Ethernet IP Driver a lot. It should if you select local subnet find your PLC. Check this one thing out for me. If you open a dos prompt window can you ping the PLC. if ping works then you need only to get RSLInx setup. I'd suggesting trying the Ab Ethernet driver without IP. You'll have to enter your PLC IP Address, but for 1 to 1 work it is cleaner and tighter. Hope this helps.

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Yes I can ping the PLC address from DOS. I just tried using the AB-ETH-1, ethernet driver. When it asked for a Host name I entered the PLC address. After a short time it found it and listed it as an unrecognized device with a red X through it. It The config allowed me to enter a second station Host name so next I entered the PC address. It then found it also and displayed it as RSLinx Server. But the red X and Unrecognized device still are listed for the PLC address.

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Ping Result is good. I am drawing a blank how best to proceed next as well with the red X and unrecognized device. What is the model number of your PLC ? 1756 - ???? 1769-???? or what? we may have to flash the unit before linx will see it and proceed?

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What Icon does the PLC have in RSLINX, is it a Yellow Question Mark with a red X through it. Or does the icon look like a PLC with a red X through it?? Sound like you may not have the correct EDS files installed, what version of RsLinx are you using?? Edited by TechJunki

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It's a yellow ? with a red X through it. The model # is 1756-L61 Contrologix 5561

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