Alarm Log File in PV+

[mfkuss 0]

I just received an email response from Rockwell saying that it is only possible to get the alarm history file out of a VersaView but not a PanelView Plus. Has anyone else tried to do this? It just doesn't make sense to me that the file is created, but you are not able to remotely access it. Our machines are shipped all over the country and we want to offer remote monitoring packages, which would include uploading and analyzing the alarm history data. It would be so much easier to do from the PV+ than to write a bunch of time/date stamping code in the PLC. Hopefully one of you gurus will have some suggestions!! Thanks, Matt

[manav 0]

Hi, You have the correct information from Rockwell. It is not possible to get the alarm history file from PV+. It is possible to view it within PV+ though. You have to remember that PV+ has not been designed as an HMI but a local operator station, just enhancing some capabilities of the standard PV. So through my sometimes bitter experience with them, you cannot expect too many goodies out of it, and its functionality is somewhat limited. See the problem in your case is that you can only move the alarm history file to or from a hard drive, which is not there in PV+. You can try using panel mounted industrial touch screen PCs (like versa view which is far too over priced in my reckoning) which look and work exactly like PV+ and you will be able to import and export this file using RSViewME software, if this file is critical to your application. But in PV+ series this feature would never be available, so dont waste your time on this.

[BobLfoot 301]

Manav got me to thinking. The older PV displays had the ability to print the alarm history list thru the onboard printer port. This required you to be at the panel and open the Config Menu to print history. Do you by any chance have such option on the PV+.

[TimWilborne 108]

Now I don't know if the Panelview Plus has a print alarms feature but it does have a remote print tag that allows the PLC to initiate the print. This is completely off of memory but I know I have done it. Then the question would be what do you do with the info being spit out of the USB printer port. Obviously you could print it but capture it somehow?

[BobLfoot 301]

A PC with an open hyperterminal could capture the stream to a text file. Use VB and a serial to ethernet converter and any PC coud do the capture.

[TimWilborne 108]

The printer ports USB, you can capture what is going across a USB port. I always figured there was a way. How?

[manav 0]

It should be possible to capture the data being sent to a printer port for sure, even though i have never practically tried it. But the question is that is engineering such a solution worth it? It might just be more cost and effort effective to swith to versa view or some other panel mounted PC. I mean why add un-necessary components to your system when another system would give the same functionality as is. You would first need to give a command in PV+ to print the data, which has to be a manual exercise, it cannot be automated in PV+, i have tried out all the features. Then you would need a device and software to capture this print data, and then convert it back to a recognizable format. A ready solution for this complete exercise would be available in versa view if it is a critical requirement. PV+ does have very limited functionality for sure. Even the trending (historical) does not work satisfactorily. An example, I had to read data in PV+ from redundant Flex processors over CNet. Now Flex does not switch CNet address of processor on switchover like in CLX. In RSView32 this was not an issue, as all that had to be done was issue a Node Switch command depending on the status of the primary processor. But in PV+, aka RViewME there is no such option. Having tried all the permutations, I solved the issue by making duplicate numeric displays and animating their visibility through the status of the primary. This was the only method possible. It was not a good engineering solution, and it required a hell of a lot more time. So I generally feel it is best to switch to versa view type of interface in case the application requires anything more than simple parameter and graphic displays, like in the above case.