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are you using the correct factorytalk software version? Higher apa versions dont let you restore and open when using an older ftview program, normally you are getting warnings about missing packages (factorytalk services), and when the incorrect version is used.  If there are no warnings, go and open ftview and go to existing project --> you should see your project. (@dumdum being correct).

I used IAI for a linear actuator. IAI is pretty good in support. @pcmccartney1 is making a valid point and the correct one. In your IO tree, under generic ethernet module, browse to the tag definition (online of course with the plc) and see if you are seeing any values. if you are not seeing any values, that means that you are not pointing to the correct IP address, or you messed up in your generic module definition (such as DINT, INT, SINT, ...) make sure that your generic ethernet module matches with their datasheet. It is something that most people overlook. 

Thanks for your reply :) I dont have the single node version. The only way would be to open and kill your actual rslinx application within your readclick() subroutine.  Sub ReadClick()    Dim vPID as Variant    Dim UsedTopic As String      'point to your rslinx location     vPID=shell("C:\programs\rockwell automation\rslinx.exe", vbNormalFocus)      UsedTopic = Cells(1, 1)     rslinx = OpenRSLinx(UsedTopic)     'Reading code goes here     DDETerminate rslinx     'your code for terminating rslinx program from your pc.           'dim                '.... see below note what to insert             'end if    End Sub     There is a sample code on this forum on how to close notepad. Replace notepad with rslinx.exe (what is shown in your task manager as running process name) You would copy from first dim --> to end if command  and paste it to  http://www.vbaexpress.com/kb/getarticle.php?kb_id=811   keep me posted

sorry for this late reply:  Yes, SpeedTec AB version are not reliable. I had customers destroy AB servo cables because they pulled the servo cables on the connector. you cannot pull them on the connector (make sure that you are pulling further away from the connector). I used Amphenol brand --> they are a lot better in reliability. Igus and some other brands have speedtec connectors - I dont know how good those cables are.

Tim, There are several ways to tackle this and way to many options. It all boils down to budget and how reliable you want the system to be, how often does it need to update, etc.). The easiest way and easiest for upkeep is an HMI that is somewhere stashed away, that you know off, that is pulling the data from your plc (PLC is keeping track) - create a webbrowser  (me panelviews have viewpoint) and point the tv with a pc to that website. If more tv's need to be added in the future, you point all those TV's to the same HMI address. You can create an VB or excel application on a pc and rslinx that goes and pulls the data from the PLC. PC is connected to the TV. AdvancedHMI is another option as well in that category.  A historian like Bob mentions - in a lot of flavors as well...  Depending on the PLC, you can add an webpage card to the PLC. (1786-EWEB for example,...)     

Interesting DDETerminate works while DDETerminateAll doesn't. Does DDEPoke or DDERequest work on your script?  run your code in debug mode, and step through each line. Keep your online tags short maybe one in case of troubleshooting. In your vb editor tools --> go to references. Dialog box will open and look for the missing library, the last library with a checkmark will start with missing and then its name. check the missing library and then hit ok. Otherwise you need to call it out as an Application.DDETerminateAll

@electronGuru - you are correct on this. @Tarrant79 - Auto-discovery should show all your io devices (make sure that the bus is connected, cards are snapped in place etc. , also rslinx is a good way for troubleshooting those devices) - however in studio5000, some devices are not capable of online addition (you cannot do add-on of cards while you are online and it requires a download to the plc in order to get the devices added). This non-online addition device will show grey in the auto discovery and not black. There are reported windows compability issues as well (are you running windows 10?) - this is what electronGuru talks about ... . Also, you need to make sure that you have all your add on profiles installed and you need to make sure that if you are doing the auto-discovery that you are discovering on the right bus, ethernet card etc... where you normally would put your io cards in the project. also Rockwell has a technote listed for the L83E for error on auto-discovery. I worked with the L81 and L83's and for me the 7 series are more stable than the L8 series. Hope this helps.

There are several options: SE edition is a good option 1756-eweb card on a main plc that is keeping track of production numbers - website and multiple users can access the website link to view production a pc with excel, dde and batch script to pull numbers every 15 minutes and with IIS services enabled with a website  one main ME panelview and create a viewpoint application --> multiple users can browse to it with a website link .... 

you are still using V15  ... What PLC are you using, I am just curious?  A lot of the newer replacement PLC's have the tag on them, with big warnings not to flash firmware below V16.   Yes, rslogix still has different packages offered. RSLogix5000 standard is garbage in my eyes. Go for RSLogix5000 professional, rslogix5000 full edition or RSLogix5000 oem, ... those cover almost everything.   Also, Rockwell offers a lease option on their software (maybe worth to go that route). It allows you to download every version.

@HuntWhenever, at first glance it looks everything is fine even with the ddeterminate command. Try changing the command to DDETerminateAll.  Some rslinx packages only offer one topic (one device) or none. Rslinx OEM and rslinx PRO handle multiple DDE's. Rslinx single node is the name says - a single device , so one dde. rslinx lite - no dde support.   Sub ReadClick()     Dim UsedTopic As String     UsedTopic = Cells(1, 1)     rslinx = OpenRSLinx(UsedTopic)     'Reading code goes here     DDETerminateAll End Sub

I am trying to give you a different viewpoint on where I see it used and it can be useful. I dont even believe in the 3d software - because mechanical engineers tend to turn off those pesky interferences off as warnings on solidworks, autocad (LOL). 

Do you have your input filtering enabled? Also, the encoders that I have used have a much tighter resolution than 60ppr :| (what are you using for encoder) you need to calculate your scalar and then you calculate your rpm. f.e. Ctr0CyclicRateUpdateTime = 80 CtrnScalar = 1 (you are not modifyling your raw data) --> 1000 the encoder has 60 counts per revolution, and the change in Ctr[0]. f.e. CurrentCount is 12. Scalar = 60/60  [counts/revolution] /[sec/min] = 1 (nominator is your 60 ppr) RPM = (1000x12)/ (80x1) = 150 rpm  

yes i have seen this before. This is when you forgot to publish your viewpoint displays and created a runtime straight away.  factorytalk studio --> viewpoint publishing wizard --> publish project (pick what screen viewpoint needs to start in) --> create your runtime and download new runtime to hmi. ping HMI --> are you seeing it on your network?  

there are different ways to handle this. if you are dealing with a machine, setup your parameters list (variables that can change) and call your "recipes" from the plc. Rockwell has sample code that would give you a good start. Also, the panelview (me edition) has a me recipe plus configuration, you just have to make sure that on a runtime download the recipes are not overwritten. I made those csv files and kept a backup just in case... 

yes cross reference tag and see where it is being used. Also, sometimes I put an additional catch in there (a test tag that is a latch in front of the mov command). I know then for sure that the MOV command was executed. If the latch is not latched, that means you are working on fumes and you forgot to call out the subroutine in the main program.     

@ElectronGuru - yes I have used the test mode as well on AB for the same reasons you mentioned during commissioning of equipment.  Recently, where I have seen the OPC and simulate IO is for major plant floor layouts (in order to calculate oee, simulate production rates, full machine simulations). It is for virtual commissioning of machines, plant layouts, ... - there is a demand for this and with microsoft's hololens integration, train operators that way.  Companies that provide those simulation models are tecnomatix, factory I/O, ptc, ... In the last few years, what I have noticed: there is a move away from people understanding hardware (servos, io, ...) and a bigger focus on software and networking. 3d plant layouts have been taking off in the last 6 years and is for me fairly new item in the automation market.

Alex,  Here are a few options, I did in the past: Allen Bradley version of their simulation tool is emulate. You will be inhibiting io modules in order for specific code to work. Servo motion does not work and you will be deleting those out of the code and creating virtual axis instead of the actual servo. Also real world is always better than simulate environment. The emulate can help with troubleshooting some basic code such as strings parsing, simple boolean logic, ascii conversions,...  you download to another standalone ab plc and you can look at timing issues (scanrate or a copy instruction that was defined wrong) on the actual plc - a hard to find copy instruction because you mistyped .LEN 3rd party software or your own homebrew version of IO simulation - opcs, kepware, C#, ... Seems like almost every PLC manufacturer has their own emulate/simulate software version available that I don't put that much effort into in coming up with my own homebrew version. Also, real world troubleshooting and debugging is better in my opinion. I am more in favor of what Siemens offers than what Rockwell. The benefit is that with siemens you are not inhibiting IO modules and you can write to the tags as memory registers.    Also, there are a few earlier posts on this forum about this topic. Hope this helps      

I had this issue with the newer AB equipment. I found some workarounds. some newer AB equipment take the older version of bootp/dhcp. You can download it from AB techconnect website (all bootp/dhcp versions are listed and available for download). Also, in order to disable bootp/dhcp properly, you have to use rslinx now and browse to the device and right click with your mouse and select module configuration. From there you can disable bootp/dhcp, and check if it took it at that point.  VMs are always hit or miss with connection setups. With a VM, that is the first thing I check is if I can ping outside the VM.

Best practice is to create a virtual axis as a master and 2 servos would follow as a slave. If in the future, if more servos need to be added it is a lot easier with a virtual master. They are all in the same servo group as well.  Rockwell Automation has a good sample code base on this as well.   

Can you be more specific on your statement - memory is always a commodity.  are you getting a fault on the plc? are you running a continuous task? what is your max scan time on the plc? did you look at the breakdown on the controller for memory (it is under the controller properties , memory tab)? What is the most usage on (Tags, tasks, udts,...)? did you run the task monitoring tool as a diagnostic tool? did you do a calculated estimated data usage (the table is in the rockwell manual for L32)?  is it possible to store on the sd card and recall from the sd card (f.e. setting values instead of keeping it stored in large arrays)? Are you using strings and can you truncate the strings to smaller sized strings. f.e. make the .len 8 instead  is it possible to go with another L3x series controller with larger memory options: L33, L34, ... 

voted. Hope he does well... 

necat there are other ways to compare. If the compare tool is not working for you - I know there are compare issues with rslogix V24 and up. I wish from time to time that rslogix emulate is fixed for higher revisions. Other methods to work around: save the files as L5K and do a compare with notepad++ - it does a decent job  print the two files out as a pdf (generate a report) and do a diffpdf (available on portable apps) --> it shows visually what code differences are there. Hope this helps as well.

You already mentioned what happened... a lightning strike... You already replaced the power supply and the right end cap. Start with replacing with the processor as well. The processor comm channel might have been damaged since you mention that you cannot see the rslinx io tree. Work your way through each card and check for physical damage (smell test and black burn marks on the boards are a pretty good indication)

yes Red Lion HMI are awesome - only you have to rebuild your HMI runtimes... Red Lion has become a good reputable brand in that matter. I have used their HMI, temperature controllers, data converters and they always seem to surprise me - that they can handle the task at hand.  

no that means that you have to change your communication protocol on the SLC  with an ethernet card ( 1747-AENTR) or start looking for 3rd party converters.  Prosoft has a couple of solutions Ethernet to DH485 gateway...