How to turn an E1101 into a doorstop

[Colin Carpenter 10]

The sun is shining and the birds are singing and I've got a couple of PLCs with ethernet cards on the bench and a really nice E1101 all powered up and ready to do some testing. I write a small programme to go to the E1101 and E-Deigner tells me that the screen has a firmware version of 1.3 and not the 1.5 version that I was expecting. I remember downloading the V1.5 image loader software from the Beijers web site a while ago, so I fire it up on my laptop and go through the splash screens. Yes, I've got the dip switch in the right position, the HMI screen is waiting for the new software, the MAC address on the screen matches the MAC address showing in the image loader software and all looks good. I press NEXT and the system starts to transfer the software. The green progress bar on the HMI starts to grow, the progress bar on my laptop starts to grow and the birds are still singing. But suddenly the birds go silent, my blood starts to run cold and panic starts to take over. Now the progress bar has stopped growing ..... so I wait, and wait, and wait, and wait, and wait for about half an hour when it becomes clear that the transfer has just stopped. So I stop it, and cycle the power on the HMI ( or should I now call it a dooorstop?) The upshot (according to Beijers) is that I have now corrupted the firmware that allows the HMI to boot to a point where it can communicate. All dip switch positions are tried, but the HMI just sits there showing nothing and refusing to talk to the image loader software. So what did I do wrong? The attached graphic shows the three download options from Beijers, and as you can see, I used the wrong one. I'm pretty disappointed at this state of affairs now ( fuming actually). I'm mad with myself for not taking enough care in ensuring that I was using the right software, but very disappointed that the image loader software wasn't sophisticated enough to realise that the HMI I was trying to modify was not compatible with the software I was using, or, at the very least, it could have included a cautionary splash screen warning that the only firmware it carried were for certain HMIs and to check that the one you were using was in that range. This would have stopped idiots like me from causing mayhem. Luckily the HMI was on a bench, but just imagine if I'd done that on an HMI that was controlling a running process plant!! If anyone knows how to get round this problem without replacing the boards, I would be eternally grateful. Thanks Colin Edited 3 Jul 2012 by Colin Carpenter

[Crossbow 296]

Only chance is maybe send it in for repair. Beijers was not real good on their software making checks to keep you from doing this kind of thing.

[Goody 5]

This kind of thing scares me to death too. I do like E Designer with all it's none compatable mutations but firmware upgrades put a chill up my spine too. I have customers with different E screens from different years with different firmwares needing different versions of E designer. I have to remember to uncheck the boxes that are automatically checked informing me to upgrade the version and such. Many is the time I have stood trying to look calm while uploading some alterations to an E screen to a running plant while watching the progress bar seemingly stick halfway through. The progress bar is a nightmare. Have you noticed on the older HMI's it doesn't flow smoothly - it goes a quarter of the way, stops, then after 5 years suddenly says 'done' without going the rest of the way up the progress bar

[Colin Carpenter 10]

I know what you mean .... I don't really like doing screen updates on live systems, as an operator always decides that he needs to get to it immediately after I've started the download. At the moment, the talk is of a new CPU board for the doorstop, but I still find it incredible that you can download software from a manufacturer's website that will effectively kill that manufacturer's products, without so much as a warning screen to tell you that you really ought to check that the software you're using could potentially do this. If it was a cheap phone firmware upgrade using flaky software from a dodgy website, then fair enough if I lose the phone ..... but to be able to toast £2k's worth of equipment using software download from that same respected manufacturer's own website is not really acceptable. Apparently, I'm not the first to do this either ....... which again begs the question of why it's still possible. Grumble, grumble, mutter, mutter ......

[Crossbow 296]

I just don't use or work on E-terminals. Not worth the hassles. Too many driver bugs, firmware version issues, upgrade issues. I'd sooner recreate all the screens in another HMI than try to upgrade one.

[waynes 8]

I can totally agree with you on this one. Driver bugs and no real support to sort it out. I had an issue with the E1151 trying to communicate via Profibus DP. It took months to get a response out of the local suppliers. After getting the run around for another 6 months, I decided to throw my toys out of the cot. No solution was found but they offered to install a QJ71E71 (Ethernet) card and the network cables. I don't know where these guys are going with their brand. Totally disappointed.

[Goody 5]

On my laptop screen I have changed the names of the shortcuts to E Designer with the names of the company or machines that version is for. It helps with trying to open the project with the wrong version For all that though, I am still a fan. They are robust and easy to program with plenty features. Even quite a few features that are not documented Like: you can use the up/down left/right buttons as keys. (handy for positioning a pick and place in manual for instance)

[Colin Carpenter 10]

As an end to this tale, I feel I should add that Mitsubishi UK have been very good about this problem and have come up with a solution that I'm very happy with. So, fair's fair, thank you Mitsubishi UK.

[Goody 5]

Nice to hear. But, what did they do? Mitsubishi UK have always been very helpful to me in the past.