PanelView Pus 600 & Factory Talk

[mjrx 1]

Anyone have an example HMI of FactoryTalk Studio ME to a Micrologix PLC? All of the examples are for ControlLogix, I am struggling how to setup the tag database and communications for a simple HMI. I don't see how to access just registers and bits (N7:0......B3:0.0/0...etc). Should I have not installed RS Linx Enterprise and just stayed with RS Linx Classic?

[OkiePC 14]

How do you intend to communicate with the device? In the comms settings, you need to set up a shortcut. It is there where you will either browse (if the Micrologix is connected and available) to the device, or Right Click and Add it manually. It is within those areas where you will define the device type and commns protocols. Note that there are two tabs for comms. One is called Local, and the other is Runtime. The Local tab can use RSLinx Classic or Enterprise (yes, you needed to install it) to browse from your PC to the Micrologix, and the Runtime is where you will add the Micrologix to the window as accessed from the Panelview Plus RSLinx Enterprise point of view. You can copy from the Local shortcut to the Runtime shortcut. Hit Apply before closing any of these windows, and open them back up and double check after any changes. Once the shortcut is created, you can then create HMI tags. It is useful to have a copy of the Micrologix program available for Studio to pick tags from. Once you add the correct path to the .rss file to the project, and have picked addresses from it, you can then duplicate those tags and simply edit the address syntax manually. Also, after adding tags, they may not appear when you pick from them until you, again another trick right click, and Refresh Folders or Refresh All Folders. It is also possible to reference Micrologix addresses directly from HMI objects without using HMI tags. This is nice for Logix5000 based controllers, but I prefer to have a tag database for all SLC/Micrologix PV+ jobs. Edited 17 Nov 2012 by OkiePC

[mjrx 1]

Thanks for the info, it will get me started. I am communicating DF-1 to the ML1400 (2711P-T6M5A). I see a USB port on the HMI as well.

[mjrx 1]

I keep runing into problems with this. Have all brand new RS Logix 500 and Fact. Talk ME. Right now I can't even maintain DF-1 connection to the ML1400. It runs for awhile and craps out. I am using a USB to serial cable to DF-1 port (tried both ML ports, same thing). When I take the same cables and setup and plug them into an ML1000 or a SLC5/03 or a SLC 5/04, it communicates flawlessly. Back to the ML1400 and it goes online for a few minutes and stops. When I go to AutoConfigure the driver again it says successful, but it won't stay for long. Any ideas?

[Bob O 8]

Can you use the Ethernet port? Edited 18 Nov 2012 by Bob O

[mjrx 1]

There is no ethernet port on the PanelView, so I would still need to DF-1 to that. I think the issue is when I try to open the devices with RS Linx Enterprise from Studio ME, it leaves behind services running, because when I try to open RS Logix with my PLC program and go online, I get a port conflict, it won't see the PLC with RS Who, wno't autoconfigure anymore, I have to move the cable to another port and reconfigure it, sometimes htis works, sometimes even that port is conflicted. Isn't there a way both Studio ME and RS Logix can co-exist with there communications environements (one is Enterprise, the other Classic)?

[mjrx 1]

When I add the shortcut to the .rss file, it looks like it accepts it but I cannot see any IO data from my program. Do I have to do some sort of database export from RS Logix first?

[OkiePC 14]

See above snippet. Sometimes this doesn't do it until you close the database "editor" (and I use that term loosely). Sometimes it is good to close the application. I also highly recommend running the latest version of Factory Talk View ME Studio, it is a leap away from the bleeding edge as far as bugs. Make sure you are patched through Oct. 10 2012. Also, If you use RSLinx Classic with RSLogix500 Emulate, stay with RSLinx version 2.57, or make sure you apply the latest patches to RSLinx 2.59. Frequently back up the application (close it first, then use the Application Manager) to an archive on a shared drive or outside of the virtual machine (I only run this software in XPMode). The only problem I have had is the normal slowness and clunkiness of the editor, but no crashes running 610. There was a battle I had with zooming in to work on a PV600+ display and then zooming back out would do crazy things to object locations and sizes. There is a thread somewhere recently where a forum member posted a link to a patch to fix that bug and I had to manually install it even though the patch rollup kit (I fondly call it the everlasting gaffe stopper lolly pop tool) said I was good to go.

[mjrx 1]

Thanks everyone for all your help on this. It has been a battle for sure. I'll be back at it again today.

[mjrx 1]

I have my shortcut pointed at the .RSS file. The shortcut shows up in the tag browser with no tags, a system and an online subdirectory are formed under the shortcut. When I go online with the ML1400, the online subdirectory populates with ML1500 data, i.e., N7, PD9, R6, B3, etc. I can then pick tags for the HMI objects. As soon as I am offline, the data is gone. I thought the shortcut points to "offline" data? Right now I cannot edit my HMI unless I am online with the PLC, I know that can't be totally right because we don't always have the luxury of having the hardware during development.

[Ken Roach 194]

The offline tag browsing feature of RSLinx Enterprise works only with RSLogix 5000, so it should only ever point to *.ACD files. It does not work with RSLogix 5 or RSLogix 500 files. When you're working with PLC-5, SLC-500, or MicroLogix controllers, you can browse the controller data tables online, you can import HMI Tags based on the RSLogix 500 Symbol database, or you can type in the data table addresses manually. As far as trying to use a MicroLogix and a PanelView both over DF1 with the different RSLinx drivers... it's a headache. You're not the first one to encounter it, and there's no easy workaround (though there are a couple very difficult ones). Since the MicroLogix 1400 has Ethernet, that's what I would be using to communicate with it. The PanelView has a CF card (and probably recognizes USB storage, too) so I wouldn't bother with DF1 if I could avoid it.

[mjrx 1]

A big part of my problem was the two different RS Linx's with port conflicts. I found I just have to work on one at a time, once I configure one or the other it seems to be OK, but if I don't close it down completely and re-configure the port for the other RS Linx I have a serial port conflict. Your right, its a pain, and I haven't found a workaround. This PV+ does not have ethernet port. I still cannot find any offline tags - although it seems to import an .aes file OK, I think it must be in the wrong place to find it. Its not clear to me where that inported database should reside. The other question I have is how do you get the PV+ to boot right to the application? Right now it still boots to the screen where you have to load the stored app, then select "Run Application". Thanks for the help.

[Ken Roach 194]

My workaround for RSLinx Classic / RSLinx Enterprise COM port conflicts is to dedicate an expansion hardware port (usually a Keyspan USA-HS19) to RSLinx Classic, and let RSLinx Enterprise have the built-in port. It's easier (and cheaper, just in Paracetamol) than trying to configure them both to share. On the PV+ configuration screen, there should be a Startup Options menu from which you can change the startup behavior from "go to Configuration Mode" to "Run current Application". This might bring up another issue; PV+ is notorious for not considering the currently-running application to be the "current" application. The method I use that always works is to check the "run after download is complete" box in the file transfer utility, which reboots the terminal and definitely sets the application you just downloaded to be the "current" application. Let's discuss offline tags and MicroLogix in another post.

[b_carlton 61]

Here's the steps we use: Ensure the RSS file in on the development computer 1. Factorytalk - RSLinx Enterprise - Communication Setup Setup named device shortcut and link to the Micrologix Leave 'Offline Tag File' blank. Apply, Copy from Design to Runtime OK (keep a note of shortcut name) 2.Factorytalk - HMI Tags - Tags Edit - New Folder (make at least one - more if you want to keep tags organized) Edit - Other Datatabases Fill in 'folder' from above step. Fill in 'RSLinx Shortcut' from step 1 Browse to find RSS file Use 'Filter' to keep current viewed tags managable Highlight desired addresses/tags then click 'OK' Repeat to grab more tags. (Do less than 100 at a time. There is a limit above this and it just doesn't import but there is no warning) 3. Under 'Graphics' create at least one display and one object. Open the object to the 'Connection' tab Click on 'Tag' ellipsis (...) In 'Tag Browser', left side - right click on top folder and choose 'Refresh All Folders' Folders should now contain tags imported in #2 above. You can always repeat #2 and #3 to add more tags from the RSS file.

[mjrx 1]

Thanks for all the help on this, it really made a difference. I have managed to struggle through most of this, but I have one remaining problem. Everytime I close down FactoryTalk and my PC, when I restart the next day with everything still connected exactly as it was, it won't communicate with my offline target (ML1400) right off. I have to fiddle around with the comm tabs and somehow stumble on something that starts everything back up. I am not sure exactly what I have done to get it all talking again. Even though both comm windows show the little tree and says it is browsing, when I go to run the app from my PC I get ???? in the data entry fields and cannot see the online DB. I get the message in the box "DF1 driver initalizing.....DF1 now operational" and in the box it says the RSLE service has started. What am I missing here?

[b_carlton 61]

When you start running the app is probably the point at which it starts RSLinx Enterprise. You might check your computer services to see if RSLinx Enterprise is on 'Auto' or 'Manual'. If 'Manual' it waits until the first application that actually needs it runs before it actually starts up. If 'Auto' it fires up as your computer starts (but that may cause problems with any other communicating program which wants to use the same port - particularly the serial port).