As I was filming new lessons for my CompactLogix course yesterday, I ran into an issue with version 15.01 of ControlFlash that I’m sure many other programmers have or will run into as well.

Note: If you’ve never used ControlFlash but need to, I’ve previously published step-by-step guides to flashing A-B Programmable Controllers over Ethernet (here) and USB (here.) I also have a guide on how to download Allen-Bradley Firmware here.

That said, you may find that when you download firmware files from Rockwell’s website that ControlFlash just seems to ignore them.

Why? Well, in today’s article I’ll cover three reasons this might happen.

First, you need to be sure you copy any downloaded Firmware files into the directories ControlFlash is set to use.

To see which directories your particular ControlFlash installation is monitoring, launch the software, then click on next, and then click on browse:

Second, you need to make sure the files you’ve downloaded have the “.dmk” extension. If your Firmware files have a “.zip” extension,  you’ll need to rename them to “.dmk”.

Update for 2022: With ControlFlash 15.04, I’ve found you now need to open any zip files you download from Rockwell, and then run the .MSI install file inside.

In my case I downloaded every firmware available for my L73S, from v34 all the way back to v20. What I got was several .DMK files and several .Zip files in a subdirectory:

Just renaming the Zip files no longer worked for me, so I opened each one and ran the .MSI install file inside (after closing ControlFlash first:)

To do so, first check that you have File Explorer set to display “File Name Extensions” (that setting is found under the “View” tab, as shown below.) Then rename your downloaded Firmware file’s extension from “.zip” to “.dmk”:

Previously you could just rename Zip files to DMK files, but this did not work for me recently with ControlFlash 15.04.

Third, when you select the catalog number of your Controller, you may find that no matter what you do ControlFlash just won’t show any version higher than 30.011 (the workaround / solution is covered in the next paragraph):

The reason for this issue seems to be that versions after 30.011 are now “bundled” together under a family or controller line.

So in order to access those newer versions, you’ll want to scroll down below all the catalog numbers and then select the entire line or family like I do below:

I hope the above article helps those of you who ran into this issue like I did while filming my Compact Basics course.

If you have any questions or comments about this issue, you can post them in our free forum by clicking on the “post a comment or question” link below.

Until next time, Peace ✌️ 

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Shawn M Tierney
Technology Enthusiast & Content Creator

Eliminate commercials and gain access to my weekly full length hands-on, news, and Q&A sessions by becoming a member at The Automation Blog or on YouTube. You'll also find all of my affordable PLC, HMI, and SCADA courses at TheAutomationSchool.com.

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22 COMMENTS

  1. Hello, I have a compactlogix 1769-ZL16ER-BB1B, the firmware was version V1.05 then I installed version V24 which I found after I realized that I had version V21 on my studio 5000 .I tried to download the V21 version of Rockwell but I can’t see it on the flash control when I connect to rslinx. Is there a way to solve this problem, I tried to follow your steps on the article but it doesn’t work. please help me

    • Sure,

      Install or Download v21 firmware, OR install v24 of Studio 5000 since you already have v24 firmware.

      For more info see the following from my free guide: https://theautomationblog.com/compactlogix-guide/

      – Firmware – What you need to know, and how to get it
      – Firmware – Which versions does your CompactLogix and ControlLogix support (M2E28)
      – Firmware – How to Find and Download A-B PLC, PAC, and HMI Firmware in 2018
      – Firmware – How to Find and Download A-B PLC, PAC, and HMI Firmware in 2018 (M4E48)
      – ControlFlash Plus

      Shawn

  4. I am experiencing the same thing, but the “controller families” are not showing in my controlFLASH. I am using controlFLASH v15.01 and Logix v30.01.

    To be more specific, I need to add the CompactLogix 5370 (1769-L3) family to my inventory list to update the firmware on my 1769-L33ER controller.

    Is it possible to add items to the inventory list?

    Thanks for any help!

  5. Thanks for the help, I’ve spent 3hrs chasing my tail with downloading the firmware from Rockwell and trying to get it into the PLC. I’m no novice as used Rockwell and Siemens for decades but this new version was totally different. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it – Rockwell