In this article I’m going to walk you through flashing the firmware on a PanelView Plus 7.

Step 1) In this example we’ll be flashing the PanelView Plus 7’s firmware over Ethernet, and so our first step is to open RSLinx Classic and insure it finds out PanelView Plus on our local Ethernet network:

Note: If you’re not sure how to setup your PanelView Plus’s Ethernet address, check out our previous article below:

Step 2) Since we will be using a direct Ethernet connection (as opposed to flashing firmware using a memory card) we’ll select “Upgrade firmware on terminal” and then click on next:

Step 3) Here the utility notifies us that we need to backup all of the .MER files on the terminal before proceeding. Once done, click on Yes:

Step 4) Now we choose “Network Connection” and click on Next:

Step 5) Then we’ll select the Ethernet driver and allow it to browse our local network to find our PanelView Plus 7:

Step 6) Once our PanelView Plus 7 is found on our local network, we’ll select it and click on Next:

Step 7) Here we need to select the version of firmware to download to our PanelView Plus 7 and click on Next:

NOTE: If you don’t have any firmware installed, visit http://www.ab.com, click on “Compatibility and Downloads,” search on PanelView Plus 7, select your model from the list, and then select downloads for that model and download the desired firmware.

NOTE: If you download and install firmware newer than the version of FactoryTalk View you have installed, that action could break your Firmware Transfer Utility. The suggested fix for that issue is to reinstall the older Firmware Transfer Utility that came with your version of View Studio.

Step 8) On this page chose any required KepServer drivers and click on Next:

Step 9) Now review the summary information, and if it is correct click on Finish:

Step 10) Click Yes is you are ready to continue AND are sure your connection to the PanelView Plus 7 will not be interrupted. Note that losing the connection during a firmware upgrade could result in the PVPlus no longer functioning:

Step 11) Once done, click on Ok and close the utility. Then go to the PanelView Plus 7 and view it’s display:

Step 12) Note that newer firmware versions for the PanelView Plus 7 require you to setup a password before you can use your device:

Step 13) The password must be between 8 and 20 characters, and it must contain at least one upper case letter, one lower case letter, and either a number or special character. I typically use “Rockwell1” for systems which don’t require security (trainers, demos, etc):

Step 14) As a last step, be sure to record your password in a safe place! If you do misplace it, in my next article I cover how to reset the password by resetting the PanelView Plus 7 to factory defaults.

To watch a video demonstration of the above, check out Episode 37 of The Automation Minute Season 4 below:


If you found this article helpful, please share it with your colleagues on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or Goggle Plus!

And if you know anyone who would benefit from PanelView Plus training, please let them know about my affordable courses over at TheAutomation School.

You can also share your own thoughts and opinions on this subject by clicking on the “post a comment or question” link below.

Until next time, Peace ✌️ 

If you enjoy this episode please give it a Like, and consider Sharing as this is the best way for us to find new guests to come on the show.

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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4 COMMENTS

    • So, your question does not make sense because the PVPlus 1250 can’t run any version of firmware above 5.1 (or below 3.0.)

      If you meant to ask how to download from ViewStudio v8 to a v5 PVPlus, just create a v5 .MER.

      If you meant to ask how to flash the firmware of a PVPlus 6 or PVPlus 7 to v5, you can’t – see your product’s release notes to see which firmware it supports, but the PVP6 and PVP7 can’t be flashed to anything under v6.

      For more info see my free PVPlus Guide for details on this any many other PVP topics: https://theautomationblog.com/panelviewplus-guide/

      Best of luck,

      Shawn