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Where to download Rockwell Allen-Bradley (A-B) trade show and event session materials

By
Shawn Tierney
-
Rockwell Automation On The Move Downloads


Rockwell Automation (RA) holds several commercial events and trade shows each year, and most of them include hands-on labs, technical sessions, and demonstration workshops. Below you’ll find links to detailed instructions on how to find and download these materials.

1) For details on how to find and download Automation Fair hands-on lab, technical session, and demonstration workshop session materials use the below article link:

Where to find Automation Fair session materials

Automation Fair Home Page

2)  For details on how to find and download Rockwell’s Process Solutions User Group session materials use the below article link:

Where to find PSUG session materials

Process Solutions User Group Homepage

 3) For details on how to find and download Rockwell Automation On The Move session materials use the below article link:

Where to find RAOTM session materials

Rockwell Automation On The Move Homepage

4) For details on how to find and download RSTechED session materials use the below article link:

Where to find RSTechED session materials

RSTechED Homepage

I hope you find the above collection of articles on how to find and download Rockwell commercial event session materials helpful.

If you did, or if you have a question about an event, please feel free to let us know by using 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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Where to find RSTechED Session Downloads

By
Shawn Tierney
-
RSTechED Homepage

Update: Check out our updated article HERE.

Today we continue this week’s theme of how and where to download session materials from Rockwell’s commercial events by discussing Rockwell’s …

RSTechED

Rockwell’s RSTechED is a weeklong training event for customers, integrators, distributors, and Rockwell personnel. It is by far my favorite event, well when it’s on the East Coast 😉

To get access to these event session materials you’ll first want to navigate to http://www.RSTechED.com

RSTechED HomepageNext, select United States and then scroll to the bottom of the page and select the “Select Session Presentations Now Available…”

RSTechED United States HomepageFinally, log in to the Rockwell Extranet using the same login as you used to sign-up for the event: (Note: I have not found a public link to these materials, but your local authorized distributor should be able to get them for you as I have for several of my clients.)

Rockwell Software Extranet Login

Once logged in you’ll find a scrolling window of events with links to the session material.

I hope you found the above information about downloading Allen-Bradley and Rockwell Software session material from RSTechED helpful. If you did, or if you have a question about RSTechED, please feel free to let us know by using 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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Where to find RAOTM Session Downloads

By
Shawn Tierney
-
Rockwell Automation On The Move Homepage


Today we continue this week’s theme of how and where to download session materials from Rockwell’s commercial events by discussing Rockwell’s RAOTM event.

Rockwell Automation On The Move

Rockwell’s “Rockwell Automation On The Move” (aka RAOTM) is a two day event which can be described as a smaller local version of Automation Fair.

To get these session materials, start by navigating to the RAOTM home page below:

Next, select “Session Materials” (circled in red in the below image:)

Rockwell Automation On The Move HomepageNow you should see the below tabbed listing of sessions and associated downloads:

Rockwell Automation On The Move Downloads

I hope you found the above information about downloading Allen-Bradley and Rockwell Software session material from RAOTM helpful.

If you did, or if you have a question about RAOTM, please feel free to let us know by using the “post a comment or question” form at the very bottom of this page.

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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Where to find Rockwell’s Process Solutions User Group (PSUG) session downloads

By
Shawn Tierney
-
Process Solutions User Group Homepage


As we discussed yesterday, Rockwell Automation (RA) holds several commercial events and trade shows each year, and most of them include hands-on labs, technical sessions, and demonstrations. And this week I’m posting how to find the session downloads for these. Today it’s…

Rockwell Automation’s “Process Solutions User Group”

Rockwell’s “Process Solutions User Group” (aka PSUG) is held each year on the two days preceding Automation Fair. It is predominately made up of customer application stories (presented by the actual customers) as well as sessions to discuss the future direction of Rockwell Automation products.

To find the PSUG session materials Rockwell makes available to download, start by navigating to the Rockwell Automation PSUG homepage:

Next, select PSUG session materials (circled in red below:)

Process Solutions User Group HomepageNow you should see a tabbed listing of categories, under which is a list of sessions and download links. The most popular files will be under the “Educational Sessions” tab, as shown below:

Process Solutions User Group Downloads

I hope you found the above information about downloading Allen-Bradley and Rockwell Software session materials from Rockwell Automation’s Process Solutions User Group event helpful. If you did, or if you have a question about PSUG, please feel free to drop us a comment by using 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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Where to find Automation Fair session downloads (2012, 2013)

By
Shawn Tierney
-
Automation Fair Home Page

Rockwell Automation (RA) holds several commercial events and trade shows each year, and most of them include hands-on labs, technical sessions, and product demonstrations.

Following each event, I usually get a few calls or emails from clients asking where they can go online to download the presentations and lab files for the sessions they attended. To preemptively answer those questions, over the next few days I’ll post the steps you need to take to download the session materials from Rockwell’s major events, starting today with…

Rockwell Automation’s Automation Fair

What some would call Rockwell’s premier event, Automation Fair is a two day trade show and training event which is held in a different major US city each year.

To get the session materials from this event, start by navigating to http://www.AutomationFair.com

Automation Fair Home PageNext, select one of the three categories on the main page: Hands-on labs, Technical sessions, Demonstrations (circled above in red.)

EDIT: Updated for 2013, select one of the categories from the left hand side of the page, or using one of these links below:

Now select the category and session you’re interested in, and you’ll see links to the content Rockwell made available to download for that session:

Automation Fair Session Material Downloads

I hope you found the above information about downloading Allen-Bradley and Rockwell Software session materials from Rockwell Automation’s Automation Fair event helpful.

If you did, or if you have a question about Automation Fair, please feel free to drop us a comment by using 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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PanelView Plus 6 400, 600 – DH-485 Workaround

By
Shawn Tierney
-
PanelView Plus 6 600 Front


2711P-RN3 InstalledMost of the original PanelView Plus 400 and 600 models accepted an optional communications module, and the following were available:

  • 2711P-RN3 DH-485 communication module
  • 2711P-RN8 DH+ communication module
  • 2711P-RN15C ControlNet communication module
  • 2711P-RN22C RS-232 isolated communication module

However, with the release of the new PanelView Plus 6 400 and 600, we lose the option of adding ANY communication modules (even the mounting holes and nuts for the comm modules have been removed.)

This is not the case with the larger PVPlus 6 products – on those systems we can still use the add on 2711P-RN6 to get DH-485. But what if you need to replace a 550 or 600 legacy DH-485 PanelView?

PanelView Plus 6 600 FrontIts still possible, but not nearly as clean and neat a solution. The PanelView Plus 6 400 and 600 still support the DH-485 protocol on it’s built-in RS-232 DB9 serial port, so what also is needed is an RS-232 to RS485 converter.

One option is to use the din-rail mount 1761-NET-AIC. This 24vdc powered device is a pure RS-232 to RS485 converter, one I’ve used not only for DH-485 applications, but also for ASCII, Modbus, and PC applications as well.

UPDATE: I’ve added a three part video series HERE showing how to setup a PanelView Plus on DH-485 using it’s serial port.

Besides the 24vdc power, you’ll also need to know which cables to purchase. The 1761-NET-AIC has three ports: the 6 position terminal block is the RS-485 port, and the 8 pin mini din along with the DB9 are RS-232.

If you are connecting to a daisy chain DH-485 network then no cable is needed on that side – just wire the daisy chain into the TB and you’re good to go. However, if you need to connect to an RJ-45 DH-485 connector, like that found on the front of many SLC-500’s, well you’ll want a 6-pin Phoenix to RJ45 cable, either the 1761-CBL-AS03 (3 m / 10 ft) or the 1761-CBL-AS09 (9 m / 30 ft.)

1761-NET-AIC Front ViewTo connect to the PVPlus 6 you’ll want to use one of the two serial ports. It doesn’t really matter which port you use, just chose the your less likely to program through.

Just keep in mind the PVPlus is a DCE device, meaning the cables you program your PLC via it’s DTE serial port will not work (without a null modem adapter.)

So to connect from the PVPlus 9-pin D-shell to the 1761-NET-AIC 8-pin mini DIN port you can use either the 2711-NC21 cable (5 m / 16.4 ft) or the 2711-NC22 cable (10 m / 32.7 ft.)

To connect from the PVPlus 9-pin D-shell to the 1761-NET-AIC 9-pin D-shell you would use either the 2711-NC13 cable (5 m / 16.4 ft) or the 2711-NC14 cable (10 m / 32.7 ft,) or any standard female 9-pin D-shell to female 9-pin D-shell “straight through” (DTE to DCE) RS-232 cable.

With the hardware sorted out you just need to know which driver to use in RSLinx Enterprise.

For this application you would chose the Serial DH-485 driver (same driver you would use for the 2711P-RN3) accepting the default port, but choosing the correct node address for the PVPlus, along with the corrent baud rate for the network you’re connecting to.

Hopefully you’ll find these details on how to use the new PanelView Plus 6 400 and 600 on DH-485 helpful.

If you’ve implement the above, or plan to, we’d like to hear about your experience – just click 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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Latest posts by Shawn Tierney (see all)

PanelView Plus – Automatically Run USB Flash Drive Script

By
Shawn Tierney
-
PanelView-Plus-700-Back


Sandisk Memory StickOn Monday and Tuesday we discussed how to access the “Configuration Mode” of the PanelView Plus and PanelView Plus 6. One additional way we did not yet cover is using an “autorun.bat” file on a USB Memory Stick (aka USB Thumb Drive, USB Flash Drive.)

These script are written to automatically move all your FactoryTalk View Machine Edition (ViewME) Runtime Files (.mer) off your terminal so when it’s rebooted it doesn’t find the needed .mer file and therefore returns to the “Configuration Mode.”

The “autorun.bat” file used for this purpose is a simple text based file reminiscent of the old DOS files of the same name.

When you place one of these files in the root folder of your USB Memory Stick, and insert it into your PVPlus, it immediately runs.

And while the commands in the “autorun.bat” file aren’t limited to coping your “.mer” files to and from your USB memory stick, this is what the below samples scripts are designed to do.

PanelView-Plus-700-BackThe first two scripts are custom ones I created for a client with a PanelView Plus 6 firmware rev 6.0 terminal.

The first backs up all the .mer files on the terminal to the USB Memory Stick , and then deletes them from the terminal.

The second script copies all the .mer files from the USB Memory Stick back to the Terminal.

Update 08/11/15: The below scripts are now available as a bundled download here:

Update 08/11/15: I recently received a PVP7s donation (thanks RK!) and can confirm these files also work on it.

Update 08/11/15: I’ve added two new scripts whch have been edited to work on a PanelPlus v5.1, but I also tested them on a PanelView Plus v3.2 and they worked there as well.

PanelView Plus 6 / 7 autorun.bat file script text used to backup .mer files from the terminal to the usb memory stick, and then delete the .mer files from the terminal.

NOTE: This file was tested on a PanelView Plus 6 and PanelView Plus 7 Standard

UPDATE: The below text was updated on 08/11/2015 to correct a typo in the REMarks

echo on

REM    BACKUP AND DELETE ALL .MER FOR PVPLUS 6

REM **************************************************************
REM    CREDITS: This file was created by Shawn Tierney and may be purchased
REM    as part of a bundle for just $0.99 at theautomationblog.com. Thank you in
REM    advance for your support!
REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM   REQUIREMENTS:
REM   1) THIS FILE MUST BE NAMED autorun.bat TO WORK
REM   2) THIS FILE IS FOR PANELVIEW PLUS 6
REM   3) THIS SCRIPT MAY TAKE UP TO 120 SECONDS TO COMPLETE
REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM    STEP 1 – Make backup MER folder on the PVPlus 6 in case copy fails

CD\application data\rockwell software\rsviewme

MD backup

REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM    STEP 2 – Copy MER files to the backup directory created above

CD runtime

COPY *.* “\application data\rockwell software\rsviewme\backup”

REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM    STEP 3 – Copy the MER files to the USB STORAGE DEVICE

COPY *.* “\usb storage”

REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM    STEP 4- Make correct directory on USB Drive (may already exist)

CD\usb storage

MD “Rockwell Software”

CD Rockwell Software

MD RSViewME

CD RSViewME

MD Runtime

CD Runtime

REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM    STEP 5 – COPY MER files to correct directory on the USB Drive

CD\Application Data\Rockwell Software\RSViewME\Runtime

COPY *.* “\USB Storage\rockwell software\rsviewme\runtime”

REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM    STEP 6 – Delete MER files from the PVPlus 6 application directory to
REM    force the system to return to Configuration Menu on reboot

DEL *.mer

REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM    REMINDER – Tell the operators to allow 120 seconds from when they
REM    insert the card before they remove it
REM    The process is now complete
REM    Remove the USB Drive and cycle power to the terminal
REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM    This file was written & tested by Shawn Tierney, InsightsInAutomation.com
REM    and may be purchased as part of a four file bundle for just $0.99
REM    at http://www.theautomationblog.com. Thank you in advance for your support!
REM **************************************************************

PanelView Plus 6 / 7 autorun.bat file script text used to copy .mer files from the usb memory stick to the terminal:

NOTE: This file was tested on a PanelView Plus 6 and PanelView Plus 7 Standard

UPDATE: The below text was updated on 08/11/2015 to correct a typo in the REMarks

echo on

REM    COPY ALL .MER FILES FROM USB TO  PVPLUS 6

REM **************************************************************
REM    CREDITS: This file was created by Shawn Tierney and may be purchased
REM    as part of a bundle for just $0.99 at theautomationblog.com. Thank you in
REM    advance for your support!

REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM   REQUIREMENTS:
REM   1) THIS FILE MUST BE NAMED autorun.bat TO WORK
REM   2) THIS FILE IS FOR PANELVIEW PLUS 6
REM   3) THIS SCRIPT MAY TAKE UP TO 120 SECONDS TO COMPLETE

REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM    STEP 1 – Copy all .MER files from the correct directory on the USB Drive
REM    to the correct directory on the PanelView Plus 6

CD\Application Data\Rockwell Software\RSViewME\Runtime

COPY “USB Storage\Rockwell Software\RSViewME\Runtime\*.*”

REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM    REMINDER – Tell the operators to allow 120 seconds from when they
REM    insert the card before they remove it
REM    The process is now complete
REM    Remove the USB Drive and cycle power to the terminal

REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM    This file was written & tested by Shawn Tierney, InsightsInAutomation.com
REM    and may be purchased as part of a four file bundle for just $0.99
REM    at http://www.theautomationblog.com. Thank you in advance for your support!
REM **************************************************************

NEW! PanelView Plus 5.1 autorun.bat file script text used to backup .mer files from the terminal to the usb memory stick, and then delete the .mer files from the terminal.

NOTE: This file was tested on a v5.1 and v3.2 PanelView Plus

echo on

REM    BACKUP AND DELETE ALL .MER FOR PVPLUS 5.1

REM **************************************************************
REM    CREDITS: This file was created by Shawn Tierney and may be purchased
REM    as part of a bundle for just $0.99 at theautomationblog.com. Thank you in
REM    advance for your support!
REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM   REQUIREMENTS:
REM   1) THIS FILE MUST BE NAMED autorun.bat TO WORK
REM   2) THIS FILE IS FOR PANELVIEW PLUS FIRMWARE 3.0 TO 5.1
REM   3) THIS SCRIPT MAY TAKE UP TO 120 SECONDS TO COMPLETE
REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM    STEP 1 – Make backup MER folder on the PVPlus in case copy fails

CD\storage card\rockwell software\rsviewme

MD backup

REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM    STEP 2 – Copy MER files to the backup directory created above

CD runtime

COPY *.* “\storage card\rockwell software\rsviewme\backup”

REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM    STEP 3 – Copy the MER files to the USB STORAGE DEVICE

COPY *.* “\usb storage”

REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM    STEP 4- Make correct directory on USB Drive (may already exist)

CD\usb storage

MD “Rockwell Software”

CD Rockwell Software

MD RSViewME

CD RSViewME

MD Runtime

CD Runtime

REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM    STEP 5 – COPY MER files to correct directory on the USB Drive

CD\storage card\rockwell software\rsviewme\runtime

COPY *.* “\usb storage\rockwell software\rsviewme\runtime”

REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM    STEP 6 – Delete MER files from the PVPlus application directory to
REM    force the system to return to Configuration Menu on reboot

DEL *.mer

REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM    REMINDER – Tell the operators to allow 120 seconds from when they
REM    insert the card before they remove it
REM    The process is now complete
REM    Remove the USB Drive and cycle power to the terminal
REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM    This file was written & tested by Shawn Tierney, InsightsInAutomation.com
REM    and may be purchased as part of a four file bundle for just $0.99
REM    at http://www.theautomationblog.com. Thank you in advance for your support!
REM **************************************************************

New! PanelView Plus 5.1 autorun.bat file script text used to copy .mer files from the usb memory stick to the terminal:

NOTE: This file was tested on a v5.1 and v3.2 PanelView Plus

echo on

REM    COPY ALL .MER FILES FROM USB TO PVPLUS 5.1

REM **************************************************************
REM    CREDITS: This file was created by Shawn Tierney and may be purchased
REM    as part of a bundle for just $0.99 at theautomationblog.com. Thank you in
REM    advance for your support!
REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM   REQUIREMENTS:
REM   1) THIS FILE MUST BE NAMED autorun.bat TO WORK
REM   2) THIS FILE IS FOR PANELVIEW PLUS FIRMWARE 3.0 TO 5.1
REM   3) THIS SCRIPT MAY TAKE UP TO 120 SECONDS TO COMPLETE
REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM    STEP 1 – Copy all .MER files from the correct directory on the USB Drive
REM    to the correct directory on the PanelView Plus

CD\storage card\rockwell software\rsviewme\runtime

COPY “\usb storage\rockwell software\rsviewme\runtime\*.*”

REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM    REMINDER – Tell the operators to allow 120 seconds from when they
REM    insert the card before they remove it
REM    The process is now complete
REM    Remove the USB Drive and cycle power to the terminal
REM **************************************************************

REM **************************************************************
REM    This file was written & tested by Shawn Tierney, InsightsInAutomation.com
REM    and may be purchased as part of a four file bundle for just $0.99
REM    at http://www.theautomationblog.com. Thank you in advance for your support!
REM **************************************************************

IMPORTANT: Please note, copying the above text from inside internet explorer may replace the standard “quotes” with angled “quotes,” which will in turn cause the copy and make directory functions to fail when executed on the PanelView Plus.

Update: The above scripts are now available as a bundled download here:

Hopefully the above autorun scripts will come in handy if you ever lock yourself out of your PVPlus, or if you just want an easy way to backup all your .mer runtime files on your terminal.

If you have any stories about being locked out of your PVPlus, or have a similar script to share, please click on the “post a comment or question” link below to share your comments with the rest of us.

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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PanelView Plus – Configuration Mode Menu: Why Is The White Box Missing / F1 Won’t Work?

By
Shawn Tierney
-
Rockwell Software Downloads 3.0 to 3.1 FUP Files Large

Update: Check out the newest article on this topic HERE.

Why is the PanelView Plus “Goto Config Mode” white box missing on boot? Why doesn’t pressing F1 on boot bring me to the PanelView Plus configuration mode?

PanelView Plus Configuration ModeYesterday we discussed how to get into the “Configuration Mode” of a PanelView Plus, and we learned the easiest way to do so was to either put a “Goto Config” button in your FactoryTalk View Machine Edition (ViewME) project, or intterupt the boot process of the terminal by pressing the “White Box” in the lower left corner of a touch screen unit, or the “F1 Key” on a keypad unit.

But what do you do when the “White Box” doesn’t show up, or the “F1 key” doesn’t work?

There’s two reasons why this may be happening:

PanelView Plus 3.20.09 Patch Release NotesFirst, it could be your PanelView Plus has a firmware version prior to 3.20.09. If that’s the case, the firmware loaded in your terminal predates the inclusion of the “White Box” and “F1” power-up auto load interrupt. In these cases I highly recommend backing up all the .mer files on your PanelView Plus, and well as recording all your network and communication settings, and then flashing your unit up to the latest firmware available for your PVPlus, which would be version 5.1+.

This will not only add the “White Box” and “F1 Key” boot-up option to enter “Configuration Mode,” it will also provide all the advantages the latest 5.1 firmware provides (including ViewPoint web clients, if your unit has enough memory to run it.) Just beware the version 5.1 firmware supports ViewME Runtime files (.mer) back to 3.1. There’s some question as to if a version 3.0 file would also work on a 5.1 terminal, but no question as whether it’s supported (it’s not.) So if your project is version 3.0, I suggest you be sure you have the full project (the .apa file, not the .mer) and the capacity to rev. the application to version 3.1 before you commit to flashing your PVPlus.

Rockwell Software Downloads 3.0 to 3.1 FUP FilesYou may also have to visit the Rockwell Software Downloads Page to find a copy of the 3.0 to 3.1 firmware migration files as last time I checked 3.0 first has to be migrated to 3.1 before it can be migrated to any other version

The second reason you may not see the “White Box,” or the “F1 Key” does not work to interrupt the boot process could be because you have a PanelView Plus 6 with firmware 6.0. It’s quite an annoyance that version 6.0 of the PVPlus 6 did not have this feature which so many people rely on, and to bring the feature back you’ll need to first flash your PanelView Plus 6 to version 6.1. And just like when flashing a PanelView Plus, before you do so you should back up all your .mer files which are on the terminal, and well as record all the terminal’s network and communication settings.

PanelView Plus 6 Manual Boot OptionOnce your PVPlus 6 terminal is flashed to 6.1 you still need to enable the “White Box” / “F1 Key” functionality. To do this you must exit “Configuration Mode” to get to the “Windows CE” desktop. And to do that you’ll need to know the password, which by default is “password.”

Once in Windows CE, open the Control Panel, chose “System,” then “Start-up Options,” then “Boot Option,” and select “Detect safe mode request at startup.” It’s quite a few steps, but it does bring back the “White Box” and “F1 Key” boot-up functionality, which I have to say is much better than the option provided in version 6.0 required plugging in a USB keyboard into the back of the PVPlus 6.

If you have anything you would like to add to the above, or have any questions on this information, please feel free to click on the “post a comment or question” link below to comment on this article.

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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How To Access The PanelView Plus Configuration Mode

By
Shawn Tierney
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PanelView Plus Configuration Mode

Update: Check out the newest article on this topic HERE.

When powering on a PanelView Plus for the first time, it will boot up to the main “Configuration Mode” menu screen.

From there, the user has several options:

  • PanelView Plus Configuration ModeLoad an application from internal memory, memory card, or from most USB Flash Drives.
  • Run the loaded application
  • Edit the loaded application’s settings
  • Edit the Terminal Settings
  • Change the setting for “Delete Log Files Before Running”

In many cases the programmer with change the terminal settings to match the system requirements, which almost always includes entering new network settings.

However, after initial start these settings will often need to be modified, so gaining access to this menu in the future is very important.

ViewStudio Objects Advanced Goto Configure ModeNow once a FactoryTalk View Machine Edition runtime is loaded and running, the easiest and most convenient way to return to the “Configuration Mode” menu is to place a “Goto Config” button on one of the project’s graphic display screens.

In many cases, the programmer will chose to put this button on a secured screen so operators don’t accidentally press it and exit the application.

But occasionally a programmer will forget to put a “Goto Config” button on any screen, or will hide it so well that no one else can find it.

The easy and obvious fix for this is to download an updated project which does have a “Goto Config” button.

However, if some time has passed since the unit was programmed, or if a different programmer is now working on the terminal, the existing network settings may not be known.

If that’s the case, there’s just no way to download to the terminal over the network.

PanelView-Plus-700-BackWhen this happens, and the programmer finds himself locked out of the PVPlus configuration menu, he won’t be able to (1) change which project is running, (2) communicate with the terminal, and (3) won’t be able to change any of the terminal settings.

And with a single PanelView Plus terminal costing thousands of dollars, this isn’t a viable position to be in.

In the early days of the product if I found myself in this situation I would resort to disassembling the terminal.

First I would remove power, and then I would remove the “Logic Board” from the “Display Module.”

NPanelView Plus Open Internal Memory Cardext I would remove the retaining screw holding the internal Compact Flash card in, the I would remove the Compact Flash card itself.

I would then put the card into a PC with a Compact Flash card reader, and search it for .MER files which I would MOVE off the card and onto my PC.

When I reassembled the PVPlus and powered it back on, since it didn’t find the startup file it was programmed to run it would simply display an error message and then return the user to the “Configuration Mode.”

PanelView Plus 3.20.09 Patch Release NotesFortunately, in version 3.20.09 Rockwell added a “boot up sequence” interrupt that allows users to bypass the launching of the default project.

When units with the newer firmware are turned on, the user can either press a small “White Box” on the bottom left of a touch screen terminal, or presses the “F1 Key” on a keypad terminal, to force the PVPlus to boot to the “Configuration Mode.”

With how to access the “Configuration Mode” explained above, tomorrow we’ll talk about what to do if the “White Box” doesn’t show up on boot, or if the “F1 Key” on a keypad unit doesn’t launch the “Configuration Mode.”

Until then, if you’ve ever been locked out of your PanelView Plus, or had to use one of the above strategies to get back into the “Configuration Mode,” we’d love to hear from you.

Just click on the “post a comment or question” link below to let us know your thoughts on this subject.

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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Transferring Runtime Files (.mer) To PanelView Plus Using USB Flash Drive

By
Shawn Tierney
-
PanelView Plus 700

Update: Check out our most recent article on this subject HERE.

PanelView Plus 700The ability to transfer Rockwell Software’s FactoryTalk View Machine Edition runtime files (.mer) to the PanelView Plus and PanelView Plus 6 using standard USB Memory Stick (aka USB flash drive, USB thumb drive) is a handy feature, if you know how to do it.

In most cases, you’d typically download the runtime file (.mer) directly to the PVPlus via Ethernet, however there are some occasions when this won’t be practical:

  • When the PVPlus isn’t networked
  • When the PVPlus doesn’t have an IP address assigned
  • When the PVPlus doesn’t have an Ethernet Port (some 400 and 600 models)
  • When there’s no easy way to get your PC near the PVPlus to connect to it
  • When you have an old pre-6 version of ViewStudio (and the Transfer Utility,) but a new PVPlus 6 (the PVP6 does support older v3.1-v5.1 .mer’s, however the old Transfer Utility doesn’t support the new PVP6)

Sandisk Memory StickIn these cases, using a USB memory stick to transfer your program from your development PC to the PanelView Plus can be the quickest and easiest, if not the only way to get your file on the unit.

The trick is, the PVPlus and PVPlus 6 only look in one folder on the USB stick for .mer files, and unless your .mer is located in this location the PanelView Plus won’t find it:

Rockwell Software\RSViewME\Runtime

PVPlus Load ScreenBut before you go manually creating these folders you should know of a neat little trick to have them created for you automatically.

If you insert your USB memory stick into your PanelView Plus, then browse the USB memory stick, if the PanelView doesn’t find the default directory on the USB stick it create it for you.

To do this, start by plugging your USB memory stick into your PanelView Plus.

Next, from the configuration menu select “Load Application” and change the source to “External Storage 1” which represents your USB memory stick (assuming no other removable memory was installed prior to your inserting of the USB memory stick.)

After a few seconds, change the source back to internal storage and back out of the load menu.

Click here for a list of currently available USB Memory Sticks and Flash Drives

Now remove your USB Memory Stick from the PanelView and plug it into your PC.

Then browse it with Windows Explorer and you should find the required folders have been created for you.

At this point you can copy your .mer file(s) to the memory stick into the Rockwell SoftwareRSViewMERuntime directory.

Then safely eject it from your PC, and plug it back into the PanelView Plus.

Now, back on the PVPlus, navigate to the File Manager screen under Terminal Settings.

Then copy your .mer runtime application to the internal storage of the PanelView Plus.

Load the application, and set it’s defaults, and in most cases you’ll also want to go back into terminal settings and setup the startup options as well.

I hope the above information on how to use a USB memory stick to transfer runtime files to your PanelView Plus was helpful.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please feel free to share them with us by using 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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RSLinx Classic – Plug and Play Drivers used with Allen-Bradley Devices

By
Shawn Tierney
-
RSLinx USB Driver - RSWho finds L24

Plug and Play comes to the world of Allen-Bradley Industrial Automation.

With a fairly recent copy of the free RSLinx Classic Lite, and A-B devices with USB ports, you simply plug the A-B USB product into your PC using a standard USB cable, and RSLinx automatically adds a driver to connect to the device.

RSLinx USB Driver - RSWho finds L24

This might not seem like magic to PC users, who can plug a new mouse into their PC and Windows automatically enables it. But for A-B PLC users this is a giant step forward from the way things have been the last 25 years.

Back in the late 80’s and early 90’s as personal computers became affordable, software began to appear to program PLC’s.

At first, most connections were of a serial type, and to use these connections to program PLC’s users needed to know a handful of serial port settings like the baud rate, parity, number of stop bits, error checking method used, etc.

Not really a challenge, well until someone changed the device from it’s defaults  without informing you, leaving you with guessing which setting they changed.

Then there was the multitude of serial cables used for different products. Nine Pin versus Twenty Five Pin, and wiring for DTE to DTE vs. DTE to DCE (e.g. “straight through” versus “cross over.”)

And even today with our Ethernet only devices we still need our Boot-P utility, and to be sure we set the device with an IP address on the same “subnet” as our PC and other devices on the network.

RSLinx USB Driver - Right Click on L24 to ConfigureBut with the advent of A-B’s USB enabled products connecting has truly become “plug and play.”

Step one is to insure you have a version of RSLinx Classic Lite which supports the product you are about to plug in.

To be on the safe side you can grab the latest copy for free here.

Once it’s installed, you simply plug in the USB device and wait for windows to install the device driver automatically.

If prompted by windows, just select “install device automatically” or similar prompting for your version of windows.

Once completed, you can open RSLinx Classic Lite to find your USB driver automatically added. Select and expand it in the RSWho network browse windows and you’ll see the device you have connected.

RSLinx USB Driver - L24 IP ConfigurationOnce connected, you can also easily set the IP address of your device (if equipped) right from RSLinx without the need to run the Boot-P utility.

First, browse to the device you connected in the RSLinx RSWho window.

Next, right click on the device (or on the devices Ethernet card if it’s listed separately under the device) and select “module configuration.”

This will open a tabbed dialog box, and the tab we want is labeled “Port Configuration.”

Click on that tab, fill in your devices IP address and Subnet mask, and then press Apply and OK.

At this point your device should now have am IP address, all without having to launch the Boot-P utility!

While my recent experiences with A-B USB devices have been plug and play, I would also like to hear what you think. So if you have any thoughts on the ease of using A-B’s USB devices please share them below using 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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USB Cables For Use With Allen-Bradley (A-B) Products

By
Shawn Tierney
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USB Cable Data Highway Plus - 1784-U2DHP

For decades we’ve relied on our laptop’s trusty Serial Port or PCMCIA Slot to communicate with legacy A-B devices.

But when our old laptop dies, or a new one arrives, it’s very unlikely to have either a Serial Port or PCMCIA slot.

The good news is most all legacy A-B networks can be connected to with the use of USB cable.

But while USB to Serial cables are affordable, the USB cables that replace the legacy PCMCIA cards are just as expensive as the cable they replace.

So whether you need to communicate via RS-232, DH-485, DF1, DH+, DeviceNet, ControlNet, or to a legacy A-B PLC, VFD, or HMI, you should find a USB cable that can do just that in today’s article:

2017 UPDATE

This summer Rockwell released three new USB cables:

9300-USBCBL-CP3

Provides a quick and easy connection directly to a controller’s 9 Pin D-Shell serial port via USB, supports RSLinx’s Auto-Configure feature, and eliminates the need for the 9300-USBS and 1747-CP3/1756-CP3 cable combination.

Comes in high visibility orange and includes “null modem adapter” for use with DCE devices like most PanelView terminals.

9300-USBCBL-PM02

Provides a quick and easy connection directly to a controller’s 8 Pin Mini-Din serial port via USB, and supports RSLinx’s Auto-Configure feature.

Comes in high visibility orange and eliminates the need to use a 9300-USBS and 1761-CBL-PM02.

NOTE: Rockwell’s original documentation stated this cable also worked with some PanelView Plus models however NO PVPlus models have a 8 Pin Mini Din port.

9300-USBCBL-CNSL

This cable is for directly connecting to a Cisco or Stratix switch from a USB port.

It essentially replaces the need to carry a Cisco Console cable and USB to Serial converter.

2016 UPDATE

ANC-120e: USB to Data Highway Plus, a lower cost alternative to the U2DHP

In late 2016 I had the good fortune to test the much lower cost ANC-120e USB to Data Highway Plus cable and you can find all the details using the below link:

USB to Serial: 9300-USBS

USB Cables for Serial Devices - 9300-USBSEven though new laptops don’t have a nine pin serial port, most of us still have many devices in the field with them, so this cable is one of the first you’ll want to consider buying.

Rockwell makes the 9300-USBS, which is currently at rev 3 (aka series C) and is fully tested with all A-B products and serial cables.

It’s also one of the few USB serial cables on the market which also supports RSLinx Classic’s “auto configure” option for finding the baud rate of the serial device connected.

However, with a list price of $144, that may be a feature you’re willing to give up.

In the past I’ve purchased USB to serial converter devices which looked identical to the 9300-USBS for one tenth the price and they’ve worked well except for the lack of support of “auto configure.”

If you do buy a third party USB to serial cable I recommend keeping the receipt and testing it right away as you don’t want to find out it’s not compatible when you need it the most.

Low Cost Ttripp lite usbshird Party 9300-USBS:

If you’re looking for a third party USBS which works great and also does support RSLinx’s auto config look no further that this unit which I’ve personally tested and found works like a charm:

USB to DH-485: 1747-UICC13

USB Cable for DH-485 - 1747-UICIf you need to connect to a SLC-500, SLC-5/01, or SLC-5/02, you’ve likely used the large and unwieldy 1747-PIC in the past.

The good news is its replacement is considerably smaller, and supports DH-485 via RS-232 and RS-485.

However, with a list price of $417.00, and only native support for 19.2K (9600 support can be added with a firmware patch from Rockwell found here) it’s not the biggest bang for your cables bucks.

You also need to be careful not to plug in just any Ethernet patch cord to the RJ-45 – it’s a known issue that using an Ethernet cross over cable to connect from the 1747-UIC to a SLC-500 will permanently damage this cable.

This is why I’m recommending the bundle here, the 1747-UICC13: It contains the 1747-UIC and the properly wired 1747-C13 cable.

Low Cost Third Party 1747-UIC:

1747-UIC BlackMany of my clients have forgone the official Allen-Bradley DH-485 USB cable, and instead have used a third party 1747-UIC cable which has the RJ45 and 9 Pin D Shell cables attached, and costs a fraction of the price.

If you’re interested in this third party cable you can find it on Amazon using the link provided below:

USB to DH Plus (DH+): 1784-U2DHP

USB Cable Data Highway Plus - 1784-U2DHPThe U2DHP is a replacement for both the PCMK and PM05 / 06 cables (1784-PCMK, PCMC, PCM5, PCM6) as well as for the many iterations of the KT card (1784-KT, KTX, PKTX, PKTXD) when used in programming stations or PC’s.

It makes connecting to Data Highway Plus via USB possible, although it only has the 8 pin circular mini din connector found on the SLC-5/04 and New Platform PLC-5’s.

At the time this article was written, this cable listed for $2780, making it strictly for the “have to have” crowd.

USB Cable - GracePort C-ABDH-AdapterNOTE: If you need to connect to a Classic PLC-5, or any Data Highway Plus product with a 9 Pin D Shell, you’ll need a separate adapter to convert the 8 Pin Mini Din.

Grace Engineering makes one such device, PN# C-ABDH-Adapter, which you can find detailed on their website using the link below:

Update 10-27-23: Thanks to one of our readers (Peter) for posting an updated link for this item in the comments:

Update 08-10-15: The below link is dead so if you have found another source for this adapter please let us know!

USB to DeviceNet (DNET): 1784-U2DN

USB Cable for DeviceNet - 1784-U2DNThe 1784-U2DN is a replacement for the 1784-PCD and 1770-KFD, and allows for connecting to DeviceNet via USB.

Support for this hardware begins with RSLinx 2.51 and RSNetworx for DeviceNet version 8.

At the time this article was written, the 1784-U2DN listed for $1,610.

USB to ControlNet (CNET) 1784-U2CN

USB Cable for ControlNet -1784-U2CNThe 1784-U2CN is a replacement for the 1784-PCC PCMCIA card, and comes with a ControlNet NAP (RJ-45) connection.

At the time this article was written, the U2CN listed for $1,930.00

USB to A-B Drives / VFD: 1203-USB

USB Cable for A-B Drives - 1203-USBThe 1203-USB cable is as universal as a programming cable as they come, as it supports Scanport, DSI, and DPI A-B Drives.

This includes, but is not limited to, the 1305, 1336 Classic, 1336 Plus, Plus II, Force, Impact, PowerFlex 4, 4m, 40, 40p 400, 70, 700, and 520 series.

It comes with the device itself, a USB cable, a 20-HIM-H10 cable, and 22-HIM-H10 cable.

At the time this article was written, it listed for $358.00

Update: Additional Low Cost Third Party Cables

1761-CBL-PM02Last time I purchased a 1761-CBL-PM02 the price was a whopping $76!

In my search for a lower cost cable, I came across this one which I’ve personally tested and appears to work just as well as the official PM02 cable:

Hopefully you found this listing of A-B USB cables helpful.

If you have any experience with these cables that you’d like to share please do so by using 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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Free Allen-Bradley (A-B) And Rockwell Automation (RA) Software (Part 2)

By
Shawn Tierney
-
Free Software Downloads From Rockwell Software Download Listing

UPDATE 10/31/2017: Try as I might, I can no longer find the software packages listed in this article anywhere online (the associated sites have been completely redesigned.)

UPDATE 08/22/22: While I don’t have permission to post the below  software publicly, I have made the old SLC-100/150 software download available to supporters here, and the old DataLiner, InView, DTAM, and MicroView software downloads available to supporters here.

Where to get free software for Allen-Bradley (A-B) and Rockwell Automation (RA) products, part two:

In yesterday’s article we discussed getting free software for Allen-Bradley and Rockwell Automation from the RA Downloads page, the MicroLogix downloads page, the Drives Explorer page, and from the Knowledgebase.

Today we’ll look at less obvious webpages including the Rockwell Software downloads page.

Click here for part one of this article

Free Software Downloads From Rockwell Software Download Search PageFree Software Available From The Rockwell Software Downloads Page:

While the Rockwell Software Downloads Page use to have a prominent link from the main http://www.RockwellSoftware.com website, today it’s not as easy to find.

But it’s still worth checking out as many free Allen-Bradley and Rockwell Software packages are available for download there.

Below I’ll list those I find the most useful:

Free Software Downloads From Rockwell Software Download Listing1) DL5 Software – Free software download for Allen-Bradley Dataliner DL5 software.

2) DL30 Software – Free software download for Allen-Bradley DataLiner DL30 software. Alternate link for DL30

3) DL40 – Free software download for Allen-Bradley Dataliner DL40 software.

4) InView 2.6 – Free software download for Allen-Bradley InView software. Alternate Link 1 for InView 2.4, Alternate Link 2 for InView 2.4

5) DTAM Plus – Free software download for Allen-Bradley DTAM Plus software.

6) Drive Tools – Free software download for Allen-Bradley Drive Tools software.

7) Ultraware – Free software download for Allen-Bradley Ultraware software.

8) RSNetworx for DeviceNet and ControlNet – The free (un-activated) version of RSNetworx is a limited node variation of the full package. For RSNetwrox for Devicenet, your network can only contain node0 to 6, making it only useful with small systems. Alternate Link for RSNetworx for Devicenet 4.21

9) RSView32 Extensions and Resource Kit – Free software download for RSView32 including several versions of RecipePro, Messenger, SPC, TrendX, and the RSView32 Resource Kit.

Free DTAM Software Available From Spectrum Controls

DTAM Plus and DTAM Micro product page at Spectrum ControlsA few years ago Spectrum Controls took over the DTAM products from Rockwell Automation, and they now provide the DTAM programming software free on their website.

10) DPS – DTAM Programming Software – Programming Software for the DTAM Plus and Micro (2707-NP) available from the Spectrum Controls for free after you provide your contact information here.

That completes the list of free Allen-Bradley, Rockwell Software, and Rockwell Automation software we’re highlighting in this two part article.

If you know of other free software from Rockwell and would like to share the link with our readers please feel free to click 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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Free Allen-Bradley and Rockwell Automation software (part 1)

By
Shawn Tierney
-
Rockwell Automation and Allen-Bradley Free Software Downloads Link

Rockwell Automation has a reputation of charging for their PLC programming software, and that’s true for most of the packages that program their Programmable Controllers.

However, RA does make several software packages available free of charge, and I’ll detail those over the next two days.

Click here for the second part of this article

Rockwell Automation and Allen-Bradley Free Software Downloads LinkWe’ll start at the Rockwell Software Downloads page’s “Free Downloads” link, where several packages are available.

Below I’ll highlight those which I believe are the most useful:

1) Connected Components Workbench (CCW) free programming software for the Micro800, PowerFlex, and PanelView Component:

This free software is three programming packages in one.

First and foremost, this is the software package you use to program Rockwell’s Micro800 family of programmable controllers.

But it also contains the Allen-Bradley PanelView Component programming software, as well as a new editor to configure Rockwell Automation drives, including the new PowerFlex 525.

Version 4 has so many new features that I would highly recommend upgrading to it if you have a previous version.

As CCW requires a fairly current version of RSLinx and ControlFlash, both are included in this large download which you can find using this link:

You can also obtain this software on DVD via an online form here, or from most Rockwell Automation and RA Authorized Distributor offices.

Rockwell Downloads Free Software Listing2) ViewME Transfer Utility 6.1 (under free downloads) free upload / download transfer tool for the PanelView Plus.

This utility allows you to upload and download runtime files (.mer) to and from PanelView Plus terminals.

While it comes with all versions of FactoryTalk ViewStudio, is it also freely available here in the downloads section.

Please note, while this utility does require RSLinx Enterprise and FactoryTalk Applications Platform, both are included in this download which you’ll find after selecting “Free Downloads”

3) RSLinx Classic Lite

The latest version of RA’s communication driver used with most of it’s products is now easier to download than ever before.

Why would you need to update RSLinx Classic Lite?

Updates are often required when new versions of existing products, or completely new products, are released.

MicroLogix Downloads Page4) RSLogix Emulate 500 

UPDATE 10/31/2017: New procedure can be found at TheAutomationBlog.com/MLD

The processor emulation software for SLC-500 and MicroLogix is now free!

This package allows you to select an .RSS program and run it in emulation mode.

You can also monitor the running code with RSLogix 500 or RSLogix Micro.

Next we move on to the MicroLogix Downloads Page for the following packages:

5) RSLogix Micro Starter Lite 

UPDATE 10/31/2017: New procedure can be found at TheAutomationBlog.com/MLD

The free RSLogix Micro Starter Lite programming software, which replaces the older RSLogix 500 Starter 10 point MicroLogix edition, programs a much wider range of MicroLogix products.

Whereas the old free software only programmed the 10 Point MicroLogix 1000, this new free package now programs all MicroLogix 1000’s and MicroLogix 1100’s.

6) RSLogix Emulate 6.0

UPDATE 10/31/2017: New procedure can be found at TheAutomationBlog.com/MLD

Here again you can download the processor emulation for SLC-500 and MicroLogix for free.

Note: You may get a nuisance error about the registry but the software will run fine.

7) MicroLogix Program Download Utility (and more)

UPDATE 10/31/2017: New procedure can be found at TheAutomationBlog.com/MLD

This utility allows you to download an existing program to a MicroLogix without the need for any version of RSLogix.

Just follow the steps to get RSLogix Micro Starter Lite and you see this and other utilities available to download.

Drive Explorer WebpageLite Full Version Of Drive Explorer Software Free From The Drive Explorer page at AB.com

8) Drive Explorer Full Edition Drive Explorer Lite Edition

Update: Rockwell has removed the Drive Explorer full edition download but the lite version can still be downloaded HERE.

From the A-B Drives Explorer page here you can download a free copy of Drive Explorer Full, used for programming most of RA’s VFD’s prior to the PowerFlex 525.

In the past, Rockwell only offered Drive Explorer Lite for free, but with the release of CCW Rockwell has ended support for Drive Explorer and has posted the full version as freeware on it’s website.

Free Software Available To The Public In The Rockwell Knowledgebase:

9) SLC-100 / SLC-150 Programming Software

SLC100 and 150 Public Tech Note With Software

Update, July 2022: See my new video about how to get the A-B and Icom Software and Manuals:
– SLC-100/150 Programming Software

Update, December 2020: Rockwell has removed this Tech Note 🙁

Update: Rockwell has now locked this answer so only those with a Tech Connect can view it and download the software.

These old PLC’s are surprisingly durable, and Rockwell has made this old 386 and DOS based programming software available free to the public here.

Note: You will need to log into the RA Knowledgebase to access this download, but you can setup an account for free.

Note: While there are other packages available for free in the knowledgebase, they require a paid support contract and therefore I won’t be listing them here as they are not free for the public to download.

That’s it for part one of this article, but please check back tomorrow for part two (click here to view) in which I’ll list several more free software packages from Allen-Bradley, Rockwell Software, and Rockwell Automation.

In the mean time, if you’ve used any of the above packages, or are just happy to have found where to get them for free, please don’t hesitate to click on the “post a comment or question” link below to let us know!

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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How to get Rockwell Software (RS) And Allen-Bradley (A-B) Replacement Activations and Activation Support:

By
Shawn Tierney
-
Rockwell Automation Tech Support Homepage


What are Activations?

“Rockwell Automation Tech Support HomepageActivation” is a broad term used to describe the copy protection mechanism Rockwell Automation (RA) uses for its Rockwell Software products. In years past, the activation method involved using Activation Floppy Disks, but today all the Rockwell Automation software products that use activation have moved to FactoryTalk activation which is similar to Microsoft Windows activation.

How do I get replacement activations, or support getting activations working?

When you or your company purchased your Rockwell Software, for each package you purchased you received one license. This license does not have an expiration date, and RA understands that if you can’t get the activation working, you can’t use your software. With that in mind, even if you don’t have a support contract with RA, you can still get activation support and activation replacements in the below ways:

Telephone activation support

Internet activation support via “Live Chat”

    • To access the Rockwell support page that hosts their “chat” system, you’ll first need to log in to their website.
    • If you don’t have an account, you can register for free.
    • Both the “Log In” and “Sign Up” options are at the top right of the RA Support Homepage – https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/

Rockwell Automation Activation Support Home - Log In or Register

    • Once you are logged in, click on the “Chat live” “Chat Online” link:
    • From there, select the “Activations” option under “Topics,” then press “Submit Request.” “Chat Now.” This should launch a popup “chat” window in which you will soon be able to ask your activation questions of an RA support tech.

Rockwell Automation Support Home - Activation Chat Topic

 

Hopefully the above information will make it clear anyone who owns a Rockwell Automation software product can get free activation support and replacements either via phone or internet chat.

With that said, if you’ve tried either means we’d love to hear how it went. Just use the “post a comment or question” link below to let us know your thoughts.

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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How to get Allen-Bradley (A-B) and Rockwell Software (RS) Manuals and Documentation: Part 2

By
Shawn Tierney
-
Rockwell Automation Literature Library Homepage


SLC-500 Brochure Cover Small

Getting hard physical copies of manuals and documentation for Allen-Bradley and Rockwell Software products:

 

Click here to read part one of this article

Yesterday we discussed how to get electronic copies of Allen-Bradley (A-B) and Rockwell Software (RS) manuals and documentation. But what happens if you’re looking to get a physical copy of a manual? For this you’ll need to contact either your local Rockwell Automation office or your local RA authorized distributor.

Both RA offices and their distributors have access to a literature ordering system which allows them to order a limited number of complimentary printed copies of the most popular manuals. Unfortunately not every manual is available, and occasionally certain manuals become unavailable as they are being updated. But the ability to get free physical copies of reference manuals, like the programming instruction reference and user’s manuals is a much appreciated service Rockwell Automation still provides its customers.

Major types of documentation available for Allen-Bradley and Rockwell Software products:

To round out this topic, I’ll list below the major types of documentation available for most RA products:

  • PLC-5 Selection GuideBrochure: Typically a glossy full color flyer about the product with pictures and highlights about the products features.
  • Product Profile: Usually shorter and more abridged version of a brochure, often times only on page.
  • Catalog: In years past all major RA products segments had their own catalog, but these days they are typically reserved for industrial components.
  • Selection Guide / System Overview: These documents replace the classic catalog and detail all the products and accessories for a particular product family. The selection guide is typically the document you’ll need to pick out components when building a system bill of materials.
  • Installation Instructions / Data: These small documents come in most hardware boxes and typically cover how to mount and wire the device.
  • Technical / Product Data: In the past these we short versions of manuals which also contained much of the information found in the installation instructions. More recently they have become collections of technical details of the product including certifications and specifications.
  • Getting Started Guides: These are typically short documents which come in some software packages and cover installation basics, but longer more in-depth versions on various products are also available.
  • PLC-5 User's ManualQuick Starts: Similar to Getting Stated Guides, quick start guides usually have step by step instructions on how to implement a product.
  • User’s Manual: These are often the one document you need to implement a product. Occasionally, important information is left out of the users manuals and can only be found in either the Installation Instructions, Technical Data, or online Knowledge Base.
  • Reference Manual: In-depth manuals popular in the Programmable Controller category detailing programming instruction sets.
  • Programming Manual: These documents exist for the older products and compliment the Hardware Manual for the same product. They covered how to connect to and program the product, typically minus details on the instruction set.
  • Hardware / Installation and Operation Manual: Another document for older products, they complimented the Programming Manual for the same product. They covered how to install sand troubleshoot the hardware.

Click here to read part one of this article

I hope this information about how to obtain a physical hard copy of documentation for Allen-Bradley and Rockwell Software was helpful. If you’re someone who prefers to have certain manuals in “physical” form, or have a “go to” manual you use on a regular basis, please consider sharing it with us using 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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How to get Allen-Bradley (A-B) and Rockwell Software (RS) Manuals and Documentation: Part 1

By
Shawn Tierney
-
Rockwell Automation Literature Library Homepage


When using new products from Allen-Bradley or Rockwell Software, you’ll likely need to refer to the product documentation and manuals for product details. And if you still have the box the product came in, you’ll often find an installation manual or guide inside.

While these short documents do contain helpful information on how to wire or install the product, they typically don’t contain enough information on their own to allow new users to successfully implement the product. And often times these “in the box” documents are discarded with the original packaging long before they’re actually needed.

Note: You can watch a video on using Rockwell’s Literature Library in our companion video blog HERE.

Update 10/31/2017: Over the years Rockwell has dramatically changed the look of their Literature Library, however much of the information in this article is still valid.

Getting Electronic Manuals and Documentation for Allen-Bradley and Rockwell Software Products:

The good news is you can find electronic copies of most all Allen-Bradley and Rockwell Software manuals and technical documents on Rockwell Automation’s “Literature Library” website shown below:

Rockwell Automation Literature Library Homepage

To access this website you can use the short URL, AB.com/literature, which will redirect you to the new longer URL, http://literature.rockwellautomation.com

Searching the literature library for Allen-Bradley and Rockwell Software manuals and documentation:

There are two main ways in which you can use RA’s Literature Library to find the documents you need. First, you can use the Products tab to browse the product categories until you find the product you’re interested in. Just select the product category, and sub-category if available, and you’ll be taken to a listing of all available electronic publications for that category.

For example, below is the listing you’ll be presented with if you selected the Programmable Controls category, and then selected the MicroLogix 1100 sub-category:

Rockwell Automation Literature Library MicroLogix 1100 selectionThe other way to find documents is to use the search field on the right side of the page. Just enter in a Keyword, Product Description, Catalog Number, or Publication Number and press search, and the site will return a list of results based on the information you entered.

Below are the results I received when I searched on “CompactLogix:”

Rockwell Automation Literature Library CompactLogix Search

Downloading manuals and documentation for Allen-Bradley and Rockwell Software:

Once you find the publication you’re interested in, you could just click on the PDF image and view the document in your browser, but I wouldn’t recommend that as it often takes very long to load the document inside your web browser. Instead, right click on the PDF symbol and (in Internet Explorer) chose “Save Target As” to save the document to a convenient location on your computer.

Rockwell Automation Literature Library Save PDF in IENote: If you’re using a different web browser, the right click menu will be slightly different. For instance, in FireFox the right click menu item you would chose would be “Save Link As.”

By convenient, I mean someplace you can remember and get to quickly. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat around while a client spent much more time looking for a document he had just downloaded than it took to download the document in the first place. As for me, I typically choose a new folder on my desktop for easy and instant access to the document. Then later, if I don’t want to file it in my document storage folder, I just drop it into the recycle bin.

Hopefully the above information on obtaining electronic copies of Allen-Bradley and Rockwell Software manuals was helpful. Tomorrow I’ll discuss how to get hard physical copies of these manuals, as well as discuss the different types of documentation available.

Click here to read part two of this article

In the meantime, if you have an A-B or RS document you use on a regular basis please consider sharing it with us using 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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Latest posts by Shawn Tierney (see all)

Transferring Software Registration of Allen-Bradley (A-B) and Rockwell Software (RS) products

By
Shawn Tierney
-
Rockwell Automation Transfer Registration Menu Item


Occasionally a Contractor, System Integrator (SI,) or Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) will provide programming software to their end customer, but forget to register it to them. When this happens the end user doesn’t get any product notices sent to owners of that package. They also don’t get activation or technical support since they aren’t registered with Rockwell as registered user.

Note: You can listen to our podcast about transferring software registration HERE.

But if you ever run into this situation there’s an easy fix. Rockwell provides an simple web form which the currently registered user (often times the Contractor, SI or OEM who sold the package) can use to transfer the registration of the package in question from himself to the end user. And, if your the end user and all you have is the serial number of the software package, Rockwell can look it up in their system and put you in contact with the currently registered user so you may request of them that they transfer the software they sold your company into your companies name.

If you need to transfer a software package registered to yourself to your end customer, you start by navigating to the software registration transfer for accessible from https://activate.rockwellautomation.com/

Once this page loads, click on the “Transfer Software Registration” link on the bottom of the menu on the left side of the screen:

Update 10/30/2017: The link has been renamed, “Update contact information or transfer software registration” and can be directly accessed here:

Old Rockwell Automation Transfer Registration Menu Item

When the form appears, fill in the following information:

– Enter in the software serial number, or serial numbers separated by commas.

– Enter in the currently registered user’s information including Company, Contact, and Address information.

– Enter in the information of who the software is being transferred to, including Company, Contact, and Address information.

Update 10/30/2017: The web-form has changed and no longer looks like the below.

Rockwell Automation Transfer Registration FormWhen you’ve filled in all the required fields, press “send registration.” If all the contact information is correct, in a few days the software will be re-registered to the company and contact you listed in the “Transfer To” section.

Hopefully you’ll find the process as simple and easy as I’ve described above (and experienced several times myself.) And if you’ve ever needed to use the process before we’d love to hear how it went. Or, if you ever ran into a Rockwell software registration transfer issue, we’d also like to hear about those. In either case you can leave your comments below using the “post a comment or question” link.

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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Latest posts by Shawn Tierney (see all)

View Studio – Alarms: How to Edit or Create Large Numbers of Messages Quickly

By
Shawn Tierney
-
FTVME Edit Alarm Messages in MSExcel Step 1

When you have hundreds or even thousands of alarm messages to add to your FactoryTalk  View Machine Edition (View ME) project, this little trick can be really helpful.

To start, enter a few alarm messages of each type you’ll need into the View ME Alarm Setup Message Editor to act as your template. Then click on the top left hand corner of the alarm messages table to select the entire table:

FTVME Edit Alarm Messages in MSExcel Step 1Now right click on row one of the table and select copy:

FTVME Edit Alarm Messages in MSExcel Step 2

Next, open MS Excel and a worksheet. Then right click on cell A1 and select Paste.

FTVME Edit Alarm Messages in MSExcel Step 3

Delete the row, and then edit, copy, or duplicate your alarm message rows to create as many new alarm messages of each type as you need. Note: If you add new Triggers you’ll need to manually create those in FactoryTalk View Machine Edition.

FTVME Edit Alarm Messages in MSExcel Step 4

When you’re ready to bring the new messages back into View ME, select and copy them (right click and select copy, or use the home menu – copy option)

FTVME Edit Alarm Messages in MSExcel Step 5Now back in View ME’s Alarm Setup Message Editor, right click on the unassigned row and select paste:

FTVME Edit Alarm Messages in MSExcel Step 6

At this point you’ll see your new alarms in View ME’s Alarm Setup Message Editor, and after creating any new Alarm Triggers you may need you’ll want to press OK to save your work.

FTVME Edit Alarm Messages in MSExcel Step 7

Hopefully you’ll find this simple little trick of using MS Excel to edit and create large numbers of Alarm Messages for View ME is helpful. If you have any experience with this means of creating alarm messages, or use the XML import/export feature, we’ve really like to hear from you by way of 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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Latest posts by Shawn Tierney (see all)

ControlLogix, CompactLogix – How to test the loading of Non-Volatile memory

By
Shawn Tierney
-
RSL5K Controller Properties with Nonvolatile Memory Tab Circled


RSL5K Controller Properties Non-Volatile Memory SettingsSimilar to other Allen-Bradley PLC’s, the CompactLogix and ControlLogix Controllers give you three options for loading the Controller’s memory “image” from non-volatile memory (CompactFlash, SD, etc.) These “load modes” are “User Initiated,” “On Power Up,” and “On Corrupt Memory.” Below I’ll walk you through how to test each of these modes, of which “On Corrupt Memory” is the trickiest.

Note: You can listen to our companion podcast about loading of Non-Volatile memory HERE.

To test the “Load Mode” of “User Initiated” follow these steps:

RSL5K Launch Button For Controller PropertiesIn this test you’ll download a program to the Controller’s memory, and then transfer it to the non-volatile memory with a load mode of “User Initiated.” Next, you’ll download a different program to the Controller’s memory to prove you can overwrite it by manually reloading the original program back from non-volatile memory.

  1. Using RSLogix 5000, download a program to the Controller, go online and insure the Controller is in program mode.
  2. RSL5K Controller Properties with Nonvolatile Memory Tab CircledOpen the “Controller Properties” window and select the “Nonvolatile Memory” tab.
  3. Change the “Load Image” setting to “User Initiated” and press the “Store” button to transfer Controller’s memory image to Non-Volatile memory.
  4. When the transfer is done, go back online with the Controller and download a program different from the one you used in step 1.
  5. Cycle power to the Controller, go online, and verify the second program you downloaded in step 4 is still present in the Controller’s memory.
  6. Open the “Controller Properties” window and select the “Nonvolatile Memory” tab.
  7. Press the “Load” button to transfer Non-Volatile memory to Controller’s memory.
  8. Go online with the Controller once more and verify the program in Controller memory is now the original program downloaded in step 1.

To test the “Load Mode” of “On Power Up” follow these steps:

In this test you’ll download a program to the Controller’s memory, then transfer it to the non-volatile memory with a load mode of “On Power Up.” Next, you’ll download a different program to the Controller’s memory to prove when you cycle power to the Controller it loads the original program from non-volatile memory.

  1. Using RSLogix 5000, download a program to the Controller, go online and insure the Controller is in program mode.
  2. Open the “Controller Properties” window and select the “Nonvolatile Memory” tab.
  3. Change the “Load Image” setting to “On Power Up” and then press the “Store” button to transfer Controller’s memory image to Non-Volatile memory.
  4. When the transfer is done, go back online with the Controller and download a program different than the one you used in step 1.
  5. Cycle Power, go back online, and verify the first program has been reloaded on power up from Non-Volatile Memory.

RSL5K Controller Properties Non-Volatile Memory SettingsThe third and final “Load Mode” is “On Corrupt Memory” which can be a little tricky to test, but these steps should make it easier:

In this test you’ll download a program to the Controller’s memory, then transfer it to the non-volatile memory with a load mode of “On Corrupt Memory.” Next, you’ll reset the Controller to erase it’s memory to prove when you cycle power to the Controller and it detects no valid program that it loads the original program from the non-volatile memory.

  1. Using RSLogix 5000, download a program to the Controller, go online, and insure the Controller is in program mode.
  2. Open the “Controller Properties” window and select the “Nonvolatile Memory” tab.
  3. Change the “Load Image” setting to “On Power Up” and then press the “Store” button to transfer Controller memory to Non-Volatile memory.
  4. After the “store” process is complete, turn off the Controller and remove the non-volatile memory card (CompactFlash, SD, etc.)
  5. To erase the program from the Controllers memory, follow step 6 if your controller has a battery, or step 7 if it does not:
  6. For Controllers with a battery: Remove the battery and turn the Controller back on.
  7. For Controllers without a battery: Turn power on while pressing and holding the “default comms” button below the key switch
  8. Reconnect to the Controller and verify the original program is no longer loaded, and that the Controller has loaded the default blank program.
  9. Note on step 8: When the Controller powers on and finds no program in memory, and no non-volatile memory, it loads a default blank program. This program is not considered invalid or corrupt which is why step 10 has you erasing the Controller’s memory again after you reinstall the non-volatile memory. Also note that if you try to connect to the Controller when it has the default blank program loaded you’ll find you can’t go online unless you download an RSLogix 5000  program.
  10. Install the non-volatile memory card from step 3, and repeat steps 5-7  to erase the default blank program in the Controller’s memory to simulate a new out of box or corrupt memory condition
  11. Reconnect to the Controller and verify the original program (stored to non-volatile memory in step 2) has been loaded back into the Controller’s memory after the Controller found no valid program in memory on power up.

Have you ever needed to test your non-volatile memory? Do you have additional thoughts or comments on the above procedures? If you do, please share them below using the “post a comment or question” link.

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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Latest posts by Shawn Tierney (see all)

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