Home Blog Page 64

Share Your Knowledge


2024 Update:

Hey all, Shawn here with an update about article submissions.

After reviewing what worked and what didn’t over the last ten years, I’ve found that one place my company was generating negative revenue was with classic article publication. After looking at the numbers it was obvious that in the current state of the industry I’m unable to recoup the costs of publishing new, free how-to blogs.

So with that in mind, I’m currently not accepting or purchasing new articles for publication on this site. That could change in the future if the industry shifts its focus from legacy media, but until that time if you have questions about this change of policy feel free to reach out to me by using the links in the top menu.

Sincerely, Shawn Tierney.


Original Article: Automation Professionals, Integrators, and Vendors: You’re invited to share your knowledge and expertise on TheAutomationBlog.com!

Since 2013, The Automation Blog has become known as a great place to learn about industrial automation products.

From how-to articles and videos, to covering new product releases, our goal has always been to publish articles that help users of industrial automation products.

That said, there’s only so much one automation geek (me) can do on his own, especially when my expertise lies within just a few product categories.

And when you consider the vast number of automation products that come out each and every year, it’s really more than any one man could ever purchase and cover all by himself.

So with that in mind, I’m writing this article reach out to everyone from individual Automation Professionals to OEMs, Integrators, and Vendors, inviting you to join me in sharing your automation knowledge and experience!


Automation Professionals

Many of us share what we know simply because we love helping other people!

And a huge benefit of sharing your knowledge on The Automation Blog is that your content will reach over twenty seven thousand of your colleagues!

The content you publish here also becomes “social proof” of your own expertise, which can be a valuable way to distinguish yourself.

To see some of the latest articles our existing freelancers have written, check out the listing of their articles HERE.

And to get in contact with us about becoming a guest blogger (free.) or freelance writer (paid,) please submit this form.


System Integrators, OEMs, and Product Specialists

Most automation professionals I know enjoy reading about how others have implemented automation in their own applications.

That’s why I think it makes sense for SIs, OEMs, and Specialists to share their own stories of solving applications and resolving issues.

Those who do benefit from the free publicity as well as demonstrate to a our audience that they have what it takes to successfully complete these applications.

An example of this is Jeffrey Turcotte’s article sharing his experience at PLC Concepts Upgrading Legacy Winder and Slitter Positioning Control Systems.

To get in contact with us about becoming a guest blogger (free,) or freelance writer (paid,) please submit this form.


Automation Vendors

Since so many new products come out every year, I want to invite Automation Vendors to contact me directly about working together to cover your products on The Automation Blog, Show, and Podcast.

This includes sharing “helpful” articles about your products, as well as having you come on our Vlog/Podcast to go over your product lines.

For more information about our guest blog post requirements, click here. And to contact us about sending in a guest article, please click here.

As far as our vlog/podcast, early example episodes included Alain Moisan demoing his new product, SkyCAD, as well as Peter Henderson from Control Plus discussing his ControlLogix mobile app.

To see a list of our most recent podcasts, click here. And to get in touch with us about coming on the podcast, please contact us here.

If you’re able to send us samples of your products, we can publish impressions, reviews, and how-to guides on them.

Early examples include our article and video on setting up and using a USB to DH+ converter provided to us by good folks over at Automation Networks, as well as our videos on Real-Time Automation‘s gateway which you’ll find here and here.

To get in touch with us about sending in samples, please contact us here.


Educational Institutions and Event Organizers

Last but not least, I want to reach out to instructors who cover industrial automation at Tech Schools, Colleges, and Universities.

I’ve lost count of how many times End Users have told me that there are no schools or colleges teaching young people how to setup and use industrial automation products.

But that statement directly conflicts with what my instructor connections tell me about the great work they’re doing bringing the next generation up to speed on automation.

So I want to reach out to instructors and education institutions to invite you to get the word out about your automation programs right here at The Automation Blog.

That’s what the University of California in Irving did when they shared a story about their entry for a HyperLoop Desgin.

And what École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne did in their article about Robots Defeating Humans at Foosball.

I also want to invite organizations holding competitions and events to share their stories, like the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society did in their Automation Ergonomics Research Contest article.

To get in contact with us about becoming a guest blogger, please submit this form.


How To Get Started

If you’d like to submit an article:

If you’d like to publish an article on The Automation Blog, first be sure it meets our three simple rules below, and then contact us using the form at the bottom of this page here.

If you’d like to submit hardware, or be interviewed:

If you’d like to submit sample or loaner hardware for us to use in impression, review, and how-to articles, or if you’d like to be interviewed about your products, please contact me directly using this form here.

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.

shawntierney avatar

Automation Fair 2018: Are You Going?

Automation Fair Show Floor Entrance


One of my connections recently reached out to ask if I planned on attending Automation Fair this year, which got me wondering if you plan on attending?

What and When is Automation Fair?

If you don’t already know, Automation Fair is Rockwell Automation’s annual trade show and training event, and this year it’s being held on November 14–15, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (you can register for free here.)

Rockwell describes it as, “the premier industrial automation event offering unmeasurable knowledge and skill-building opportunities in just two days.”

Having been to nearly twenty of the shows myself (links to my pictures from 2013, 2014, and 2016) I would describe it as, “a free, Rockwell centric, industrial automation trade show which also includes dozens of free training sessions and technical presentations.”

Note: For all of the details about this year’s Automation Fair, check out Rockwell’s 2018 pre-show guide here.

Automation-Fair-2011-02

Who’s a good fit?

In my opinion, Automation Fair is a great way for those new to industrial automation, or new to Rockwell’s automation products, to (1) see the breath and depth of the products and services Rockwell and her partners offer, and (2) get some free hands-on training.

I typically suggest these attendees focus on getting into as many free training sessions as appropriate to their needs, and then fill in any open time touring the show floor.

Another good fit for Automation Fair are those who are planning new automation projects and need to get up to speed on the latest and greatest offering from Rockwell and her partners.

This includes any users who are considering migrating to Rockwell’s current product offering.

Those is this category can often work with their local sales people to schedule one-on-one meetings with Rockwell factory personnel to discuss their applications and any concerns.

Having sat through many of these meetings myself, I will say that they can be of great value to End Users, OEMs, and System Integrators alike.

One final type of user who may find Automation Fair helpful are those who need Rockwell to modify or enhance a product to better work in their own applications.

In the past I’ve witnessed customers make cases for things as varied as ATEX certification and food grade stainless steel HMI bezels, to software feature requests ranging from node disabling in RSLinx, to View Studio prompts to save unsaved work before allowing the application to close.

Not that meeting product managers at Automation Fair is the only way to provide feedback to Rockwell, but it might be the best way to be sure the factory actually receives your feedback. (I’m restraining myself here from discussing my thoughts on vendors who ignore customer emails 😉

Automation Fair 2014 10 Show SloorSo What About Me?

As long time user and fan of Rockwell Automation’s products, I know I would enjoy attending the show and bumping into the countless former colleagues, customers, and vendor reps I’ve worked with over the last thirty years.

And who doesn’t like to gawk at new products, or drink free beer at a vendor’s hospitality suite?

But as a self-employed blogger and instructor, the question really becomes one of actual value to my business.

When I attended Automation Fair back in 2016, I found there really wasn’t anything I could learn being there in person that I couldn’t also learn from Rockwell’s Automation Fair website after the show.

I’m mean, no potential secretes I might learn about future products would be appropriate to write about here on The Automation Blog.

And none of free training offered at the show is aimed at a thirty year veteran like myself.

So as it stands now, while I plan to thoroughly cover the news coming out of Automation Fair 2018 (just as I’ve covered the past five events,) with no obvious advantage to attending in person my current plan it to cover this year’s show from my home office up here in the Berkshires.

What About You?

So, what about you?

Do you fall into one of the categories I mentioned above, or into a different one I failed to mention?

Or is there another trade show or event that you plan on attending instead?

If you’re inclined to share you thoughts please do so by clicking on the “comment” link below my signature. UPDATE: Comments are now open 😉

Until next time – Peace!

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.

shawntierney avatar

SLC-500 – Is it still viable in 2018? (Q&A)

SLC-500 Brochure Cover


I recently received a message from someone who had just purchased a used machine with a SLC-500 based control system on it.

SLC-500 FamilyBecause most of his existing systems use simple relay controls, the new owner of the machine was reaching out to me about training on the SLC-500, as well as to ask several questions which all boiled down to, “Is the SLC-500 still viable?”

I believe the reason for that question was due in large part to the fact that when he tried to get support for the SLC-500, he felt the local rep was only interested in selling him an upgrade to ControlLogix.

So today’s question is, “Is the SLC-500 still viable?”

To be frank, if you’re building a new system today you should absolutely not be using the SLC-500. In fact, it’s my opinion that any system you built in the last ten years should not have been built using a SLC-500.

While many of you may think that’s an obvious statement, just a few years ago a company duped one of our local towns here in the Berkshires into buying a complete control system based on the ancient SLC-500 (ugh.)

SLC-500 SystemFor those who don’t know, the SLC-500 product line came out nearly thirty years ago, and using it on new systems would be akin to using 286 PCs along with 5.25″ floppy disks.

That’s not to say it’s a bad product, or that you should worry about your installed base of SLC-500s, but you should be aware of a few things.

First, Rockwell makes very few new SLC-500s today, and they are expected to stop making all SLC-500 products in the coming years.

This means if you do use SLC-500s in production, you’ll want to be sure you acquire (and thoroughly test if recycled) ample spares to keep your machines going for years to come.

Second, you also need to be sure you know what and where your RSLogix 500 software licenses are, and consider getting a basic Rockwell support contract to cover your SLC-500 and RSLogix 500 if they’re used on critical machines.

If you don’t currently have SLC-500s in your plant, but you’re looking to buy a used machine that has one on it, you’ll want to take the following into consideration:

Shawn teaching a SLC-500 (PLC) Class in 2005

First, you need to be sure the machine runs!

No joke, I have seen more than one company buy a machine that does not run because the PLC no longer has the correct (or any) program loaded (i.e. the battery died, there’s no EEPROM present or it was never updated, etc.)

Second, you need to make sure you’re not locked out of the program because it has a password no one knows!

To properly troubleshoot a PLC system, you need to have access to the PLC program. But if it’s locked with a password no one knows, you won’t be able to access it.

Third, while Rockwell has unfortunately doubled the price of RSLogix 500 over the last decade (it now costs nearly $2,900) if you’re budgeting to buy a used machine that uses a SLC-500, also budget for a copy RSLogix 500 and a copy of my affordable PLC Basics course which will get you started with PLCs and RSLogix.

MicroLogix-SLC-500-FiIf you don’t, you may find yourself with a machine that goes down for days at a time as you wait for your local integrator to schedule a visit.


PS – I’m curious how many of you still have SLC-500’s running in your facility?

If you do, please let me know by clicking on the comment 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.

shawntierney avatar

The Automation Blog's SLC-500 Library


Hardware
Cables and Adapters
Communications
Software
Messaging
Connecting HMIs
Migration
Samples:
Learning and Discussion:

SLC-500 Content Index of all our SLC-500 related articles, videos, and podcasts


The Automation Blog’s

SLC-500 Blog Index (36)

Updated on 09/10/2018

With the recent slew of SLC-500 questions coming into The Automation Forums and The Automation School, I thought it’d be a good time to post a new Blog Index of all my existing SLC-500 articles, podcasts, and videos.

Note: If you have a SLC-500 question, please feel free to post it in The Automation Forums A-B PLC Q&A forum HERE.


Hardware


Article: The Fixed Style SLC-500

September 6, 2013

Fixed SLC-500 Featured ImageRecently a client called asking what I thought would be the best replacement for a 1747-L40A. But to understand how to size a replacement for this PLC, we’ll first need to understand what that part number represents. In this article I’ll review the models that make up the Fixed Style SLC-500 family of products. Back in …

Read More »


Podcast: Programmable Controller Non-Volatile and Volatile Memory

December 10, 2013

In The Automation Podcast, Episode 7, we discuss PLC and PAC non-volatile and volatile memory as used in the PLC-5, SLC-500, CompactLogix and ControlLogix. Note: You can read more about ControlLogix and CompactLogix non-volatile memory in our companion blog article HERE.   By Shawn Tierney

Listen to »


Software


Article: How to get a free copy of RSLogix Emulate 500

July 16, 2014

Free-Emualte-500-fiFree is good One of the best kept Rockwell secretes is for the last few years they have offered RSLogix Emulate 500 for free. With this software, you can test your SLC-500 or MicroLogix programs right on your PC, without the need to connect to a physical unit. And Emulate …

Read More »


Article: What’s new in RSLogix 500, Micro v11

RSLogix 500 and RSLogix Micro version 11 is out, and in today’s article we’ll take a look at what’s new in this release…

Read More »


Article: RSLogix 500 and Micro Get Windows 8 Release

Just this last week I found out that Rockwell Automation had released version 9.05 of RSLogix 500 and RSLogix Micro.
These new versions add support for Windows 8 and 8.1 while also removing support for Windows XP.

Read More »


Article: RSLogix 5, 500, and Micro support for Windows XP / 7 / 8

Last Wednesday in this article I discussed how to use Rockwell’s PCDC webpage to look up the compatibility of Rockwell Software packages with Microsoft Windows operating systems.
In today’s article we’ll take a look at the results for RSLogix 5, 500, and Micro.

Read More »


Article: How to setup and use RS Emulate

Last week I walked through how to get a free copy of RSLogix Emulate 500, and in today’s article I’ll show you how to set it up.

Read More »


Communication Cables and Adapters


Article: How to add Ethernet to a SLC-500

October 29, 2014

SLC-Ethernet-Options-fiThe SLC-500 is a very popular PLC with over a million installed processors in facilities around the world. Over the years many of those facilities have modernized their sites by adding plantwide ethernet networks, and I often get calls asking how they can add their legacy SLC-500 systems to those Ethernet networks. Note: For our previous articles …

Read More »


Article: USB to Data Highway Plus using the ANC-120e

Today I take a look at the ANC-120e USB to Data Highway Plus converter from Automation Networks.

Read More »


Article: Why the Allen-Bradley (A-B) 1747-PIC always had trouble working in Microsoft Windows

October 9, 2013

1747-PIC Two SidesOver the years I’ve heard more than my fair share of complaints about Allen-Bradley’s 1747-PIC’s lack of Microsoft Windows support. In fact, every time I now hear someone complain I can’t help but say, “It’s a DOS product! From 1990! What other ‘90 products do you have that support Windows …

Read More »


Podcast: Adding DH-485 to your MicroLogix, SLC-5/04, SLC-5/05, and PanelView Plus 6 400 and 600.

March 5, 2014

In The Automation Podcast: Episode 16, we discuss how you can add DH-485 to your MicroLogix, SLC-5/04, SLC-5/05, and PanelView Plus 6 400 and 600.

Listen To »


Upload, Download, Go Online


Article: The SLC-500: Communicate and Download over Serial DF1 using RSLinx and RSLogix 500

So you need to know how to setup RSLinx Classic to communicate over serial with an Allen-Bradley SLC-500 so you can download or go online with RSLogix?

Read More »


Video: A-B SLC-500 Serial Comm Setup & Download

Learn how to setup serial communications to an A-B SLC-500 and then download to it in Episode 16 of The Automation Minute Season 3.

View »


Article: The SLC-500: Communicate and Download over DH-485 using RSLinx and RSLogix 500

So you need to know how to setup RSLinx Classic to communicate over DH-485 to an Allen-Bradley SLC-500 so you can download or go online with RSLogix?

Read More »


Video: A-B SLC-500 DH-485 Comm Setup & Download

January 27, 2017

Learn how to setup DH-485 communications to an A-B SLC-500 and then download to it in Episode 17 of The Automation Minute Season 3.

View »


Article: PLC-5 and SLC-500: Communicate and Download over Data Highway Plus using RSLinx and RSLogix

So you need to know how to setup RSLinx Classic to communicate via USB over Data Highway Plus to an Allen-Bradley PLC-5 or SLC-5/04?

Read More »


Article: Why I can’t connect to my SLC-500

February 13, 2015

SLC-500 Rack On SetToday we dig into our mailbag for another edition of “Insight’s Inbox.” Reader Question: I’ve run into an issue for which I would like to ask your opinion. Here in our plant we have SLC-500, specifically a SLC-5/03, which controls our material handling system. Whenever I connect to the SLC-5/03 to attempt to make a …

Read More »


Messaging


Article: How to Message (MSG) data from a SLC-5/05 to a MicroLogix 1400 over Ethernet

In Today’s article I walk you through how to Message data from a SLC-5/05 to a MicroLogix 1400 over Ethernet using the MSG instruction.

Read More »


Video: How to Message (MSG) data from a SLC-500 to a MicroLogix over Ethernet

May 25, 2018

In this episode I demonstrate how to message data from a SLC-5/05 to a MicroLogix 1400 over Ethernet using the MSG instruction (Episode 42 of The Automation Minute Season 4:)

View »


Article: How to Message (MSG) data from a MicroLogix 1400 to a SLC-5/05 over Ethernet

In Today’s article I walk you through how to Message data over Ethernet using the MSG instruction from a MicroLogix 1400 to a SLC-5/05.

Read More »


Video: How to Message (MSG) data from a MicroLogix to a SLC-500 over Ethernet

May 29, 2018

In this episode I demonstrate how to message data from a MicroLogix 1400 to a SLC-5/05 over Ethernet using the MSG instruction (Episode 43 of The Automation Minute Season 4:)

View »


Connecting HMIs


Article: Connecting a PanelView Plus to a SLC-500 Channel 0 Serial Port

June 16, 2014

RSLinx-Enterprise-Config-FiWhen looking to upgrade older PanelView 550 or 600 models, it’s common to consider the PanelView Plus 600 as a suitable replacement. For starters, most of the new PVPlus models will fit in the older PanelView cutouts. And, Panelbuilder32 programs import into View Studio mostly intact. Note: For more information about migrating …

Read More »


Video: Flashback – FactoryTalk View Importing PLC-5 & SLC-500 Tags

July 15, 2014

In The Automation Minute, Flashback Episode 7, Shawn Tierney walks you through Rockwell’s FactoryTalk View Studio importing of PLC-5 and SLC-500 Tags.

View »


Programs and Examples


Article: Flashback Friday! RSLogix 500 “Providence Beer” Demo

October 24, 2014

Providence Beer Ladder FF FiWelcome to The Automation Blog’s “Flashback Friday!” Today I’m highlighting my RSLogix 500 “Providence Beer” demo. The year was 1996 and I was tasked with designing a “hands-on” seminar for the new PanelView 550. The hands-on labs I needed to create would include setting up communications, as well as basic screen creation. In order to do this, I would need …

Read More »


Article: Flashback Friday! RSLogix 500 Top Ten Sort

May 23, 2014

FF RSLogix-500-Top-Ten-Sort-FiWelcome to The Automation Blog’s “Flashback Friday!” This blog series highlights automation articles and content that I originally posted on my previous website(s) between 1999 to 2013. Today I’m highlighting an RSLogix 500 program I wrote for the SLC-500. In the early spring of 2000, a good friend of mine asked for help creating a program that would sort racers based …

Read More »


Migrating


Article: How To Convert SLC-500 Programs to MicroLogix

In this article we’ll look at converting SLC-500 programs to MicroLogix, including how to address two common errors.

Read More »


Video: Converting SLC-500 Programs to MicroLogix

In this episode I discuss how you go about converting SLC-500 programs to MicroLogix, as well as how to deal with a couple of common errors (Episode 24 of The Automation Minute Season 4:

View »


Article: Replace a Fixed SLC-500 (1747-Lxxx) with a MicroLogix

September 9, 2013

Fixed SLC-500 Featured ImageRecently a client called asking what I thought would be the best PLC to replace a Fixed SLC-500. Specifically he was looking to replace a 1747-L40A. To pick a replacement we first needed to understand what this part number represents, and we covered this in detail in our last article here. We found that the 1747-L40A consisted of (24) …

Read More »


Article: Changes I would like to see made to Rockwell’s Translate PLC-5 SLC utility

February 4, 2014

Having used Rockwell’s Translate PLC-5 SLC utility on multiple occasions, and having discussed it’s practical use with other programmers time and again, I recently sent the following recommendations to Rockwell: INTs vs. DINTs One of easier things I would like to see changed in the “Translate PLC-5 SLC 2.0 utility” is the automatic …

Read More »


Article: Converting your RSLogix 500 program to RSLogix 5000 using the Translate PLC-5 SLC 2.0 utility step-by-step

January 22, 2014

If you have a PLC-5 or SLC-500 program you would like to import into RSLogix 5000, look no further than Rockwell’s free “Translate PLC-5 SLC 2.0 utility.” This utility can save you hundreds of hours of manually re-entering code, and is available free of charge from the public Rockwell Tech …

Read More »


Article: Working around the Translate PLC-5 SLC 2.0 utility’s syntax error

January 20, 2014

Translate PLC-5 SLC 2.0 Step 4_2A few weeks ago, a client asked me to review his SLC-500 program files. He wanted my advice on how difficult it would be to convert them to CompactLogix. When I received his files, the first thing I did was power on my primary Windows 7 64bit virtual machine. Then I opened each of …

Read More »


Learning and Misc


Article: Get A-B Programmable Controller data into Microsoft Excel using RSLinx

In Today’s article I’ll walk you through how you can bring Allen-Bradley Programmable Controller Data into Microsoft Excel 2016 using RSLinx Classic.

Read More »


Article: Getting Started With Programmable Controllers (PLC)

January 26, 2015

PLCs on workbenchI often get asked what is the best way to learn how to program PLC’s? In my opinion, there’s nothing like first hand experience. Therefore, I always recommend buying a small Micro PLC to use at home as the best way to learn. But then comes the obvious next questions: Which Micro? What …

Read More »


Podcast: Beginner’s PLC

August 7, 2014

In The Automation Podcast: Episode 26, we discuss two different options when choosing a Beginner’s PLC.

Listen To »


Article: Beginner’s PLC

August 26, 2013

Micro 810So you’re new to the world of PLC’s (Programmable Logic Controllers) and are looking to buy a beginner’s PLC to work with at home. I’m going to assume you’re on a budget, so getting the most “bang for your buck” will be important. You also may not own a 24vdc power supply, …

Read More »


Article: Flashback Friday! The SLC-500 Blue Demo Case

Today I’m highlighting a piece of legacy hardware, the SLC-500 blue demo case.

Read More »


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.

shawntierney avatar

System Design – How To Use Rockwell’s New Ethernet/IP Capacity Tool


In today’s article I’ll show you how to use Rockwell’s new Ethernet/IP Capacity Tool.


The replacement for Rockwell’s discontinued Ethernet/IP Capacity Tool can now be found inside of Integrated Architecture Builder (IAB.)

Note: To learn how you can get a free copy of IAB, check out my previous article HERE.

To access the new tool, first create a new workspace inside of IAB.

Then select, “Ethernet/IP Capacity Subsystem,” as shown below:

After a few moments you should see the below screen:

The first step is to choose your Controller.

In this example I chose an L16:

After you select a Controller, if you put your mouse pointer over the question mark to the right side of your controller, you’ll see a popup that lists your controller’s specifications.

In the case of my controller, it shows the L16 only supports a total of four Ethernet Nodes:

Next, I add some I/O to the system by clicking on one of the “Select I/O” buttons:

Then I choose 1734 Point I/O, and enter a chassis count of two to indicate that I have two chassis with the same configuration.

Next I add the number of discrete and analog modules I intend to install, along with their RPIs, and then click on OK to add my I/O to the system:

Back in the main window I now click on “Compute” to calculate how much of my L16’s “capacity” these two racks of Point IO use with the results are shown below:

In the next block I add three drops of Flex I/O, each with several digital and analog I/O modules.

Note: If you attempt to add more modules to a product than it supports, you’ll see a red warning messages like the one shown below:

With my above errors corrected, I clicked on OK to close the I/O screen, and then clicked on the “Compute” button again.

Below you can see the results which show that I’ve exceeded my L16’s max Ethernet Node count of 4:

After reducing my Flex I/O racks from three to two, I decided to add four PanelView Plus HMI’s to the system, each with 1000 tags updating at 50ms:

When I recomputed the results, I found those four PanelView Plus’s exceeded the L16’s HMI “packets per second” (PPS) limit by a whopping 200%!

In an attempt to reduce the required HMI PPS, I changed the PanelView Plus update rate from 50ms to 100ms, and lowered the tag count to 800, both of which helped get my system under 100% utilization.

That said, there was very little bandwidth left, and I definitely wouldn’t recommend designing a system with limits in the “yelllow” caution zone:

The last feature I want to show is accessed using the “Generate” button:

When you click it, IAB creates a project based on your configuration:

Note: While IAB does create each drop on the network, all the I/O modules used are the defaults, leaving it to the user to update them with the desired modules.


To watch a video of the above, check out Episode 52 of The Automation Minute Season Four below:



If you found this article helpful, please consider sharing it with your colleagues and on social media.

And if you’d like to post a comment or question on the above, just click on the “Click HERE to 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.

shawntierney avatar

How To Use Rockwell’s New Ethernet/IP Capacity Tool (2018) (M4E52)


Can’t find Rockwell’s free Ethernet/IP Capacity Tool? In this episode I show where it is and how to use it (Episode 52 of The Automation Minute Season 4:)




If you’ve found this video helpful, checkout my training courses here.

Check out our Video Collection #1 here, which includes the first five seasons of our shows for just $30!

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.

shawntierney avatar

How To Enable Legacy PLCs In Integrated Architecture Builder


So you’ve updated Rockwell’s Integrated Architecture Builder to gain access to new devices like the 5580 and 5380 Controllers.

Then later you realize you can no longer create projects with older controllers like the ControlLogix 5560, CompactLogix L23 and L3x, and the PLC-5.

Fortunately, the good folks over at Rockwell provide a means to launch an older version of the software for just those occasions.

To access it, from within the current version of IAB select File, and then select “Launch previous IAB version”:

Once the previous version launches, you’ll have the ability to create new workspaces with those legacy controllers.

For the ControlLogix line, that provides access to the 5560 Family:

For the CompactLogix, it provides access to the L3x and L23 lines:

And you also have the ability to create PLC-5 workspaces:


To watch a video of the above, check out Episode 51 of The Automation Minute Season Four below:


If you found this article helpful, please consider sharing it with your colleagues and on social media.

And if you’d like to post a comment or question on the above, just click on the “Click HERE to 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.

shawntierney avatar

How To Enable Legacy PLCs In Integrated Architecture Builder (M4E51)


In this episode I show you how you can use legacy PLCs like the PLC-5, L6x, L23, and more in the latest version of Integrated Architecture Builder (IAB) (Episode 51 of The Automation Minute Season 4:)




If you’ve found this video helpful, checkout my training courses here.

Check out our Video Collection #1 here, which includes the first five seasons of our shows for just $30!

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.

shawntierney avatar

How To Download, Use, and Update Rockwell’s Integrated Architecture Builder


In today’s article I walk you through how to find, download, install, use, and update Rockwell’s free Integrated Architecture Builder (IAB) software.


UPDATE – June, 2022: Rockwell made some changes to their website and I documented the new procedure to download IAB in the below article:

How To Download Rockwell’s Integrated Architecture Builder (2022)

(The above new article replaces steps 1 – 5 below)

1) Start by navigating your web browser to http://www.ab.com:

2) Once there, search on “Product Selection Toolbox”:

3) From the search results select “Product Selection and Configuration”:

4) Then click on the “Download the Toolbox” button:

5) At this point you’ll be prompted to save/download the PST install file.

Once it completely downloads, open and run it:

6) If you receive this “UAC” prompt, click on Yes to continue:

7) Now click on “Install” to load any required prerequisite software:

8) After the prerequisites install, you’ll need to step through a few more pages to accept the license agreement, choose a locale, choose a language, enter you name and company, and choose an install directory:

9) Then you’ll need to choose which Toolbox software packages you want to install. Check to be sure “Integrated Architecture Builder” is checked, and then select “Next”:

10) Finally, click on the “Install” button to install the software you selected:

11) Once IAB finishes installing, go ahead and launch it. When it opens it should look something like this:

12) IAB includes many different Wizards to assist you in creating a system, but if you’d like to quickly create a system from scratch, first select “File” and “New” from the menu:

13) Next, select “Blank” from the list on the left, give your workspace a name on the right, and then click on OK:

14) After your new blank workspace opens, select “Action” and “Add New Hardware” from the menu:

15) Here you select a hardware platform from the list on the left, then make any required selections to the right before clicking on OK.

Note: Below I chose “ControlLogix” and a chassis size of “17”:

16) Once your new workspace loads, you’ll see the hardware you selected in the previous step. You’ll also see a list of hardware directly below it:

17) In this example, to add 1756 modules to my 1756 chassis, I simply find those modules in the hardware list below, and then drag them to the chassis slot I want to put them in.

18) If you can’t find a new or current product in the list, you’ll likely need to update IAB to gain access to those products.

To get an updated version, first close IAB, then run Rockwell’s “Current Program Updater” and click on “Check For Updates”:

19) Once the Current Updater is done checking for updates, the product list will be updated to show which of your installed PST software has updates available.

You’ll also have the option to choose which of the available updates you’d like to download and install:

20) After you’ve selected the packages you’d like to update, click on the “Get Selected Updates” button, and you updates will be downloaded and installed.


To watch a video of the above, check out Episode 50 of The Automation Minute Season Four below:



If you found this article helpful, please consider sharing it with your colleagues.

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.

shawntierney avatar

How To Download, Use, and Update Integrated Architecture Builder (2018) (M4E50)


In this episode I show you how to download, install, use, and update Integrated Architecture Builder (IAB) (Episode 50 of The Automation Minute Season 4:)




If you’ve found this video helpful, checkout my training courses here.

Check out our Video Collection #1 here, which includes the first five seasons of our shows for just $30!

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.

shawntierney avatar

ViewSE – TechED 2018: What’s New in FactoryTalk View Site Edition

In today’s article I’ll review my top five FactoryTalk View Site Edition announcements from the “What’s New in Visualization” TechED presentation.

Note: You can get your own copy of the full presentation by following the steps in my previous article here.


1) First up is expanded client support for multi-monitor setups. This new feature allows a single client to be configured to support up to six monitors natively:

2) Next up is Trend Pro which has been enhanced to allow the tracing of FactoryTalk Alarms and Events, as well as the creation of Trend Templates:

3) RecipePro+ Recipe Management was also updated adding support for RSView32 Recipe Pro migration as well as CSV Import/Export:

4) Redundancy saw many enhancements in this release, including automatic project replication during project creation, and the added ability to forced failovers from within View Studio.

5) And in addition to the new features, Redundancy system sizing recommendations have also been scaled up to include 80 ViewSE clients, 100 ViewPoint Clients, and 10 HMI, Alarm, and Database servers.


To watch a video discussion of the above, check out Episode 45 of The Automation Podcast below:



Well, those are my picks. If you’d like to share your own picks, you can do so by clicking on the “post a comment or question” link below.

And if you’d like to get a copy of this or any of the other Rockwell Automation TechED 2018 presentations, you can do so by following the steps in my previous article here.

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.

shawntierney avatar

ViewSE – TechED 2018: What’s New In FactoryTalk View Site Edition (P47)


I review the “What’s New in FactoryTalk View Site Edition” in Episode 47 of The Automation Podcast.


Watch the Podcast:



The Automation Podcast is also available on most Video and Podcasting platforms, and direct links to each can be found here.


Listen to the Podcast:


Vendors: Would you like your product featured on the Podcast, Show or Blog? If you would, please contact me at: https://theautomationblog.com/contact

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.

shawntierney avatar

What’s New in Studio 5000 (TechED 18)

In today’s article I’ll review my top five Studio 5000 announcements from the “What’s New in the Integrated Architecture System Software” TechED presentation.

Note: You can get your own copy of the full presentation by following the steps in my previous article here.


1) First up is that Studio 5000 now has tabbed windows, much like you find in modern browsers. These new tabs can be re-ordered, grouped, and even pulled out for viewing on a second monitor:

2) Next, Rockwell has moved to standard error indicators for all languages, and also supports filtering of messages in the error window:

3) Function Blocks got a welcomed visual overhaul which added the ability to force tags, enter operand values, and change sheet sizes while online:

4) Structured Text also got some welcomed new features like the addition of line numbers and bookmarks, multi-line select and mouse scrolling, smart indenting, collapsible code segments, and in-line value monitoring:

5) Finally, a powerful new alarming feature was added to Studio 5000 version 31. Known as “Logix Tag-Based Alarms,” this new feature allows alarms to be added to nearly any tag, has a very small memory footprint and does not require adding alarm instructions or code, and automatically integrates into a FactoryTalk Alarm and Events system.


To watch a video discussion of the above, check out Episode 46 of The Automation Podcast below:



Well, those are my picks. If you’d like to share your own picks, you can do so by clicking on the “post a comment or question” link below.

And if you’d like to get a copy of this or any of the other Rockwell Automation TechED 2018 presentations, you can do so by following the steps in my previous article here.

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.

shawntierney avatar

Studio 5000 – TechED18: What’s New with Studio 5000 from TechED 2018 (P46)

I review the “What’s New in Studio 5000” software presentation in Episode 46 of The Automation Podcast.


Watch the Podcast:


Listen to the Podcast:


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.

shawntierney avatar

Logix, View – TechED18: What’s New with Logix and View from TechED 2018 (P45)

I review the “What’s New in Logix and View” hardware presentation in Episode 45 of The Automation Podcast.


Watch the Podcast:


Listen to the Podcast:


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.

shawntierney avatar

CCW – v11: Feature Pack – Will Add “RSLogix /Studio 5000 Like” Ladder Editor

In Rockwell’s recently released TechED presentations, new information has surfaced about how they plan to make CCW look more like RSLogix and Studio 5000.

This planned “Logix look and feel” feature will be made available to CCW 11 users via a small and easy to install update which they’re calling “Feature Pack Version 11.”

When released, this Feature Pack will be made available on Rockwell’s Compatibility and Downloads website.

Below I’ll include some excerpts from the above mentioned TechED presentation, CL22, which you can download by following the steps in my previous article here.


The ability to switch from CCW’s standard IEC Ladder View to one that’s more like RSLogix and Studio 5000 will be made available through a new “Themes” feature:

When you switch from the “Default” theme to the “Logix” theme, IEC instructions like “+” and “-” will be replaced with Logix equivalents like “ADD” and “SUB”.

This also enables coping and pasting Ladder between CCW and RSLogix 500 or Studio 5000

In addition to the new Ladder View, the Instruction Toolbar also changes with the theme to closely match the standard Logix ladder toolbar:

Rockwell has even added an “ASCII Text Input Pane” to the “Logix” theme for those of us who prefer directly typing our ladder code into the editor:


Personally, I’m looking to trying the new Feature Pack 11 when it releases later this year, and hope to cover it both here and in my video series, The Automation Minute.

Note that you can get a copy of the full presentation from which the above information was gathered by following the steps in my previous article here, and then searching for presentation CL22.

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.

shawntierney avatar

How To Find and Download Rockwell TechED 2018 Labs and Presentations (M4E49)


In this episode I show you how to quickly find and download Rockwell Automation TechED 2018 Labs and Presentations (Episode 49 of The Automation Minute Season 4:)




If you’ve found this video helpful, checkout my training courses here.

Check out our Video Collection #1 here, which includes the first five seasons of our shows for just $30!

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.

shawntierney avatar

Firmware – How to Find and Download A-B PLC, PAC, and HMI Firmware in 2018


In today’s article I walk you through how to find and download Allen-Bradley Programmable Controller and HMI Firmware.


Step 1) Open you web browser and go to http://www.ab.com:

Download A-B PLC Firmware Step 1

Step 2) Then click on “Compatibility and Downloads”:

Step 3) Now you can perform a text search for your product as I do below for the “PanelView Plus”:

Or you can type in a catalog number like I do below for the “1756-L61”:

Step 4) From the search results, choose the download link for the product you are looking for.

Below I choose downloads for the PanelView Plus 7 Standard:

And here I choose the downloads for the 1756-L61:Step 5) Now from the list if versions, select the “down arrow” on the side of the firmware you want to download.

Below I select version 9.00 for the PanelView Plus 7 Standard:

And here I choose version 20.019 for the L61:Step 6) Then in the popup window, click on the firmware link:

Step 7) At this point, if you have not logged into Rockwell’s website you’ll be prompted to:

8-Login-with-free-accountNote: If you don’t have a free login, you can create one quickly if you provide a valid email address.

Step 8) Now click on the “Accept” button to agree to the license:

MicroLogix to Micro800 Download 8

Step 9) At this point I typically choose “Direct Download”:

Step 10) And then I select the link to download the firmware file(s):

Step 11) When prompted, I save the file(s) to my PC:

If you need help flashing your PanelView HMI or Logix Controller, check out one of my previous articles below:


To watch a video demonstration of the above, check out Episode 48 of The Automation Minute Season 4 below:



I hope you’ve found this article on how to download firmware for Allen-Bradley PLCs and HMIs helpful.

If you have any comments, questions, corrections, or suggestions please don’t hesitate to leave them with us by filling out 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.

shawntierney avatar

Firmware – How to Find and Download A-B PLC, PAC, and HMI Firmware in 2018 (M4E48)


In this episode I show you how to quickly find and download Allen-Bradley / Rockwell Automation Firmware for PLCs, PACs, and HMIs (Episode 48 of The Automation Minute Season 4:)




If you’ve found this video helpful, checkout my training courses here.

Check out our Video Collection #1 here, which includes the first five seasons of our shows for just $30!

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.

shawntierney avatar

Logix – TechED18: What’s New with Logix from TechED 2018

Of all the Rockwell Automation TechED 2018 presentations made available last week, the first ones I went through were the “What’s New” presentations, as I’m always looking to find out what’s new and coming from Rockwell.

In today’s article I’ll review my top five Logix announcements from the “What’s New in the Integrated Architecture System Hardware” presentation.

Note: You can get your own copy of the full presentation by following the steps in my previous article here.


1) First up is a recap of the new L37 and L38 controllers that recently became available for use with version 31 of Studio 5000:

CompactLogix 5370 Memory Local I/O EIP I/O Nodes EIP Motion
1769-L37ERM 4 MB 30 64 16
1769-L38ERM 5 MB 30 80 16
Compact GuardLogix STD/SAF Mem Local I/O EIP I/O Nodes EIP Motion
1769-L37ERMS 4/1.5MB 64 16
1769-L38ERMS 5/1.5MB 80 16

Those same processors are also available in “on machine” versions:

On Machine 5370 Memory Local I/O EIP I/O Nodes EIP Motion
1769-L37ERMO 4 MB 30 64 16
1769-L38ERMO 5 MB 30 80 16
On Machine Guard STD/SAF Mem Local I/O EIP I/O Nodes EIP Motion
1769-L37ERMOS 4/1.5MB 64 16
1769-L38ERMOS 5/1.5MB 80 16

2) Next was a reminder of the increase Ethernet/IP limits of several of the 5380 controllers when used with v31:

CompactLogix 5380 New EIP I/O Node Count in V31
5069-L330ER/M 60
5069-L340ER/M 90
5069-L350ERM 120
5069-L380ERM 150
5069-L3100ERM 180

3) Then we have two new 5059 Safety Modules due out this September: The 5069-IB8S and OBV8S:

4) Rockwell also announced the release of a 5069 ASCII module that programs like the 1769-ASCII, and in version 31 of Studio 5000 it currently supports Modbus RTU, Modbus ASCII, and Generic ASCII:

5) And my fifth pick is Flex 5000 I/O due out later this month. Note: There is also a separate and quite detailed presentation available on Flex 5000:


To watch a video discussion of the above, check out Episode 45 of The Automation Podcast below:



Well, those are my picks. If you’d like to share your own picks, you can do so by clicking on the “post a comment or question” link below.

And if you’d like to get a copy of this or any of the other Rockwell Automation TechED 2018 presentations, you can do so by following the steps in my previous article here.

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.

shawntierney avatar