FactoryTalkME>KEPserver>PanelView+ Issue

[Rammer1961]

Looking for help guys and gals. I am having some problems with Factory Talk ME 5.0. I need to make some modifications to an existing PanelView+ in our factory. The PV+ is running 4.0 firmware. I can restore the orig. App in FT5.0 and create a runtime file as 4.0 with no issues. The problem is after I make any modifications to the Panel View project and KEPware (add a button with a new tag address), when I create a runtime mer. file it will not compile and completely compress the file (compresses only half it appears and I get a white screen on the PC). However it will transfer to the panel view successfully. After the panel view reboots all of the screens are there but there is no communications to the machines CPU. I have been fighting with this going on 4 weeks now. The project is using KEPware enterprise server (user configurable driver) to communicate to a Rexroth PPC processor. One of the error messages on the start screen is “Channel1.Device1.HMI.” is not activated”. This is in the KEPware server so it sounds like when the runtime mer. is compiled there is a conflict with KEPware possibly? Is there a firmware issue? I am adding the new tag address data in the Rexroth project first, then I add the new tag address in KEPware, lastly in Factory Talk I add the new button and in the tag browser which is populated from KEPware tag list, I select the new tag for the button. Hope this helps. I would like to resolve this problem if possible before this weekend since the our factory is not running and it will give me the opportunity to complete the modifications I need to make to the existing panel view screens.

Thanks,
Rodney

 

[Ken Roach]

Welcome to the Forum !

This isn't going to be simple, but let's sort it out anyway.

Backwards runtime compatibility in FactoryTalk View ME and RSLinx Enterprise works fairly well; you can do exactly what you describe in creating a runtime for an earlier firmware revision.

But when we add in KepServer Enterprise, especially that UCON driver... it gets trickier.

Let's establish first which exact version of KepServer Enterprise you have installed on your FactoryTalk View Studio computer, and we'll see what sort of compatibility issues we might be dealing with. If you can get the precise RSView ME version and KepServer Enterprise version running on the terminal itself that would help.

Remember that when it creates a *.MER runtime, FactoryTalk View Studio includes the KepServer Enterprise project file that is designated as the "Default Project File" in KepServer. It doesn't matter what file is currently loaded in KepServer, or what OPC name is designated in the project.... you must select the project file you want to have included in the *.MER as the "Default Project File".

 

[Rammer1961]

Opened KEPware and clicked about> Kepwear Enterprise, V4.500.462.0-U. I then clicked the Version's Tab> Kepware V4.210.180.0-U is listed. What is strange is I can restore the origional app. and then create a runtime mer. as 4.0, transfer the RT file and all is good. But if I make any mod's to the project, and do a RT4.0 > transfer to PV+, the error "device.channel1.device1.HMI not activated" appears on the start screen.

 

[Rammer1961]

In Kepware I also went to Tools>Options>Default Browser Tab and selected the correct pfe.file for the Factory Talk project. Closed Kepware and reopened to make sure the correct pfe.file was default.

 

[Ken Roach]

Have you been able to test-run the application in version 5.0 on your development PC ?

If it's a firmware issue then really it's a runtime version issue; your PanelView terminal almost certainly has KepServer Enterprise 4.0. Maybe once changes are made to the PFE file with the version 4.5 development package, the existing 4.0 runtime can't run the project.

The simple fix would be to upgrade the PanelView Plus terminal and its KepServer driver (you select which driver you want to include in the firmware update package. Choose one only).

Unfortunately this is where my knowledge and access to information runs out. RA Tech Support is going to know a lot more about this than I do.

 

[Rammer1961]

That sounds logical. The vindor was the last client to load a runtime file to the panel and yes they were running FT4.0 on their PC. Thanks for the information Ken. I am new to Factory Talk. Been using Protool and WinnCC Flex for the last 10 years. Different animal for sure!!

 

[Fred_Loveless]

There were changes made to the structure of the UCON driver between the versions you are seeing. If you edited the project in the newer version you will not be able to open the project again in the older version. V4.500 needs to be running in the desktop for editing and in the panel.

A word of caution. There was almost a year where Rockwell was shipping V5.0 for the desktop but the panel was still running V4.500.

 

[Rammer1961]

Problem Solved!!!

:beer:Ken & Fred,

I finally resolved my issue and wanted to post the fix. My problem was the KEPServer Enterprise V4.5, Driver (V.4.210.180) was the problem. I finally found the correct version of KEPServer Enterprise V4.2.00, driver(4.175.127)which the PV+ terminal is running. Uninstalled the current KEPServer, downloaded and installed the KEPServer in need on my PC. The kicker is this version of Kepserver would not run the latest PFE. file. I had to pull up the origional project archive and start all over using the Kepserver PFE file and the origional Factory Talk ME project. I was successful making the necessary modification (new tags in Kepserver to match the addresses int he Rexroth PLC global directory and then added the new features in Factory Talk), created a runtime.mer file as version 4.0. Transfered to PV+ terminal. Everything worked perfectly. Hope this helps someone that may have this problem in the future.

Thanks,
Rodney