Siemens Wincc Comfort Panel issue

[toddp65]

Comfort panel TP1500

It's been running the same program for years and now I'm getting a frequent message across the screen:

WinCC Runtime
License Key Not available
WinCC Sm@rtServer for Simatic Panel

and then a Noted button you hit to make the message disappear for about 5 minutes.

I googled it and didn't come up with much except to disable the Sm@rtService in settings because it doesn't have a license (i also assumed this would require a download after unchecking the box)....but it must have had one because I opened the program from last year and the same service is checked.

Anyone have experience with this?

 

[gclshortt]

http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?p=770190

The above thread may help you out.
Regards,

 

[sigmadelta]

Open the Automation License Manager and connect to your panel to verify if any licenses exist.

 

[JesperMP]

Your TIA version must be quite old.
Smartservice does not require a license any more. It is included in the Comfort Panel. I think it was changed in V14 and onwards.

 

[toddp65]

Your TIA version must be quite old.
Smartservice does not require a license any more. It is included in the Comfort Panel. I think it was changed in V14 and onwards.

It's version 13 for that program.

"Open the Automation License Manager and connect to your panel to verify if any licenses exist"

wouldn't that just be for the licenses installed on my computer...not the license for the actual software or services enabled on the HMI?

 

[toddp65]

http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?p=770190

The above thread may help you out.
Regards,

there's some info there but it doesn't apply to my error. That's the 'Audit" error, mine is the Sm@art Server error.

According to that site they made it so a license wasn't required for version 14 and up...this is 13 but as I said, Sm@rt server has been checked for years in the runtime server settings, I verified this by opening an older program offline and noted it.


That said, how would the HMI lose it's license, how can I return it and/or should I just disable it to remove the annoying popup?

 

[JesperMP]

Smartservice used to require a license on the device with the server. That would be the Comfort Panel. You dont need a license on the device that accesses the smartservice remotely.

So you have 3 options:
1. Disable the smartservice on the panel.
2. Install a smartservice license on the panel.
3. Upgrade the firmware to V14 or greater, and load an updated program on the panel.

I would go for no. 3. And I would go for V15.1.

As to how a license can get lost if it was once loaded.
Maybe someone restored an image on the panel that didnt include the license.
Or someone fumbled when accessing the panel from the Automation License Manager.

 

[toddp65]

Thanks, Jesper.

The only issue I have with option 3 is that fact we have a contractor that comes and troubleshoots the filler from time to time and he only has version 13 (I know, not the greatest excuse but it's what I have).

I have version 15 on mine as well as 13.

I unchecked the box but it didn't solve anything--I'm guessing you have to compile and download in order for it to take effect?

I believe the HMI initially had the license because this error just started. So how would I go about finding it and installing it on a panel.

FYI, we has this similar issue on an IPC running Step 7 but rebooting the IPC (it only uses it as an HMI, not a soft PLC) did away with the error.

 

[JesperMP]

I'm guessing you have to compile and download in order for it to take effect?

Yep

I believe the HMI initially had the license because this error just started. So how would I go about finding it and installing it on a panel.

You could use ALM to go online with the panel. Maybe the license is corrupted and recoverable in some way.
Apart from that, no idea where the license hos gone to.

 

[toddp65]

Yep

You could use ALM to go online with the panel. Maybe the license is corrupted and recoverable in some way.
Apart from that, no idea where the license hos gone to.

Excuse my ignorance, but what's ALM? I still fairly new to Siemens.

 

[toddp65]

Oh...the license manager.

When I open that it only contains the licenses I have for my software installed on the PC for my Siemens software, there's no licences for any installed software on panels.

 

[JesperMP]

It is the Automation License Manager software. It gets installed together with any Siemens software.

In order to install a license on a panel (for smartservice for example), you start the ALM on your PC, and use the menu function Edit .. Connect target system .. Connect HMI Panel. You can then transfer a license from your PC to the panel.
Maybe there is a way to just put the USB stick in the panel and then install the license that way, but I dont know about that.

 

[toddp65]

I see the method you're speaking of.

The only applicable license I see is WinCC Comfort 15.0 besides a WinCC flex one.
Would that license enable the smart server license?


Seems as if you have to buy the license to send to HMI. I believe it was already purchased by the OEM when it was built and installed but I really have no way of accessing that at this point

 

[JesperMP]

The smartservice license would definitely be called "smartservice" or maybe "sm@rtservice".
(how stupid is it to use the "@" in a productname ... ?).

 

[toddp65]

I agree about the @.

I don't have that license, never did. Apparently the OEM installed it when they initially downloaded the program. I believe my best option right now would be the uncheck the box and download.