Is remote access to Panelview Plus possible??

Hi, was wondering is it possible to remotely connect to a Panelview Plus 700 from a laptop with RSstudio software i.e Modem?? etc. A client just wants to see the screens when there is a fault?

Sorry, this should of read "as a Panelview Plus" to a PLC ie Runtime in RS studio??. I already have connected a modem but use it for sending text when there is a problem. Thanks - Rpax

I would think that you should remotely connect to the network and access the PLC directly (rather than the panelview) with whatever's installed on the laptop (RSView, I would guess) to display the same information. That should work fine. The panelview programming software might even work remotely (if it's ethernet not serial). Look into VPN access if the site is connected to the Internet. Otherwise a modem should work.

RPax said:

Sorry, this should of read "as a Panelview Plus" to a PLC ie Runtime in RS studio??. I already have connected a modem but use it for sending text when there is a problem. Thanks - Rpax

Click to expand...

I've done this on several applications where there is a computer connected via ethernet to the PLCs and PV+ . I then use a Dial Up connection to connect to the PC on the PLC network from my laptop.
Anything the computer sees on its local PLC network, I can see (ping) from my laptop.

I can then use RSlogix to connect to any PLC, or even run RSView ME and view plant operation.

I have one client that is using RSView ME Runtime on a Xycom Industrial PC. On this particular computer I am running alos RealVNC server. I can use the same dial up connection method , and use RealVNC to 'see' the screens on the Xycom

Ian

I second this. An advantage of PC based control over "hardware" (panelview, etc) is that you can either remotely control the PC (OK - it works, but with a delay and overhead and "uses" that computer) or run another distributed client directly (Better, if you have a license on that laptop and keep up with the latest runtime version). Best yet, use a web based HMI like FactoryPMI so that client side installation is always seamless and trivial from any computer.

In any case you need network access. Use VPNs over dialup as they are faster and more secure.

curlyandshemp said:

I've done this on several applications where there is a computer connected via ethernet to the PLCs and PV+ . I then use a Dial Up connection to connect to the PC on the PLC network from my laptop.
Anything the computer sees on its local PLC network, I can see (ping) from my laptop.

I can then use RSlogix to connect to any PLC, or even run RSView ME and view plant operation.

I have one client that is using RSView ME Runtime on a Xycom Industrial PC. On this particular computer I am running alos RealVNC server. I can use the same dial up connection method , and use RealVNC to 'see' the screens on the Xycom

Ian

Click to expand...

You can run/test your RSviewME application right on your computer (with RSviewME Development installed). Normally applications would be downloaded to the PanelViewPlus over the network which may be 10 feet away or many miles away. This feature/mode allows you to see how your app will work before downloading, for fixing navigation and screens appearance mostly.

It will show up in the upper left corner of your monitor at the screen size of the PanleView (its small) and it will functions just like you were at the PanelView. So you can control the process or machine remotely via this feature, although its not intended for this purpose. There are some limitations like hardware resets.

BEWARE its not safe or advisable to remotely control a system when an operator should be there locally. You will be taking responsibility for any safety issues, damages, etc since you are not at the machine or process. You'll have to make that choice depending on your systems capability to create hazards, overflows, havoc, etc.

I've used the Allen-Bradley RADES kit (remote access dial-in Ethernet switch) to monitor screens of a PanelViewPlus. I use the RSViewStudio I program with and just press the "play" button same as if I was testing a display. It works great; I can monitor and control a machine remotely. Needless to say, be very careful if you plan to remotely control the machine. It has saved me a number of 3 hour drives.

PanelView Plus WebServer May Work

The PanelView Plus has the ability to serve the currently displayed screen to a web browser as a snapshot image file. You have to install the webserver on the PV+ then you can browse to it from IE, Firefox, Safari, whatever to see the currently displayed screen.

This would work pretty good in a fault condition when the alarm screen is being displayed.

RA Knowledgebase ID: 30558

LeoK

dbrsystems said:

The PanelView Plus has the ability to serve the currently displayed screen to a web browser as a snapshot image file. You have to install the webserver on the PV+ then you can browse to it from IE, Firefox, Safari, whatever to see the currently displayed screen.


This would work pretty good in a fault condition when the alarm screen is being displayed.

RA Knowledgebase ID: 30558

LeoK

Click to expand...

Leo, That tech id refers to Versaview panels, not PV+ panels.
Unless I am reading incorrectly, the question was in regards to non-SE type applications. (ME)

Most of the above answers are clearly not answering the question you are asking. Is there a way to see the PanelView plus screen remotely?
No there isn't. You can download a screen over a network but there is no embedded web server. If you need a web server capable HMI, I recommend GE Fanuc's QuickPanel View. This is a top of the line, most powerful HMI on the market (not including PC based HMIs) with the matching price tag.

Red Lion HMI's also have a built in Web Server capability. It is very easy to implement the web access. The software to program the Red Lion HMI's is free and ready for download at www.redlion.net.

Regards,
Joe_WaZoo

Yes, I assumed PV+ 700 CE

SNK said:

Leo, That tech id refers to Versaview panels, not PV+ panels.
Unless I am reading incorrectly, the question was in regards to non-SE type applications. (ME)

Click to expand...

Thanks for correcting me; I assumed CE. I've been working with a lot of CE boxes lately.

Leo

> This is a top of the line, most powerful HMI
> on the market (not including PC based HMIs)

<cough>!!!

Red Lion

Mike,
I looked at your HMI (Red Lion) about a year and half ago and
you lacked one very important feature. Your HMI cannot (could not at the time) accept two or more channels of data simultaneously on one screen. In my particular case I was looking for data coming in from Modbus and DH+. The only other HMI that could do it was CTC.
Web server in your HMI was also not available at that time.

Your HMI needs to have following features for me to use it:
1. Accept more than one channel of data simultaneously on to the same screen
2. Web server
3. Large selection of drivers
4. Very powerful scripting capability, such as QuickPanel View which has a full blown VB script with extensive libraries as well as their own "view script".

When I say powerful scripting, to give you a reference point, I consider AB's PanelView Plus scripting rather weak!

If in fact your display can do this I will certainly look at it and evaluate it and possibly start using it! If however you try to promote your display by exagerating its features and capabilities, I can assure you that I will publish the facts about your display on this forum!

One big minus for GE Fanuc is the fact that you have to pay for
programming software. Support ? What support?

> I looked at your HMI (Red Lion) about a year and half ago
> and you lacked one very important feature. Your HMI cannot
> (could not at the time) accept two or more channels of data
> simultaneously on one screen. In my particular case I was
> looking for data coming in from Modbus and DH+. The only
> other HMI that could do it was CTC.

Our HMI can display information from two sources at once. In fact, it can display information from every device to which it is connected, and has been able to do so since launch. This could mean showing data from several dozen devices on the same page. Now, we can't do DH+, but that's down to Allen-Bradley's refusal to license it to us!!!

> Web server in your HMI was also not available at that time.

I respecfully disagree. The G3's have had the web server in them since they were launched, even back in the days when we only had the G303 monochrome model.

> Your HMI needs to have following features for me to use it:

OK.

> 1. Accept more than one channel of data
> simultaneously on to the same screen

The G3 can do this, and always could.

> 2. Web server

The G3 provides this, and always has.

> 3. Large selection of drivers

The G3 has this -- DH+ excepted!

> 4. Very powerful scripting capability, such as
> QuickPanel View which has a full blown VB script
> with extensive libraries as well as their own
> "view script".

The G3 has a C interpreter, and allowing multiple (possible reentrant) functions with parameter passing and return values. Now, it's probably a matter of taste whether it's as powerful as VB script, but people have certainly used it to implement applications large enough to scare our support engineers!

If you'd like to look again at our HMIs, pls let me know and I've have someone from our European office contact you. I am afraid our sales channels in Eastern Europe are not (yet!) what they could be, so this probably explains why we did such a bad job of explaining the G3's features to you.