Fix32 driver problem

I've had to change all of my controls to new IP addresses. I have 4 SCADA nodes running Fix32 ver 7.0, everything went great on 3, but the 4the one I can't get the drivers to work correctly. The only difference is the OS, the 3 working units are WinNT, and the non-working one is Win2K.

One of the drivers is the ABR for RSLinxs, I can see the PLC's in Linx, but cannot connect via the channel for ethernet, the channels configured for DH+ work fine (didn't change anything). I also have a TIE driver that doesn't work either. Still working on it.
Suggestions appreciated.

BTW, I can ping okay from the PC to all the PLC's.

thanks,

Ken

Okay I got it. The problem with the TIE driver, I set the PLC IP address to the wrong address. With the TI plcs you set the IP address in HEX, I did the decimal to HEX conversion on a piece of paper, and my hand writting is so lousy I wrote out 1A in my office for the last octet, but read it as 19 in the field. DOH!

Never did find out the problem with the ABR driver, I tried installing the ABR driver on a different PC and got the same results, installed an updated driver and now everything is working.

I guess FIX32 isn't used very much anymore, didn't get any responses. I posted the follow up just in case someone else is still using this older SCADA package.

I have FIX32 and iFix applications running, while iFix has much better graphics, I prefer the older package. Much more robust, and you don't have to learn VB scripting to get nice results.

I realize that this post is a couple of months old, but I will bring it back to life.
Ken, I think that there are a lot of systems out there with Fix32 running, but they are quite robust, and that is why we don't hear about them often.

I am being faced with upgrading 2 systems in the near future, and have toyed with the idea of slating them for RSView, but it really doesn't make sense in my situation.

I have 2 Zycom systems, old PC's running old ISA cards and no Ethernet. They are using Fix32, version 6.x. They have DH+ cards in the racks, and are communicating via DH+ to a bunch of PLC-5's.

My plans are to migrate the system to NEW industrial PC's. (I am unsure what method I will use for Comms at this point--DH+ 1784 cards are REALLY expensive, and really I should be going the Ethernet route). The problem is, DH+ is used currently for the HMI's (and I dont' have Ethernet as an option on the PLC-5's)

There will be a project down the road to get the PLC-5 out, and put in Controllogix, with a DH+/RIO card, Ethernet etc. Maybe at that point I can start using Ethernet for HMI comms.

Anyways, getting off topic.

I am faced with using an operating system of my choice. What would your recommendations be for using Fix32 version 7.x? I have the parallel dongles, and wish to RE-USE the old application.
I may have to buy/replace the 1784 cards, but tags should still remain...close to what they were.

Any suggestions? It seems like you have gone through the same obstacles.....

We run Fix32 V7.0 on Windows 2000 Pro. without any problems. There used to be a "cumulative" SIM available from the intellution website which included all of the fixes required foor W2K.
Andybr

Thanks Andy,
Do you know where this update exists?
I have the version 7.0 installation CD...


Andy, an update on the software and the HW that I currently have..
Fix32 version 7.0 (Build 112)
Fix32 AB Driver RsLinx v6.30 (ABR Driver)
1784-KTX card/s

Will this hardware migrate OK to W2K?
I am worried/looking into the whole 1784-KT/KTX card problem
Looks like the ABR driver does not support 2K,
(Although lots say that they have running apps)
I don't have the actual driver install disk, but when the system was purchased in the early 90's there must have been an installation disk I would have assumed.
I saw that I can potentially download the driver, but it would appear that I have to pay for it....
How would I get around that????

SNK - I'd find myself leaning toward the old adage, "If it ain't broken..."

Seriously, though, do you think it'd be viable to put in a new Control Logix PLC that's on blue hose and Ethernet, then use the PLC like a "gateway"? Then you wouldn't have to buy additional DH+ hardware or be constrained in your HMI choice. I image the Control Logix PLC could perform that role until you "cut it over" to behave as the main PLC. Could be a ton of work, depending on the existing HMI configuration, but it's a cool idea.

Surferb, thanks for the Input,
But,
Project is happening in phases.
MMI is the first to be updated.
Control is the second. (Which complicates the first)
HMI application is half VB based, and needs to be re-used, not re-invented for cost/reliability reasons.

Hope that the ABR driver is transferrable. That is my big dilema.

SNK.
Fix32 will definitely migrate but I have not used the KTX card and do not know about this. We use the Fix DDE driver with Linx and this works well enough with a couple of thousand tags. The only issues are that it takes time to get all of the links up and running at start up and you need to disable the thousands seperator in Windows in order to write values >999 to the PLC's. Our AB PLC's are mainly CLX on ethernet though we do have some SLC's and MLX's. The system originally used Mitsubishi PLC's but we changed to AB several years ago and the DDE route was the easiest option for us.
Andybr

I think I have a plan

I was just reading this thread,

http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=32605&highlight=controllogix+bridge

And am wondering if this might be a better approach.
We seem to have a surplus of Controllogix Racks, and RIO/DH+ cards, and Ethernet cards, so maybe this is a better way to get my new PC's talking on Ethernet....Using the rack as a Bridge...
seems better than buying the DL3500-DH+/DF1 that I am being quoted on.


I would connect the PC's to the local Ethernet, the DH+ card would be connected to the local DH+ network, and the RIO and other devices should be "browsable" through the ethernet driver located in the GE Fix32 std drivers.

Does this sound acceptable?

Yep, that's what I would do.
I have a CLX bridge in place, and regret not doing it sooner.

BTW, I'm running the ABR 6.3 driver on one Win2K, SP2 machine without any issues.

Thanks for the support guys.
I will let you know how it all works out....

BTW, I have about 12 racks of RIO that are monitored on this system. Do I need to manually add the RIO cards to the RIO scanner card located in the Bridge rack, or will it automatically browse and drill into the associated cards? I have never used this bridge format before, but looks like a great way to keep legacy systems in current support..

Hey All, Now I have a Key Problem

As discussed many times in old posts, the transition to newer software and hardware often denotes problems with connectivity...

My development PC is my laptop. A couple of years ago, we phased out the old Toshiba's and bought DELL D620's, with NO parallel port. The old Fix32 Software needs to have a Hardware Parallel Dongle attached to the PC in order to run, (For excess of 2 Hours).
(The software works in DEMO mode, ie FULL SUPPORT, but only for 2 Hours) if the key is not attached.

This is good for development.

But, In my situation, I am changing the driver to the more recent ABR Version 7.29 Release Notes 12/17/04, that will allow for the Ethernet Communciation that I have been working on above.

The problem lies where now, this driver is detecting that a key does not exist, so I cannot start the device driver. In the notes attached to the driver, it mentions a CD that includes the Hardware Key driver.

Can I not attempt to communicate without this key?
Is there any work-around?

I won't be able to test the application server until I receive the new PC's with PARALLEL ports!

This is really bad for business, IMO.
(especially since we just bought another licence 2 years ago with the parallel interface for around 3K)

Really, the parallel thing isn't the problem. It is the fact that the device driver won't function unless it see's the hardware key.

Any input?

BTW, I have posted the txt file that is sent with the device driver,

And, I have contacted GE and my supplier, with no luck in support. (Everyone wants to push on iFix or newer software)

The docking stations for the D620's have a parallel port, does anyone at your facility have a docking station?

Good Idea Ken.
I will look into it.