Step 7 - Datablocks - Best Practice

Hi,

I have an question concerning the backup of actual values of a datablock.

- What is the best practice if you want the online actual values of an DB? I know you can save a DB online, but are there other methods?

- What todo if the datatype of the online DB is different then the offline DB? When you then save the online DB you lose all the symbolic info.

thx!

I don't know for sure.
But what about opening a new project and uplaod the total online project?
I even think you don't need to open a new project can try just to upload it and it will automaticly create a new CPU and program in the excisting program.
Best to take a backup of your offline project before doing so

This may be number one on my wish list for Step9!

If you've got an operator panel then you could archive the DB values to the panel and have a button to load the values back down to the DB on demand (or alternatively trigger the download out of OB100). This is quite good if the values are changing fairly often, the down-side, of course, is that if the Windows has just crashed you may have to wait a while before you can download your archived values.

For values that don't change very often, but it's essential that the correct values are maintained on start-up, I just initialise them in OB100. May not be elegant but it's as safe as you get.

If you can discipline yourself to setting up the relevant DBs once and for all, download them, and then avoid making even the slightest change to them, then you can upload the actual values and still kep the symbols.
Important is that the timestamp do not change.

What todo if the datatype of the online DB is different then the offline DB?

Click to expand...

Then it is not possible. Roys suggestion COULD work, but you should setup the DBs to save on the panel as large arrays of BYTE's in WinCC Flex, irrespective of the real formatting of the DBs.

Yes, I second this one for STEP9 or STEP7 PLUS PORTAL SUITE or whatever. Upload actual values if data types match even if timestamp do not, and copy actual values to initial values. That would be nice.