GE Proficy Process Software

Version 6.0, QuickPanel HMI 14", GE Processor, ethernet

I am an A-B guy so I am not very experienced yet on GE.
The vendor refuses to turn over the password to open the HMI screens. I have read that I may be out of luck. Does anyone know if GE Fanuc has a way to supply the password if I go through all of the proper procedures.

Also I was given 2 files. One has the PLC ladder code. The other one is supposed to have the HMI screens. On further reading, it seems to me that both the HMI and the ladder code should be under the same project name. Can someone clarify this for me.

I think you're out of luck on the password.

The PLC and the HMI can be part of the same Proficy project although they don't have to be. There's nothing that prevents someone from making them separate entities.

If your company permits, you can send the files to me and I can try to open them up to make some sense out of them for you. Send me a PM and I'll send you my email address.

The HMI default is:
master
control

Any programmer of GE View panels that is worth a hoot will have changed it. If they didn't then... shame on them.

More than likely the HMI and the PLC is the same project. The programmer would have to jump through hoops to make them separate. The reason why is you cannot run more than one instance of the programming software at a time. So to make them separate you'd have to close your plc to edit your hmi and vice-versa.

However it is do-able. I had a plant with 17 plc's and 17 hmi's. After much experimentation I chose to use a virtual machine to run Proficy for the HMI programming and I did the PLC programming native. All the HMI's were in one project, all the PLC's in another.

I always see Steve and Russ on GE threads, call me Mr. Tagalong, LOL

Thanks for the info. Steve, I sent you a private message.

Mark, I got your email. I can confirm that the entire project is password protected. This is not a default condition. The way the password is implemented, the original programmer had to take a deliberate action to set it up. It appears they don't want you to have it.

It puts you in a difficult position. If the hardware were to fail and has to be replaced, you have no way to download the file to the new unit since you can't get into the project to set a target to download to. If you are the end user of the equipment, ask the vendor what you're supposed to do in that case or if they go out of business. If you still owe them any money for the equipment, I'd tell them they don't get the final payment until you get the password.

Maybe this is too big a project, but, maybe not. If you have a currently working system, I would suggest this. Start from scratch and begin developing the replacement programs. It certainly would be easier than having nothing at all to go on. I have run into similar situations trying to re-start machinery where plants had been shut down for several years, then sold. The equipment plc batteries had failed and all the documentation lost. It would be a big help if you have the documentation for inputs and outputs plus actually seeing the equipment in operation.

Steve, thank you for taking the time to help me.

We are the end user. This project I inhereited for better or worse. From what I understand, the sub-concractor wanted more money to finish the job. There was a disagreement over that and that is when this problem occured.

I do have prints and screen shots and I can re-create this project but that will take time. Like I said before, I am an A-B guy and will have a learning curve on GE. It would be so much easier it I could open then HMI and see how everything was mapped.

My boss has asked me if we need to turn it over to our legal department. That may be a good ideal.