PC Running ME Station

Hey,

I'm after some info about setting up a stand alone PC running ME Station, i have setup the comms to the PLC and ran it from my laptop but if i create the MER file and open it up on the PC it cannot communicate and just leaves the fields with **


is there anything im missing?

any documents to support this?

Is the shortcut setup on both communication design and runtime tabs?

Yes that is all setup I've gone into terminal settings before I run the application in station and in the communications part it has nothing, and I Crnt create one here, maybe this is the problem

Did you also install RSLinx enterprise on the PC?

Yes I installed that, I've just read the FTV ME manual and it says to open station and then select the file you wish to run and it will then ask you if you want to replace communication setting I will try this tomorrow im sure thats where I've fallen down.

Rob

from the "reading between the lines" department ...

maybe I'm missing something here - but are you trying to "RUN" an ME application on a stand-alone computer? ... by "RUN" I mean that you are NOT installing it in order to develop/design/modify the application in any way - but rather you want instead to install it (as a "finished" application) for actual USE? (for example, by an operator) ...

I'm no expert on FactoryTalk View systems - but I'm pretty sure that the ME (Machine Edition) type of applications are intended to be run only on a PanelView Plus piece of hardware - and specifically, ME-type applications are NOT capable of being run on a computer ... EXCEPT: when you're using FactoryTalk View "STUDIO" to develop/design/modify the ME application, then it's possible to run the application on the DESIGNING ("Studio") computer - in something like a temporary "trial" or "test" mode ...

I've got a hunch that the other forum members are interpreting your question along the lines of getting the system to "run" (temporarily) in that "trial" or "test" mode - but that YOU (on the other hand) are trying to get it to "RUN" (permanently) on a computer as a finished project ...

if I'm wrong I'm sure that someone will soon correct me ... I apologize in advance if I've somehow misunderstood your question - and with the subject matter of this particular thread, a misunderstanding is QUITE possible ...

ME Station is software that runs on a PC. It allows you to run a .mer on a PC. It sort of makes a PC into a PV+.

ME Station is software that runs on a PC. It allows you to run a .mer on a PC. It sort of makes a PC into a PV+.

Click to expand...

thank you ... that's my "learned something new" for today ...

I've used ME Station on a number of projects. With a touch screen monitor, it makes a nice system. In some ways, better than a PV+.

Yes Ron you can buy just an ME Station license to run on a PC and as JK says it turns a PC into a sort of PV+ which in my instance is connected to one of two 40" Samsung LED TV's which will be housed in a custom made stainless panel.

I've not had chance to try what I think was the problem, maybe Friday I will get chance to check it.

We have over 15 licenses for FactoryTalk View ME Station and i personally love it. With a large touchscreen monitor, machines are simple to control. And since its running on a standard computer, you have a easy way for operators to print machines tags and enter production information. Also, for engineering and maintenance, you can use VNC software to remotely connect to your office computer, allowing you to use all your Rockwell software for trouble shooting.

There is also FactoryTalk Site Edition that does a similar job, but it is more designed for large SCADA systems where ME is more for individual machine control.

Helliana said:

There is also FactoryTalk Site Edition that does a similar job, but it is more designed for large SCADA systems where ME is more for individual machine control.

Click to expand...

Or just large machine with more than 1 HMI not necessarily SCADA.

Using multiple machine running ME each time you needed to make a change you would need to update the application on all computers which can be a PITA depending on the situation and running multiple ME computers on the same machine subnet running the same application would give you lots of unwanted and unnecessary traffic/packets.

1 HMI ME more than 1 SE is better.

just to finish this off for anybody else finding this thread at a later date the problem was as i suspected you need to launch ME station then load the application and then it will ask you if you wish to replace the communication settings once this has been done for the first time then you are able to just open ME Station by opening the MER file from your desktop or what ever location you have the file in, or set it to run on startup by putting the MER file into the startup folder.