Issue with RSLinx & Excel

I'm trying to create a DDE Link betweek RSLinx and Excel. I've done this before without issues, but I'm getting a pop-up when I open the Excel file saying that "Remote data is not accessible." and asking 'Start RSLINX.EXE'?. When I select "Yes", It says "Cannot start RSLINX.EXE. One of it components is damaged or missing."

I'm trying this on two different PCs. One is runing RSLinx Classic Professional 2.56.00.13 CPR 9 SR2 and the other is RSLinx Classic Professional 2.51.00.21 (CPR 7). I know I have the syntax correct for the link.

Could it be that both licenses have reverted to the "Lite" version? Is there an easy way to correct this?

Have you tried to start RSLinx prior to running your excel application? I get a similar error when I don't have RSLinx running first, I have not been able to determine a method for Excel to properly start RSLinx if it was not running when I tried to execute the data exchange. But I haven't really bothered to try.

I never run RSLink as a service either, so that maybe something else to try.

Make sure you topic is properly configured in RSLinx too.

Yes, RSLinx is running prior to starting the Excel spreadsheet. I've tried running it as a service and as an application, too.

Could it be that both licenses have reverted to the "Lite" version?

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possible – but not likely ...

does RSLinx have the word "Lite" in its window title bar? ... if the word "Lite" is NOT there, then the copies are "better than Lite" – and they should have DDE capability ...

I know I have the syntax correct for the link.

Click to expand...

double-check ... then triple-check ... then start typing the syntax in again from scratch ... any misspelling ANYWHERE in the link (even in the Topic name) will usually give the message that you're seeing ...

.

No, it doesn't say "Lite" in the banner. I have a laptop with Linx Lite installed, and it does say "Lite".

Tried:

=RSLINX|GTLSTACK!'N7:20,L1,C1'

-AND-

=RSLINX|GTLSTACK!'N7:20'

PMFJI - where is the RSLinx defined so that Excel knows what that means?

=RSLINX|GTLSTACK!'N7:20,L1,C1'

Click to expand...

this looks wrong ... I've never seen the "L1" and "C1" parts entered like this ...

=RSLINX|GTLSTACK!'N7:20'

Click to expand...

this one looks OK - IF (that's a big IF) you have a DDE topic defined as GTLSTACK in RSLinx ... and if N7:20 is a valid address in the PLC ...

tip: double-check the spelling of your topic name ... whatever you named it in RSLinx must match the name that you specify in Excel ... and they must match EXACTLY ...

if you can't spot it, try posting a screen shot (something like mine above) that shows the TOPIC defined in RSLinx - and - the syntax being used in Excel ... maybe we can spot something that you're missing ...