Program change tracking

Hey guys,

I know its not as much as some other companys but, where i am we have 7 different process, controlled by 7 different PLC's. I make alot of modifications to these programs as some of them are fairly new processes. What is the best way to keep track of my changes?? Currently what I have been doing is after i make changes i do a save as and create a new folder with the date and save the file with the same name in that folder. but now i have like 30 different folders and i couldnt tell you how each one differ from the other. What do you guys do to track changes.

Save As including the date and the eventual time of the edit within the current file's name.
Use the RSL5K Compare Tool for establishing applications' differences.
What platforms are we "talking" about?
For any Allen-Bradley CPUs (PLC/SLC/ML/Logix), FactoryTalk AssetCentre with Disaster Recovery (http://www.rockwellautomation.com/rockwellsoftware/assetmgmt/assetcentre/overview.page)
could automatically and historically keep track of the applications' versions; "plug-ins" for Siemens S5, S7 CPUs and ABB, Motoman and Fanuc robots are also available.

Asset Centre is a good option but not cheap. There is "Roll Yer Own" both which dmargineau mentioned above.

You can also use a code developer freebie like SVN / GIT or Mecurial,etc.

I like TortoiseSVN for coding projects but I use Asset Centre for my industrial stuff.

dmargineau looking at it quickly AssetCentre looks like its exactly what i was looking for... will it log automaticly if its installed on the same server as the programing software? and we use all AB here, we have FT View, FT Historian, RSLogix5, 500, and 5k that all get modified pretty often.

PLC Kid, what do you mean when you say "Roll Yer Own"

FT AssetCentre with Disaster Recovery will cost you some $11K only for the software and 15 "assets" to be supervised and backed up..
Rockwell recommends the installation of the FT AssetCentre Server separately from FT Historian SE or FTV SE since it will need its own Factory Talk Directory.
As for the PC designated as "FT AssetCentre Disaster Recovery Agent", it could be any mid-tier machine capable to connect to the "assets" to be supervised (backed up according to a user schedule).

$11K is not going to work for us haha..... is there a compare tool that can be used for logix 5 and 500????

I can't speak for dmargineau's pricing but list for software with 10 assets is 5,640.00 so how many assets do you have?

http://raise.rockwellautomation.com...ents.asp?CID=6C44A680CC3A46DE83CD2D6348B566A5

Also there is a machine edition but I don't know the cost on it. It would be on a single computer and not client server based from my understanding and it protects 25 assets.

@ The PLC Kid, that's what I have thought until trying to run audits on CPUs; then I realized that "plain" FTAC is good only for keeping tabs on the applications' implemented security; the users will have to "ckeck-out" and "check-in" the files under their own Windows Login; if an application is "checked-out", it is not available to anyone else but the "current user" until "in" again.
In order to run automatically scheduled audits on assets (10 only!-you are correct)and retrieve the current application (adding it to the History Log), you will need a suplementary FTAC Disaster Recovery license- $5400 list.

I have a customer that uses this also http://www.filehold.com/how-to-buy I think it runs around 3K.

If you are on a budget TortoiseSVN is free and will run on almost any old desktop PC and you can use the compare tools built into all versions or RS Logix for compare. 5,500 tol is built in and 5000 is a free add on and comes on the install disk.

You can have it install with the rest of the Logix 5000 tools when you do your install or it will run as a stand alone program without Logix 5000.

This is the route I would take if on a limited budget. Hard to beat free. The are tons of videos on Youtube showing you to use TortoiseSVN even one by yours truly on there somewhere.

http://www.youtube.com/results?sear...,n=2,ui=t..0.0...1ac.1.11.youtube.lhWN01k2pw8

dmargineau said:

@ The PLC Kid, that's what I have thought until trying to run audits on CPUs; then I realized that "plain" FTAC is good only for keeping tabs on the applications' implemented security; the users will have to "ckeck-out" and "check-in" the files under their own Windows Login; if an application is "checked-out", it is not available to anyone else but the "current user" until "in" again.
In order to run automatically scheduled audits on assets (10 only!-you are correct)and retrieve the current application (adding it to the History Log), you will need a suplementary FTAC Disaster Recovery license- $5400 list.

Click to expand...

Right I know you need the Disaster recovery module to audit cpu's as I felt all the pain when I had to pay for licensing for 722 CPU's on this site.

But from the OP's first post he indicated he just needed change management for himself and did not give any verbage that he may have anyone other than him to manage.

Maybe he does and if so he would want disaster recovery like you said.

If it's just him I would just stick with the file and folder option or something like SVN if he is not well disciplined.

I used to use Sharepoint here as it was alreay our corporate back bone so I just built a site that only I had access to and used the check in /out versioning features.

The OP stated he does not know what's different between the files in his manual archive now. To solve that just take good notes and store them with the version.

When I begin a program change or even a check I always upload what's in the processor and compare to the latest version if it's the same I use it so I have the stored version there on my laptop for a chick backup recovery and if what I upload is different I save it and investigate.

I also start a word document and write down the purpose for my check and or edit and what changes I make such as

"added a extended down branch rung from the first OTE in Ladder 5 rung 219 and added an OTE to this branch rung tagged "oil temp waring feed roll 7"

This word document gets converted to PDF format also and both stored with the program.

All my stuff is together also. I may have a folder for Line 1 and then subfolders for Oven, winder, wrapper, conveyor system, etc.

In each of those folders I have folders labeled PLC program, HMI program, Drive Programs,Drawings /Prints, Manuals, Emails, Misc,etc.

When I do a check out I check out the whole folder and If I install a new field device the changed prints,plc program,hmi program,etc are all stored with it and a manual for the field device then I check that whole folder back in. I have always used this method on code projects using SVN on Share Point and when doing it in a manual fashion and it has never failed me

If you want to use Sharepoint then downlaod sharepoint foundation as it's free. 2010 flavor will run on Server 2003 and 2008 I think and the new Sharepoint Foundation 2013 will run on windows server 2008 R2 and Server 2012 R1 and R2.

IMHO sharepointand Microsoft Onenote are some of the best tools for managing a complicated automation Enviroment and for project management.