Logging Operation Data Using RSLogix5000

ebolbol

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I may be doing a lot of wishful thinking but its worth asking.
I won't drag this out and will keep it short: just let me know if this scenario is achievable.

  • Operator walks up to the HMI (PanelView 1000) pushes a button
  • The button is assigned to a bit that captures multiple values and moves them into an array
  • (This is the part I'm not sure about) RSLogix has a function that takes that array and puts it in a file that can be retrieved using a computer to capture that data
We also have FactoryTalk SE running on a stand alone workstation... is there a possibility there?

basically taking reads without employing a third party software.
 
This file you wish to create, I assume just a basic .CSV file, which someone can grab off the machine and analyze at their desk?

If so, then the PV and RSLogix will not do what you need (well maybe something basic in the PV and I think you can write data to the CF card on the CLX now, but the problem becomes accessibility).

Probably easiest to do on the RSView SE machine. Create VBA code to read the values, and generate a .CSV file containing those valves and references. Shave it to a location. If on a network save to a network location where people can easily access it, otherwise locally on the HD where you can copy/paste to a USB drive as needed.
 
Is it a PanelView Plus 1000 terminal ?

I did a test application like this just the other day: walk up and press a button, and make one entry of multiple tag values into a CSV file, timestamped with the Date/Time of the keypress.

I didn't try to go faster than about 1 keypress per second, and I didn't experiment with any sort of data "freshness" measurement to determine how current that data was.

But it was fairly straightforward and just used the PanelView Plus 6 terminal and the DataStore Plus ActiveX. I was storing the data on the removable SD card, but you could store it on a USB drive or copy it off the terminal via FTP if you wanted.
 
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Hi Ken,

Is there any writeup anywhere how to use ActiveX/FTP on a Panelview Plus. If have please provide a link

Thank You
Best Regards
------------
 
The PanelView Plus 6 User Manual, 2711P-UM006, has a chapter describing the the desktop OS features, and the online Help in PanelView Plus has good documentation for each ActiveX. Some of the features have more detailed descriptions and application examples in the Knowledgebase.
 
Anything above v16 you can log to the flash card but you have to handle it in a manual fashion.

High speed data logging that can be handled much easier is slated for V23 or V24. You may see it in V22 but not likely.
 
Thank you gentlemen,

To answer Ken's question, yes PanelView1000 plus, and yes *.csv would be more than sufficient.

One thing I would like to share with you guys, (which only pertains to SE if you're fortunate to have it)is a capability Factory Talk SE has, not sure if ME has it too. Data Log Models. You build it, you specify what event you would like captured (I've done as many as 200 tags) you specify what you would like to trigger the data capture, (i.e. time based, bit trigger based, etc.) and it will capture the data and stick it in a specific location.

Using RSView Enterprise File Viewer you open the file and export it to *.CSV

The limitation is, if your tag database is not a descriptive one (i.e. PUMP_OUTPUT_PRESSURE) and is just a generic array, you have several hundred tags to identify.

Thanks for the replies.
 
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The FactoryTalk View ME native Data Log Model is very limited; as you've seen there is just one data log, it's in a proprietary format that must be extracted and converted, and it can't be programmatically stopped and started.

It's fine for providing data for the Trend object, but not very useful for any other purpose.

That's one of the reasons they provided the DataStore Plus ActiveX control. It has its own limitations, but it does provide easy start/stop programmability, logs to ordinary flat CSV files, and can be run on the PV+ terminal itself.
 
Ken Roach said:
The FactoryTalk View ME native Data Log Model is very limited; as you've seen there is just one data log, it's in a proprietary format that must be extracted and converted, and it can't be programmatically stopped and started.

It's fine for providing data for the Trend object, but not very useful for any other purpose.

That's one of the reasons they provided the DataStore Plus ActiveX control. It has its own limitations, but it does provide easy start/stop programmability, logs to ordinary flat CSV files, and can be run on the PV+ terminal itself.
Click to expand...
I'm gonna definitely look into that. Accessibility is the main thing, will I be able to access that data without the logistics of removing a USB or CF every time I need access to the data?
 
The DataStorePlus ActiveX allows you to specify the file system path, so you can log to internal memory or the SD card or a removable USB device.

The systems I've done with DataStorePlus used the SD card.

I don't know if the DataStorePlus can log to a directory that's a network drive. In general, PV+ and Windows CE have a terrible time making, keeping, and re-making connections to networked storage so I wouldn't trust that even if it was available.

I don't know what folders the FTP Server feature exposes to an FTP client. I'll take a minute tomorrow to have a look at the unit (PanelView Plus 6, with v7 firmware, 10") I have in our test workcell.
 
DataStore Plus ActiveX control

Ken Roach said:
The DataStorePlus ActiveX allows you to specify the file system path, so you can log to internal memory or the SD card or a removable USB device.

The systems I've done with DataStorePlus used the SD card.

I don't know if the DataStorePlus can log to a directory that's a network drive. In general, PV+ and Windows CE have a terrible time making, keeping, and re-making connections to networked storage so I wouldn't trust that even if it was available.

I don't know what folders the FTP Server feature exposes to an FTP client. I'll take a minute tomorrow to have a look at the unit (PanelView Plus 6, with v7 firmware, 10") I have in our test workcell.
Click to expand...
Any help on this would be super appreciated. The more I read about this feature, the more I think this is the way to go... Data Log Models within SE can only be triggered by % change, periodic, or on demand from within SE. I don't see an option for snapshot quick capture. I will read more on DataStore Plus ActiveX control. Thank you.
 
The PanelView Plus FTP Server defaults to exposing the \TEMP folder of the file system.

I manually created a folder named \Temp\FTPData on the PV+ and in the DataStore Plus ActiveX I set the File Location connection to "\Temp\FTPData\"

The File Location path must be in quotes. It's treated as a string by the ActiveX.

I was then able to use an FTP client on my desktop computer to see the *.CSV files that were being created by the ActiveX control in that folder on the PV+. I use a text editor called Notepad++, which has an FTP client plugin, so it's an all-in-one way to see that data.
 
Ken Roach said:
The PanelView Plus FTP Server defaults to exposing the \TEMP folder of the file system.

I manually created a folder named \Temp\FTPData on the PV+ and in the DataStore Plus ActiveX I set the File Location connection to "\Temp\FTPData\"

The File Location path must be in quotes. It's treated as a string by the ActiveX.

I was then able to use an FTP client on my desktop computer to see the *.CSV files that were being created by the ActiveX control in that folder on the PV+. I use a text editor called Notepad++, which has an FTP client plugin, so it's an all-in-one way to see that data.
Click to expand...

I happen to have Notepad++ thanks for the info sir. I wonder if our old PVP 1000's runnning firmware 5.10.06.09 is a limitation? I believe PVP1000 max out at 5.1 and can no longer be upgraded without upgrading the hardwar/(display)itself.
 
The older PanelView Plus terminals (before v6) had several logic module variations.

There were standard performance and high-performance logic modules, as well as a high-performance logic modules they called "PanelView Plus CE", which gave you access to the Windows CE 4.1 desktop environment.

The PanelView Plus CE allowed you to add ActiveX controls. I don't remember if the older 5.10 logic modules also supported the FTP Server.

With the introduction of the more-powerful PanelView Plus 6 logic module, all terminals allow you to run the FactoryTalk View ME ActiveX controls. There is an "Extended Features" version of the PV+6 that also includes the Microsoft CE applications like Word Viewer, Excel Viewer, Powerpoint Viewer, and Internet Explorer.

You can replace the Logic Module without replacing the display module. I've done that on a PV+1000.

If your terminal is a base model PanelView Plus 5.10, I don't think it will be able to do the data logging function you want. I don't know for sure, so you should verify with Rockwell Automation.
 
Ken Roach said:
The older PanelView Plus terminals (before v6) had several logic module variations.

There were standard performance and high-performance logic modules, as well as a high-performance logic modules they called "PanelView Plus CE", which gave you access to the Windows CE 4.1 desktop environment.

The PanelView Plus CE allowed you to add ActiveX controls. I don't remember if the older 5.10 logic modules also supported the FTP Server.

With the introduction of the more-powerful PanelView Plus 6 logic module, all terminals allow you to run the FactoryTalk View ME ActiveX controls. There is an "Extended Features" version of the PV+6 that also includes the Microsoft CE applications like Word Viewer, Excel Viewer, Powerpoint Viewer, and Internet Explorer.

You can replace the Logic Module without replacing the display module. I've done that on a PV+1000.

If your terminal is a base model PanelView Plus 5.10, I don't think it will be able to do the data logging function you want. I don't know for sure, so you should verify with Rockwell Automation.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't surprise me... seems like we're always a day late/dollar too short. they were installed in late 2007 and all the displays we have are PanelView Plus1000 with Logic Module 2711P-RP1 and Terminal 2711P-B10C4D1
 

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