Step 7 downloading Data blocks

Question on Step 7.

If you download a Data Block,
Do you need to upload first to have the current values before downloading?
An example is if the machine is running or we don't want to reset back to data back to 0?

If so, how do you do this?

Thanks.

Yes. Upload first
From simatic manager press the online button
Now you have the online and offline project windows open
Copy the online to the offline (data blocks)

They better be equal length or you will lose symbols

JRW said:

Yes. Upload first
From simatic manager press the online button
Now you have the online and offline project windows open
Copy the online to the offline (data blocks)

They better be equal length or you will lose symbols

Click to expand...

Thanks allot, that makes perfect sense. If I copied and pasted, wouldn't it just overwrite the offline DB's? or does it try to merge?

I would recommend that you follow this procedure:

Open the DB offline
Click on the third button from the left "Open Offline/Online Partner"
It will warn you if there is an issue with the size.
If the size is OK, hit the floppy button (fourth from the left) to save.
Then click the "Open Offline/Online Partner" button again to go back offline.

This was the procedure recommended to me by a Siemens guru and it has served me well so far. The big thing is just making sure you don't blow away your symbols because of a mismatch.

If you do have a mismatch, then it is probably a good idea to open it online and make a copy of the data first. The best route to do that probably will depend on how large it is and how much mismatch there is. I force myself to do things such that I never have to deal with that situation, so I am not certain if there are easier methods.

Here's how Siemens recommends

6 one way, half a dozen the other

http://support.automation.siemens.com/WW/view/en/22781805

Thanks for the replies

Remember
Time is money
Grab the online db's (Multiple db's) and paste them in the offline
That's supposed to be funny