Restoring a .mer file question

Okay I have a system with a Panelview Plus 600 and Im assuming uses factory talk vs RS View being that it was installed last year. I want to add a simple Text box for a POT value but I have never pulled a program from a Panel View. I have the following questions

1.When it boots up I dont get a little white box to go to the configuration mode so How do I get there to pull the file from it? Can I just connect a PC via USB and browse the Panel View like a removable storage device to get it?

2. How do I know which version of Factory Talk this .mer file was create in once I retreive it?

3. I know once I convert the .mer to a .med it will not carry over the · .Parameter files
· Alarm Setup
· Datalog files
· Macro files
. Communication settings

I know how to solve the communications settings issue but can someone breifly break down what each of these others are,why they are important and how I can migrate them to the new project?

4. Finally, Do the Panel View products come with Factory Talk ME installed on them because I can not find anything on how to reinstall in on the Panel View if something becomes corrupted. I ask because I currently have this issue with a 1500 that I want to reinstall ME on.

Thankx Guys

1)The flash card is the most reliable, older versions had trouble with USB. By all means try it though. I think it's in Terminal Settings > File Management

2) http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?p=612056

3) V4 and lower is not easily restorable and the workaround will drop the stuff you mentioned. V5 and greater might bring that stuff back if the original author allowed restoration when it was created.

4) If your terminal is corrupt, try flashing the firmware. If that doesn't work it seems like you can buy just the flash card with the ME Station runtime pre-installed on it for a few hundred bucks. Never done it myself though. Might have to contact your distributor on that one, or wait for someone else here who knows.

So does the firmware include the Factory Talk ME runtime software? And does the Firmware version match the version of Factory Talk used to create the project like in RSLOGIX 5000?

Skiroy said:

So does the firmware include the Factory Talk ME runtime software? And does the Firmware version match the version of Factory Talk used to create the project like in RSLOGIX 5000?

Click to expand...

Essentially yes. Updating the firmware will also update the runtime on the PV terminal. But it will not update the .mer files stored on the terminal. The PV can load and use older revision runtime applications. BTW, the runtime is called "Station" within the FactoryTalk world.

When you create the runtime you can specify what version of runtime to be created. So I can use FT View version 8 and create a version 5.1 .mer file. It's important to watch this setting as it will default to creating the most recent revision (ie. version 8 software defaults to creating a v8 runtime).

Likewise I can take a v5 runtime and load it onto a v6 PV terminal. As long as the PV firmware is the same revision or new than the runtime all is well. If the runtime is newer then the PV firmware that will be a problem.

Unfortunately Rockwell does not provide a method of identifying the revision of the .MER or .APA files used in FactoryTalk View. Fortunately though we have talented forum members who won't put up with such oversights. Forum member dmroeder has made a tool for this very use. You can see his message here along with a link to the tool.

http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=90986

Best of luck!!

OG

Thankx guys. Can Anyone clarify question 3?
3. I know once I convert the .mer to a .med it will not carry over the · .Parameter files
· Alarm Setup
· Datalog files
· Macro files
. Communication settings

I also cannot go to the configuration mode on the Panel View Plus 600 with keypad. There is no gray square in the bottom left corner during boot up. I have read to press F1 during boot up but the boot up said "Fatal" trying this and I had to re cycle power.
Is there a specific time to press F1 and do you hold it? I cant find any documentation on this subject for 600. Only documentation I find covers all the terminal models and seem to be written more for the Windows CE install terminals.

I figure how to do it via the factory talk transfer tool via Ethernet.