WonderWare & Logix Upgrade

I am about to do a controllogix upgrade on a PLC-5 system that was installed around 1999.

The operator interface is a PC running WonderWare InTouch v7.1 and all of the comms with the PLC-5 are via Ethernet using the ABTCP direct IOServer.

I have done plenty of Logix upgrades, but this is my first where the customer wants to leave the WonderWare "as-is" and ideally not spend any money on upgrading the operator interface.

Has anyone pulled this off before? It appears the only IOServer option currently on the WonderWare PC is the ABTCP. I have read about using ABCIP for Logix, but can't find anywhere to download it and I've never set it up.

My Logix controller is a L73 and is using an EN2T card. Can I leverage the "Map PLC/SLC Messages" feature to pull this off?

Any advice or solutions would be much appreciated!!

Welcome to the Forum !

The ControlLogix doesn't support the old "A-B Client-Server Protocol" Ethernet protocol that the PLC-5, PLC-5/250, and SLC-5/05 did. To my knowledge, that's the protocol used by Wonderware's ABTCP driver.

The addressing isn't the issue, but rather the connection and session and encapsulation protocols. Therefore the Map PLC/SLC Messages feature won't bridge the gap.

ProSoft Technology now sells the FieldServer module for the A-B CSP protocol. That module might allow you to connect the unmodified Wonderware application to the ControlLogix.

The first thing I would check is to find out how fragmented the Wonderware tag database is. If it's nicely optimized into a handful of B and N and F data files, the FieldServer might do the job. If it jumps around and grabs a bunch of spread-out Timers and Counters and Strings, it will be a greater challenge and you might have to reconsider the unmodified HMI approach.

You may try the DASABCIP driver for your communications

JoelV, any idea where I could find and download DASABCIP (for free or trial)?

DASABCIP requires Archestra.lic....Intouch 7.1 uses WWsuite.lic.
You will need new/temp license to run/test DASABCIP.
You may be able to get a temporary license (30 day) from your local WW distributor.

What version of windows is 7.1 running on? There may be a compatibility issue.

I'm not a Wonderware user, so I'm curious: how old is InTouch 7.1 ?

It sounds like it was a very popular and widespread version of the software, but I'm curious about how big a technology and PC industry gap we're trying to span here. It sounds like 7.1 predated Windows XP.

You will probably need service pack 4.3

along with the DASABCIP server there is an

anomaly with the integers and floating points

when you convert from the PLC-5 to the CLX the

Wonderware tags will offset because of the conversion

of the Int. to the Dint but this patch fixes the problem.

not sure where you can get a free download.

It came out around 1998 and actually came out with NT but we are

still running some 7.1 on XP and are using a DASABCIP server

that came with 9.0 and it talks to 7.1 fine

I have done the same, Intouch 7.1 on XP using DASABCIP 4.1 SP3 just don't go above version 20 on the contrologix.

Here is one place to download Wonderware software. User is 'customer' password is 'support'
ftp://ftp.wonderwarewest.com/Wonderware/INSTALLS/

I have never gotten the Logix Mapping to even work with a SLC or PLC5 so I am sure it wont work with Wonderware drivers, but it's worth a try. The Prosoft module is nice, but the cost to convert their database would probable be about the same. I am sure if you posted it here, someone with a Wonderware license would convert it for you.