FTV_ME Frustrations w/communications

I am getting very frustrated with ftv-me, version 8! I was able to download a simple program to my 1250+ but I just cannot get it to communicate with my 5/04.

So, what I did is take a known PB32 simple program, successfully converted it to ftv-me. now when I try setting up me design time it says "select a different path-Ethernet .panelview plus 1250 cannot be used". What ever path I try it says it can not be used. It does not say why! and that is where I am getting frustrated.

Where do I look to find out why it does not work?
I have removed all device shortcuts, but when I try setting up a new one the apply button is faded out.

Right below my design (local) tab, it says RSLinx Enterprise, RK, and at the very bottom it says "select a different path-RK cannot be used. BUT IT DOES NOT SAY WHY!

Ok, enough venting.. just frustrated with this.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.

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Take a deep breath, we can handle this.

Good old PanelBuilder32 couldn't communicate directly from the design software to your PLC, so you had just one comms configuration for the PanelView hardware terminal to talk to the PLC.

The equivalent to that is on the Runtime(Target) tab in RSLinx Enterprise. That's where you will set up the 2711P-RN6 module and the DH+ network.

On the Development side, you should be able to leave it totally blank.

Right now on the Development side, the software thinks you're pointing it back at itself, rather than at a controller on a network.

So ignore the configuration on the Development side, and switch to the Runtime tab to set up you 2711P-RN6 and DH+ network.

Thank you, It accepted my runtime but the design is saying select a different path-Ethernet can not be used. Any ideas why?

Just delete the Ethernet driver and its "child" from the Design Tab; this is the path the FTVS software is using when the developer is testing the displays; obviously, there is no Ethernet communications in your system and you will not be able to test Displays when connected over DH+.

Well its not so obvious to me, as I am using Ethernet from my pc to the pv+.

No...Nothing about FTVS is obvious...
Just hang in there...
FTVS communications "Shortcuts" are always ending (pointing) with a controller; your controller is a SLC 5/04 without Ethernet comms capabilities; there should never be an HMI terminal included within any FTVS Shortcut.

Now I can not get the tag browser to open. It says a error happened. I suppose the error is there is nothing in the design set up. Don't I need the design to set up the panelview+?

The Tag Browser is simultaneously the best and worst thing about FactoryTalk View.

It works great with ControlLogix, but is limited when working with older PLC/SLC/MicroLogix controllers, especially with no network connection during development time.

FactoryTalk View Studio cannot browse the offline data tables of a *.RSS file, so you can't use the Offline Tags folder.

And it sounds like you don't have a connection from your development PC to the SLC-5/04 controller, so you can't use the Online Tags folder.

So there's really no role for the Tag Browser to read anything but the HMI Tags that were converted from PanelBuilder32 (if that's how you created your project).

You pretty much have to enter the SLC-5/04 data table addresses by hand if they didn't get brought over from the PanelBuilder32 project.

One thing you can do to keep the RSLinx Enterprise configuration happy is to manually create a fake SLC-5/05 in the Design tab and link your shortcut to that.

Also, when downloading your offline created and configured MER to the Panelview hardware, don't forget to CHECK box "REPLACE COMMUNICATIONS".