Panelview Plus USB

The Plc Kid

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Feb 2009
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Can a usb thumb drive be used to transfer applications to and from a panelview plus unit or do have to use the compact flash card?

The manul says usb keyboard and mouse and mass storage for data logging i guess but will the application manager read from the usb drive to import a application?
 
I have had success transferring applications via USB, but it's hit and miss. From what I have heard, sometimes the drives are mounted as "storage card 3" and in the menu you don't have the ability to select it.

I wrote a batch file that copies the application from a Compact Flash card into the PanelView immediately when the card is plugged in. That way I don't have to dig through the menu's.
 
Autorun.bat

Code:
REM    Create a directory on the flash drive
REM    to back up the original file
mkdir \"storage card2"\original

REM    Copy the original file to the flash drive
copy \"storage card"\"rockwell software"\rsviewme\runtime\*.mer \"storage card2"\original\

REM    first get to the proper directory
cd\storage card\rockwell software\rsviewme\runtime\

REM now delete the old version of the mer 
del /f /q "*.mer"

REM    copy the new version from the CF card (top level)
REM    the file we are going to copy can not have any spaces
REM    in its name
copy \"storage card2\"*.mer


Call \windows\rebootsystem.exe /y

rebootsystem.exe doesn't apply to PV+ 400/600 but it won't cause any problems having it there.

What this is going to do is create a folder on the flash card called "Original" and copy all applications from the terminal to the Original folder. It will then delete the applications off of the terminal and copy the new one from the flash card to the terminal.
 
Can a usb thumb drive be used to transfer applications to and from a panelview plus unit or do have to use the compact flash card?

The manul says usb keyboard and mouse and mass storage for data logging i guess but will the application manager read from the usb drive to import a application?

Transfer Utility via Ethernet is definitely the fastest and most reliable method, but using a Thumb drive works ok, as well.

Some things to watch out for when using a USB drive:

Don't use one that's cluttered up with a bunch of other files, I like to keep one just for PV+ apps. Also, don't use a drive larger than 4gb, as these are normally formatted in FAT32 instead of the PV+'s native FAT 16.

If it's a "virgin" thumb drive (never been used to xfer apps) you have to upload an application from the terminal to the drive before trying to download with it, because the upload process creates the correct file path on the drive that the terminal won't recognize your .mer file without.

Oh yeah, and you have to plug in the thumb drive BEFORE going to the config screen. For some reason, if you wait to plug it in when you get to config, the terminal just will not read the drive.

As dmroeder said, definitely hit or miss, but for those times when hooking up a cable between your laptop and the terminal is not a good option, it's not a bad way to go.
 
@dmroeder.
This code if for uploading or downloading? Where do I have to place the mer file.?

It does both in one operation. It uploads all existing ones on the terminal and saves them to the flash card. Then it wipes the terminal and downloads the mer that is on the root of the card to the terminal. So the new mer goes right on the root of the flash card
 
It does both in one operation. It uploads all existing ones on the terminal and saves them to the flash card. Then it wipes the terminal and downloads the mer that is on the root of the card to the terminal. So the new mer goes right on the root of the flash card

Suppose I just want to download to the PV from where do I start the code? Do I have to copy everything to bat file?.
 
Suppose I just want to download to the PV from where do I start the code? Do I have to copy everything to bat file?.

I think if you did something like this it would work (I have no hardware to test it on though). Please make sure you have a backup of both the new and old just in case (which is exactly why I had the part that uploads):

REM first get to the proper directory
cd\storage card\rockwell software\rsviewme\runtime\

REM copy the new version from the CF card (top level)
REM the file we are going to copy can not have any spaces
REM in its name
copy \"storage card2\"*.mer


Call \windows\rebootsystem.exe /y
 
Damn. I didnt know this was for the flash card. Tried this today my pvs dont have the card ended up deleting mer files on my pv. Luckily had the bakcup .Redownloaded it. Anyways is there a way to upload to internal memory of the panel view?
 
I know this is old, but I should update it (I just came across it):

Sorry bornwild, I didn't realize the repercussions of using USB, although I see it now.

The part where the files get backed up looks specifically for the CF card in Storage Card 2. USB may not get mounted as Storage Card 2, so if this is run on USB, the files on the PVP may not be backed up. They will just be deleted. In fact, I don't think the new one will be copied to the PVP either.

I talked with support some time back and they suggested that sometimes USB drives get mounted as Storage Card 3, which is why you cannot access them sometimes.
 
I know whenever you transfer a .MER file to a panelview on a USB stick, the .MER file needs to be inside a certain folder structure on the stick. I don't remember it offhand, but i know it will not show up if you put the file in the base directory.
 
I know whenever you transfer a .MER file to a panelview on a USB stick, the .MER file needs to be inside a certain folder structure on the stick. I don't remember it offhand, but i know it will not show up if you put the file in the base directory.

This is true of compact flash as well when using the PVP menu to copy the file. The typical problem with USB is the terminal not recognizing that there is another external storage device connected. This doesn't happen all the time, but occasionally.


The reason you can put it right on the root of the drive with the batch file, is because the batch file itself is doing the copying and looking for it on the root. You could modify that batch file to get the MER from anywhere you want.

The reason you have to put it in a specific directory when transferring it using the PVP menu is because the PVP is doing the copying and looking for it in a specific location
 
W/ the newer 5x firmware releases the terminals seem to autocreate the folder structure even on blank drives. W/ or W/out an upload.

I have noticed an issue with some USB keys that have multiple partitions(the U3 ones in particular), Simple fix there is to wipe the key and repartition to a single drive.
 
@dmroeder

I like the autorun.

I was wondering if there was a way to setup the HMI completely from a USB autorun.
Set the IP Address
Copy the Runtime
Set the Runtime as the startup runtime?

Just thought it might help the other sparkies when they need to change a HMI
 

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