Locating EDS Files

I'm trying to change icons for EDS files that are already registered in RsNetworx for DeviceNet.

I see that I can Re-Register an EDS file and change the Icon at that time. The problem is that I have about 5000 EDS files all with cryptic file names (like 004D000B00010100.eds) and I can't figure out how to relate the file name to the already registered device.

I Looked at the EDS file (right click on Device, Properties, EDS File, View File) and there does not appear to be any clue as to what the original EDS file name was

Many of my items (even AB items) can not be found if I try to Re-Register & Download either...

Any Suggestions?

Rockwell software products that use EDS files store them all with unique file names in the Program Files\Rockwell Software\RSCOMMON\EDS directory. Each file is also registered with the Windows OS.

The filenames might appear cryptic, but that's the only way to make them both uniform and unique.

RSI's EDS naming convention uses the unique Identity object of the DeviceNet device, as follows:

XXXX YYYY ZZZZ AA BB. EDS

XXXX = Vendor
YYYY = Device Type
ZZZZ = Product Number
AA = Major Revision
BB = Minor Revision

Most of the time the minor revision value in the filename is zero, even if the minor rev value isn't. I'm not sure why that's the case.

The device you're trying to re-iconify is

004D 000B 0001 0100.eds

Vendor 4D hex = 77 decimal = Rockwell Software
Device Type 0B hex = 11 decimal = Software Product
Product Code 01 = Virtual Backplane Object
Version 1.0


I'm not sure why you'd want to re-iconify a lot of standard Rockwell devices, but maybe that's just an example you pulled out.

A major point of information: NEVER directly alter the contents of the RSCommon\EDS directory. If you try to register a file that's already there the circular reference confuses and corrupts the EDS registry. Similarly, don't directly move files into the directory because they won't be registered with Windows.

Thanks for the info, Ken.

I want to change the icons because we keep a huge library of EDS files in a central location that we copy onto laptops as they come and go.

When we register the entire directory of files, some of the icons are not correct (and I don't want to go through all 5000 at this point to see if they are).

The ones I want to change are the items that show up as the "Grey 3-D Mystery Box". Not very friendly to view a screen full of many different devices with all the same Icon. Not that this is a problem that causes any grief - it's just a minor annoyance. I was hoping there would be a right-click / Change Icon kind of thing that I could do quickly as I happen to be looking at particular d-net trunks.

Does not sound like that is the case...

FWIW, in more recent versions, this directory has moved to C:\Users\Public\Documents\Rockwell\EDS

I have just downloaded and installed CCW software which upgraded my RSLinx to version 4.11.
This has caused me a problem and I was wondering if somebody has the answer or workaround.


The two picture attachments show my dilemma, RSLinx see's everything fine, but when I use RSlogix to discover the comms path, it comes up with unrecognised device, all EDS file etc are in place and the ETH driver is configured, this system has been running fine on RSLinx Ver 3.71.


Iv'e tried deleting the harmony files, no difference, Any Ideas?

Edit - just to add the routing is through Stratix 5700



Thanks
Steve

Quick confirmation related to original post...

Ken, one quick confirmation, if you could: Not sure if when SpazDog says "icons" he means EDS. My understanding of the EDS specification is that the icon graphic data is embedded and encoded in ASCII in the EDS file itsef. This is very different to the PROFINET IO GSDML which uses references within the GSDML code to a file name with the graphic data. That is why in Profinet there is usually at least a graphic file which goes with the GSDML. In EtherNet/IP (and ControlNet and DeviceNet) there is only one EDS file per device. So updating the icons is in other words updating the EDS registry. Is this not the case?

Please correct me if I am wrong here. Thanks.

I apologise for the bleeding all over this thread, I didn't look before I posted - Iv'e started a new thread.


Steve