FactoryTalk View ME (Kepware)

Got asked to work on a system other day that is setup kind of weird and in a way I haven't seen before. Inside the panelview file is an icon labeled KEP, and there are special tags setup in HMI that seem to communicate directly to a VFD drive rather than going through a PLC. I don't know anything about this KEPware stuff or what software I need to make changes to it.

Can anyone kind of explain to me what this stuff is so I can at least get off to to a start?

I can give you a broad outline, but not much more - I've only used Kepware once, and it was a long time ago.

Kepware is an OPC driver which is designed to interface your PVP with PLC's and other equipment not made by Allen-Bradley. So, if you need to connect an Omron PLC to a PVP, you set up Kepware to translate Omron address abc to Kepware tag xyz. Then when you develop your PVP project, you pick the Kepware tags and Kepware sits in the background, translating and passing the data back and forth as requested.

I have never heard of using it to directly read a VSD, but as I say, my experience with Kepware is far from comprehensive, and I see no reason it wouldn't theoretically be possible!

You can download/install Kepserver for free; for use with FTView Studio ME. Look on the Rockwell Software downloads.
You will need to match up the Kepserver version with the correct FTView Studio version.

Inside your ME project folders will be the Kepware file. You'll need to open that file in Kepware to see what/how it is talking to the VFD.
My guess is that it is the UCON driver (user configurable).

Thanks for the info.

Is the kepware file uploaded back out of the panelview if I do not have the original project files? I uploaded, and restored application, but do not see any kepware related files in the project folder. So I'm assuming this is something you probably have to have the original files for?

Yes, the Kepware file should be inside the original project file (*.mer).

On the desktop you can run FTView ME Station (good for 2 hours without a license). Open the *.mer project file; do not run the project, there is no need.

Now you can go take a look at all the uncompressed files for the project. They will be in the users folder
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Temp\~MER.00\KepServer