rslogix 500 versions

At work I had a laptop with Rs Logix 500 version 7.10.00 on it. I was able to pull programs, and modify them on all our equipment that had micrologix or SLC500 in them. My laptop died and I'm working with rockwell to see if I can move the license or not, but if i get a new laptop with windows 10 as the os it looks like I can only download version 11 or 12 as they are the only ones compatible. Will I run into an issue with working on these old programs?

Newer version of software (laptop) can read older version of firmware (PLC) but not vice versa. You might have to look into virtual machines on the laptop, depending on hardware compatibility. We've been successful with windows 10 on a laptop running logix 500 and 5000 with multiple versions of 5000.

Robb B said:

Newer version of software (laptop) can read older version of firmware (PLC) but not vice versa. You might have to look into virtual machines on the laptop, depending on hardware compatibility. We've been successful with windows 10 on a laptop running logix 500 and 5000 with multiple versions of 5000.

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Thanks Rob. So I should be able to download the previous versions of 500 yet on windows 10 and be fine, but I wouldn't be able to download the newer versions onto say windows xp?

I don't know what windows xp supports these days, that's a really old OS. You should be able to run any versions of logix 500 and studio/logix 5000 on windows 10. In general, you should keep the software (rockwell's) as up to date as possible. I have run into specific firmware version issues which required having multiple versions of logix installed in order to open the controller. I need to update those controllers firmwares....

I think he means a V12 can read V10(forc conversion purposes), V10 cannot read V12. Windows has less to do with it. TIll later logix 5Ks. XP was long abandoned so its support gets shakey in later revs.

I have win10 with a RS500 as far back as V12 being fine. Haven't tried older.

I don't think you'll run into an issue, since RS500 isn't like RS5000 or studio5000. One version of RS500 can be used on all SLC & Micrologix, irregardless of firmware on the PLC, barring ancient versions of RS500 not being able to read micros because of the age of the software.

Nova5 said:

I think he means a V12 can read V10(forc conversion purposes), V10 cannot read V12. Windows has less to do with it. TIll later logix 5Ks. XP was long abandoned so its support gets shakey in later revs.

I have win10 with a RS500 as far back as V12 being fine. Haven't tried older.

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I haven't had a problem like this since around 2001.


I have v12 on my main desktop and v9.00 on other desktops and all laptops - because they use EVRSI and v12 uses FTAM & I only have one FTAM license for RSL500 on a dongle, but have a few licenses EVMoved off old systems I updated.


I can write a program in v12 and open it in v9 with no trouble or incompatibility.


EDIT: All desktops & 1 laptop are Win10, 2 laptops are Win7 and 2 are WinXP with no issue between al of them.

Use virtual computer

Use virtual computer, then you can use the OS you need.
I use WMware and have virtual with XP and DOS and it works without problems.
I have the different versions of PLC software on different virtuel machines, so I can program old PLC systems.

Attached image shows example of my virtual machines with different OS or PLC software

Robb B said:

Newer version of software (laptop) can read older version of firmware (PLC) but not vice versa.

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With the SLCs, there wasn't the firmware madness that the ControlLogix has. A version 7 or a version 12 could both edit the same processor.

What couldn't happen is, if you opened a program that was created using v.7 and then saved it using v.12, the v.7 program would not be able to read it.

BUT.... if the v.12 saved it as in ASCII format (.SLC instead of .RSS), the v.7 program will be able to read that file and use it to upload from the PLC, and then save it all as a v.7 version of the .RSS.

As an integrator, I usually have the latest and greatest, but the client may not. So if I make any changes using my laptop and give them a copy, I also include the .SLC file in case they run into issues with their version.