HMI File Questions - Bunch of new equipment

Okay, so my boss made a joke bid at an auction and won a large amount of equipment and I get the pleasure of setting it up. Mechanically it is quite simple, but I had never worked with plcs before.

One machine is running RSLogix5000 and has an .rsv project file. This is running under RSView32 Runtime 1500. The program is easy enough to edit, but my boss wants to be able to change the graphics on the HMI. My question is, do I need RSView32 Works to change this program/project?

The real problem comes with the other machine which is running RSLogix500. The program seems like complete addressing and I cannot make heads or tails of it. This is running with a Panelview Plus 1000 unit. The laptop that came with the machine has Factorytalk Gateway and Activation and this lead me to think that they created the HMI with Factorytalk View Studio. Though I can't understand why they would run RSView32 Runtime on one machine and Factorytalk View on another.

My question is: How do I edit the HMI file on the Panelview Plus 1000? The machine is running an AB SLC 05/04. I can upload the plc program from the processor after configuring the drivers with RSLinx Classic and opening with RSLogix 500, but I don't know where the hmi file resides or how to access it.

Currently the laptop does not have Factorytalk View Studio or RSView32 Works.

I tried an ethernet connection, but I do not know the ip address of the panelview plus 1000. I have an rs232 connection, but after configuring the drivers for it, I assume I need some program to connect to it.

abel2 said:

Okay, so my boss made a joke bid at an auction and won a large amount of equipment and I get the pleasure of setting it up. Mechanically it is quite simple, but I had never worked with plcs before.

One machine is running RSLogix5000 and has an .rsv project file. This is running under RSView32 Runtime 1500. The program is easy enough to edit, but my boss wants to be able to change the graphics on the HMI. My question is, do I need RSView32 Works to change this program/project?

Click to expand...

The controller could be a Controllogix or Compactlogix PLC and it will be running a *.acd file. The rsv file is for the GUI, the software running on the PC which is connected as a user interface to the machine. RSView32, and yes, you need the Works license to be able to edit it.

abel2 said:

The real problem comes with the other machine which is running RSLogix500. The program seems like complete addressing and I cannot make heads or tails of it.

Click to expand...

Look for a file with .rss extension. This may contain valuable documentation that goes along with all that raw ladder logic with plain addresses you are seeing. These PLCs do not store comments, symbols or program names onboard, so you need a correlating file to get all the accompanying notes. The RSLogix5000 machine uses tag based addressing so it will make quite a bit of sense (depending on how the tags are designed) even without having the original program or a recent enough version to have all the address and rung comments.

abel2 said:

This is running with a Panelview Plus 1000 unit. The laptop that came with the machine has Factorytalk Gateway and Activation and this lead me to think that they created the HMI with Factorytalk View Studio. Though I can't understand why they would run RSView32 Runtime on one machine and Factorytalk View on another.

Click to expand...

Yep, the PV+ requires FactoryTalkViewStudio (i have another nickname for it). Yep, FactoryTalkViewStudio can almost do everything RSView32 can do if you buy a license to run it on a PC. The PV1000+ is not a real PC, it is a baby PC running a version of Windows CE, so it is just as user friendly as it is slow to boot and start talking.

A hardware HMI is usually going to be more reliable than PC based HMI, so that could be one reason. RSView32 is more powerful and more aimed and larger machines and processes that might benefit from its nice addons for reporting and SPC, sending alerts, even has a text to speech converter and could leave you a voicemail for some critical alarm along with the values involved. It is my understanding that it is replaced with FTStudio (and a huge pile for licen$es.), but I could be wrong.

abel2 said:

My question is: How do I edit the HMI file on the Panelview Plus 1000? The machine is running an AB SLC 05/04. I can upload the plc program from the processor after configuring the drivers with RSLinx Classic and opening with RSLogix 500, but I don't know where the hmi file resides or how to access it.

Currently the laptop does not have Factorytalk View Studio or RSView32 Works.

Click to expand...

For the SLC500, you use RSLogix500 and find (or create) a rss file to store all your notes about what bit and integer does what.

For the PV+ you need FactoryTalkView ME (Machine Edition).

"This is running under RSView32 Runtime 1500. The program is easy enough to edit, but my boss wants to be able to change the graphics on the HMI. My question is, do I need RSView32 Works to change this program/project? "
Yes you do.

For the panelview plus, If you powercycle it you can kick it out to config mode to determine the IP address.
If it is NOT a version 6 panel, you'll get a white square on the bottom left as it boots. Push the square(or hit F1) and it should get brighter. The panel will boot into config mode.

If it IS a version 6 panel, plug a usb keyboard into it and there's a keyboard command to break into config mode(you'll have to look it up in the knowledgebase though as I can't recall it offhand)

abel2 said:

I tried an ethernet connection, but I do not know the ip address of the panelview plus 1000. I have an rs232 connection, but after configuring the drivers for it, I assume I need some program to connect to it.

Click to expand...

You need to get into the config screen:

http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=43216

There is another method with a USB keyboard if the above does not help.

I think you press CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+WIN (the windows key) or just take out your frustrations by mashing all the keys in the corners...


Once in the configuration screen, you can navigate to the network card of the PV+ and see the IP config. I don't recall the menu structure to get there.

I had to retrieve the program off the SLC as it was not stored on the laptop. I am guessing that the SLC does not store the .rss file and so I won't know what the raw ladder logic is doing unless I trace the paths, trial error it.

Correct, you won't have the comments or descriptions.

abel2 said:

I had to retrieve the program off the SLC as it was not stored on the laptop. I am guessing that the SLC does not store the .rss file and so I won't know what the raw ladder logic is doing unless I trace the paths, trial error it.

Click to expand...

Done that so many times. If you are lucky enough to have electrical drawings, that is where to start. Comment the I/O first. And you can work with the HMI tags next, comment all the addresses used there. From there, you get to invent your own terms....usually you can find major control bits, start stop logic controlling things like AUTO or MANUAL, the big ones are easy to figure out. I had some excel files saved away with comments for things like analog card configurations (I like every bit and every value to have a comment for every channel, used or not...)..

Just keep saving that file and make a backup occasionally, if the machine starts up and runs, or if the PV programmer is worth his salt, you wont need in the PLC too much unless you plan on making significant changes.

Thanks for the help! That should get me going in the right direction.

One more thing, look in the main panel(s) inside the doors, sides, for a CD. I once found a dusty old CD taped to the inside of a machine we had struggled with for two hours. It had the programs drawings, spare parts list, operators manual...

Make sure your boss knows how much time you have to spend doing this type of reverse-engineering work. That should make him think twice the next time he wants to buy some old stuff cheap...