CCW Software

BOWILLY · May 10, 2019

I'll post a question here that AB Support has yet to help me with... Is the CCW software backwards compatible. That is, if I develop a program using ver 9, will ver 12 read it? And what about the other way round? This is prompted by the fact that this software, coupled with Micro850 seems to be the platform of choice of companies supplying my employer with stand alone machines.
Thanks for your comments

Steve Bailey · May 10, 2019

You should expect that a version 9 program could be opened by version 12. Why would anyone ever migrate to the newer version if they had to rewrite all their existing programs? At the very least, you should be able to import the V9 into V12.
Don't expect that a version 12 program could be opened by version 9. Rockwell wants you to buy the upgrade, though the practice is by no means limited to Rockwell.

BOWILLY · May 10, 2019

Yes, I agree. I would expect this. I guess I should have phrased my question such that has anyone proven/disproven this concern. I now have 6 different machines on the floor all with CCW but some ver 8,some 9 some 10, some 11.

jraef · May 10, 2019

I know for a fact that the software itself is backward compatible, so if I use my V11 to connect to a program written in V9, it opens it. But there are issues with firmware compatibility, so starting from V4 of CCW, it asks you if you want to update the firmware on a controller to the latest rev so that it matches what the newer software is capable of and vice versa.

I seriously doubt it is compatible the other way around, because if I create a program in V11, it might have features associated with it that were not in existence with V9 and/or the hardware and firmware that was around at V9. I would never expect to be able to do that, so I have never tried.

Rockwell wants you to buy the upgrade,...

Um... the software is free... Just upgrade to the latest version.

BOWILLY · May 10, 2019

Thank you for your responses, my esteemed colleagues;
You have confirmed my "gut" feelings as to what I may expect....I should have posted here first before looking for the AB answer

Firejo · May 13, 2019

If you open a program in V.12 that was created in V.10 (for example), it will read the program however once you save it, it is now a program written with V.12 and cannot be loaded into a processor that does not have firmware v.12 in it (jraef eludes to this). You also cannot go backwards once you've made it a V.12 program (you can't open it with v.10). The issue that I've run into several times now is letting CCW update the firmware in the controller. DON'T DO IT!!! I've bricked three out of three controllers attempting to do this and I can't get back into them. What I've had to do is use Control Flash and make sure that RSLinx is not running (at all). This happened using two different PC's (both running Windows 10) so I can't say it's a problem with my computer but to be honest I don't know what the issue is. From my point of view play it safe and don't let CCW upgrade the PLC.

Acharadezu · Jun 13, 2019

I've run into the same problem you described in question 1. The MOV instruction doesn't have an ENABLE pin in CCW. Other FBD programs like SoMachine do have an EN pin on the MOVE. It's annoying, hopefully, they add it in the future.
I've had to write a function block in Structured Text using IF statements to do what you are describing. As far as the RTRIG/FTRIG goes they have always worked for me as expected. Usually, I latch a bit on the output.

PLC Pie Guy · Jun 13, 2019

Firejo said:
If you open a program in V.12 that was created in V.10 (for example), it will read the program however once you save it, it is now a program written with V.12 and cannot be loaded into a processor that does not have firmware v.12 in it (jraef eludes to this). You also cannot go backwards once you've made it a V.12 program (you can't open it with v.10). The issue that I've run into several times now is letting CCW update the firmware in the controller. DON'T DO IT!!! I've bricked three out of three controllers attempting to do this and I can't get back into them. What I've had to do is use Control Flash and make sure that RSLinx is not running (at all). This happened using two different PC's (both running Windows 10) so I can't say it's a problem with my computer but to be honest I don't know what the issue is. From my point of view play it safe and don't let CCW upgrade the PLC.

Iv seen you mention this a few times now. I for one have never had this issue. I use CCW daily, on many 850 and 820 units. I will always update to the newest firmware every time I get online with one that is behind. The PV800 as well. It takes minutes. I let CCW handle it how it wants and have not had an issue in the at least 25 or 30 controllers I have used. I also use 2 separate computers as I have developer on one and standard on the other, both running windows 10. I also only upgrade firmware while patched locally to the machine.

I wonder whats causing this on your computers.

If it makes any difference. I don't use VM or any kind of remote desktop. I only have the full gambit of AB software installed and one piece of Omron software. its curious!

bjh · Jun 13, 2019

I ran into one issue with upgrading to V12 - there are some new reserved keywords that you cannot use to name a FB or tag. For example, I had a program with a tag named "AFI" for always false that had existed since installing version 3 and this caused the build to fail in V12.

CCW Software

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PLC Pie Guy

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bjh

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