Product Notice 2021-02-003 - MNRSF GuardLogix 5580 FRN 31/32

Many of us, I'm sure, may have received this Product Notice from Rockwell. I'm just posting it up for others not in the loop as these safety applications tend to be more critical. There is currently an anomaly for GuardLogix controllers 1756-L81ES, 1756-L82ES, 1756-L83ES, and 1756-L84ES used as SIL3/PLe with a GuardLogix 1756-L8SP safety partner and running firmware 31 - 32 (31.011, 31.012, 32.011, 32.012 and 32.013) where an interruption in online editing, where the status of the edit is left different between both partners, may cause a Major Non-Recoverable Safety Fault (MNRSF).

It is important to note that the fault may not occur until the next time an online edit is attempted or if the controllers are power cycled. This is important because you may leave a customer site only to be called at a later point to be told about the fault after they have power cycled. So this is a forewarning, just in case.

Rockwell are working to release updated minor firmware for both 31 and 32 revisions currently affected. Note: updating to firmware revision 33 does not resolve this issue.

I don't know if there are any or how many of these configurations out there, but if there happens to be even one, and this is of use...

ID: PN1549 | Access Levels: Everyone
Product Notice 2021-02-003 - GuardLogix 5580 Controller with V31 through V32 Firmware May Experience a Major Non-Recoverable Safety Fault when Online Editing is Interrupted

Regards,
George

Thanks George. I wonder exactly what it is that constitutes an "interruption" to your online edits? Dropping offline while performing edits? Having someone else assemble edits in the same routine you're editing and overwriting your online edits? Having someone come up and ask you why their widget maker machine has a red flashing light while you're making online edits?

Hi A,

ASF said:

...Dropping offline while performing edits?...

Click to expand...

I'd imagine they mean just that? Inadvertently losing the online editing session mid flow. How that might happen we can only guess? Plugged out comms or an Ethernet switch goes down, or a fork truck drives over your comms cable, snags it, and drags you and your laptop down the plant floor!

They say that if online editing is interrupted before completed then an online edit transaction may be mishandled between the safety controller (1756-L8xES) and safety partner (1756-L8SP), which apparently leaves the partner mismatched. As this is only next checked as matching when performing the next online edit, or after you power cycle the controllers, you may not know about it immediately. If you were to immediately retry the uncompleted edit or start another edit soon after, you'd surely see it there and then.

They state it's a firmware glitch and not hardware related. So this means they can patch it, but it also means there is no return or replace policy for the hardware.

Regards,
George