Troubleshooting on-site... .pvb file, versus .mer file (Panelview Plus 700)

AutomationTechBrian

Lifetime Supporting Member
Join Date
Jul 2013
Location
St. Cloud, MN
Posts
669
I'm on-site trying to figure out what my customer has.

The program in the Panelview Plus 700 is gone, and their machine is down. They were given a SDHC card that was supposed to have the file backed up. The file needed to run the panelview is a .mer file. All I see is a .pvb file. I've been searching for the answer to the difference, but it is not clear, and no one has asked the specific questions about .mer vs .pvb files.

The terminal is a Panelview 700

I have another version of the file with an .apa extension.

I do have Factory Talk View Machine Edition on a virtual machine on my laptop. .....Not much luck with those file extension.

Can anyone help me figure out how to help this customer?
 
.pvb is for the older black bezel PanelView product line and was created with PanelBuilder 32. (not for the PanelView Plus product line)

The .APA is an archive for a PanelView Plus application, it was created with FactoryTalk View Studio ME. The MER is a compiled runtime file for the PanelView Plus. This is the file that gets loaded onto the PanelView.

To restore the APA, you use the Application Manager, which comes with FactoryTalk View Studio ME. After you restore it, you can open the application and make a new runtime. It is important to know the Firmware revision of the PanelView Plus because you will need to make the new runtime that is compiled for that firmware revision.

edit: more specific on the Application Manager, use the "Restore Application" option (as opposed to Restore Legacy Project and Restore Runtime Application).
 
Last edited:
Also, I've never seen an application "vanish" from the storage on the PanelView Plus. Maybe they have to go through the menu and load it before they can try to run it?
 
Well... I've figured out the .apa since my post, and now I'm getting ready to download version 7 of FTVS. Don't know if it plays well with my version 9 on the same virtual machine.
 
You cannot load two version of FactoryTalk View Studio on the same computer. Do not try.

Use the Application Manager to restore the Application Archive (APA) file onto your FactoryTalk View Studio computer, and you will be able to use FTView Studio to create a new Runtime file for any v9 or earlier firmware PanelView Plus terminal.
 
"Maverick, do you still have that brochure from the truck driving school ? 'Cause I might need that."

I'm kidding. Do a full reboot and your should get past that "Unable to save tag database" error.
 
Last edited:
Upgrade to Studio ME version 10. At least that's what saved me last week when version 8 decided to **** out.

Also, I found like studio does not like working with file on network drive. Copy archive you work with to the local drive first.
 
Hope you guys are still around...

I succeeded in creating a .mer file, put it on a SDHC card that was in the "envelope" with all of the materials for the machine. Put it in the Panelview.... and it doesn't show up.

So, I tried putting it on a USB flash drive.... it doesn't see that either.

Is there a detail I'm missing? We're trying to find it under File Management > Copy Files > External 1 or 2..... No files showed up.
 
The MER has to go into a very specific directory path.

Put the card in, use the PanelView's menu system to browse to the SD card (external storage), it will create the directory structure.

Put it back into your computer and place it in the furthest directory it created (like 3 directories deep if I remember).

Place it back into the PanelView and it will hopefully show up.

edit: The path on the SD card is like this: [Drive Letter]:\Rockwell Software\RsViewME\Runtime
 
Last edited:
On your Windows computer, put the *.MER files into


[Drive]:\Rockwell Software\RSViewME\Runtime\*.MER



That's the only directory that you can access with the File Load/Copy/Delete menu on the PV+.


Formatting the card with the PV+ does not create that directory; you have to read or write something to the directory.

But you can make the directory by hand. Remember that there is a space in "Rockwell Software" but not space in "RSViewME".
 

Similar Topics

What the heck is this "P", and how is it used for this counter? ....You can't search a "P" in the manual. Thanks!
Replies
5
Views
1,748
Hey when I turn on my Siemens PLC CPU 216-2 after runing 10 minute it's stop and showing SF indication after I turn off and some time later turn...
Replies
0
Views
92
Good Morning , Not sure how many use Markem-Imaje SmartDate X60 Printers , but I'm having trouble finding a good manual for...
Replies
3
Views
348
I'll preface this by saying this is the first time I've worked on a Siemens system and I'm fairly unfamiliar with them. I might mess up some of...
Replies
29
Views
653
Hello all, First time poster, long time viewer of these forums. Could not find my solution on here. We have had issues with a Comm Fail on an...
Replies
2
Views
339
Back
Top Bottom