RSL 5K Firmware

I'm trying to connect to a compact logix to upload the program. I have Studio 5000 v24, but when I try to upload it says the controller contains version 21.11 and that I must install support for this firmware. I would have thought that having a higher firmware version would cover all previous versions, but I guess not. Good old AB!

How do I get the correct support and will installing it have any effect on my current setup?

You'll need Studio v21 installed on your PC. It may be on your CD that v24 shipped (or previous CD) on or if you have a current upgrade or service contract with AB you can download it off their website.

jstolaruk said:

You'll need Studio v21 installed on your PC. It may be on your CD that v24 shipped (or previous CD) on or if you have a current upgrade or service contract with AB you can download it off their website.

Click to expand...

It is on my CD, but when I try to install it I get the message that there aren't any more licenses. It's only a single user license, but I would think it should let me install it on the same laptop as version 24 from the same CD.

If Studio5000 follows the quirks of RSLogix5000 (versions before 21..), then you will need to uninstall all newer versions before you can install V21 through to V24....

JohnCalderwood said:

If Studio5000 follows the quirks of RSLogix5000 (versions before 21..), then you will need to uninstall all newer versions before you can install V21 through to V24....

Click to expand...

So if I uninstall 24, then install 21, will it let me reinstall 24? I have to keep 24 because I have a processor that I programmed with it. It looks like I'm going to have to keep 21 and 24 on my laptop, unless I can upgrade the firmware in the one to 24.

T Gibbs said:

It is on my CD, but when I try to install it I get the message that there aren't any more licenses. It's only a single user license, but I would think it should let me install it on the same laptop as version 24 from the same CD.

Click to expand...

This behavior seems strange to me, I don't believe I've run into that. Are you installing into a VM?

Yes,

when you uninstall a version, the license stays on your laptop.

Put in the CD and when you run the setup, check the boxes that you want to install V21 thru V24 and all the firmware options that go with them.

OK. I uninstalled and reinstalled it and checked 21,23, and 24. When it asked for the Product key I entered it and it still said I don't have enough licenses, but after rebooting my laptop, it works, at least on 24, which I can access via ethernet. I'll have to go in and plug in a USB cable to the 21 processor to see if it will work.

If you open up FactoryTalk Activation Manager on your laptop, and look for your licenses, (click on "Find Available Activations") what do you get?

And does the message you get have an error code, as I have searched for your wording, but nothing definite comes up in Rockwell land...

I hooked up via usb and tried to upload. It no longer tells me the firmware isn't correct like it did the other day, but it fails to upload. I get errors saying "tag used as Plc-5 mapping file not found" and " failed to upload Plc file mapping information"

When you installed v21, it looks as though you ran into an issue with the minor software revision. Normally only the major version # of the software has to match the version # of the controller. This what happened to you previously. You had version 24 but the controller was version 21 which prevented you from communicating. Normally that is the only concern.

However, version 20 and version 21 had specific minor revisions (.03) that required exact matches of firmware and software. There has been a lot of discussion on the "why" behind that. We won't get into that here but it was largely for security purposes. Rockwell had all sorts of warnings on their web page to tell people about this restriction and let them know they may not want to use this revision. But it appears many ignored the warning and then complained when it wouldn't work.

It appears as though your controller is using that minor revision carrying this requirement. You can confirm this in RSLinx. If you browse to the controller and right-click on it and select Properties I suspect you will find that it is using 21.03.

This will require you to install version 21.03. That revision would probably not be on your CD as it was not intended for widespread use. You will need to go to the RA web site and download that specific revision.

Just as a note, you can install as many major versions as you wish on your PC. It only needs one license.

But, regardless of the license, you can only install one minor revision of a major version. So while you can have v21 and v24, you cannot have 21.00 and 21.03. Which will be frustrating if you have some controllers using 21.03 firmware and others using other revisions of 21.

OG

No, it's actually 21.011

I suspect though that whoever downloaded the file to the controller was using v21.03. That alone would make that project incompatible with your rev of software. I was mistaken on the controller revision. It does not have to be 21.03. The software used when going online or downloading is all that is needed to lock the controller to the 21.03 requirement.

You need software revision 21.03.

OG

Ah, OK. I'll see what I can do.

The PLC errors were right enough in what OG is saying.

Incompatible versions of V20 and V21...