Logix5000 Version Confusion

Elkelthen

Member
Join Date
Aug 2018
Location
Virginia
Posts
22
Hey all!

I'm currently working on a project using Factorytalk View Studio to program an HMI. Part of this process is setting up the alarms page and banners. I just set that up today and I was given an error on the alarms page saying that the firmware revision in the linked PLC is not high enough. The Error says the revision must be 16.20 or higher excluding 21-23 (...so 16.23 or higher I guess?)

The problem is that our PLC is version 16.3! Shouldn't this be enough? One theory we have is that somebody decided to say that 16.20 is "sixteen point twenty" rather than "sixteen point two oh" and therefore is higher than 16.3?

I've been looking around trying to find a version list to confirm or bust this theory, but I'm still relatively new to this and documentation always seems to be for the sort of thing that has no relevance to the situation I face! Just haven't gotten the patterns for where to look down yet, I suppose.

Anyway, help is appreciated in my continuing search! Thanks!
 
I have a feeling that they want your Major (16) revision to be higher than 16 regardless of your minor revision (.30). Do you have a Tech-Connect account, I’m sure there’s something in there?
 
No tech connect account, so I don't have that going for me. Can the "normal" tech support folks help with revision stuff? I know its a bit limited, but how far can they go? Is it worth a shot?

I guess its possible the major revision is the issue, but the error specifically says that it just needs to be higher than 16.20? The other problem is that we've already updated the firmware to get it this high earlier in this project so that we could use ALMA and ALMD commands in the first place. it used to be a lower revision, I think even a lower major revision, though I can't remember exactly. Reason I bring that up is that as I recall we just jumped as far up the ladder as we could and now cant go any higher.
 
Not sure if this upload will work but this is an issue where someone was using a compatible version but still got the same error.
 
Not sure if this upload will work but this is an issue where someone was using a compatible version but still got the same error.

So looks like the picture didn’t work...

Maybe this will.
35B7F65F-31DB-4192-9E31-18C995BD4E83.png
 
Well, ****. If that's the case then this is going to get interesting. we're going to confirm it with a local rep on Monday, but I think we may be boned. I've seen something about programming each alarm separately being an option? Do you know if that's the case? If it is, it may be worth it to do that instead of having to order a whole new PLC.
 
We've got a 1756-L55 ControlLogix 5555 Controller. It used to be on version 15.2, but we've updated the firmware to 16.3

I've been looking at downloadable firmware on AB's website and it looks like the only option is to download firmware version 16.023. Seriously, what is this version numbering system??
 
Ah, yes, RA version numbering. I think the indubitable Ken Roach said it best in this post a few years ago:

Ken Roach said:
Have you ever watched a cat get really, really good and high off catnip ? That's how software product managers get with sub-revision numbers. The only thing worse is sub-sub revision numbers.

Studio 5000 v21.011 = v21.11

The leading zero was added for reasons that are beyond our comprehension, and are frequently omitted for reasons that are mysteries.


So, if I turn my brain inside out for a moment and ignore everything I know about how numbers work, I *think* that we can safely say that v16.023 is equal to v16.23 which is greater than both v16.3 and v16.20 and will thus solve your problem. Maybe. Don't quote me on that.
 
Last edited:
The Rockwell RUNS...

Hi,

I can see that there is still plenty of "fun" to be had around these parts?

For the ControlLogix, including the 1756-L55, the device-based alarms feature was added at firmware revision 16.xxx (have I enough x's there?) and RSLogix 5000 v16.xx. To provide access to these device-based alarms the ALMD (digital alarm) and ALMA (analog alarm) instructions were added to the controller's instruction set. So any ControlLogix processor, at firmware revision 16.xxx or above (I won't mention certain exceptions), should be able to provide ALMD and ALMA data for propagation.

Your controller was at firmware revision 15.2 - that is 15.002 using the Rockwell Unidentifiable Numbering System (i.e. the RUNS)
You then flashed it to firmware revision 16.3 - that is 16.003 in RUNS
Revision 15.xxx does not support the device-based ALMD and ALMA features
16.002 was the first minor revision release for major revision 16.xxx and was also the revision that first introduced support for the device-based ALMD and ALMA features

So, technically, with the controller flashed to revision 16.003, the ALMD and ALMA features should be supported. All revision 16.xxx controllers should support these features. The error message references you are seeing to use firmware revision "16.20" (16.020 in RUNS) or above is, in my opinion, a typographical error. This, again in my opinion, should read "16.2", or "16.002".

It is an easy mistake to make when compiling the error messages as there is in fact in existence both revision 16.2 (16.002) and 16.20 (16.020).

There is/were the following firmware revisions available for the ControlLogix controllers at 16.xxx:

16.002 - (16.2) introduced ALMD and ALMA features
16.003 - (16.3)
16.004 - (16.4)
16.006 - (16.5)
16.007 - (16.7)
16.009 - (16.9)
16.020 - (16.20) Corrected ALMD and ALMA anomaly
16.021 - (16.21) Corrected ALMD and ALMA anomaly
16.022 - (16.22) Corrected ALMD and ALMA anomaly
16.023 - (16.23) Product Resiliency (last release)

Other technote articles I've read, which refer to more recent versions of software, do correctly refer to using firmware revision "16.2" or higher for ALMD and ALMA support, and not "16.20", but there is a confusing mix between the two. If they did mean to type "16.20", then I can only imagine that it was perhaps the latest available at the time and so to avoid the aforementioned anomalies, they advise you to use the latest.

Firmware revision 16.003 should work though. It just wouldn't have those known anomalies corrected. So best advice would be of course to use the available for download latest revision 16.023 (16.23) firmware.

What version of FactoryTalk View Studio are you running and hence what version of RSLinx Enterprise? You could be using a much newer version of RSLinx Enterprise that may require a somewhat newer controller firmware revision than 16.xxx?

That avenue would require further investigation, should you point us down it.

Regards,
George
 

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