LINX driver software is unavailable or improperly installed

clkou · Jul 31, 2020

First off, I am very new and green to working with PLC's. I have a MicroLogix 1400. I set it up to have a static IP address of 192.168.1.11. I have a USB Ethernet stick and I set it up to have an IP address of 192.168.1.1. When I go into RSLinx Classic, I was able to set-up connection to that PLC and I can see it in the RSWho list.

Unfortunately, when I open RSLogix 500 and try to "Go Online" with that same PLC so I can program it, it shows up in the list BUT when I click on it, the program just waits for about 10 minutes and then it eventually brings up a dialog box that says: "LINX driver software is unavailable or improperly installed".

Any ideas why I am getting that error or how to fix it?

Dravik · Jul 31, 2020

What version and edition of Rs500 and Rslinx?
Are you direct to the PC or through RDP/VM/something else.

clkou · Jul 31, 2020

RsLogix 500 version 9.05.01 (CPR 9)
RSLinx 3.71.00 CPR 9 SR 7.1
I am running the software directly from my PC and have the USB Ethernet plugged in directly to my PC and the ethernet cable goes straight to the PLC.

Dravik · Jul 31, 2020

Right, RS500 then - Starter? Micro? Full?

geniusintraining · Jul 31, 2020

DONT click on "go on line" first click COMMs then... System Comms then... click on your driver... then and only then click 'go on line'

After you go on line once the driver will be set then you can just 'go on line'

widelto · Jul 31, 2020

Can you ping your plc from your pc.

clkou · Jul 31, 2020

geniusintraining said:
DONT click on "go on line" first click COMMs then... System Comms then... click on your driver... then and only then click 'go on line'

After you go on line once the driver will be set then you can just 'go on line'

Ok, so I clicked "Comms", then "System Comms", and it brings up a box with my Workstation and RSWho connections. One of them is MY PLC. I expanded the tree, selected the PLC and pressed "OK" (the other buttons were Cancel, Help, Online, and Upload (there is a Download button too BUT it's greyed out so I can't press it)), and I got the same error as before after about 10 minutes. Then I tried it again and clicked "Online" and got the same error again after about 10 minutes.

Dravik said:
Right, RS500 then - Starter? Micro? Full?

RSLogix500 version 9.05.01 (CPR 9). The product prefix is 1014. The PLC is a MicroLogix 1400.

widelto said:
Can you ping your plc from your pc.

Yes, when I ping the IP address from the command prompt, I get back 32 bytes of data in each of the 4 tries in 2ms, 3ms, 4ms, and 4ms respectively. No packets lost.

geniusintraining · Jul 31, 2020

Have you tried to upload?

drbitboy · Jul 31, 2020

clkou said:
,,,there is a Download button too BUT it's greyed out so I can't press it ...

Is the 1400 in [Remote Run] or [Run] mode? You should be able to tell via the LCD and/or using the buttons on the 1400. I think you can initiate a download when it is in [Remote Run] mode, but not when it is in [Run] mode. I assume that [Run] mode is meant to protect the PLC when in operation; on some PLCs it is an actual turn-the-key switch; so physical access to the PLC is necessary to stop or change the program (not sure; I only have experience with ML1100).

clkou · Jul 31, 2020

geniusintraining said:
Have you tried to upload?

I hadn't but I just did and it gives me the same long pause and error.

drbitboy said:
Is the 1400 in [Remote Run] or [Run] mode? You should be able to tell via the LCD and/or using the buttons on the 1400. I think you can initiate a download when it is in [Remote Run] mode, but not when it is in [Run] mode. I assume that [Run] mode is meant to protect the PLC when in operation; on some PLCs it is an actual turn-the-key switch; so physical access to the PLC is necessary to stop or change the program (not sure; I only have experience with ML1100).

It looks like it's been in "Remote" mode. I have choices to be able to change it to "Run" or "Program" but I haven't tried those yet.

geniusintraining · Jul 31, 2020

clkou said:
I hadn't but I just did and it gives me the same long pause and error.

It looks like it's been in "Remote" mode. I have choices to be able to change it to "Run" or "Program" but I haven't tried those yet.

Remote should be fine

I wonder if your 'USB Ethernet stick' is the issue... using RSLinx there is a error tab or screen, see if any errors are listed

I would also try and drop the stick and go straight if you can

clkou · Jul 31, 2020

geniusintraining said:
Remote should be fine

I wonder if your 'USB Ethernet stick' is the issue... using RSLinx there is a error tab or screen, see if any errors are listed

I would also try and drop the stick and go straight if you can

I have another "USB Ethernet" device. The one I had been using is made by "J5 Create" but I just switched to try a different one made by Linksys. I had been using it successfully with a different application (Keysight 34972A Data Acquisition / Switch Unit).

I get the same error with the Linksys stick as I do the other one. I haven't gone straight to the PC because I need my network cable for regular network and Internet but I could give that a shot since I have nothing else to try or lose.

I didn't see any spot for errors in RSLinx. There were some diagnostic screens but they were all empty.

geniusintraining · Jul 31, 2020

I would try the straight to the PC or network, once you get RSLinx running click Communications then Driver Diagnostic, then select your driver (Ethernet IP) then see whats under the General Tab

Picklemon · Jul 31, 2020

I haven't seen that specific error message before, but I have had issues when my hardwired Ethernet IP address range matched my WIFI IP address range.
It caused a lot of weird RSLinx faults because 192.168.1.1 was my company's internal network router and RSLinx and my laptop couldn't decide which 192.168.1.1 to talk to.

I ended up disabling all of my network adapters except the one connected to my PLC to prove it.

Forcing my Ethernet/IP RSLinx driver to only use one network adapter helped some, but there were still some random issues.
Unfortunately, Its been too long for me to remember all of the details.

After that, I stopped using 192.168.1.x for my machines because of this problem.

LINX driver software is unavailable or improperly installed

clkou

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