1756-CNB Firmware Issues

[Black Jack]

A couple of years back I used the series D ControlNet Bridge on a project and received a notice from Rockwell stating that the firmware shipped with the module needed to be upgraded or it would stop operating after 497 days (ver 5.44). I thought it was a strange problem but...oh well, I can flash it up.

Now I couple of years later I find myself using series E bridges and I see the same type of warning: If you use firmware 10.04 you must flash up to 10.06 to avoid fault after 70.96 days of continuous usage. Later another notice that all firmware 11.01 and earlier must be upgraded to 11.02 to overcome the same issue.

What is going on here? Anybody know if Rockwell has solved this problem? I mean really, 71 days of continuous usage and it stops working...and they keep trying to solve the problem but can't get a handle on it. This is going to be a disaster if it craps out after 71 days.

I was hoping for some insight into this mess from some experienced Rockwell users. Thanks.

 

[curlyandshemp]

Sometimes I wonder if Rockwell submit some of their software projects for community colleges to do as an assignment. Kind of like those hairdresser colleges where you can go and get a cheap haircut and the students get some real experience.

We just went through the same 'time limit' grief with V15.3/4 of Contrologix.

Ian

 

[rdrast]

/shrug. Just be glad that they actually inform you of discovered problems, and provide solutions to them.

The same cannot be said for the majority of hardware/software vendors.

 

[n_lev]

We just went through the same 'time limit' grief with V15.3/4 of Contrologix.

Hi, Ian!
Do you have a link to any info about this?

 

[rdrast]

What problems with V15.3/4 of ControlLogix? We run a ton of Logix class processors, a very few still on Firmware release 11, but most upgraded to the current version, and have had no problems with them.

/sigh

I hate to be in the position I currently find myself... Lately it seems, that I spend a great deal of time defending Intel and Microsoft, even though I wish there were true alternatives.

Intel absolutely dominates the processor world. AMD once had the claim of being cheaper, then the claim of running cooler, and with less power. But Intel still predominates; and with the release of the Core 2 Duo's, they win this round hands down.

Microsoft Operating Systems indeed can be on the surface buggy, but to be honest, even though I have tried (very VERY hard) to find serious faults, I have yet to come by one (caveat: I refer here to the true 32 bit+ OS's, NT 3.51, NT 4.0, Win 2K, Win XP, Win 2003, and on my testbeds, Vista).

The very best thing, from all three above mentioned companies, is their willingness to publish problems, and to fix them.

As mentioned above, Rockwell does give firmware updates to their Logix series I/O cards. How many other companies A) Have flash-updatable firmware on I/O cards, and B) Publish the updates?

Intel had the fiasco of the floating point bug in the original Pentiums. Intel published software drivers that would replace the hardware FP logic, and software publishers also jumped on the bandwagon to integrate software fixes. Then they had the Prescott release, that, while a fantastic chip, need's almost a cryogenic cooling system.

Microsoft has a huge list of patches, all easily available, for every problem found in their OS's. But even my systems that remain unpatched perform flawlessly.

That doesn't mean that I've not had problems with the above products.

I had one Logix system that was acting (randomly) stupid. Ended up being a damaged rack. I had another that seemed abnormally slow. That was simply because of a MUCH too high communications demand on it (which was rectified simply by upgrading the CPU).

I've had Windows systems crash, invariably because of software that was not properly written to the Windows API specs (one or two pieces of it authored by your's truly... When I went back, and fixed the programs to not take 'shortcuts', everthing was happy again).

 

[curlyandshemp]

Hi, Ian!
Do you have a link to any info about this?

V15.3 and V15.4 had this issue corrected with V15.5

 

[n_lev]

V15.3 and V15.4 had this issue corrected with V15.5

Thanks, mate!

 

[Black Jack]

I recieved the same notice on the PLCs and I assume they have the issue under control.

My concern is primarily with the ControlNet Bridge 1756-CNB(R). They have a known issue they have been trying to fix for several firmware upgrades but it seems like they cannot get it fixed. If they say upgrade to F/W 10.06 to solve problems with ver 10.04 then later state upgrade to F/W 11.02 to overcome the SAME problems with ALL previous versions, how am I supposed to know the problem has really been solved in Ver 11.02? Are they throwing darts here? This has the potential to be a disaster if it craps out after 70.96 days!

I just don't have a warm and fuzzy feeling about this one.