CompactLogix Firmware Issue -- USB Driver

[Maximuse]

I recently upgraded the firmware on a 1769-L30ERM to V31.011. I did this using the USB driver. All went well except on power up I can no longer see the PLC with the USB driver. I thought maybe my version of Linx wasn't up to date enough (I was running 4.0 Linx Classic Lite) so I updated it to the most recent (4.11). That still didn't help. So now I have a PLC that I can't do anything with. I can't connect via USB or Ethernet since I haven't set up the IP yet. As a last resort I tried to set the IP via BootP and that didn't work. Any ideas would be appreciated!

 

[KuulKuum]

Have you tried re-installing the USB CIP drivers?

RA Techconnect KB might help.
https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/532349

 

[Maximuse]

Does anyone know if it's possible to "reset" the PLC firmware back to what it comes with from the factory ~V1.3?

BTW, that techconnect link comes up as "error" for me.

 

[_Dock_]

There should be a reset button below the run,rem,prog switch. You hold down the button and power up the controller. I’m not sure if it wipes the firmware but I do know it will wipe a user program. I would try that and then see if you can see it. In some instances a device can take a long time to see in the explorer. Make sure you waiting a minute or so before abandoning it. Also, browse the ab-vbp driver, not the usb driver and see if it is there. Make sure that you have the EDS installed for the L30. Not sure if that would matter but can’t hurt.

 

[Maximuse]

Solved!

I noticed there was an "unrecognized device" in my virtual driver that was of the same PLC type I was trying to communicate with. I right clicked and selected "Upload EDS file". After clicking through the next few prompts that process completed and voila, my PLC now shows up in the USB driver tree.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Geospark]

Good to hear.

I just flashed a 1769-L33ER to r32.xxx last week over USB and the same thing happened to me. I had referenced the above technote and can confirm that the issue of "failing to browse to the same controller under the USB driver after a firmware flash" (my description not Rockwell's) is listed as the last symptom in a long list of possible USB/VBP driver issues.

For that symptom, we are instructed to begin attempting to resolve the issue at "Solution 8", which is exactly what you have carried out (upload EDS) to a successful conclusion, and as I did last week. I had to read the technote last week to find the correct solution, but you somehow guessed it, or did you?

As an attempt to explain why this happens (this is pure guesswork on my behalf), I would suspect it might have something to do with the newer revisions of firmware and how we now must select the controller family from the device list, rather than the specific revision of the specific controller model. This, I only found out last week too, as it was my first project in a while and first revision north of the cut-off point.

ControlFlash v14 or lower require us to have the firmware files installed for each revision of each controller model we may want to work with. At ControlFlash v15.00, this was/is still the same, except they also introduced the new format DMK firmware package files (I've explained DMK files here some time ago on the Forum, if you search I'm sure you'll find it). The highest revision firmware reached, for Logix 5000 controllers, in v15.00 was r30.011. So up to this revision we must still select the specific controller model (Example: 1769-L30ERM).

Since the release of ControlFlash v15.01, and newer revisions of firmware, they introduced a new family or bundle version of the DMK firmware package files. These new packages contain a generic reference to the family of the Logix 5000 controllers...

Examples:
CompactLogix 5370 (1769-L3)
CompactLogix 5380 (5069-L3)
ControlLogix 5570 (1756-L7)
ControlLogix 5580 (1756-L8)

Since ControlFlash v15.01, we now only select the family of the specific controller, and then the newer firmware revision (r30.xxx, r31.xxx, r32.xxx, and future). As the cut-off point for r30 firmware in ControlFlash v15.00 was r30.011, the next released revision with ControlFlash v15.01 was r30.014. So r30.011 and r30.014 firmware sit both sides of this transition.

To be double clear on the revision 30 firmware selection cut-off point...

In ControlFlash v15.00, we must select the specific controller model and then up to revision 30.011.

In ControlFlash v15.01, we must select the controller family and then revision 30.014, or higher.

All ok so far?...

But why am I getting into all this, even though it may or may not be useful to know?...

Because my theory is that the newer generic controller selection during a firmware flash does not install or use the specific EDS file for the intended revision of the controller at hand. If the workstation does not already have the controller EDS file registered for the revision in the SQL Subsystem and the first interaction with a boot code r1.xx controller is to flash the firmware, then it still does not have that revision of the controller EDS after the firmware flash. It still may only have a revision 1.xx EDS file registered. To then register the EDS file for the now flashed revision, we would have to obtain that revision online from Rockwell, or upload it from the controller device itself.

There may be holes in my thinking here, but that is just something I've been pondering on since I learned of this new generic family feature and the same issue that happened me last week.

If there is any truth (let alone sense) in what I'm surmising, then I would imagine that for workstations that do already have the required EDS file registered, this issue should not happen.

Having said that (now shooting holes in my own theory), I would imagine that, in my case, when installing Studio 5000 v32 just last week, and before the firmware flash to r32.xxx, it should have registered the firmware files for a firmware revision 32 1769-L33ER?

Hmm, some more digging to do tommorow, if time permits.

EDIT: Just to add this technote on the ControlFlash changes I've outlined...

1072431 - ControlFLASH v15: Cannot Find v30, v31, v32 Firmware for CompactLogix, ControlLogix Controllers
Access Level: Everyone

Regards,
George