ControlFlash Plus

[TheWaterboy]

I just noticed that there is ControlFlashPlus on my workstation - I had always used the normal Controlflash ( I only updated older gear til now) and never even looked at this before

When I bring up versions for an L61 there is 20.019 which I expected, but there a 20.058_kit1 and several like that in between.

It says its for redundancy versions but the technote lists normal L61's as well.

Whats with the kit1 designation and do you know if I can /should flash with only 20.019 or use the later one?

 

[Geospark]

Let's make this Redundantly clear...

Hi,

I had read your post the other day but said I'd come back to it when I had more time...

"ControlFLASH Plus is a more feature-packed version of ControlFLASH, enabling you to flash one or multiple devices at once, manage firmware revisions and locations, and manage devices' revisions favorites."

"Important: ControlFLASH Plus only supports the firmware update for devices supporting the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP). To perform updates of non-CIP devices, use the ControlFLASH tool."

ControlFLASH Plus uses the newer FactoryTalk Linx communications and browsing services and is intended to be used more with newer CIP Ethernet based devices or USB endowed hardware. As stated, if you need to flash legacy devices then use the original ControlFLASH tool. They can both be installed on the same system.

ControlFLASH Plus (latest) supports enhanced concurrent flashing of up to 20 devices regardless of their topology (with certain exceptions).

ControlFLASH Plus will build an inventory based on the firmware files found in user-selected local search folders. Also, if connected to the Internet, it can log in to the "Product Compatibility and Download Center" (PCDC) and download firmware files and bundles. It will also show real-time Important Notices, Copyright info and Release Notes for the firmware files.

If you have ControlFLASH Plus open on the "Manage Firmware" tab, and are viewing the listing for a "1756-L61", then you have "some" firmware revisions available for this model controller on your workstation PC. The revisions listed will reflect whichever revisions you have in the search folder(s) which you can view under Settings>Firmware Locations. If you are seeing the Standard revisions plus the Redundancy revisions listed, then that is what is in the search folder(s). ControlFLASH Plus will display them all together. But you need to know what you are looking at and what you should use, according to your application...

If a controller, such as the 1756-L61, is used in a redundant system i.e. two processors, redundancy modules, and other modules, so as to "failover" in the event of the Primary system going down, then both controllers would be flashed using a suitable Redundancy firmware revision. Also, the redundancy modules (RM) and certain communications and/or motion modules would require Redundancy firmware revisions to be loaded. This is why they are supplied as a "kit", as there may be several modules besides the processors which will require Redundancy firmware revisions to be loaded.

For Redundancy, or Enhanced Redundancy firmware revisions, they should be instantly recognizable by the "5" in the revision number and also by fact that there is a kit number...

Your example: 20.058_kit1

(There might not always be a "5" at that location, but most all are "5")

So your controller, or any modules included in this kit, should not be flashed using the firmware revisions in this kit, if they are not part of a Redundancy configuration.

If not using Redundancy then you would, as normal, use a suitable Standard firmware revision, which we can see on the left below. When using the traditional "Find Downloads" method to get firmware files, we usually just select the catalog number from the search results, such as "1756-L61", and this will only list the Standard revisions. We would have to select the "1756-L61 Redundant" result to just display the Redundancy revisions, as we can see on the right. Because ControlFLASH Plus displays all firmware types in its listings, it probably might now throw firmware revisions before people's eyes, who had possible never seen them before, and hence end up asking "what's what here?"...

For a standard single controller application, use whichever firmware revision you wish, up to the latest. But avoid the firmware revisions listed with a "xx.x5x_kitx", or similar.

EDIT: to add example image from ControlFLASH...

Regards,
George

 

[TheWaterboy]

... never seen them before, and hence end up asking "what's what here?"...

but whats the odds of THAT happening...

I appreciate the detail. I had no idea about the 5 designation having no redundant hardware.

It also said it could flash an ML1100 and started but that failed each time saying the .DMK file was not a .DMK file and I should use the old version. It was a DMK file but I wasn't gonna argue with it.