FactoryTalk View Studio Compatibility

[JeremyM]

Hi all,

We've got FTView Studio ME 6.10 (CPR 9 SR 4). Is there a list of PanelView model numbers that can be programmed at this version? If there's a firmware mismatch, can it be downgraded or upgraded freely?

Thanks!

 

[Ken Roach]

There's a surprising amount of flexibility with PanelView Plus and FactoryTalk View Studio.

If you have FactoryTalk View Studio ME version 6.10, you can create *.MER runtime files for any PanelView Plus terminal with version 6.10 or earlier firmware, all the way back to version 3.20, which came out 11 or 12 years ago.

And in general a PV+ can run an application built for any previous version; a PV+ with version 6.10 firmware could run a 6.0 or a 5.10 or a 4.0 application.

The two big pebbles in the pudding are ActiveX controls and KepServer drivers; you can't easily mix pre-v6 and post-v6 versions.

Ideally, figure out which revision your PV+ terminals are and when you create a Runtime file, create it for the same revision.

Remember that there are two modern operator interface terminals that share the PanelView name but don't run FactoryTalk View ME; the PanelView Component and the PanelView 800.

I'm omitting discussion of the PanelView Plus 7, which is a new hardware platform that runs limited-scale FactoryTalk View ME applications; I don't know if they'll run a Runtime built for version 6.10. Tradition says they should, but I haven't used one yet.

I'm also omitting discussion of the PanelView 5000 product, which is all-new and not yet released.

I'm attending a "Rockwell Automation On The Move" event next week that will have some of those new platforms for discussion and examination and look forward to seeing if they're enough to lure me back to using PV+.

 

[sparkie]

There's a surprising amount of flexibility with PanelView Plus and FactoryTalk View Studio.

If you have FactoryTalk View Studio ME version 6.10, you can create *.MER runtime files for any PanelView Plus terminal with version 6.10 or earlier firmware, all the way back to version 3.20, which came out 11 or 12 years ago.

And in general a PV+ can run an application built for any previous version; a PV+ with version 6.10 firmware could run a 6.0 or a 5.10 or a 4.0 application.

The two big pebbles in the pudding are ActiveX controls and KepServer drivers; you can't easily mix pre-v6 and post-v6 versions.

Ideally, figure out which revision your PV+ terminals are and when you create a Runtime file, create it for the same revision.

Remember that there are two modern operator interface terminals that share the PanelView name but don't run FactoryTalk View ME; the PanelView Component and the PanelView 800.

I'm omitting discussion of the PanelView Plus 7, which is a new hardware platform that runs limited-scale FactoryTalk View ME applications; I don't know if they'll run a Runtime built for version 6.10. Tradition says they should, but I haven't used one yet.

I'm also omitting discussion of the PanelView 5000 product, which is all-new and not yet released.

I'm attending a "Rockwell Automation On The Move" event next week that will have some of those new platforms for discussion and examination and look forward to seeing if they're enough to lure me back to using PV+.

I went to that tour two weeks ago, and it was a pretty good session. I was able to get in on quite a few labs, but I found the panelview labs a bit lacking. I can send them to you if you want to look them over before you go.

 

[ASF]

I saw a demo of the 5000 series at TechED Melbourne last week. It looks like quite a good little unit - not as capable yet as the PVP range but it's only the first release. They said it's coming out in "fall" (i.e. spring for us upside down folk), but I heard it was coming soon 18 months ago so I'm not holding my breath just yet

Looks like it's gotten rid of the whole .apa vs .mer file thing, which will mean this forum will get a lot quieter

 

[Donnchadh]

Hi

I was at the automation fair 4 years ago and there was a demo there.
I was told it would be out within 18 months. I saw servo drives on Ethernet and I was told that would take 2 years. We have Ethernet servo drives but no sign of the new hmi. I am going to the automation fair this year in the usa again and can't wait to see what I am told this time

Donnchadh

 

[arlenjacobs]

PanelView Plus 7, which is a new hardware platform that runs limited-scale FactoryTalk View ME applications; I don't know if they'll run a Runtime built for version 6.10. Tradition says they should, but I haven't used one yet.

PanelView Plus 7 works just fine with older project files. It will run projects back to version 3.2.
PVP 7 is new hardware; the software/firmware looks the same as the PVP 6.

PanelView5000 is new hardware and software. I have not heard anything from Rockwell that says it will run/import the PanelView Plus project files.