FTV Studios version and Panel View Plus compatibility

[kandymann]

Hello,

I have FTV Studios version 6.10
I have a Panel View Plus 1500 (ME version 10.0)

I am wanting to transfer a .MER file to the new panelview plus.

I am getting an error:
"The destination selected is not a valid device"

It seems obvious I need FTV Studios version =< 10.0?

If that's the case, how do I upgrade the software of my FTV Studios to match that of the Panelview? I do have a Rockwell tech connect membership. I just have never upgraded the software before.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Ken Roach]

The terminal can very probably run that *.MER without modification; that functionality to run old-version Runtimes has been surprisingly robust for many years. The exceptions are incompatible ActiveX objects and KepServer drivers.

So you could use an SD card or USB stick to move the *.MER onto the terminal, and run it without fussing with the software.

You'll have to make a directory on the SD card or USB stick that matches where the PV+ operating system looks for Runtime files. It will create that automatically if you insert the device and copy a runtime onto that directory (it might do it if you just browse to the file transfer feature).

Or, create a directory on the SD card / USB drive named

[Drive Letter:]\Application Data\Rockwell Software\RSViewME\Runtime

and put your *.MER file there, and use the onboard file management menus to copy it into the Onboard memory and run it.

EDIT and NOTE: there is a space in "Application Data" and "Rockwell Software" but not in "RSViewME".

 

[kandymann]

Thank you Ken!

I will try this.

 

[Ken Roach]

The reason your old software has such a hard time working with your new hardware goes back to 2003 or so, when the RSView Enterprise software team was building their comms drivers that would become RSLinx Enterprise, and discarding all the legacy functionality and code of RSLinx Classic.

Software developers were complaining about the mechanism used to store and register Electronic Data Sheet files, which at the time involved renaming them based on the Device ID object, putting them in a storage folder, and registering them with the Windows Registry.

The solution they came up with was... no solution at all. "We'll just hard-code the device IDs of every A-B device into a naming schema. When new hardware comes out, we'll just update it. Everybody updates every chance they get, right ? It'll be automatic, probably."

[Narrator: Everybody does not update every chance they get]

So you end up having to update RSLinx Enterprise (now renamed FactoryTalk Linx) whenever new Logix and PanelView hardware and firmware come out.

The simple approach is to just download and install the newest FactoryTalk View Studio ME software, which will include FactoryTalk Linx with support for all the newest hardware.

But I recommend doing a computer backup and/or restore point before you do it. FactoryTalk View doesn't have a fantastic reputation for elegant upgrades, so I treat it with a healthy dose of respect (and run it in virtual machines always).

 

[kandymann]

Awesome explanation Ken!

Thanks again for your help and understanding with this.

Very helpful!

 

[Helliana]

Just to go along with what Ken said:


The programming software (FTView Studio), Panelview Plus firmware, and Panelview Plus runtime versions does not need to match. The runtime version must be equal to or lower than the Panelview firmware to run. FTView Studio can create runtime files for previous versions, you select the version when saving the runtime file.


Also worth noting, the newest version (12) of FTView cannot recreate a runtime lower than V6. Original Panelview Plus cannot be flashed to above V5.10. Please keep around a VM with an older version or do not upgrade if you must still maintain any original Panelview Plus.