How to store tags value to a CompactFlash, RSLogix5000/PanelView Plus 700

[MJSE]

Hi guys

I need some help how to store tags value to a CompactFlash, in CSV or TXT format, I never tried it before, I am using this system:

-1768-L43 CompactLogix5343 Controller (PLC processor), firmware upgraded to 20.12- RSLogix5000 Mini Edition (v20.01.00)
-Panel View Plus Logic Module CAT: 2711P-RP1 SER: C REV: A
-FactoryTalk View Studio Release Number: 7.00.00 (CPR 9SR 6) Patch/Pack Number: 00 Build Number: 13

I can see a CompactFlash on PV+ logic module.

Any help and advice would be really appreciated.

Thanks

 

[MJSE]

Ok, I bought a CompactFlash 4GB and put it on PV+ slut and then ???

 

[Ken Roach]

The most common method is to use the DataStore ActiveX control.

You can read all about it in the PV+ user manual or in the RA Knowledgebase. There are also some threads here on PLCTalk about it.

Your PV+ logic module sounds like an old 64-MB unit that does not support ActiveX controls, though. You might have to upgrade to a PV+6 terminal or upgrade to a Logic Module that has those features, like the 2711P-RP6 or -RP7.

What's the end result that you want ?

Will manually extracting and converting the ordinary Data Log Model files from the standard FactoryTalk View ME Data Log function be sufficient ?

 

[MJSE]

I need to store the value of 20 tags to a CompactFlash and transfer them to another PC. CSV format would be the best result.

It is not possible to upgrade the PV+ at the moment, I think it would be fine if I can use standard FactoryTalk View ME Data Log function, but no success yet. I am trying to save data to my laptop first, I open Data Log Models and the set the path like C:\Logs2000 and then transfer the .mer to PV+ , Ethernet cable is connecting to my laptop but I can not see the Logs2000 folder in C:\

 

[Ken Roach]

There's a lot of useful information about FactoryTalk View ME Data Logging in RA Knowledgebase Article ID # 36265 (TechConnect Contract Required).

Some of that article and its citations make up my advice here.

Windows CE doesn't really use drive letters, but rather Universal Naming Convention style directories.

On the older model PV+ you have, the built-in CF card is "\Storage Card" and the removable CF card is "\Storage Card2".

The ordinary data log models are saved to a directory on the built-in CF card. The directory path is

\storage card\rockwell software\RSViewME\logs\YOUR_APP_NAME\DlgLog\YOUR_DLOG_MODEL_NAME\

Of course, the Application Name and the Data Log Model name depend on the name of your Application and the name of the Data Log Model.

While the Knowledgebase suggests it can be done, I have never had success making the PV+ write data logs to another computer over a network.

Getting the data log model log file out of the terminal, using the RSView Data Log Conversion Utility to convert it into CSV format, and then making use of that data takes some work with these old terminals.

For one thing, you can't write to the removable CF card then pull it out during runtime. The Data Log Model will fail silently and not restart until you reboot.

What I've done with success is to configure data logging to save log files onto the normal onboard CF card, then used a USB memory device and a batch file to copy those log files onto the USB drive.

This is described well in RA Knowledgebase Article ID #35513 (TechConnect contract required).

Once you have those log files off the terminal, you can convert them into a usable CSV format by following the directions in RA Knowledgebase Article ID # 33924 (Access Level: Everyone)

 

[Ken Roach]

I'm not trying to go too far off topic here, but I will add this:

PanelView Plus is good at what it does, but it is not good at data logging.

With a newer logic module that supports ActiveX and the FTP Server, you would be better off. Not even to a point that I would call "good", but a lot better than where you are now.

If I were in your shoes, I would add a Red Lion Data Station Plus DSPSX0000 unit to my system and do the data logging there.

The DSP's data logs are accessible over ordinary FTP protocol or via the Web Server. The data logs are simple flat text files. It's simple to set up. The software is free, and although it has a bit of a learning curve there are experts who frequent this Forum.

I learned all that stuff about PV+ file paths, and the converter tool, and batch files the hard way. There are corrections and phrases in those Knowledgebase articles that I contributed. The amount of time I spent learning, documenting, and testing those things still only bought me an unsatisfactory solution with the PV+.

If I could go back and trade the cost of the days I spent on that effort for a DSP in the first place, I would.

 

[MJSE]

Thanks Ken for very useful info,

As far as I understand, Data Log Model file will store trend data of a tag to a file, I wonder is it possible to store only values of some tags by pressing a button? Actually I want to store the values of the tags by hitting a button on the screen.

And is there anything else way to write the value of a tag onto CF? or I have to use Data Log Model?

 

[Ken Roach]

The Data Log Model is built to provide data to the Trend object, so it's only a time-based periodic data log.

You could conceivably do your application by using the Alarm subsystem, with embedded variables, but it would take a lot of post-processing to get something useful out of the Alarm log file.

Even the DataStore ActiveX is built to do periodic data logging, but I've used it for on-demand data logging by enabling it, then disabling it right away. It ended up logging just one event per enable cycle.

That's one of the benefits of the DataStore ActiveX compared to the Data Log Model; it can be manually enabled and disabled. It also uses a simpler flat file format (CSV) and you have some control over the filename.

You can do some low-level file I/O to the CompactFlash on the CompactLogix itself. I do not have in-depth experience with this, but I know it's been done.

But you end up with similar problems getting to the data; there's no easy way to retrieve the file without shutting down the card and removing it.

 

[Ken Roach]

On-demand, custom file I/O of text strings into TXT or CSV files is another thing that the Data Station Plus does really well. It took me about a day to learn the syntax and come up with a functional application on the DSPSX000, with the help of Forum member Jeff Kiper.

 

[MJSE]

Thanks Ken, I may need to buy DSPSX000 or upgrade the HMI later, at the moment I am trying to have Data Log Model run even in time based data log, I want to get some experiment with it. I started to read the FactoryTalk user manual and put a trend on the display, I followed these steps as per manual:

Summary of steps

Follow these steps to set up data logging:
1. In the Data Log Models editor, set up a data log model that specifies how many log values to store, the conditions that trigger data logging, where to log data, and which tags to monitor.
2. In the Startup editor (under the left menu) , turn on data logging by selecting the Data logging check box. Also use this editor to specify the data log model to use at run time. See Chapter 14.
3. In the Graphics editor, create a graphic display containing the trend graphic object, and set up how the object looks, which tag values to show, the start time, and the time span for the data. Also specify the name of the data log model to use.

But no success !!, there is no trend on the display and no log file created at all!!

 

[MJSE]

Ken, is it possible to upgrade the existing firmware to 2711P-RP6 or -RP7 or I need to buy another logic module? and if I upgrade the logic module do I need to upgrade the FactoryTalk as well?

Also my PLC can store the project onto the CompactLogic not the tags, is there any AB CompactFlash module that I can add it to the system and store the tags onto it?

 

[MJSE]

Ken, I am going to order DSPSX000, just I wonder can I connect it to my existing EtherNet switch box and does it work with my existing Allen Bradley system? and how I can configure it to read tags from the PLC? I am familiar with Redlion HMI programming and developed a project with Crimson 3.0 last year, but not skillful at it, I am a little worried about communication set up and integration with AB system...

 

[Ken Roach]

The 2711P-RN1 logic module has only 64MB of RAM and 64 MB of nonvolatile storage, so it cannot support the "PV+ CE" firmware features.

It might be possible to replace the RAM yourself, and get just an upgrade CompactFlash card. You'll have to talk to Rockwell Automation about the details.

As I understand the -RP6 and -RP7 logic modules are the original PV+ (before the "PV+6" hardware) and will support up to FactoryTalk View 5.10 only.

There is logic that makes it possible to store data directly on the CF card of the controller, but frankly it's so complicated I have never used it.

 

[Ken Roach]

I'll tell you what: It's my big mouth talking up the DSPSX for this application so I'll contribute to the application directly. Check your Private Message folder.