Import Factory talk site edition program into studio

[James Mcquade]

Hi all,

we have a panelview site edition system in our facility and i have never used it.
you have to go online with the program to see the application which takes the screen away from other maintenance guys trying to help get the system running.
we have multiple machine edition apps in the plant and when ever there is an issue i goto the application file to locate the fault (still new to this facility). this is the quickest way i know of to find the issue.
Is there a way to import the site edition application file into my laptop so i can see the program and help get the system up and running faster?
thanks in advance,
James

 

[Yacineg]

I am confused, are you talking about an industrial PC ?

If it is an IPC then you can backup the currently running application with the application manager & restore the .APA file to your file.

 

[janner_10]

You can back up and restore with Factorytalk View Application Manager or if its networked or distributed, just create a new client file on your laptop and point your FT Directory to the server.

 

[Operaghost]

Hi James,

FactoryTalk View SE applications can be backed up using the Application Manager. Then you take that backup file to another machine and use that same Application Manager tool to "Restore" the application to that computer. That is the easiest way to copy an application from one machine to another. The Application Manager tool handles both ME and SE applications. In newer versions they separated ME/SE and called the tools "FactoryTalk View SE Application Manager" and "FactoryTalk View ME Application Manager".

Using the older tool is primarily for backing up SE "Local" applications. The new tool works with both Local and Network application types. Based on your comment, it sounds as though you may be using a Local application. Network applications allow multiple client computers and developer machines access to the application at the same time. With local applications everything happens at that one specific computer (server) where SE is loaded. And that sounds like what you have described. I am using the term "server" as the HMI is referred to as an HMI Server. It does not necessarily mean a Windows type server.

When you launch FT Studio you would be asked if you want to open an ME application or SE Local, Network Station, or Network Distributed. Which one you open defines the application type. Also when you view the application in FT Studio, the title bar across the top of the screen might say something like "Local Station".

With a Network type application, your development computer can be making changes on the server while the client computers continue to run the application. The next time they access what you have changed, they will see that change.

With a Local application you can make your changes on the separate development computer, but to get the changes into the server you would have to backup from your PC, copy that backup to the server machine and then restore the application. And of course when you are restoring the application that would interrupt the users from seeing the application if it is all on the same computer.

OG

 

[James Mcquade]

thanks for the reply,
My question is, can i open the factory talk me application when downloaded to my laptop and open it so i can see the screens, pushbuttons,, and plc links?
i do not want to modify the application, only look at it for debug purposes. the screens detail certain sensors, but the sensors are not documented in the logix program like the screen. i have to hunt for them.
james

 

[Operaghost]

Ok, you said PanelView Site Edition in your first post so I assumed you meant FactoryTalk View Site Edition. But in your last post you mention ME. So different animals.

Same basic idea though. Use the ME Application Manager to backup the application from the PC where it is stored. The file that is created is an .APA file. Take that to your PC and use the Application Manager to Restore the application. You will then have it on your PC.

Now let's try to anticipate what you might say next...What if you don't have a PC with the application? Can I pull the file from the PanelView and use that file to view the application on your laptop?

Probably. The file on the PanelView is a .MER file. You can use the Transfer Utility in FT View to upload the application from the PanelView to your laptop. Using that same Application Manager mentioned above you can do a Restore Runtime. That will take your MER file and create a development copy on your laptop.

So why "probably" then? The MER file can be created to allow the Restore Runtime. Or it can be locked out, or locked out with a password. Then you also have version issues where if the MER is older they did not allow this conversion. If I recall that feature was added with version 5.1 if it was created on a 32-bit Windows operating system, or version 6.0 if it was a modern 64-bit O/S. So the version of your runtime may come in to play.

Assuming your version supports this, you can do all of this without impacting what the operators see on the PV terminal. They won't see you perform an upload. When you open the application on your laptop it won't have any affect on the actual PV terminal.


OG