KEP vs Factory Talk View ME

[Wes Gifford]

*.mer loads and runs but all tags report "No Longer Available <tagname with correct prefix>"
FTV-ME 7.00.00 (CPR9SR6)
PVP 5.10
KEPServerEnterprise 5.7.90.0
PLC CTI 2500 Serial Connection
KEP Quick Client correctly reads the tags from the PLC.
RSLinxE/CommSetup shows nothing but default ethernet.

Any thoughts on what to try next?

Thanks.

 

[Dravik]

First off, Did you recompile the PV+ firmware to include the Kepware driver?
Second, Did you make sure the loaded project in Kepware on the PC, was also set to be the Default project in Kepware before you compiled the .mer?

 

[Wes Gifford]

Not sure I understand your first point. The PVP reports as ver. 5.10.06.09 (CPR9SR6).
KepWare/Help reports that with Ver. 5.7, the last program opened becomes the default for integration with FTV. There is no longer an option to specify a default file.

 

[Wes Gifford]

Just confirmed that FTV / Test Application using a serial cable correctly reads tag values from the PLC. PVP continues to report "The item is no longer available <tagname..>".

 

[Ken Roach]

Are you using a PC to run the FactoryTalk View ME application, or a PanelView Plus terminal ?

I can't tell for certain from your post if the Test Runtime works on the PC, or if the problem is present both on the PC and the PanelView.

Remember that the PanelView Plus serial port has a DCE type pinout, while your PC has a DTE type pinout.

In practice that means that to use the same cable to the PLC from your PC vs. the PanelView Plus, you need to add a null-modem adapter.

 

[Wes Gifford]

I create the *.mer on the laptop and transfer via a CF card.
The FTV Test Runtime on the laptop correctly responds to tag value changes in the PLC.
Laptop to PLC uses Null Modem cable.
PLC to PVP uses RS232 Straight cable and works correctly when earlier application installed on PVP and PLC.
RA/TechSupport indicated that FTV 7.00 needs to point to KEP 4.5 in order to run on PVP running 5.1 firmware. I've tried it both ways with no change.

 

[Ken Roach]

RA/TechSupport indicated that FTV 7.00 needs to point to KEP 4.5 in order to run on PVP running 5.1 firmware.

Ah, OK. This is most likely the issue you need to troubleshoot, since you do have the hardware correct.

Do you have the KepServer configuration pointed to COM1/SERIAL1 ?

I realize you've already tried following RA's procedure for linking FactoryTalk View ME to the older KepServer software, but that's really what you need to keep pursuing.

 

[Wes Gifford]

Yes on the COM1/SERIAL1 issue.

Is there any way to clear out the folders that tag browser keeps bringing back? When I go back to KEP 4.5 and then refresh the folders, I get 2 previous folders also. I would like to clear those away and set up a clean folder and import a set of tags.

Also, should I be able to see the version of KEP which is on the PVP? Technote 33968 implies I should, but I only see the numbers of the PVP firmware 5.10... not the 5.7.90 for KEP.

Thanks for continuing to work with me on this.

 

[Dravik]

If you are running V5.1 of the FW, then the PV+ has 4.5 on it(it is part of the FW)
So yeah, you'll need 4.5 installed and to point the ME Studio project at that instance and to make sure the default project inside of KepServer is set to the whatever.pfe file you created for the CTI PLC.

 

[Dravik]

As an aside, If you have an XP machine handy and a copy of View Studio 5.1(or want to DL one from Rockwell), You'll have better luck just using that.
I had a heck of a time getting FTView 6.1 to compile down to a 5.1 PV w/ Kepware.

 

[Wes Gifford]

We will continue to pursue FTV7.00 with KEP 4.5. We have too much invested in the graphics/screen designs.
Doesn't appear possible to export FTV7.00 screens back to FTV5.10

While working on PC w/o any connections to PLC or PV+, the FTV5.7 Tag Browser is very slow at pulling tags from KEP4.5 the first time the Tag Browser accesses the KEP tags. Also, all of the tags are reported as having access rights = NotAvailable". Is this correct?

 

[Dravik]

Nod.

I would try using a clean machine then. Install FT7 and then ONLY install Kepware 4.5
Pull the .pfe file and the application over to that machine, get everything setup that way.
Also, rerun the FW upgrade wizard for the PV+ and verify the 505 Drivers are installed.

The 'not available' bit, I suspect it hasn't cached the tags and is timing out browsing for them(since the PC has no active connection to the PLC). I seem to recall there is a setting to build a cache in the OPC server properties inside of FTStudio.

 

[Wes Gifford]

My thanks to both of you. Finally got it working the FTV7.00, KEP4.5 and PV+5.1. Just had to be very careful with the channel and device names to get the required integration after both KEP Quick Client and FTV Test Applications were working.

 

[ygnm]

i know this is an old thread but i have a question along these same lines. i am getting the item no longer available error and after reading this post i decided to recompile and make sure that kepserver was the same. well in the process of doing so i see that the driver i am using in kepserver is not available for download to the panelview in the firmware upgrade box. any idea why it is or anything i can do to get it there?

 

[arlenjacobs]

You should start a new thread.


The supported driver list is different for the PC versus the PanelView.
Check the FTView ME docs for supported Kepserver drivers; or just look at the list from the firmware upgrade box.