RANT: AB RSview Studio ME xyz

[electrified3]

I feel so much better after seeing all of the posts on the pview + software now. I was also in the same boat in July of last year, after hours and hours on the phone with AB Tech support finally managed to get the communications straight, then after that I really liked working with that software. I guess having a fair amount of experience using RSView 32 I found alot of things much better in Studio. In the same train of thought there was also a few things done better in RSView 32. In my opinion if they standardized the communications setup from product to product life would be so much better, maybe that was not possible with the method of the tag database functionality, but who knows.
I am thinking that once everyone gets over the learning curve with the new software and AB gets some of its bugs straightened out it will be a good program to use.
Out of curiousity anyone using the Pview + have firmware issues? The ones I was using I had to update the firmware 3x before they became stable. The origional firmware locked up on me if the operator tried to change pages too fast or if I had alot of animation graphics running on the screen.
Also has anyone been using the pull up keyboards using the button style Pview+, I had no problems with the touchscreen version but had alot of difficulty with the button style ones.
We had installed about 20 of these units when they first came out, but had so many issues with it that we decided to stop using them and stick with the origional pviews until the bugs are worked out a little better, so just curious if it is getting any better yet.
Good luck jd, I can relate to your frustration, been there myself.

 

[Alan Case]

Hi. Check what version of operating system you are using. Since you said it was installed on a brand new computer then if XP SP2 is installed you could/will have problems. This problem was generated by Microsoft not Rockwell as how is someone to know that the OS is going to have certain required features disabled in a future release.

Regards Alan Case

 

[Gerry]

FactoryTalk

and I'm not even yet sure exactly what FactoryTalk is even doing!!!!

And you're not the only one!

It allegedly creates a kind of virtual, global tag database for all programs set up to use it, i.e. latest revs of RSLogix, RSView, etc. - even across a network. I have no experience of it yet - so far it has been an annoyance that starts up a series of tasks automatically on boot-up.

And, once installed, RSLinx enterprise insists on starting up at boot as well.

If, by some strange chance you want to use your PC for something other than programming Rockwell products (hard to imagine, eh), and you want to reduce the load on the CPU, run the following commands in a batch file:
net stop "RSLinx"
net stop "RSLinx Enterprise"
net stop "Rockwell Tag Server"
net stop "Rockwell HMI Diagnostics"
net stop "Rockwell HMI Activity Logger"
net stop "Rockwell Directory Server"
net stop "Rockwell Event Multiplexer"
net stop "Rockwell Directory Multiplexer"
net stop "Rockwell Event Server"
net stop "Rockwell Application Services"

(found on Rockwell's forum)

 

[electrified3]

Wow Gerry,
Are you saying it is getting better or worse then, the problems you guys are going through sound way worse from my experience with it!! Someone PM me when it is safe to go back to using them!!!!!!!

 

[Bitmore]

I'm still trying to find out who said anything about "crashes" but that's OK I usually miss stuff. I said crush and I mean crush cars, not crash!
And I think I spelled "CRUSH" as in no longer a car, a pancake. And I do also remember saying I like Rockwell, I just don't like their attitude. I got 5 Versa View CE products from them for the last project, 2 failed out of the box and the third said it could not run the panal view project, well Da! your not a panel view. When I called Rockwell/AB to get an RMA they wanted me to jump through hoops, I called a friend of mine who is high up in the Rockwell Ladder (no pun intended) he got the whole thing straightened out, he came over and got the FAILED products and had them replaced! I just hate to think of others that don't have friends in high places.

 

[Gerry]

pay attention

I'm still trying to find out who said anything about "crashes"

Jeff said the software crashed his computer. It would take an awful lot of boxes of cd's and manuals to crush his computer, never mind turn it into a pancake.

 

[Tom Jenkins]

However it demands that you RTFM and all the tech notes.

And this task would be much easier if the documentation paid more attention to the needs of users, and if the pertinent information were more compact. You are talking about way too much reading here if you want to sell a product to the general automation market.

Originally posted by PhilipW
Those of us with the experience and skills to work through the issues have quietly got on with building projects and not bothered making "OPIONIATED" posts.

First, one of the the things a site like this is for is expressing opinions.

Second, I damn well PAID for the right to express an opinion. That includes thousands of dollars for programming software and hardware. That includes hundreds of dollars while the programmer went through the documentation. That includes hundreds of dollars while he downloaded new firmware on a brand new product. That includes hundreds of dollars while he created duplicate tags so the brain dead trending could be made useable. That included hundreds of dollars while he and our distributor's tech support (A VERY competent and helpful and persistent guy) worked through tech notes and bugs and documentation and factory experts and .....

Originally posted by PhilipW As for the rest of the childish anti-AB posturing that the rest of you have indulged in... sighs.

I get very weary of A-B enthusiasts crying "A-B BASHING - UNFAIR" whenever negative comments are made about Rockwell products. Every manufacturer you mention below has problem products. Allen Bradley has problem products. Negative comments have been made on this site about every one of these suppliers. Yet it seems that for some reason it is considered poor sport when the comments are made about Allen Bradley. Why should that be?

Originally posted by PhilipW According to you guys AB is the worst automation vendor in the world and that Seimens, Schneider, Omron or Koyo (insert you flavour of the month here) are all much better cheaper smarter and have never ever released a less than stellar product.

For the record, I have stated a number of times that I like a great many things that A-B sells. I have also made it clear that the hardware side of things has made great strides in customer service in the last couple of years. And I have made negative comments about every brand you list except Omron, with which I have no personal experience.

And, for the record, I much prefer A-B to Siemens.

Remember, many of us here don't have the luxury of becoming experts in a single vendor's offerings. Many of us deal with a wide varity of manufacturer's products on a weekly or daily basis, and we simply won't be pleased with a product that has wonderful features but is so complex and voluminously documented that it is a major effort to implement the first project.

Many of us also don't see creating screens or logic or understanding the intricacies of the alphabet soup of software as our main objective. Many of us are concerned mostly about building elevators, or slicing pickles, or blowing bubbles in a tank of ****. Properly designed software and hardware assists us in achieving that objective. Properly designed software and hardware is not so complex that learning how to use it becomes a task more daunting than the original objective of slicing pickles.

It seems to me that a more appropriate response than "Why is everybody always picking on me?" is "How can I get the manufacturer to understand these criticisms and make this product a productivity tool for the end user. How can this product be improved so that the average programmer with reasonable skills can use it to improve his product or process without a long and painful learing curve?"

 

[jdbrandt]

Its all the 'snooty-patooty' comments from guys who claim they
can make anything work that made me leave the control.com
A-List, years ago. Hopefully this board won't be home to
more of 'em.

As Gerry points out, I was the one who claimed to have RSXYZMOUSE crash his computer. Technically, it locked up so tight I had to pull the plug and reboot, so, there will be some ABlovers who will say "well, you didnt get a blue screen....".

I found another useless document, called a Supplemental User's Guide. Its the Rockwell equivalent of a 1/2 year automobile, like a 1984 1/2 Escort: They had to print it, but it still is weak.

I think the product will probably be fine, once I can get through the documentation enough to actually make something do something.

And, the SP2 advice is on a Rockwell tech note, if you look for it. To me, this should be printed in blood.

 

[panic mode]

rant = off

I really dislike RSViewME/SE as some of you maybe remember. I will refrain from repeating it in hope someone in Rockwell will try to listen and make better product instead of calling user feedback "bashing". We do pay for this stuff you know...

 

[Eric Nelson]

Its all the 'snooty-patooty' comments from guys who claim they
can make anything work that made me leave the control.com
A-List, years ago.

You too, huh?...

beerchug

-Eric

 

[CaseyK]

No wonder control.com and one or two other sites have nothing to offer......

The REAL TALENT came here.

And another gratuitous chance to say "Thanks Phil!"

And thanks to all you posters out there too!

The education (and humor) found on this site is overwhelming.

And I would really love to use Eric's new smiley as my avatar! Maybe next week.

regards all......casey

 

[grs]

I'd fix the PVP problem by utilizing the linux o/s as the core instead of Windows CE. It's a much more stable o/s than micro$oft at a much lower cost. Additionally...<insert microsoft bashing here>...<approx 200 pages and 800 similar replies later>...

LINUX RULZ AND CAN BEAT UP YOUR DAD, UNCLE, AND BROTHER!!!!!















j/k - thought I'd give you ex-control.com guys a taste of nostalgia.

 

[akreel]

And, the SP2 advice is on a Rockwell tech note, if you look for it. To me, this should be printed in blood.

AMEN

 

[Greg Dake]

Old Thread

Jeff!! Just curious if you ever ironed out your PVP/ME issues? I've just started down the road of RSView Studio/ME. I too have a PV+ at my desk, no screens created....I'm still trying to get my head around the software scheme....Makes me want PB32 at the moment!

Greg

 

[jdbrandt]

I did, but, darn if I can remember the steps required to make a project.
The scary thing is that I have this unit in the field, operating a 24/7 process, and, now the end user needs to access the thing from a different computer, and the project files are all native to my laptop.