RSLogix500 Losing Rung Comments/Page Titles, etc.

[rstech]

The last few days I have noticed a problem losing rung comments, page titles, data file descriptions, and ladder file descriptions in RSLogix500. This has happened on three different machines all with SLC5/04.

I've been doing this for years and never had a problem. The offline program has all rung comments, page titles, etc. I then upload from the processor and presto, the rung comments, etc. are gone. I still have the address descriptions and symbols, but everything else is gone. And yes (in case you were going to ask), the offline program I have may not be identical to what is in the PLC which is why I upload. When prompted to find the matching file, I browse to the offline file I have.

As a work around I did an ASCII export of all the databases from the offline file and then imported them into the online file, but I'm curious why this has just started happening over the last few days. Does anyone know what is happening and how I can avoid it. Thanks.

Note: I just upgraded to version 6.30.00 of RSLogix500.

 

[davidg68124]

I have yet to use it, but I just upgraded as well. I do remember, however, there was a message about running a user settings backup utility before the installation starts. It also said that the settings will not be the same if you do not perform this step.


So I guess that menas you should check your settings for descriptions and the like. Make sure they are correct.

David

 

[rstech]

Thanks for the reply. The note you are referring to reads,

Installation Note: In order to retain user settings you'll need to run the "Retain User Settings" utility on the installation CD prior to uninstalling the previous version of RSLogix 500. This will enable you to reclaim the user settings after installing V6.00.00. If you are upgrading from V6.00.00 or later, then you can ignore this step.

I upgraded from version 6.2 so this shouldn't really affect anything. Also, there aren't any settings in RSLogix to turn rung title, comments, etc. off while online. At least not that I know of.

Any other ideas? There may be something weird going on with my computer because I also noticed my RSViewStudio isn't working since I upgraded. I might trying reinstalling.

 

[tom_stalcup]

Are your files all in one, or do you have the "save data base as external" checkbox picked? (do a save as, and look at the dialog box when it pops up). I've have problems before where (somehow) someone had saved a couple of files with the data base files as external, and then (somehow) one of those files had been checked as read only. It gave varying results depending on the administrative level of the person logged onto the computer.

 

[rstech]

Its just one .RSS file for all the programs I have seen the issue with and the checkbox for "save database as external" is not checked. I'm an independant contractor and work by myself so nobody else has been on my computer who may have checked the box and then unchecked it the next time.

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[davidg68124]

The only other thing that I can think of off the top of my head right now is, when changes are made and possibly a rung was added or deleted, rung comments tied to a specific rung will move or disappear.


Not that that is your problem, just a possibility.

If you want, you can send me your file and I will see what I am getting on my Laptop.

David

 

[mgvol]

When you UPLOAD from the SLC CPU, all you will get is the ladder logic with addresses. Rung/Page Titles and descriptions only reside on your PC hard-drive. Open the OFFLINE program file and then select GO ONLINE; as long as the online and offline programs match, it should go online and retain your documentation on your PC screen.

 

[rstech]

Yes, I am aware the PLC only carries the logic and not descriptions, comments, etc. My problem is, the offline file contains all the information but when I go online, whether through uploading first, or simply going online when my driver and file matches the current program in the PLC, my page titles, rung comments, and ladder file descriptions dissappear and I'm only left with the address symbols and descriptions.

Some how, when I go online, RSLogix500 is no longer pointing to all the offline databases, only to two, the address symbols and address descriptions.

 

[Derek McFarland]

I have experienced a similar problem with a PLC 5/80E. The program and data file descriptions would get corrupted. I and many others on this site would manually fix them offline, then see them corrupted when online. Going oline they would be good again, but at some point changes would be made and the online copy saved over the offline file. We tried fixing them offline and then downloading to see if that fixed the situation, but I never saw the results. I don't believe downloading fixed the situation, and seem to remember a consultant stating that the problem stemmed from the version of RSLogix that the documentation was created with.

 

[Craig Spinharney]

rstech,

Try this. How many other "project" files are in the same directory as the project you believe is in the processor?
When RSLogix500 attempts to go online, it first tries to use the open "offline" file you had opened prior to going online. If either that "offline" file doesn't match what's in the processor, or you didn't open an offline file first, the software searches your default "project" directory (the one you set up to contain most, if not all of your project files). It searches for a "project" file that has a "processor" name that matches that which is in the controller. In other words, you may be opening a "project" file called mixer.rss...but there's no guarantee that the "processor" name for the that project file is the same as the "processor" name in the controller at the moment.
Though by default, when you create a "project" file (the file on the hard drive with an .RSS extension), the "processor" name is also the same as the project file but can be changed.
To be sure, browse the processor in an RSWho window fo RSLinx. See what the "processor" name is.
The do a "File->Open" in RSLogix500. Just click on the individual "project" files without opening them and their "processor" names will show up near the bottom of the File->Open dialog box. See if there is more than one "project file" whose "processor" name matches the name you saw in the RSWho window for your processor.

This may be the problem.

Craig

 

[rstech]

Good suggestion Craig, I know exactly what you're saying but it is the only file in the directory I'm looking at in all cases. I have come across what you are saying in the past where say all the processor names are "Default" and you have to actually pick the one you want.I was on a service call last night and and had the same thing happened again, on yet another piece of equipment. It has to be related to the latest version of RSLogix I installed because I never saw the problem before that. I'll be putting in a support request to Rockwell Software today. I'll post the results when I get them. If I don't get anywhere I'm going to go back to the previous version of RSLogix500 and see what happens. Thanks.

 

[dwilson]

RSLogix losing rung comments

Good suggestion Craig, I know exactly what you're saying but it is the only file in the directory I'm looking at in all cases.

Snip 8<----------------

I'll be putting in a support request to Rockwell Software today. I'll post the results when I get them.

Rob, did you ever get any satisfaction over this problem? I've had similar issues, ONLY with SLC 5.04's, and it stikes me as, only with V6.XX RS500 (we're up to 7.00 now, but it cropped up again recently.) I've only noticed the missing file names when sending the prog. to an outside contractor (names OK here, missing on his end; put down to version incompatibility). What I have seen is, backing up the running program didn't retain the current data file states, even though I'd specifically uploaded them before program modificaions.

Anyone?
--------------------
Dan.

 

[bikerdude]

Hi,
I have noticed the same issues with missing documentation,missing prog file names. I would really like for this problem to go away if anyone finds a method or fix for this new "feature". By the way, I'm using WindowsXP_Pro, Logix500 Ver7.0
BD

 

[dwilson]

Hi,
I have noticed the same issues with missing documentation,missing prog file names. I would really like for this problem to go away if anyone finds a method or fix for this new "feature". By the way, I'm using WindowsXP_Pro, Logix500 Ver7.0
BD

Just wondering. At what point does the documentation (File names, etc) appear to be missing(!)? I haven't yet seen this, and the contractor blames it on me for renaming the processor after upload.

TTYL

DW

 

[bikerdude]

dwilson,
It's always right after an upload. The offline version has the documentation. Not all of the documentation is missing I've noticed. The ones I need the most are the program file names. Some of our programs have 7 to 10 different files that are called from program file #2. These different program files provide organization to the maddness. They are always aptly named such as "Analog" or "Line #2".
Bd