RSView or FactoryTalk View Installation Question

[Wino]

I know PLCs, but I usually work with Wago or Siemens. Our customer has specified Allen-Bradley for this current assignment. I received the AB software, but no manuals or installation instructions at all.

I have purchased, on the customer's recommendation, RSLogix 5000, RSView Studio, and RSView SE Station 25. The RSView boxes aren't even marked differently from one-another, except a sticker on the back. On top of that they don't say "RSView." They say "FactoryTalk View." These were purchased from our local AB distributor, so I'm hoping he knows more about this than I do and that I got the right software.

Anyway, I have installed RSLogix on a new Win XP laptop that has only WinXP Pro and Kaspersky installed on it. I want to know if I am supposed to install Studio on the same laptop, and therefore the RSView SE Station on the HMI? That's my guess, but I'd like a bit of knowledgeable input before I make a mistake.

Can anyone help me get started on this installation? The program itself is going to be simple.

 

[dmargineau]

What type of HMI terminals/PC Interfaces are you going to use in your application?
Are you going to use stand-alone terminals (HMI) or PCs networked to a data server?
RSView was used for distributed applications on legacy PLC/SLC platforms, while the newer Logix plaforms are using FactoryTalk View SE.
Either way, within an XP OS, there shouldn't be any issues installing both RSL5K and RSView/FactoryTalk on the same machine.

 

[Lancie1]

I want to know if I am supposed to install Studio on the same laptop, and therefore the RSView SE Station on the HMI?

Yes, that will be the best set-up for you. You could install RSView Studio on a different laptop, but generally most of us want it on the same one with the PLC programming software so that changes for a common project can be made at the same time on both programs using different windows.

They say "FactoryTalk View."

Renaming and repackaging software adds value for the customer. If you don't believe that, just compare the prices of the old with the new.

 

[Fitz]

Renaming and repackaging software adds value for the customer. If you don't believe that, just compare the prices of the old with the new.

Couldn't have said it better!

 

[OkiePC]

What version of Factory Talk View Studio are you installing?

I highly recommend updating it to the latest version 6.10 before installing it on a real PC. And, you want to download the latest patchrollup, or ensure the installer fetches ir from the internet for you.

I have a horror story about trying to upgrade from 4.0 to 5.0. Most of us now play it safe and run only version 6.10 in a virtual machine. It can be a bit trickier to set up, but it affords you the ability to "yank the cord" harmlessly to your real PC, and even revert if something goes haywire.

I also highly recommend that your have a support contract with Rockwell to give you full TechConnect access to the full Knowledgebase. For just the Panelview Plus you may be able to get by without it, but for a full blown SE Distributed application, you are likely to need that resource.

There are two very lengthy and thorough manuals for developing with FactoryTalk View Studio.

I have to run, no time to dig up some links for you.

Also, the Windows 7 Pro OS, is it 32-bit or 64-bit?

 

[Wino]

It is 6.10, the latest version. I am using WinXP Professional on a new machine with a clean installation. I've been playing the PLC game for too long to trust anything other than WinXP to work with anything. I've been burned too many times.

I found two manuals from Rockwell/AB: an installation guide and a user's guide.

I have five (5) disks with nothing telling me what goes into the machine in which order. I'm not buying any support agreement until or unless I need it. I have software that is so extremely overpowered for my application. I doubt I have even 10 screens on the HMI when I'm done, and this is all solely for an operator's display station.

Thanks to everyone for their responses. I was worried that I'd get a few "You must install program X before program Y, or else you'll have to reformat and reinstall everything from scratch." At least I got nothing like that in response.

 

[Wino]

DMargineau, I have an AB HMI (one only), which will be interfacing with one AB CPU and 8 third party units through the CPU. The protocol will be Modbus RTU for which I've purchased a prosoft communications card. I don't remember the model numbers of either the CPU or the HMI, but again these were recommended by the end user who is the AB fan.

I'm actually starting the programming this week. As I've done Modbus TCP before, I don't anticipate any real problems along those lines. I don't need a ton of data, so I won't have to get involved in any data bundling or special formatting for the communications. I have just a few words of analog data for each unit and probably no more than 100 discrete data points altogether. Most of my time will probably be spent learning the AB programs to do the screens and then linking the data.

I hope I come through it better than my WordPerfect to MSWord transition. Wish me luck!

And again, thanks to everyone who answered.