Studio 5000 Ver. 21.00 vs 21.03

I rev'd my studio5000 form 21.00.03 to 21.03 and now I cannot down rev to 21.00.03. This is what the customer has. The processor firmware is 21.11 and I cannot upload form the PLC into 21.00.03. Tech support said I can never go back. Use extreme cation when upgrading Studio5000 minor revs, there is no uploading out of the processor.

Yes this is in a TN somewhere. It has to do with Rockwell updating the security features of ver. 21. I *think* it also affects ver. 20 versions as well.

KEN_KACEL said:

I rev'd my studio5000 form 21.00.03 to 21.03 and now I cannot down rev to 21.00.03. This is what the customer has. The processor firmware is 21.11 and I cannot upload form the PLC into 21.00.03. Tech support said I can never go back. Use extreme cation when upgrading Studio5000 minor revs, there is no uploading out of the processor.

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Yet for some reason, clients keep requesting this brutal hardware........
Yeah, it is silly, and ultimately makes NO sense. Consider this: How has your Ladder changes since the SLC 5 days? Probably very little? Maybe you use some AOIs and UDTs, but that is really only a function of the programming software, and nothing to do with the base level that the PLC processes at... XIO, XIC, LD....

But it's a moot point.
They have their business model, and it makes them a lot of money.
Recommend to your future clients:
Mitsubishi will take your old code and write it in to a mitsubishi PLC Free of charge.
Their software is backwards compatible (I just troubleshot a PLC that was 16 years old using the exact same installation that I am programming PLCs for today)
Their hardware is about 50% of the price on average.
Their manuals are way more in depth, and available Free of charge
Their tech support is 24/7 and available Free of charge because they get fewer calls about "Why does version 21.03 not work with 21.00.03?" because that's a business play, not an industry requirement.

I've heard that Siemens is much the same way?

Originally posted by KEN_KACEL:

Use extreme cation when upgrading Studio5000 minor revs, there is no uploading out of the processor.

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This is a very specific case and is not directly related to Studio5000. As jkerekes stated this affects V20 also. Rockwell changed the way they handle code locks on a fundamental level. So once you go up there is no going back.

I really have no issue with this at a base level. If you provide a specific function you should make sure it works correctly. But I would say that the V20 install should have both V20.01 and V20.03 in the install with a HUGE warning that once you go to V20.03 you fornicate yourself going backward. I haven't installed V20.03 yet so I don't know for sure that isn't in there. But if its not that is my big issue with it.

Originally posted by devo.xx:

Their hardware is about 50% of the price on average.

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And it works like it too. We worked one project here with Mitsi about two years ago. A very simple web line actually. But the customer requested servomotor control of the axes. We were just doing simple coordinated velocity control. Something I can do on at least three different platforms in my sleep, only one of which I have any real familiarity with. The base stuff didn't work. The factory guys couldn't get it to work. After two firmware changes we got something that was close to what we needed but we had to jump through so many hoops to get there the development cost completely overshadowed the hardware cost difference.

Each brand has their issues. Rockwell is cost and version control. Mitsi is it is too directed. If I wanted to control a pick-and-place robot the Mitsi stuff would have about written itself. Get off the beaten path a little and the wheels fall off.

Keith

KEN_KACEL said:

I rev'd my studio5000 form 21.00.03 to 21.03 and now I cannot down rev to 21.00.03. This is what the customer has. The processor firmware is 21.11 and I cannot upload form the PLC into 21.00.03. Tech support said I can never go back. Use extreme cation when upgrading Studio5000 minor revs, there is no uploading out of the processor.

Click to expand...

Hmm...when I go to the software download page it's pretty obvious that it isn't compatible. v20.03 and v21.03 are enhanced security variants. It's all about addressing security. If security is a big concern in my organization I certainly would consider this version and be extremely happy that it is locked down.