Question about Kepware

[Steve Etter]

I am replacing a 12-year-old dead PC-based HMI (FTView) with a new one. The original installation used Kepware and I have a .pfe file for it. I already have the FTView application installed on the new system, but it's looking for the Kepware file(s). I don't have Kepware at the moment and I'd prefer not to buy it just for this seemingly simple replacement.

My question is: do I need to "install" this or am simply looking at locating the .pfe file in the proper subdirectory?

 

[Ken Roach]

My recollection is that you have the option of installing KepServer EX when you install FactoryTalk View Studio. When the runtime terminal is a PanelView Plus, you load the KepServer drivers you want to use at the same time as you do a firmware upgrade to the PV+, and then all you need to do is designate the path to the *.PFE file so it can be wrapped up and included in the *.MER.

If your FactoryTalk View installation ran on a Windows desktop... I think that ME included a limited KepServer EX installation and license.

For FactoryTalk View SE systems, I think you had to buy and license KepServer separately.

Either way, a *.PFE isn't a portable KepServer executable, and the KepServer executables aren't included in FactoryTalk View. It's the configuration file for KepServer's executables and drivers to use to provide OPC service to FactoryTalk View.

 

[Ken Roach]

If you need help opening and examining the PFE file's contents, I should have KepServer on one of my VMs. What's the third-party driver ?

 

[TheWaterboy]

The Kepware standalone uses OPF or JSON as its configuration files. I assume PFE is the RA version of Kepware?

 

[PreLC]

Kepware trial edition comes with an infinitely renewable license.

 

[Ken Roach]

To my knowledge, *.PFE was the file format for KepServer EX configurations prior to v5. The only file the FactoryTalk View runtime creator would bundle into the runtime was "default.pfe".

A modern installation of Kepserver should be able to open that file. You just have to set the filename selector to "all files *.*".

I don't know if Steve is building a new-but-old Windows XP box and installing RSView SE 4.0 on it and streaming a "Hits of 2002" Spotify playlist, or installing a fresh shiny FactoryTalk View v15 installation while trying in vain to get Chappell Roan's catchy riffs out of his head.

There might be an alternative to Kepware in this application depending on the number of tags and the protocol, but nothing is likely to be quite as simple as just opening the old file with KepServer EX.

 

[Steve Etter]

So, I'm definitely building a shiny new FTView ME v15 installation, but fortunately I am oblivious to Chappell Roan and her riffs.

When I restored and upgraded the project to v15, it shows KEPSERVER in the project tree. Opening that, it tells me the OPCServer name is "Kepware.KEPServerEnterprise.V5" and the radio button "Server will be hosted on local computer". This suggests to me that I will need to purchase KepServerEX and install it on my shiny new station. When I installed the FTView ME Station on the new HMI, however, I found no options with respect to Kepware or the like, so I'm guessing it's not installed.

Does it sound like I need to spring for KepServerEX?

 

[Ken Roach]

Go to the PCDC where you would download FTView ME Runtime, and look for the "third party software" bundle. That's where you download the bundled KepServer EX and Win-911 software.

I think that the KepServer EX installations that you did alongside FTView ME did not require a separate activation, but it did require a separate installation.

 

[Steve Etter]

Thanks Ken. This looks promising.

I am downloading KepServer Enterprise 15.00.00 now and I find I have on-file the S/N and Product Key from the original installation. I won't have time today to call up Rockwell and restore the activation, but once I do that, I'll holler back and update how this goes.

 

[Myrddin]

I've done some standalone HMI's with kepware like you are describing.

First download and install Kepware Kep Server Enterprise v5, I dont want to mess around with getting the new Kepware software to do what I want. This should be free to download all you have to do is make an account and log in.

Open the .Mer file with 7.zip and and the root there will be a Kepserver folder, the .pfe is in there, extract it then open it with Kepware.

Once it's open make make sure you check that the runtime is connected from the runtime option at top.

Then all you need to do is open up FTview and create a new Runtime Application, and the FT view software will grab the .pfe file from kepware automatically.

Just curious is this a Cell with a Fanuc Robot?

 

[Steve Etter]

All right. Thanks to you all, my new HMI is up and running.

1) I definitely needed to download and install Kepserver Enterprise from PCDC.

2) Once I installed it on the HMI PC, I had to call Rockwell to restore my lost KepServer activation.

3) I then had to copy my .pfe file into the V5 subdirectory on the HMI and tell Kepserver to use it.

Once all that was done, the original .MER file (updated from ancient-times to V15) worked fine as converted.

Just curious is this a Cell with a Fanuc Robot?

Yes, the cell has two Fanuc Robots actually.

Thank again for the support.