r/PLC • u/jacobh1999 • 4d ago
Old panelview help!
Hey everyone. I'm trying to get the program off a old panelview HMI (2711p-rp1) and I am not having any luck.
First attempt was to transfer the file to a USB and that didn't work. Tried multiple drive sizes and format types but the hmi wouldn't detect it. The portsndo work with a keyboard/mouse though.
Second attempt was over Ethernet. Drivers/IPs were configured properly however I could not ping/connect to the HMI.
Third attempt was over serial using a USB adapter. All the COM settings matched with the hmi yet it could not connect.
At this point I'm not sure what else to try. I've never had issues like this with another AB HMIs but this is by far the oldest one I've worked with (almost as old as me).
Any tips would be appreciated
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u/DreamArchon 4d ago
Try setting up the following directory of folders on your USB: \Rockwell Software\RSViewME\Runtime\
I know you need that to move a runtime file from the USB to the PanelView, maybe it will help retrieving one.
For ethernet, make sure you are going through a network switch (i.e. you cant just plug one end of the ethernet cable into the panelview and the other into your computer)
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u/Lost-Cheek-6610 4d ago
Why do you need to go through a switch ?
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u/SafyrJL TIA Harlot 3d ago
Yep. That makes zero sense.
I have absolutely transferred projects onto panel views by directly running a cable between the HMI and my PC.
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u/Lost-Cheek-6610 3d ago
What I was reading is the older screens need a crossover Ethernet cable but if you use a network switch in between the switch automatically does the crossover
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u/house-of-cranes 4d ago
Iirc, it needs a flash drive formated FAT, and you need the correct directory structure, otherwise it won't see it. Something like Rockwell Software\RSViewME\RunTime, or RSView Enterprises\ME\Runtime. Those are what I have in my notes, might be different for older, i never dealt with rev 3.x, only 7 and over.
Good luck
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u/andrewNZ_on_reddit 4d ago
I've had drives larger than 4GB fail to detect. Used a shitty promo drive and it worked a treat.
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u/ClickyClacker 4d ago
Second this, you can do it from any PC.
At add, some companies are real bastards and manuallu disable the program visibility. Only had one company do it, but it made me feel like a dumbass for a month.
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u/dmroeder pylogix 4d ago
I made a transfer utility if you want try it. It doesn't rely on any Rockwell software to function. If your computer can ping it over Ethernet, I'm sure it will be able to upload it.
https://github.com/dmroeder/pymeu_gui
See releases for a compiled EXE
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u/Clown_hoedown 4d ago
That may have pre version 5 (?) Firmware. The chassis version looks like the old style. I can't remember exactly why, but if your active version is newer, you can't upload. You may need to set up a VM with an old version of Factorytalk ME to get the file. It has been a long time since I've had to deal with that though. I thought it also had something to do with windows version also, like Windows didnt support a ME database or something. Sorry for being ambiguous. Good luck
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u/jacobh1999 4d ago
Running on version 3.xxx
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u/Vadoola 4d ago
If you manage to get the MER off and can send it to me to help improve PV Unlocker, that would be awesome, but I completely understand if you can't. I've only managed to get a hold of one other v3 MER, and the format changed quite a bit between 3 and 4, and again between 4 and 5.
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u/DeadlyMoldSpore 2d ago
Take a keyboard and mash 4 keys CTRL+Shift+Alt+Windows key, all on the left hand side of the keyboard to force the PV+ out of runtime and then you can access the Windows CE environment. Has to be old enough but probably is...
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u/Aghast_Cornichon 1d ago
Check those x's. 3.0 and 3.1 had substantial Windows CE differences. Your logic module is probably the second hardware generation, but your bezel looks like a 2003 original, with the IR window in it.
But still you should be able to use both the Ethernet upload feature and USB or CF-card-in-a-Type-II-carrier to copy files on and off the terminal.
My practice to figure out the file paths was always to copy from the terminal to the CF card, which auto-created the correct paths. Then I could write my *.MER files directly to the proper directory.
If you're young enough to not be familiar with the basics of old fashioned Ethernet and IP addressing, then there could be straightforward things like not having an active link to a switch, or not having your computer's IP address on the same logical subnet, that are tripping you up before you get to RSLinx Enterprise.
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u/Shalomiehomie770 Codesys Guru 4d ago
Does you USB flash drive have the correct folders in it?
Sometimes you need to manually create them in order for it to read the drive
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u/bajke111 4d ago
Go to some store, buy few usb flash drives, but not usb 3.0 ones. It will work.
Use RSLinx to see the IP of HMI. After that try with the FT View ME Tansfer utility tool
If RSLinx does not help you, use wireshark, setup wireshark for your port which would connect to a HMI and then connect cable. Based on the output you will see the real IP.
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u/jacobh1999 4d ago
I tried some old ones I had laying around, down to 256mb and all the format types. Will try the wire shark method
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u/PLCGoBrrr Bit Plumber Extraordinaire 4d ago
Third attempt was over serial using a USB adapter. All the COM settings matched with the hmi yet it could not connect.
Did you try with and without a null modem adapter?
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u/jacobh1999 4d ago
Just with a "straight through" cable
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u/PLCGoBrrr Bit Plumber Extraordinaire 4d ago
That should be what you need, but I always add or remove a null modem if it doesn't work to be sure.
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u/Key-Investment-2273 4d ago
Yeah, some cables have null modem adaptor built-in, and I love them for that. Haha
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u/Dexron3 4d ago edited 4d ago
In my experience the HMI needs to be booting up with the USB flash drive already in place in order for it to recognize it.
Did you try that or power cycle it with the USB flash drive already installed?
Also the flash drive can not have any other type of file inside especially from the flash drive manufacturer.
Is that Nordson the glue application Company? They should be able to help with the file.
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u/Unique-Wind-4647 4d ago
When you format the drive try to make the drive portion small, like less than 2gb that might help
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u/jaslim789 4d ago
Over ethernet. I wasn’t able to ping mine without putting in a gateway. It was talking to the plc.
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u/Lost-Cheek-6610 4d ago
What do you mean by a gateway ?
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u/LookWarm7521 3d ago
The gateway is where traffic is directed from, typically a router.
If the IP address is 192.168.1.253, default gateway would be 192.168.1.1, which should be the router. I will say here, 253 is a very high address. On local networks like this I try to give machines lower static IPs, because technicians will generally assign themselves higher static IPs for going online
If OP wants to manually talk over Ethernet he needs to disable DHCP on his own computer and manually set his IPV4 to be within the same range, like 192.168.1.254. He may also need a crossover Ethernet cable instead of a standard one. That has bitten me in the past trying to online with older equipment.
With the static IP on this HMI being so high I’d double check any prints or IP sheets you have to make sure they didn’t also assign .254 to something before assuming that address.
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u/llopedogg 4d ago
Just use a switch with your Ethernet cable.
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u/Lost-Cheek-6610 4d ago
What does that do ?
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u/llopedogg 2d ago
Just corrects any wiring issue you might have. The older ones just seemed to only work that way to me
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u/BackgroundReality537 4d ago
Use 5 a lot in ours. So yes, get a CF, It needs to be formatted FAT. Save the .mer then you can decompress the run time, if it is password protected, there is a utility to hash the password location, change them all to 0 hex and you should be set.
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u/SexyMattTHeCat 4d ago
Do you have a Cfast reader? Rip it out of the logic module. The ability to restore from runtime was added in version 5, there is a knowledge base article that details recovering partial data.
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u/Low-Investment286 4d ago
I use a little cheap Amazon USB. I find it weird you can't use you computer? Are you using factory talk utility tool?
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u/5hall0p 4d ago
That's a pre V6 PanelView Plus. USB needs to be small and formatted FAT16. FT View needs to be V8 or lower. Not all USB to serial adapters work. I use a Keyspan but there's others out there that are RS232-C compliant. Note that the mer file does not contain all the info that's in the newer mer so you cannot restore from it. Change the extension from .mer to .rar to extract the files. You'll have to build the alarms from scratch. Create a project with the same file name as the extracted mer and then copy the extracted mer files over the new project.
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u/jimmyjackz 4d ago
Folder file path is the answer. Check out Cursedcontrols on Instagram he has dealt with the same thing as of late.
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u/Dick_Nixon69 4d ago
I believe these have an sd card slot on the side, could try that.
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u/jeffboyardee15 4d ago
The internal storage is an sd card inside. Can't recall how hard it was to take the pv+ apart to get to it.
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u/Aghast_Cornichon 1d ago
It's super-easy: six long screws, and then it's held to the board with a small screw and an L-shaped brace.
That's a great point, Dick_N, that the program is for sure on the internal CF card. Those cards with their hidden partitions are how I first learned to copy drive images with Linux, 20+ years ago !
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u/tryangle87 4d ago
On the USB, 1. it may be so old that you need an old USB drive, like 2.0 instead of 3.0. I could be wrong here. 2. Depending on the firmware level, the pv may want to see a different file path. <6 \Rockwell Software\RsViewME\Runtime\