Rockwell PanelView ME HMI
Overview
This integration can be used to back up runtime files from PanelView 6 and 7 standalone HMIs from Rockwell Automation. As a rule of thumb, if your HMI was programmed using a supported version FactoryTalk View Studio ME IDE and you can manually perform a backup using a supported version of the ME Transfer Utility, then the Copia DeviceLink Agent should be able to perform the backup. Copia only claims support for compatible software versions that we have tested. As such, it may be possible that Copia can back up your older versions of projects. If you have older versions that you'd like to back up, please feel free to try and/or reach out to your Customer Success Manager to discuss potential options.
Agent Requirements
Below are the Agent system requirements to configure a Copia Agent for the backup of Rockwell PanelView HMI (FactoryTalk View Studio ME) projects.
The Agent PC must contain a licensed installation of FactoryTalk View Studio ME
The DeviceLink Agent has been tested with and supports FactoryTalk View Studio versions V12-V15
The Agent PC must contain an installation of the ME Transfer Utility
The DeviceLink Agent has been tested with and supports the ME Transfer Utility V12 - V15
This software is typically installed alongside FactoryTalk View Studio ME
The Agent PC must contain an installation of the communication software used by the ME Transfer Utility
This can be either RSLinx or FactoryTalk Linx
This software must be configured with the HMI devices added as Drivers
New Project Configuration
To configure a project for your Rockwell PanelView HMI, you will need to already have a repository created that will store the backups of the runtime files.
Click either of the Add a Project buttons in the Projects tab.
The Add a new project configuration dialog will appear which allows you to fully configure the project, devices and job for the project.
Any items highlighted with an asterisk are required.
This is a multi-step process with each section explained in detail. At any time, you can edit the prior section of this workflow.
Some parts of the Project can be edited after creation. Devices and Jobs can also be edited or created directly, using the Devices or Jobs tab. The steps for creation are similar to the steps provided below for those sections.
Define the Project
To get started, we will first select the Project Type from the list provided, and then select an Agent. If you have not already created an Agent, you can create and assign an Agent at a later time. See more about this in the Agents section of the documentation.
When complete, press Save and Continue.
You will now select the Project Path, which is the location (Repository/Branch) where the project file is stored.
You can edit the previous steps at any time.
You will now select the Project Path, which is the location (Repo/Branch) that the project is, or will be stored. You can either select an existing folder, or create a new empty folder (so that you can upload a copy of your project data from the device) for an initial revision. You can make this choice after you have selected the repository and branch for the project folder.
In this example, we will create a new empty project folder. Once complete, press Save and Continue to proceed.
Once selected, press Save and Continue to proceed.
The Project Details section allows you to set the Project name and add a description if desired.
Define the Device(s)
The Device Setup section is for defining the device information (PLC, network, authentication, etc.) that is in your Project. If you have pre-created devices, you can add existing devices, otherwise you can Add a Device as shown.
Fill in all required fields and any additional fields that are applicable. For the "Device Name" field, it is suggested to use the same name as the Project.
DeviceLink requires configuration of the Communication Path in both the agent and the web application.
This on-agent configuration has to be performed for every device you wish to back up.
Setting the Communication Path
When creating a new PanelView HMI Device in DeviceLink, you will be asked to provide a Communications Path for the device being backed up.
This path must be entered in the Communication Path field in the web application. You must use the fully qualified communication path including the communication bus (e.g. Backplane, PointBus, CompactBus, etc.). For HMIs is typically in the form of: drivername\ipaddress, though if you have a more complex networking setup, your Communication path may be longer. Note that the name of the communication bus is case-sensitive. FactoryTalk Linx may show the communication path beginning with <HostName!>, but do not include that in your Communication Path in Copia.
Example :
(Typical):
DriverName\192.168.1.21This is an example of a more complex Communication Path:
DriverName\10.20.11.30\Backplane\0\A\192.168.1.100
First, you must use the RSLinx Classic or FactoryTalk Linx utilities on the agent to add Drivers for each device. Browse down to the slot associated with each device you wish to back up to ensure that the communication software can successfully communicate with the device.
After successfully backing up all of the devices linked to a given agent, Copia recommends copying your RSLinx configuration. This way, if RSLinx gets corrupted, you can restore the configuration without manually re-browsing to each device. Your RSLinx configuration can be saved via the "RSLinx Classic Backup and Restore Utility" installed along with RSLinx.
If using FactoryTalk Linx, use the FactoryTalk Administration Console to back up the configuration file.
You can manually upload this configuration file to your Copia repository to keep it in the Cloud.
Web UI - Device Setup
Once you have configured your agent to use the communication software as recommended, you will enter the remaining information in the web app.
Name the Device
Note: The Device Name must not contain any non-alphanumeric characters besides
_and-
(Optional) Enter a Device Description
Enter a Communication Path
Select a Storage Type
These checkboxes are defining which storage locations the Agent will attempt to retrieve runtime files from. Internal Storage is the onboard storage of the PanelView HMI. External Storage 1 is typically the PanelView's onboard SD card, and External Storage 2 is typically a USB storage device.
The Copia Agent will attempt to retrieve all available runtime files from the selected Storage Types
Only select the Storage Types you want to back up from. Your Job will experience errors if it tries to back up from a location that doesn't exist. For the majority of users, Internal Storage will be the only Storage Type that needs to be selected.
Define the Job(s)
Creating Jobs is similar for all vendor types, and is described in the Creating Jobs section. It is recommended to review that section while completing a job configuration, and press Save to save the job. You can create more than one job for a device if desired.
Submit the Configuration
Once complete, press "Submit Project Setup" at the bottom of the form to create the Project, Device(s) and Job(s).
Don't forget to enable/disable the Watch button, based on your preferences for project Notifications.
Job Statuses
DeviceLink backup Jobs can end with one of four statuses: Up to Date, Modified, Failed, or Timed Out. Since PanelView HMIs can contain multiple runtime files on multiple storage devices, the Job status will indicate a Failed status if any of the runtime files fail to back up successfully. The table below describes some different backup scenarios and the Job status' they would have.
Project configured to back up one Storage Type
Storage Type backs up successfully, with no changes detected
Project configured to back up one Storage Type
Storage Type failed to back up any files
Project configured to back up multiple Storage Types
All Storage Types back up successfully, with changes detected in at least one runtime file
Project configured to back up three Storage Types
Two Storage Types back up successfully, but the third fails
Runtime File Change Detection
As shown in the image below, Copia is able to detect if there have been any modifications to the runtime file. It will also display the project tree and specify if any of the items have been added, deleted, or modified. This information is displayed to assist in identifying if a modification requires deeper investigation, as Copia is unable to render the specific changes to each of the project items.
This project tree view will be visible in the DeviceLink Job Details page as well as in the repository in Source Control. Note that this project tree rendering only applies to .mer runtime files and will not render the project tree for the full FactoryTalk View ME development projects that may be version-controlled in a Source Control repository.
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