In my factory we are thinking of replacing Factory Link 6.6 with Factory Link 7.2 or RSView enterprise edition. Has anyone performed this exercise before? I would appreciate your help. Thanks.
If you want to upgrade Factory Link 6.6 to Factory Link 7.2 or RSView, you could consider if its database, define tagname of control and monitoring point, can directly transfer or exported using excel file to new upgraded software. That method will save you a lot of time and cost. Many software, including iFIX, wonderware intouch, GE CIMPLICITY, could be choiced.
If your company is a Electrical Utilities, I would suggest Survalent WorldView HMI, which provides powerful performance especially focusing on Electrical Control.
Giovanni,
The easiest and cheapest way is to update to FL 7.2 (or FL 7.5 which is the last version)
To sum up the time you will consume, I tell you how long you will last to CONVERT your new system using the convertion tools that FL has (assuming that no special tasks developed by 3rd party are present):
1) Convert your FL 6.6 app to 7.x (server side): 10-20 min (depending on app size of course)
2) Convert your old displays to mimics (7.x) (client side): 5-10 min (depending on # of displays of course).
If your old app had/used VBScript into displays, I have to tell you unfortunately that you will have to create/traslate these programs to VBA code manually (I cannot give you an estimated time).
There is a guide given by Tecnomatix in which you will find what kind of things regarding to displays are not converted or are converted (in percentage).
3) Verify your converted/new app offline to find some problems caused by convertion (fonts, colors..little things and easy to fix): 2-5 hr
4) Verify after convertion if your I/O communication task works correctly using the new OS of your new PC (I assume you will change the old WNT to W2K/XP/W2003): 1 hr
I think you are using A-B PLCs so, the KTDTL or NetDTL task will work with no problems if you installed RSLinx on this new PC.
4) Then, trust yourself and start your new app up!.
I guess that with a new system based on RSView you could not get these times.
With regard to FL's capability to import data from external sources (e.g. Excel) to create its database, there is no problem with it.. FL is able to import/read data from Excel, database (via ODBC), text file, etc (even, simultaneously if you want), this is more than other SCADA/HMI softwares can do.
Regards.
Saludos.
Gustavo A. Valero P.
BIConsulting C.A.
Valencia - Venezuela [email protected]
