Engineering Tip

Upgrading 6.x to 7

Previous FactoryLink versions convert to the new version without too much effort and this upgrade is no different.

Steps:

1. Flsave your current application with 6.x as an MPS file.
2. Restore that application using Configuration Explorer (right mouse on MyFactoryLinkServer) to a different directory.
3. Change the properties of the application (right mouse click on the app icon created during restore.)
4. Remove the -nshared from the FLRunArgs (-nshared starts shared domain only.)
5. Right mouse click on the app icon again and change the "Domain View" selection and check Shared+User so that you can edit user domain tables.
6. Convert the application to FL7 by right mouse click on app icon and selecting "Convert."
7. Run application by right mouse click on app icon and selecting Start/Stop and clicking on "Start."

To take advantage of other FactoryLink 7 functions, add the following tasks to your system (Suggested that you add them at task numbers 30 and 31).  Use the System Configuration Sys Form to add other tasks to the system or copy the configuration from the starter app installed when you loaded the CD:

Task Name:  ONLINMGR
Task Description:  Online Restart Manager
Run at Startup:  do NOT check
Executable File:  bin/

Task Name:  FLUTILITYLAUNCHER
Task Description:  FactoryLink Utility Launcher
Run at Startup:  do NOT check
Executable File:  bin/

Upgrading the graphics to the new Client Builder is not required right away.  A pair of conversion programs ship with FL7 called TagShared.exe and ECSConvert.exe.  Tag shared is a utility that moves all of your user tags to the shared domain (If you plan to continue to use your old graphics, DON'T run TagShared).   ECSConvert conversion program will convert one or more .g files to the new mimic graphics.  NOTE:  it does not convert any PowerVB.  Because the FL6 graphics can still be run in FL7, you can start by converting a few drawings at a time and run the graphics in parallel (at the same time) until all of the drawings have been converted and then switch the operators over. 

USDATA has updated the graphics conversion files since the original release, you can download them from here: convert(400k)   USDATA has included a new switch in the ecsconvert utility that also converts drw and top actions to the corresponding link open animations.  The new syntax for the utility is:

ecsconvert -D -W2 -Ac:\flapp c:\progra~1\usdata\factorylink\client~1\projects\newprj

-D is to document the VB, -W2 converts the buttons, -A specifies the FLAPP, and the last directory is where the new client builder project is found.

If you wish to take advantage of the new graphics in Client Builder, you need to add the OPC Server task to your current application once converted to FL7 to display tag values in the new graphics.  You will also need to add a new Alarm Server task to the system to utilize the new ActiveX alarm object.  Use the System Configuration Sys Form to add other tasks to the system:

Task Name:  OPC_SERVER
Task Description:  OPC Server
Run at Startup:  check
Executable File:  bin/opc_server

Task Name:  ALARMSRV
Task Description:  Alarm Server
Run at Startup:  check
Executable File:  bin/alarmsrv

Additional setup is required for the Alarm Server.  You will find the alarm server setup under Application->Alarms->Distributed Alarm Server 7.0 or copy the configuraton from the starter app.

Send Mailbox:  ALARMSRV_SNDMBX
Receive Mailbox:  ALARMSRV_RCVMBX
Poll Trigger:  ALARMSRV_POLL

The Poll Trigger also needs to be put into the Interval Timer table with a trigger of 3 seconds.  You can consult the manual for a discussion about the poll trigger or copy the configuration from the starter app.