Backup content of ION7550RTU

[YvesR]

Hello,

IS it possible to backup a ION7550RTU framework with full content

I know we can back it up with ION Setup but when restore the full content in a other ION7550RTU all the links are gon, the text also I think.

We have done quite a lot of calculations in one of them and we want it to back it up.

Thanks in advance

Yves

[Yut]

I did copy framework from one to another many time using ION Setup. Please review if you use Setup Assistance>Template>Save to PC>Send to meter these are steps you must do.

[YvesR]

Hi Yut,

Yes This is ok for me but when restoring this into a new ION7550RTU all the links the lines from 1 block to another are gone.

It is not the same as you left it before the backup and there are text missing.

I will do a test tomorow and send some screen shots

Yves

[Robert_Lee · Accepted solution]

Assuming you perform a "Save to PC", store the DCF and then perform a "Send to Meter", selecting the DCF file you save originally, then you should get an identical template on the second RTU.

What you will not get is any previously recorded data (logs or accumulated readings) as those can NOT be pre-populated into the other meter.  Framework files may not transfer as expected depending on how that framework was saved using ION Designer.

Also if you are alternating between using ION Designer and ION Setup, you may have to manually clear the device tree cache as ION Designer might not be aware of any changes depending if the changes are occurring in rapid succession.

[Yu_Diao]

I haven't done this for a while, but in older DCF file, it didn't contain any grouping or comments (text object). After restoring to a new meter, the new meter would have the same functions but it was not easy for another engineer to open it in Designer and understand the logic behind it.

Wonder if this is changed in recent release?

Sent from my mobile device.

[Robert_Lee]

This is why you shouldn't use both ION Designer *and* ION Setup together without knowing how each work.

ION Designer has other visual objects which aren't transferred to the actual meter (ex. grouping objects) and are only stored in the CFG for a device (and in a framework file FWN if saved).  Thus when ION Setup reads up the module configuration from the meter, there is no means to see how an ION Designer user has grouped up objects or put down any static objects like bitmaps/graphics/text.  In order for another ION Designer to visually see anything, the CFG must be transferred to the other PME system (thus if you are doing framework design for a customer, giving him just the DCF will only get his meter programmed properly but if he views the meter in ION Designer, anything not in the known CFG gets all put into the "Newly Created Modules" folder and its all a mess).

Anytime any customization to a framework is done using ION Designer, it is best to share the device CFG file from the PME work station that created it with other users who may get its FWN or DCF file in order to view it properly.

[Yu_Diao]

Thanks, Robert.

That's what we have been doing so far. For a standard meter template, the DCF file is what we use. For any customized framework (Modbus mastering, WAGES...), I normally use FWN and keep a copy of CFG just in case.

Sent from my mobile device.

[Hal_Etheridge]

Also do not have the device open and making changes in IONSetup and Designer at the same time.  Both applications can and will cache the device setup in place when the device was first opened in that application.  If the second application then makes changes to the device then the first application will not know about it (at least not immediately and likely not until the application is reopened) and this could give the user an incorrect view of what configuration is present.

The best practice when changing the device configuration is to start with all applications closed and then open a single application, make the required device changes and finally close that application.  If you want to make further changes with a second application then only open it once the first application is closed and the configuration has been successfully saved to the device.

IONSetup's target use case is to make changes to specific, individual setup registers.  Designer is targeted to wholesale module configuration changes (pasting new modules, changing linkages, etc).  Both applications can do both types of configuration changes but they are each more efficient at different tasks.