How to update TerminalOS on PPC50

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1

Hello,

I’m using the PPC50 for my application and I need both USB interfaces for my automation runtime. So USB IF4, which is per default connected to the terminal, is reconfigured to connect to AR.

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Now the technicians need to update the terminal OS on the machines in the field. How can it be done when the USB is not connected anymore to the terminal?

In the category “Update” of the terminal configuration settings of the C50, I can select the mode between “User-defined update server” and specify a server URL or the mode “Application”. Since the machine is not connected to any network, the first option is not applicable. Can we use the option “Application” for that? I couldn’t find any further documentation about that.

I’m using AS 4.12.x.

Thanks,

Eugen

2

Hello,

Based on Trigger Terminal-OS update on PPC50 via application and revision info for upgrade 1.8.0.0, it should be possible.

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3

That is a good question. Has anyone here in BRCommunity tried that?

4

Yes, I’ve seen that revision too. But still I can’t find any documentation how it can be done. Neither in AS 4x. help nor in AS 6 help..

5

Hi Eugen,

I have not the solution, but two tips:

  • In the documentation we can see, that it is available from version 1.8.0 from april this year. So if you have an older version on your C50, it will not work, because of the installed version has not this feature. So I think you need to update it first manually via USB-stick and than later in the future it is possible to update to newer versions via AR.
  • You can download the C50 Linux images into Automation Studio via Tools-Upgrades:
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When you select the update via Application, then the AR should update the Linux - I think.

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But if you need to trigger it manually - via Automation Studio or anything else - unfortunately I don’t know. Hopefully someone else here knows it.

6

I’m also unsure about the application trigger.
But just to mention it: the update server for the terminal os could also be the PLC integrated AR web or ftp server, at least I think so.

7

Thanks you all for the different ideas - I will try them once I have a C50 test sample available.

8

I have a C50 sample with terminal OS V1.3.1 installed and tried to update the terminal OS from its own FTP server to the latest V1.8.0 (as FTP is already enabled there). I have to mention that the C50 server is using FTPS (not unsecure FTP) with port 21 configured.

The steps I did:

  1. Connect via Filezilla to the C50, create a folder “Update” and upload the terminal OS update files to this folder (unzipped - as I would do when using the USB update method)
  2. In AS under the section “Terminal configuration/Update”, enter the URL to the update files
  3. Transfer the project to the C50
  4. Power-on the PLC

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The terminal OS was not updated during the startup. I tried different formats of the URL:

I’m not sure which format I need when using FTPS + credentials, but nevertheless, none of them worked.

Any suggestion what might be the issue?

9

Hello,

Isn’t the update via USB storage media option for you?

10

The update via USB storage media is only possible if the C50’s USB port is configured to be connected to the terminal.

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But in our application, both available USB ports (IF3 and IF4) are configured to point to AR.

11

Hi @eugen.c,I have never tried it but I would check this page B&R Online Help