I’m using an APC3100 with AR only. I’m trying to do an offline installation with the CFast card as target and I want to create a USER partition and include user files.
The offline installation is successful. However, when I power on the APC with the CFast card inserted the APC doesn’t go to RUN mode. I’ve tried to do the offline installation with three different computers and with two different CFast readers. But I got exactly the same result every time. I also tried to perform the offline installation both from Automation Studio and from Runtime Utility Center. I even tried to update the BIOS version of the APC. But nothing seems to work.
Then I started to compare the content of the CFast card after an offline installation, with a CFast card that had a working installation made with a normal transfer from Automation Studio. I realize that when you do an offline installation, there may be some files that are automatically created/moved/renamed/unzipped/etc. when you start the PLC for the first time with that CFast card. But I’m still wondering if there might be files missing after I do an offline installation. Furthermore, I am unable to get any files to my USER partition even though I have selected this and I have pointed out a folder where my user files are located.
Here is my comparision of the content on the CFast cards:
I’m using:
Automation Studio Automation Studio 4.12.7.113 SP
5APC3100_KBU1_000 version 2.2.7.0
What do I do wrong here?
Is there anyone that are able to do an offline installation on a CFast card?
I am able to do an offline installation on a normal CF card. It’s only with the CFast cards that doesn’t seem to work.
Hi,
I haven’t the exactly same configuration (I’m using AS 4.12.6 on W10 notebook), but I did a quick test with an offline installation (including copying some dummy files onto the user partition) of a APC3100 using AR O4.93 (like I’ve seen in your screenshots) and a 128GB CFast.
I’m facing no issues with the offline installation with CFast card and a “noname” reader, the system goes trough several reboots and ends up in RUN (of course, it’s only a dummy project only containing some settings and tasks).
But at least I can confirm the file system structure and content from your screenshots. They look similar to my structure directly after creating the CFast card via offline installation:
The missing content including the files from user partition is created while initial installation is executed in the APC (the transfer folder contains the whole content that is unpacked by the installation routine, including some operating instructions for AR initial installation routines).
After initial installation is finished, the CFast file system content looks like your screenshots of the running system.
So, of course I can’t swear, but I can’t imagine that the root cause is the CFast card or the AS / RUC routines.
It would be interesting how the file system structure looks after the failed initial installation? If there’s a RPSHD folder on the DATA1 partition, could you please try to extract the logger module from the CFast, open it in AS, and check if there’s some more information available?
See here some sample screenshots how to save the logger from the CFast card:
Best regards.
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Ok, it’s good to hear that it is possible to do an offline installation on a CFast card.
Just to be clear, we’re not using hypervisor. The APC is running AR only and I’ve tried using both a Win10 computer and a Win11 computer when doing the offline installation.
Here’s what’s happening when I’ve inserted the CFast card that I used for the offline installation and power on the APC:
- I have connected a screen to see if the APC goes too BOOT mode. I saw the B&R logo appear for less than a second and then it disappeared. After that the screen is empty. Nothing at all.
- ‘Power’ led is green, but every 10 seconds it’s blinking once in red. The ‘Disk’ led is blinking faintly yellow. I’ll attach a video showing the led status.
APC3100_LED_STATUS.zip (1.6 MB)
I then powered off the APC and checked the status of the CFast card. The file system structure hasn’t changed at all. It’s exactly the same as is was after the offline installation that I made. The ‘RPSHD’ folder on the DATA1 partition is empty.
I also tried with an other APC3100 device, both the result was the same. Is the APC even booting? Could there be any BIOS settings that I need to change?
Hi,
Maybe a work around would be to not check the copy to user partition during the offline installation, after installation is done go to you Windows file explorer and find the USER partition, then copy the xml file you have from the backup.
This should do exact same thing that copy to user partition checkbox. After that if the APC didn’t go in RUN / SERV / DIAG, it means there is a problem in the project or on the CFAST or in APC BIOS configuration (but I’m pretty sure it’s not link to BIOS).
Regards,
Florent
Hello,
According to the help, the video shows “Faulty or incomplete BIOS, MTCX, or I/O FPGA update, battery state OK, power supply OK.”
What are the versions of BIOS and MTCX?
How do I find the version of the MTCX?
Hi,
to be honest, that looks really strange - it seems, that with the very first access to the mass storage, the system triggers a reboot.
Since the file system structure keeps unchanged, I’m pretty sure that AR never started / finished booting, it looks like that in a earlier stage then AR boot something is going wrong (e.g. while accessing the mass storage, reading the boot code, or when starting the AR underlying RTOS).
It could be some “boot (security)” topic, for example some mismatch with the BIOS setting and the AR boot code in direction of the UEFI / legacy BIOS access, or some other BIOS settings that do not fit to the AR only use-case.
- Do you now if this device was initially configured for AR only use, or if it was configured / in use before as a GPOS or Hypervisor device? Could you please check in BIOS if “Realtime Environment” is enabled, and “Hypervisor Environment” is disabled? (B&R Online Help)
- Maybe we see some more information on the monitor what’s going on after power-on, if you temporary disable the “quick boot” and the “quiet boot” features in BIOS (B&R Online Help) → are there messages poiting into direction of the mass storage device?
Best regards!
‘Realtime Environment’ is enabled.
‘Hypervisor Environment’ is disabled.
After disabling ‘quick boot’ and ‘quit boot’ I managed to see this text on the screen:
But the text is only shown a few seconds, then the screen is empty again. After a while the same text is shown again for a few seconds, and so on…
Right now the ‘Boot Type’ is set to dual. Would it be better to select either ‘Legacy’ or ‘UEFI’? I’m not sure which one to select. I only want to use the APC with AR only.
I am able to create an installation packet on an USB drive and boot from this…
The actual BIOS version is 1.45. It’s worth trying to update it.
Not sure if it’s Legacy or UEFI, my working system is also set to dual boot type.
Here, my versions are:
BIOS = a1.40
MTCX = 4.24
So BIOS is a bit newer, MTCX even a bit older.
Also my bootscreen looks similar, the only difference is that immediately after the “Serial ATA Port 0” message is shown, the system proceeds with booting AR (screen is getting blue then), there’s no more waiting time between ATA message popping up and proceeding with AR boot (the following screenshot was taken out of a video, no chance to take a picture between ATA popup and proceeding boot):
From the version history I can see, that BIOS >= a1.40 includes a cyber security fix with UEFI boot, and since O4.93 is an actual Automation Runtime, maybe there’s a BIOS upgrade needed …
… I’m not sure about, but honestly spoken it’s the last idea I have.
If even a BIOS update doesn’t change the behavior, I would recommend to contact your local B&R support for digging deeper into the issue.
Best regards.
BIOS is now updated to 1.45, but there is no difference 
I will contact my local B&R support. Thank you for your help anyway!
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Hi,
thanks for your reply.
Please update also the community about what you and the support found out, many thanks in advance!
Best regards!
