# Read values with PVI **URL:** \ **Category:** HMI & Visualization\ **Tags:** pvi\ **Created:** [June 12, 2024, 7:05am UTC](https://community.br-automation.com/t/read-values-with-pvi/3497 "2024-06-12T07:05:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kokkinidis.m](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/FF8800/32.png) [@kokkinidis.m](https://community.br-automation.com/u/kokkinidis.m)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2024, 7:05am UTC](https://community.br-automation.com/t/read-values-with-pvi/3497/1 "2024-06-12T07:05:31Z")
Hi to all, I’m preparing an application to collect operating data from several machines, and I would like some help about communicating with B&R X20 series plc. I have downloaded PVI runtime demo and prepared an application to connect and request data, the connection establishes successfully but I’m missing the item names to be able to request data from the plc… The manufacturer of the machine is not cooperative at all and I do not have any source code… is there any way of reading the item names without having the source code? thank you in advance ---
**Author:** ![stephan.herbig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/FF8800/32.png) [@stephan.herbig](https://community.br-automation.com/u/stephan.herbig)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2024, 7:29am UTC](https://community.br-automation.com/t/read-values-with-pvi/3497/2 "2024-06-12T07:29:39Z")
If you have installed PVI, you will find the Runtime Utility Center on your computer. This allows you to save all the controller variables in a file. Regards Stephan ![image](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/brcommunity/original/2X/1/12cbcaf1faeaf2cfb681326a53d004098e0a49cc.png) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/brcommunity/original/1X/a202d64f0f03e22a662ed33fbbca6879f1efb794.jpeg) [@system](https://community.br-automation.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2024, 10:14pm UTC](https://community.br-automation.com/t/read-values-with-pvi/3497/3 "2024-07-10T22:14:41Z")
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**Author:** ![christoph.hilchenbac](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/brcommunity/user_avatar/community.br-automation.com/christoph.hilchenbac/32/423_2.png) [@christoph.hilchenbac](https://community.br-automation.com/u/christoph.hilchenbac)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2024, 1:33pm UTC](https://community.br-automation.com/t/read-values-with-pvi/3497/4 "2024-07-16T13:33:51Z")
brwatch is also based on a pre-installed PVI and can do this with little effort. > **[GitHub - hilch/brwatch: brwatch: service tool for B&R plc: watch, change,...](https://github.com/hilch/brwatch)** > > brwatch: service tool for B&R plc: watch, change, log variables, set ip adresses etc. - hilch/brwatch ---
**Author:** ![kovarj](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/brcommunity/user_avatar/community.br-automation.com/kovarj/32/537_2.png) [@kovarj](https://community.br-automation.com/u/kovarj)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 8:16am UTC](https://community.br-automation.com/t/read-values-with-pvi/3497/5 "2024-07-28T08:16:25Z")
Hi Mkokk, what is status of your topic, can you mark the reply that helped you the most? ---
**Author:** ![kokkinidis.m](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/FF8800/32.png) [@kokkinidis.m](https://community.br-automation.com/u/kokkinidis.m)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 8:56am UTC](https://community.br-automation.com/t/read-values-with-pvi/3497/6 "2024-07-28T08:56:32Z")
sorry for the delayed response, all replies seem to help a lot I have managed to access plc values during simulation in my test system but planning to travel to the facility, next week to test the actual equipment. ---
**Author:** ![AndreEcke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/FF8800/32.png) [@AndreEcke](https://community.br-automation.com/u/AndreEcke)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 12:16pm UTC](https://community.br-automation.com/t/read-values-with-pvi/3497/7 "2026-07-28T12:16:59Z")
Hi @christoph.hilchenbac does brwatch work with PVI 6? I tried it and there was an error thrown, that some \*.dll file was missing. Thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![christoph.hilchenbac](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/brcommunity/user_avatar/community.br-automation.com/christoph.hilchenbac/32/423_2.png) [@christoph.hilchenbac](https://community.br-automation.com/u/christoph.hilchenbac)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 1:18pm UTC](https://community.br-automation.com/t/read-values-with-pvi/3497/8 "2026-07-28T13:18:04Z")
Hi, unfortunately not yet. brwatch is currently linked to PVI4.lib