Create Image and Open ‘Controller Assistant’

Overview

The Build > Create Image and Open ‘Controller Assistant’ command is available if the following conditions are met:

  • The Controller Assistant tool for managing firmware and application download is installed.

  • The EcoStruxure Machine Expert project contains an active application.

Execute the command to create an image of a controller available in the open EcoStruxure Machine Expert project and to open the Controller Assistant in one step.

Description of the Process

The following steps are performed when the Create Image and Open ‘Controller Assistant’ command is executed:

Stage

Description

Comment

1

It is verified whether the Controller Assistant has already been started.

If it is running, a message prompts you to close the Controller Assistant. After you have closed the Controller Assistant and confirmed with OK, the process proceeds with step 2.

2

The active application and the controller are detected in the open project. The communication parameters are written to the image.

If a connection to the controller has been established, the communication settings are read from the controller.

If no connection exists, the value 0.0.0.0 is used for the IP address, the subnet mask, and the gateway.

3

The firmware version of the controller is read from the firmware repository of the local PC and written to the image.

–

4

The active application is added to the image as boot application.

–

5

The Controller Assistant is started, and the Process communication settings dialog box opens with the Communication settings inserted that were read from the controller.

–

Errors that are detected during the process are displayed in specific message boxes or in the Messages view.

Modifications Detected in the Program Code

If modifications in the program code are detected during the process, you are requested to generate new code. This process is similar to executing the Online > Create boot application command. A message is displayed requesting you to regenerate new code for the boot project. If you click Yes to continue, another message box is displayed asking you whether you want to overwrite the reference context of the last download. Confirm this message by clicking Yes to be able to log in to the controller that uses the new image, thus avoiding an additional download.