This is a introduction video on how to create a SD card image with a 1784-SD1 and any of the CompactLogix series processors. This is a must-know in your repository of knowledge on how to easily and quickly create a backup of your PLC processor to either load when a process fails or when you purchase a new processor out of the box. This can save you hours of unnecessary work by allow you to commission a new processor directly out of the box with a IP Address, PLC Program and Firmware version. No more need to get on RSLogix/Studio and do each step manually.
Create a SD card Image for CompactLogix series processors for backup and restore purposes
- Obtain either a Allen Bradley 1784-SD1 (1GB) or 1784-SD2 (2GB) and insert into processor
Depending on the application size, you will need to purchase either a 1784-SD1 or 1784-SD2 SD memory card from Allen Bradley. Unless you are storing additional items on the memory card I have not seen a actual need for the 2GB 1785-SD2. Once you have the card, insert it into the processor SD card slot (can be done under power)
- Open Allen Bradley RSLogix/Studio 5000
You can do this with either RSLogix or Studio 5000; there is no real difference in respect to this tutorial. I will be using Studio 5000 because of the specific version of firmware I am using; Version 28.
- Go online with your CompactLogix processor
The next few steps can only be done while online with the processor. This makes sense because the processor itself is the piece of hardware that is making the SD card image.
- Place controller in program mode
You can do this via the online interface (if your key switch is in remote) or by moving the processor key switch to “PROG” or program mode
- Go to controller properties
Right click on your projects controller and go to “properties”
- Go to Nonvolatile Memory tab
On the properties menu, click the Nonvolatile Memory tab
- Click “Load/Store”
*TIP* If “Load/Store” is grayed out (cannot click) make sure that you have an official Allen Bradley SD memory card installed in the processor, you are online with the project/processor and the processor is in program mode; see step 4 above.
- Configure SD Card image settings
This will be the meat of your configuration. There are many options for you specific to what you are trying to do with the SD card image. Under the controller section, you will see your project name, processor type, current revision number and some user configurable input fields, Load Image, Load Mode, and Image Note.
Load Image:
On Power Up – Load image at next power up event
On Uninitialized Memory – Load image when no program is present (new processor, failure, etc)
User Initiated – Load via Nonvolatile dialog box
Load Mode:
Run (Remote Only) – Processor will boot into run mode (only if processor key is in the REM position)
Program (Remote Only) – Processor will boot into program mode (only if processor key is in the REM position)
Image Note:
A Description of the image you are creating.
- Enable/Disable Automatic Firmware Update
If you enable this feature, the SD card will store the processor firmware version to be loaded upon next event. This is a great way to commission a new “out of the box” processor from firmware version 1 up to whatever version you are using in your application/program.
- After you have set up desired configuration, select “<– Store”
Select the “<– Store” button indicating you are ready to create the SD card image
- Yes to accept risk
You must accept the risk of placing the processor in STOP mode (although I think this is mildly redundant due to the processor already needing to be in program mode to get this far)
- Yes to not including modules in firmware update
This screen appears mainly to let you know the processor specific features of the built-in IO will not be included in the SD firmware image. I believe this is to account for small differences in versioning between processor types. You can essentially ignore this and select “Yes”
- The processor will now create image your configured image
Your project will now go offline and the processor will reboot into a memory store procedure. The “OK” and “SD” LED’s on the processor will blink together as the SD image is created. Once the image has been successfully created, the processor will reboot back into the mode selected by the key switch. Once the processor has returned to Run or Program the SD card image is complete.
- Remove SD Card from Processor
At any point you can remove the SD card form the processor. You have have created a SD card image.
*WARNING* You are now holding a potential major disruption to a processor. If you selected to load image on boot with firmware, you will completely erase any processor specific data upon power up of any processor this SD card is placed in.