FactoryTalk Linx features

Is delivered and installed with the

FactoryTalk Services Platform

which is included with most

Rockwell Automation

software products.

FactoryTalk Linx

is also delivered within the

PanelView Plus

Electronic Operator Interface (EOI) terminal’s firmware.

Is accessed as an embedded component within each software package that uses its services. Configure

FactoryTalk Linx

using the

Communication Setup

editor launched from a

FactoryTalk

application design environment (for example, FactoryTalk® View Studio) or from the

FactoryTalk® Administration Console

.

Provides access to controller and device data from any

FactoryTalk

application using

FactoryTalk Live Data

.

Is highly optimized for

Logix 5000

communications.

Starting with version 5.30.00, supports

FactoryTalk® Alarms and Events

. For more information about

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events

, See

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events

Online Help

.

Starting with version 5.30.00, network applications provide the option of specifying a secondary, or redundant, server to take over when the primary server fails.

Starting with version 5.60.00, reads data directly from devices using parameters specified in the device’s Electronic Data Sheet (EDS) file.

Starting with version 5.70.00, receives data from

Logix 5000

controllers directly via the unsolicited message.

Starting with version 5.70.00, is able to communicate with

Micro800™

controllers.

Starting with version 5.80.00, reads energy usage information from devices that support the

ODVA™

CIP™

Energy object.

Starting with version 5.90.00, reads

Logix 5000

tag-extended properties (for example,

@Min

,

@Max

,

@Description

) and delivers them to FactoryTalk View applications. With

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.10.00, this capability is enhanced to improve read performance and adds the ability to provide a description using information indirectly associated with a tag. This enables a FactoryTalk View SE client to obtain descriptions for tag elements that do not directly have a description assigned. This is similar to the description of pass-through capability of

Studio 5000 Logix Designer

.

Starting with version 5.90.00, removes

Logix 5000

tag requests when their external access is switched to

no access

in Logix Designer, and the tags can be removed from the controller while it is operating.

Starting with version 5.90.00, permits communications to specific

Logix 5000

shortcuts to be inhibited to reduce the impact of

Logix 5000

controllers that are disabled or offline.

Starting with version 6.00.00, EtherNet/IP network drivers can be configured directly from the

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser control embedded within

Studio 5000

and other Rockwell Automation design software.

Starting with version 6.00.00, provides access to

Logix 5000

tag-based alarm attributes (for example,

@Alarm

…).

Offers a variety of communication drivers and routing options.

Supports Local applications (also called standalone applications) for smaller systems, and Network applications (also called distributed applications) for larger systems.

Starting with version 6.00.00, enables the configuration of two redundant shortcut paths to a single

Logix 5000

controller to support high availability systems that desire to retain communications when a path through a network becomes disabled.

Starting with version 6.00.00, permits the configuration of two shortcut paths to the primary and secondary

Logix 5000

controllers in a redundant

ControlLogix

revision 31.5x system to retain communications when a redundancy switchover occurs.

FactoryTalk Linx

6.00.00 added the ability to provide communications and browsing services for Studio 5000 and

ControlFLASH

.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.10.00 extends this functionality to support the

Connected Components Workbench

(CCW) version 12.00.00 and

FactoryTalk AssetCentre

version 9.00.00.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.00.00 updated both the Virtual Backplane and USB drivers and had them signed by Microsoft to permit them to operate on a workstation with Windows 10 Secure boot enabled.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.10.00 extends this functionality to include the drivers associated with the 1784-PCICS and 1784-PCKTS cards. In

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.20.00, the 1784-PKTX driver is signed by Microsoft to support Windows 10 secure boot.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.10.00 added a new standalone version of

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser that can be launched from the Windows Start Menu. Previously this component was only available from within other

Rockwell Automation

software (for example.

ControlFLASH

and

Studio 5000 Logix Designer

). The Network Browser can be used to visualize the network to determine which devices are active in the system.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.10.00 added FactoryTalk Security Product Policy to provide more control over the configuration for authorized users.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.10.00 added logging of FactoryTalk Audit messages to track configuration changes of

FactoryTalk Linx

.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.10.00 supports a new capability in Logix5000 V32 controllers to change the names of tags and structure members on a running controller. When

FactoryTalk Linx

detects the rename operation, it will immediately stop requesting the old names and provide an appropriate error status back to the

FactoryTalk

software that requested the data, making it easier to locate other software that is impacted by the rename operation.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.10.00 added the ability to receive unsolicited messages using PLC-2 Unprotected Writes. This enables Logix5000 or legacy controllers to send information to a FactoryTalk software package using

FactoryTalk Linx

.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.10.00 changes the default setting for the “listen on EtherNet/IP Encapsulation port” (port 44818) for its Ethernet driver so that

FactoryTalk Linx

will respond to network browse requests and receive unsolicited messages from Logix5000 controllers.

RSLinx Classic

version 4.00.01 or earlier allocated this port by default but was updated with version 4.10.00 to not allocate the port to reduce the likelihood of a conflict between these two software packages.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.10.00 added the ability to configure two independent instances of the data service on a single Windows operation system. It allows applications to have more tags, data clients (for example, HMI clients), and/or controllers without affecting the other

FactoryTalk Linx

data server.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.11.00 added the ability to establish secure encrypted communications with FactoryTalk Policy Manager using CIP security. See

FactoryTalk Policy Manager

Online Help

for more information about CIP security.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.20.00 added the ability to access information inside of devices that support the Open Device Vendors Association (ODVA) Common Industrial Protocol (CIP), using the Class, Instance and Attribute (CIA) messaging with the

CIP Object - Class/Instance/Attribute Message

shortcut type.

The

FactoryTalk Security

Policy for

FactoryTalk Linx

was enhanced to control the user’s capabilities from the

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser and to control access to CIA Messaging.

In conjunction with

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

, provides standard OPC connectivity into the FactoryTalk system for third-party products. For more information about

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

, refer to the

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

Help.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.20.00 adds the ability to access information inside of devices that support the Open Device Vendors Association (ODVA) Common Industrial Protocol (CIP), using the Class, Instance and Attribute (CIA) messaging with the

CIP Object - Class/Instance/Attribute Message

shortcut type.

Starting with version 6.20.00,

FactoryTalk Linx

supports tag communication with data types as LINT, ULINT, LREAL, USINT, UINT, and UDINT.

Starting with version 6.20.00,

FactoryTalk Linx

instance02 supports Logix-based Alarms and Events.

Starting with version 6.20.00,

FactoryTalk Linx

provides the ability to communicate using solicited messaging with

Allen-Bradley

controllers using PLC-5 or SLC-5 messaging over the

DH+

network without having a 1784-PKTX card installed on the computer. This is achieved by using the 1756 EtherNet/IP module bridging across a

ControlLogix

chassis to a

DH+

network connected to a 1756-DHRIO module.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.20.00 adds the ability to configure existing drivers in

FactoryTalk Linx

Browser >

Configure Drivers

dialog box.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.20.00 adds the ability to view new CIP Identity Object Manufacturer information, which includes

Catalog Number

,

Manufacture Date

,

Hardware Revision

,

Warranty

, and

Series

.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.20.00 adds FactoryTalk Audit information to diagnose configuration changes made from the

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.20.00 adds the ability for

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser to browse through the 5094 IO HART modules and display HART connected devices in the topology.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.20.00 adds the ability for the

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser to access Device Statistics to help diagnose devices.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.20.00 adds the ability for the

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser to access Device Configuration to help configure the port and network configuration of a device.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.20.00 adds the ability for the

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser to launch an Internet browser to open the device-embedded webpage.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.20.00 provides the ability for

FactoryTalk

and

PanelView Plus

V12 terminals to access the four attributes @Name, @Quality, @Timestamp, and @Scope.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.20.00 adds the ability for

FactoryTalk

and

PanelView Plus

V12 terminals to access PlantPAX Controller extended tag properties: @Library, @Instruction, @Label, @Area, @URL, and @Navigation.

Starting from version 6.20.00,

FactoryTalk Linx

changed to use a device’s

Network Path

to store the location of the device in a system, which enables the user to configure and store the shortcut path using the device's IP address and slot number in a chassis.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.20.00 provides the Chinese, German, French, and Japanese localized user interface (the localized

FactoryTalk Linx

can only be installed when installing the same localized version of

FactoryTalk View SE

).

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.20.00 adds the ability to close unused connections after a specified time.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.20.00 adds the ability to specify the max number of connections for a

Processor

shortcut connecting to PLC/SLC controllers using the DHRIO module.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.21.00 adds an

About

dialog box in

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser to show the version of the installed

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser and

FactoryTalk Linx

, or to view the copyright and contact information.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.21.00 adds the ability to detect devices that support a user initiating LED blink operation and presents an option on the device property dialog to locate where a device is physically installed by flashing a device's LEDs.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.21.00 adds an option to set the

Terminal file transfer communication package size

. Users can choose either 2000 bytes or 1400 bytes for the terminal communication package size (Default 2000). The smaller packet size improves the transfer time when FactoryTalk View Studio ME is operating within a virtual machine.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.21.00 adds two predefined tags (@NamespaceTimestamp, @NamespaceTimestampOPC) to show a time stamp for the last Logix controller namespace change.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.21.00 included a new tool named

FactoryTalk Linx

Configuration Import Export Tool

, which enables the

FactoryTalk Linx

driver and shortcut configuration to be extracted, modified, and replaced, providing an alternative to manually creating or editing the driver and shortcuts configuration from the

FactoryTalk Administration Console

user interface.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.21 supports to backup and restore shortcut and driver configurations in

FactoryTalk Administration Console

.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.21 adds the ability to generate SysLog for select events including CIP Security configuration changes, network configuration changes, and

FactoryTalk Linx

service restart.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.21.00 improved performance for design software that uses

FactoryTalk Linx

for communications direct to devices (for example,

Studio 5000 Logix Designer

and

ControlFLASH Plus

).

In

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.21.00, the

FactoryTalk Linx

Redundancy Module Configuration Tool can be launched from the

FactoryTalk Linx

Network browser.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.30.00 adds an option to enable or disable CIP Security (Port 2221) for the server workstation or a device via the

Network Browser

.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.30.00 supports browsing 5015 adapters and optimizes the user interface of 5015 adapters with their I/O modules.

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser

version 6.30.00 supports indicating the offline status of devices.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.30.00 adds one predefined tag (

@TrackedStateValue

) to show the tracked state change detection value from a Logix L7 series controller.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.30.00 adds an

LLDP

tab in the

Network Browser

to view and edit the Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) detection status of a device.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.30.00 adds

@RedundancyEnabled

and

@RedundancyState

predefined tags associated with a processor shortcut, to indicate if the associated controller is operating in a ControlLogix Redundancy configuration and its current operational state. These tags are helpful for Human Machine Interface (HMI) displays that monitor the operation of a redundant ControlLogix controller’s operation.

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser

version 6.30.00 supports browsing of GuardLink connected devices.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.30.00 removes the "IO Linx" communications driver.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.30.00 enhances the configuration of port 44818 that keeps the same configuration status in both

FactoryTalk Linx

and

FactoryTalk Administration Console

.

FactoryTalk Live Data

version 6.30.00 extends the supported subscription rates to include 600, 700, 800, and 900 ms.

FactoryTalk Live Data

version 6.30.00 adds leading zeros for array indexes so that

FactoryTalk Live Data

Tag browser sorts array elements in the proper numerical order.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.30.00 raises the minimum DCOM authentication level to Packet Integrity. For additional information about the affected Rockwell Automation products, see the Knowledgebase Document ID: PN1581 - Product Notification 2022-01-001 - Rockwell Automation products unable to establish proper DCOM connection after installing Microsoft DCOM Hardening patch (MS KB5004442).

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.31.00 supports adding and configuring unsolicited message shortcuts for PLC5 and SLC500 controllers.

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser

version 6.31.00 supports adding and configuring remote proxy drivers.

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser

version 6.31.00 enhances the configurations on the

LLDP

tab. The neighbor information also shows on the

Port Configuration

tab.

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser

version 6.31.00 adds audit messages for device configuration. When configuring device properties, audit messages are logged in the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Viewer.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.40.00 supports shortcut connections through a FactoryTalk Linx Gateway remote proxy server.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.40.00 provides a 64-bit communications service for FactoryTalk Policy Manager.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.40.00 updates the USB kernel drivers to permit Windows Core Isolation Device Security.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.40.00 removes the 1784-PCICS card’s kernel driver.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.40.00 supports FactoryTalk View ME Studio MER project file transfer to a VersaView6300 computer running FactoryTalk View ME.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.40.00 supports switching the local language from a setting in the FactoryTalk Administration Console.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.40.00 includes a new FactoryTalk Live Data Tag Browser that includes the ability browse Logix Extended Tag properties and bits embedded within integer tags.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.40.00 supports REAL array and LREAL array data types for the CIA message.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.40.00 supports Symbolic shortcut access to bits within Micro800 numeric tags.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.40.00 increases the size of supported tag references received from FactoryTalk software from 260 characters to 1024 characters.

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser

version 6.40.00 supports the Explicit Protected Mode function.

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser

version 6.40.00 supports customizing the IP subnet with rotary switches on the controllers.

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser

version 6.40.00 adds a driver to communicate through a FactoryTalk Linx Gateway Remote Proxy service.

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser

version 6.40.00 adds an auto-start and minimize to the system tray option.

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser

version 6.40.00 supports uploading IODD device description files from an IO-Link device and registering them with the Device Description (formerly EDS) Subsystem.

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser

version 6.40.00 increases the number of items that can be added to the Ethernet driver list from 64 to 255.

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser

version 6.40.00 now displays the device's DNS host name in the topology tree along with its resulting IP address.

FactoryTalk Linx

Configuration Import Export Tool

version 6.40.00 supports importing and exporting drivers without specifying a target server.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.50.00 supports automatically selecting an alternative network interface card (NIC) when the current one becomes unavailable.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.50.00 supports the 1756-RM3 ControlLogix Redundancy Module (Redundancy Module Configuration Tool version 10.00.00 is required).

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser

version 6.50.00 supports discovering devices using LLDP table in EtherNet/IP in-cabinet networks.

FactoryTalk Linx

Network Browser

version 6.50.00 enhances the device locator function to support a wider range of devices, including the Stratix 5200 and 5800 industrial Ethernet switches and the 1783-ETAP3T module.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.60.00 supports

EtherNet/IP

In-cabinet Solution.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.60.00 supports 1756

ControlLogix®

5590 Controllers.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.60.00 supports

Stratix™

4100

EtherNet/IP

Test Access Point (ETAP).

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.60.00 supports tags from

FactoryTalk Design Studio®

.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.60.00 adds new predefined tags (@AlarmClass and @AlarmGroup) to show the value of alarm class and alarm group from a Logix controller.

FactoryTalk Linx

version 6.60.00 supports a new

FactoryTalk Linx

extended tag property @Shortcut.