June 10, 2003

GFK-1867E

IMPORTANT PRODUCT INFORMATION

READ THIS INFORMATION FIRST
Product: Remote IO Manager Software Release 2.04
IC641CFG100F Remote IO Manager.
IC641CFG101F Remote IO Manager w/ Cable.

Caution
This tool shares many components used by the VersaPro™ software package; therefore
VersaPro and all its components must be uninstalled before this tool can be installed on a
particular computer. Version 2.0x of VersaPro incorporates the functionality supplied by this
tool.

Do not attempt to open configurations created with this tool with the hardware configuration
software supplied with VersaPro 1.1x and earlier. Doing so could corrupt the configurations.
Configurations created with the released version of this tool will be compatible with VersaPro
release 2.0x.

Note
When using SNP protocol, it is recommended that the communications settings be changed to the
settings described in “Serial Parameter Settings ” on page 5.

Remote IO Manager Release 2.04 Summary:

Remote IO Manager 2.04 supports all VersaMax modules supported in version 2.04 of VersaPro except
IC200BEM002 and IC200BEM103. Please refer to “Special Operational Notes” and “Open Problems” to
understand limitations with this version.

Minimum System Requirements

· Pentium, 166Mhz processor with 32MB RAM minimum (64MB required for Windows 2000)
· 30 MB Hard Disk Space
· 50 MB Free Hard Disk Space when running the tool
· VGA Monitor
· CD ROM Drive
Important Product Information 2
GFK-1867E

Operating Systems Supported

· Windows 95B
· Windows 98 (First Edition Service Pack 1, Second Edition)
· Windows NT 4.0 (Service Pack 5, Service Pack 5 international version, Service Pack 6)
· Windows 2000 (64MB minimum memory required)
· Windows Millennium Edition
· Windows XP Professional Edition
Note: The tool supports only the English (United States) regional settings.

Installation
Note
The tool must be installed on a hard drive in your computer. Do not attempt to install the tool on
removable media such as Jaz® or Zip® drives.

1. It is recommended that you close all applications including virus checking, Internet Explorer 5.0,and CIMPLICITY
HMI software that might be running in the background. You may need to check the task manager to determine if
other applications are running.
2. Put the CD in CD-ROM Drive.
3. Select the CD drive from Windows Explorer.
4. Double click Setup.exe
Follow the user prompts to complete the installation. If you have a previous version of the tool or
VersaPro installed, the installation tool will first uninstall the previous version. During this uninstall
process, you may be asked whether you would like remove shared files. It is recommended that you
always answer “No to All” to ensure that no files are deleted that might be needed by another application.

Starting the Remote I/O Manager

The tool is installed in the GE Fanuc Software Program group. The application can be started by selecting
Start->Programs->GE Fanuc Software->Remote IO Manager. It is also possible to create a shortcut to the tool
and place the shortcut on the desktop, or to click on a file created by the tool (a file with a .hwcfg extension),
and start the application in the context of the selected folder. The tool may also be started using CTRL-ALT-R.
Important Product Information 3
GFK-1867E

Special Operational Notes

Note
Although some of these notes mention the VersaPro product, these issues are present in the Remote IO
Manager as well, since Remote I/O manager tool uses many of the same software components used by
VersaPro.

Installation Issues
1. After installing VersaPro 2.0x and then subsequently installing VersaPro 1.0x or 1.1x, you may receive the
following error during the installation process:

In addition, you may not be able to connect to PLCs after the installation completes and the following error
message may appear.

Resolution: A VersaPro 2.0x user wishing to install VersaPro 1.0x or VersaPro 1.1x can avoid this problem by
following these steps:
a. Uninstall VersaPro 2.0x: In the Windows Start menu, select Programs\GE Fanuc
Software\VersaPro\Uninstall. You can also open the Control Panel's Add/Remove Programs, then select
"VersaPro 2.0x" for removal. (Uninstalling VersaPro 2.0x by letting the VersaPro 1.1x installer perform
the uninstall should be avoided.)
b. After the uninstall, shutdown and restart the computer.
c. After the computer has started up, delete the "\Program Files\Common Files\GE Fanuc
Automation\PLCServer" directory on the hard drive that contains the computers operating system. If you
don’t delete this directory and instead choose to delete all the files in the directory, you should make sure
Important Product Information 4
GFK-1867E

that the “Show All Files” option is selected under Folder options in Windows explorer. This is to ensure
that all files including hidden files are deleted from the directory.
Important Product Information 5
GFK-1867E

d. Delete the following files from the directory \Windows (Win95/98) , \WinNT (NT4.0 Win2000, Win ME,
Win XP):
ccu_enu.dll
egdservice.exe
gefccl32.dll
gefccu32.exe
gefegd32.dll
gefhct32.dll
gefsnp32.dll
gefsrx32.dll
geftcp32.dll
hctpxyif.dll
hdrvsnp.exe
hdrvtcp.dll
e. Install VersaPro 1.0x/1.1x

2. When installing on Windows 95/98, you may receive the following error: “Isuninst has performed an illegal
operation and will be shutdown.”.
Resolution: You should simply close the dialog and the install will proceed normally and VersaPro will be
installed correctly.

3. When installing on Windows 95/98 and selecting “Yes” to re-boot the PC to complete the installation, the PC
may lock-up rather than power down correctly.
Resolution: You can reset or power cycle the PC. The PC may run scan disk on power-up but will power up
correctly and VersaPro will install normally.

4. VersaPro loses default CCU settings if HMI project exists. VersaPro loses all the default CCU settings if HMI
has been installed prior to it and an HMI project has already been created. The gef_cfg.ini file created by HMI does
not put information about the serial devices used in the project.
Resolution: Using a text editor, such as Notepad, open the file gef_cfg.snp and copy and paste its contents into
gef_cfg.ini. Edit gef_cfg.ini to provide the correct defaults.

Communications Issues
Many communication issues can be resolved by properly setting the communications timing parameters which
may have been altered from previous programmer sessions on the same PC. Here are some guidelines which
can sometimes help when experiencing communication problems:

Guidelines for Communications Configuration

The Communications Configuration Utility (CCU) allows you to view and change your settings for the PLCs
that you connect to (over Ethernet or serial line). This information is intended to give you guidelines on how to
configure your communications parameters properly.

Invoking the CCU

From the tool you can select Tools -> Communications Setup to invoke the CCU application.
From a command line (within an MS-DOS box or from Start -> Run) you may enter GEFCCU32.EXE. This
application is installed in the Windows root directory (usually C:\Windows for Windows 95 or Windows 98,
Important Product Information 6
GFK-1867E

and usually C:\WinNT for Windows NT). Since this location is always in your path, you do not need to specify
the path when invoking the CCU.
If a password has been defined for the CCU, the Password dialog box will appear. To view the communications
parameters in Read-Only mode (not making changes), click the "View Only" button. The password can be
changed by the clicking the Change Password button on the Password dialog box or choosing Password from
the File menu in the CCU.

Serial Parameter Settings

The original COM port settings that were distributed with Control version 1.00 (and versions earlier than that)
had invalid settings for some of the SNP timers (SNP is the GE Fanuc proprietary protocol used to
communicate to PLCs over a serial line). The tool can inherit these settings since it uses the same
communications driver. If you encounter communications difficulties, it is recommended that you check your
settings in the CCU on the Port tab for each serial COM port and use the following values:
1. Select the Display Advanced Parameters checkbox
2. If you need to make changes, click the Edit button.
3. Set your Request Timeout to 20000 or higher (units are in milliseconds, highest valid value is 63000).
4. Set your SNP_T3 parameter to a value at least 250 greater than Request Timeout. For example, if your
Request Timeout parameter is 20000, set SNP_T3 to 20250 or more.
5. Set your SNP_T3P parameter to a value at least 250 greater than your SNP_T3 parameter. For example, if
your SNP_T3 parameter is 20250, set your SNP_T3P parameter to 20500 or more.
6. Set your SNP_T3PP parameter to a value at least 250 greater than your SNP_T3P parameter. For example,
if your SNP_T3P parameter is 20500, set your SNP_T3PP parameter to 20750 or more.
7. You will need to click OK on both the Edit dialog box and on the main CCU screen to save your changes.

Modem Issues
The NIU does not support serial connections through modems.
Important Product Information 7
GFK-1867E

Problems Resolved by Version 2.04

31303 Unable to re-install VersaPro when you have text file with name VersaPro is open
Details: When you re-install VersaPro with any text file with name VersaPro is open then a
message pops up stating there is an instance of VersaPro running and cannot be installed. This
message should actually come only when VersaPro application is running.
Resolution: This problem has been corrected in VersaPro 2.04.
32355 Power consumption calculation method is wrong
Resolution: Formula for this calculation was wrong and has been corrected in VersaPro 2.04.

Problems Resolved by Version 2.03

24636 Verify of VersaMax Ref Memory Alloc says Equal even if they are not
Details: Store a default VersaMax configuration with any CPU and verify. Verify is equal as
expected. Now change the memory limits in CPU Memory tab to value other than the defaults.
VersaPro reports that the Reference Memory Alloc data is still equal on Verify.
Resolution: This has been corrected in VersaPro 2.03 and Verify works correctly.
25334 Power consumption values gets changed if port mode for VersaMax CPUs is changed
Details: Changing the port mode in VersaMax CPU configuration changes the power
consumption values for the CPU. These values should not get changed by changing the port
modes.
25473 Incorrect description for VersaMax Expansion Bus Transmitter in HWC print report
Details: HWC report of a VersaMax rack with an VM Expansion Bus Transmitter
(IC200ETM001) says "IC200ETM001 Expansion Bus Isolated Receiver".
Resolution: Description has been changed in VersaPro 2.03 to print "IC200ETM001
Expansion Bus Transmitter".
26251 Incorrect module dependant data for VersaMax Analog modules
Details: The 16-bit module dependant data in the Hardware configuration was incorrect for
VersaMax Analog modules.
Resolution: This is corrected in VersaPro 2.03.
23171 HWC Reference View manager contains incorrect slot locations for VersaMax modules
Details: HWC Reference View Manager lists incorrectly the slot locations of references for
VersaMax modules. The slot locations are off by 1.
Resolution: This problem has been corrected in VersaPro 2.03
25945 HWC does not flag an error is Subnet Mask or Gateway IP address is set to non-zero
values when IP address is 0.0.0.0
Details: In the Ethernet tab of HWC configuration of VersaMax E05, no error is reported if
Subnet Mask or Gateway IP address is set to non-zero values when IP address is 0.0.0.0.
Resolution: VersaPro 2.03 reports an error in case of such a configuration.
Important Product Information 8
GFK-1867E

Problems Resolved by Version 2.02

ID Description
21688 Invalid SNP ID gets cleared in parameter editor
Details: When you set the SNP ID to an invalid value (e.g. "AB C") it will cause an error in the
module but when you open and close the editor, the parameter shows as empty.
Resolution: The invalid value is now displayed in red in the parameter editor.
22275 Produced Exchange Period if set to less than 10 gets resets to default value 200 after
reopening
Details: In VersaPro 2.01, set the Produced Exchange Period to a value less than 10 in
Ethernet NIU module. Save, Close and Reopen the configuration file. The parameter is reset to
the default value of 200.
Resolution: The parameter value is retained on reopen in VersaPro 2.02.

Problems Resolved by Version 2.01

ID Description
15928 Problem with Hardware configuration report for VersaMax PLC
Details: If you print the HWC report for a VersaMax PLC with added carrier/bases past slot 1
the report will not show that information. Only the Slot 0 and Slot 1 information will be
included in the report.
16833 Incorrect calculation of power consumption in Hardware configuration
Details: The power consumption values for several VersaMax modules are incorrect.
Resolution: The power consumption algorithm and values are corrected in VersaPro 2.01 for
all VersaMax modules.
18454 IP Address is blanked out from an ENIU HWC when upgrading from VersaPro 1.5 to
VersaPro 2.00.
Details: When a VersaPro 1.50 folder with IP address configured in Ethernet NIU is opened in
VersaPro 2.0, the IP address in the Network tab gets blanked out and you get a message when
closing the folder that the IP address cannot be blank.
Important Product Information 9
GFK-1867E

Open Issues and Problems

Note
Although the descriptions of some of these open issues and problems mention the VersaPro product,
these issues may be present in the Remote IO Manager as well since Remote I/O Manager tool uses
many of the same software components used by VersaPro.

Open issues in VersaPro 2.04:

1. Auto-configuration of VersaMax generic modules is not supported by hardware configuration. If
you upload a configuration from an auto-configured VersaMax PLC, all generic modules will be replaced
by an empty slot. (CR69308)
Suggested Resolution: There is no requirement that you load the Hardware Configuration if the system is
autoconfigured. If you choose to load the hardware configuration for documentation purposes, you will
need to configure generic modules after loading the hardware configuration from the PLC in this situation.
2. It is possible to configure the VersaMax Thermocouple Module (IC200ALG630) with parameters
that exceed the modules range. If this happens, you will be presented with a System Configuration
Mismatch Error in the PLC Fault Table. Until this fault is corrected, this module will not function in the
PLC system
Suggested Resolution: Clear the PLC Fault Table, Re-configure the module using the correct parameters
for the attached thermocouple device, and store the configuration to the PLC.
Communications Issues
ID Description
Association of Device Feature in CCU Not Used by VersaPro
Details: The CCU is a shared software component with the Control programmer. This utility includes
a feature called Association of device which is used by Control. This feature is not supported in
VersaPro.
Resolution: The Association of Device feature in the CCU should not be used in conjunction with
VersaPro.

Hardware Configuration Issues:

ID Description
CR71631 Incompatibility between MS IntelliPoint Mouse S/W and VersaPro H/W Config.
Details: The IntelliPoint software enables you to expand Mouse properties. Under the Visibility Tab,
one of the parameters is Hide Pointer While Typing. If this parameter is selected and you attempt to
edit CPU or module parameters, the mouse pointer disappears.
Resolution: The mouse pointer re-appears once the pointer is positioned outside the H/W Config
window. If another application is selected to be in focus and then the H/W Config window is re-
selected, the pointer re-appears. Another work around is to disable the "hide mouse pointer while
typing" feature in the IntelliPoint software.
Important Product Information 10
GFK-1867E

ID Description
CR74424 Loading Autoconfigured VersaMax modules Results in Similar but Wrong module
Details: The following list of modules have the same board IDs and VersaPro is unable to distinguish
between them when loading an autoconfigured module.
IC200MDL650 loads as IC200MDL636
IC200MDL750 loads as IC200MDL742
IC200MDL331 loads as IC200MDL329
IC200MDD844 loads as IC200MDD842
IC200MDL141 loads as IC200MDL140
Resolution: After loading the listed autoconfigured VersaMax modules, you should change the
configuration to the proper module in VersaPro and then store the configuration to VersaMax. After
storing the configuration, you will be able to load the configuration properly.
CR74778 Double clicking on a hardware configuration folder causes an error message.
Details: When you double click on a hardware configuration folder in Windows Explorer, an error
message box is displayed stating that "the *.hwcfg file or one of it's components could not be found."
Resolution: Configuration files should be opened from within the Remote I/O Manager using the
File, Open menu item.

Installation/Licensing Issues:
ID Description
CR73074 Settings.reg error on VersaPro 2.0x install after manually deleting files
Steps to reproduce:
1) Install VersaPro 1.0.
2) Manually delete the files from "\Program Files\Common Files\GE Fanuc Automation\PLCServer"
and the files from "\Program Files\GE Fanuc Automation\VersaPro"
3) Install VersaPro 2.0x from the CD
4) Upon Installation the following error was received: "Cannot import settings.reg: Error opening the
file. There may be a disk or a file system error.
After dismissing this error, install continues but it also appears that the license tag on the subsequent
dialog is missing.
Resolution: You should not delete files in order to perform an uninstall of VersaPro. In order to
correct the problem after deleting the files and receiving this error, you should re-install VersaPro and
it will install correctly.
CR73136 VersaPro Install problem when logged onto a Novell network
Details: When attempting to install VersaPro when also logged onto a Novell network, the following
errors will be reported:
RUNDLL has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down
NWPOPUP has performed an illegal operation.......
MSGSRV32 " "
ESSVC " "
MNTASK " "
Installation aborted
Resolution: You should re-boot the computer and not log onto a Novell network. VersaPro will
then install successfully.