Connected Components Workbench works within the system requirements of all Rockwell Automation® software products. For the latest compatibility information, refer to the Product Compatibility and Download Center.

Hardware requirements

Connected Components Workbench requires the following hardware:

• Processor: Intel Core i5 Standard Power processor (i5-3xxx) or equivalent recommended. At least 2 processors should be assigned when running Connected Components Workbench on a virtual machine.
• RAM: 8 GB minimum
• Hard disk space: 20 GB free
• Optical drive: DVD-ROM
• Pointing device: Any Windows®-compatible pointing device

Software requirements

Connected Components Workbench has been tested on the following operating systems:

• Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2016 Long-Term Servicing Branch (LTSB) 64-bit—requires .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 to be installed
• Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2019 Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC)—requires .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 to be installed
• Windows 10—requires .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 to be installed
• Windows 11—requires .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 to be installed
• Windows 10 Enterprise 2021 LTSC (21H2)
• Windows Server® 2012 R2—requires .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 to be installed
• Windows Server 2019—requires .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 to be installed
• Windows Server 2022 Datacenter
• Windows Server 2022 Standard

Connected Components Workbench automatically installs the following required software on the computer, if necessary:

• ControlFLASH 15.06
• FactoryTalk Activation Manager v4.06.13
• FactoryTalk Diagnostics v6.30 (CPR 9 SR 13)
• Rockwell Automation USBCIP Driver Package (x86) v3.18
• Rockwell Automation Driver Package (x64) v2.03
• RSLinx Classic v4.30 (CPR 9 SR 13)
• MicroLogix to Micro800 Converter v5.03
• FactoryTalk Updater Agent v3.00.11
• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8
• Microsoft Help Viewer v2.1
• Visual Studio® 2013 Shell (Isolated) v12.0.2
• MSXML 6.0 Parser and SDK
• OPC® Core Components Redistributable (x86) 3.00 or OPC Core Components Redistributable (x64) v3.00
• Report Viewer v12.0.2402
• Microsoft System CLR Types for SQL Server 2014 (x86 & x64) v12.0.2402

High Resolution Display Support

Windows 10 v1803 or later is the recommended operating system if running this software with a 2K or 4K High Resolution Display with scaling up to 125%.

Rockwell Automation Test Environment

Rockwell Automation tests software products under a standard configuration of operating systems and antivirus software. For additional information, see the Knowledgebase Document ID: PN24 - Rockwell Software Products and Antivirus Software.

Supported browsers

The following web browsers have been tested and are supported for use with this release:

• Google® Chrome™ browser
• Microsoft® Edge™
• Mozilla® Firefox®

Security requirements

To help meet secure system design requirements, review these publications:

• Configure System Security Features User Manual (publication SECURE-UM001)
• System Security Design Guidelines Reference Manual (publication SECURE-RM001)
• Converged Plantwide Ethernet (CPwE) Design and Implementation Guide (publication ENET-TD001)

To learn about implementing CIP Security, see CIP Security with Rockwell Automation Products Application Technique (publication SECURE-AT001).

Connected Components Workbench version 21.00 has the following new and enhanced features:

New features

• Support Ethernet implicit I/O messaging for Micro850 L50E and Micro870 L70E controllers.

Enhanced features

• Change the default value of Automatically Invoke Variable/Block Selector from True to False.
• Enable ease of programming through pre-developed UDFBs for Kinetix®5100 and PowerFlex®520 drives.
• The Scope setting is retained after reopening Variable Selector.
• When creating a tag in Variable Selector, users can click OK to accept and select the tag after entering the tag name.

PanelView™ 800 DesignStation has no new release. The product version is still 12.02. For more information, see Connected Components Workbench version 20.01 Release Notes.

Connected Components Workbench version 21.00 has no corrected anomalies.

• Micro800 L50E and L70E controllers are unable to communicate with PanelView 800 when selecting Half-Duplex Slave as DF1 mode and using a serial cable to connect with PanelView 800. First identified in Connected Components Workbench version 20.01.00. [Jira 1496948]
There is no workaround for this problem.

Corrected in Connected Components Workbench version 22.00.

• Unable to download to or upload a project from Micro800 L50E and L70E controllers through CIP pass-through. First identified in Connected Components Workbench version 20.01.00. [Jira 1496991]
There is no workaround for this problem.

• PanelView 800 DesignStation

Connected Components Workbench closes when selecting a PanelView 800 tag from the Cross Reference Browser window. First identified in Connected Components Workbench version 20.01.00. [Jira 1116675]

To avoid this problem, do not use square brackets '[' and ']' in the PanelView 800 tag name.

• PanelView 800 DesignStation
When you import a Micro800 array with simple data type into the terminal, an additional character ''.'' appears in the variable name. First identified in Connected Components Workbench version 20.01.00. [Jira 1529671]

To avoid this problem, export all tags to Microsoft Excel®, delete the extra dot, and import back into the terminal.

Corrected in Connected Components Workbench version 22.00.

• If a string variable’s logical value is entered with single quotation marks while monitoring or via communications from a graphic terminal, the value will be considered invalid when offline and cleared when you save the project (for example: Tom’s bike). First identified in Connected Components Workbench version 11.01.00. [Jira 30349]
To avoid this problem, do not use single quotation in string variable values.

• When selecting FactoryTalk Linx as the communication software in ControlFLASH, updating the firmware of Micro810, Micro830, Micro850, and Micro870 controllers will fail when using a 32-bit OS. First identified in Connected Components Workbench version 12.00.00. [Jira 29721]
To avoid this problem, do one of the following:

• Change the communication software to RSLinx Classic if you are running a 32-bit OS.
• Change the virtual backplane slots for FactoryTalk Linx to slot 0.

• If the free space of the default installation drive C is less than 2GB, Connected Components Workbench cannot be installed even when installing to an alternative drive. First identified in Connected Components Workbench version 12.00.00. [Jira 31698]
To avoid this problem, make sure the free space of drive C is at least 2GB.

• When programming with Micro800 Simulator, selecting STRING as the data type for the input variable in ANY_TO_DATE function block will cause incorrect conversion. First identified in Connected Components Workbench version 12.00.00. [Jira 31696]
To avoid this problem, avoid using STRING as the input data type.

• After uploading a project with logical values and then going offline, the project values are missing. First identified in Connected Components Workbench version 13.00.00. [Jira 30432]
To avoid this problem, restart CCW, and then open the local variable window.

Corrected in Connected Components Workbench version 22.00.

• The Copy Instruction copies from Source’s lowest index to the Destination’s highest index irrespective of the Source or Destination offset. (For example, Source – INT_array[10] = {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10} will result with Destination –  SINT_array[10] = {0,0,0,0,,5,4,3,2,1] ).
This anomaly is not present when the program is downloaded into a physical Micro800 Controllers, it is only found when used in Micro800 Simulator. This issue is only found when both source and destination are Array type with different data types (For example, Source defined as INT, and Destination defined as SINT). First identified in Connected Components Workbench version 13.00.00. [Jira 1042647]

Connected Components Workbench version 21.00 has no changes in functionality since the last release.

The following are the application notes for Connected Components Workbench version 21.00.

CIS Benchmarks test results

Rockwell Automation conducts tests using domain-joined computers configured according to CIS Benchmarks to help assure that software products perform as expected on computers that are hardened to industry best practices.

For more information about the guidelines and which products were tested against which CIS Benchmarks, see the Knowledgebase Document ID: QA63609 - Recommended guidelines for hardening software, computer, device, and network systems and infrastructure (CIS Benchmarks).

Note: If a product compliance with the benchmark is less than 100%, a link to a detailed spreadsheet is available. Download the spreadsheet to assist you in determining whether additional compensating controls are necessary.

Restarts during installation of Connected Components Workbench

Some Microsoft components may require a restart before the full Connected Components Workbench installation is complete. If the Connected Components Workbench does not install completely, restart the computer, and the Connected Components Workbench automatically continues installing.

Install Connected Components Workbench version 21.00

If you have a previous version of Connected Components Workbench installed, it is recommended to:

• Back up your projects in case you need to revert to an earlier version of Connected Components Workbench.
• Uninstall the previous version of Connected Components Workbench from your computer.

To install the Connected Components Workbench

Note: To use Software Center Configuration Manager (SCCM), install it with a user account or manually install Visual Studio shell 2013 before installing Connected Components Workbench.

1. Download the current version of Connected Components Workbench (Standard or Developer Edition).
2. Launch Setup.exe.
3. You must manually install .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 if you are using Windows 10, Windows 11, or Windows Server 2019.
4. In the Connected Components Workbench Setup dialog, select the products which you want to install, or specify a different drive where you want to install the software, and then click Next. By default, all products are selected and installed with the Connected Components Workbench. To remove a product or language from the current installation, clear the checkbox.
5. (optional) If installing the Developer Edition, enter the product serial number when prompted, and click Install.
6. In the End-User License Agreements dialog, read the agreements, click Accept all to continue the installation, or click Decline to return to the previous page.
7. (optional) If there are multiple Ethernet adapters in the computer, select one as the default from the popup window. Silent install mode will not provide the selection during installing. Configure it in RSLinx Classic after installation completes.
8. When prompted to restart your computer during the installation, click Restart now to restart your computer and continue the installation, or Restart later to suspend and exit the installation.
9. In the That's it! dialog, click Close to exit the installation. Meanwhile, you can also:
• Click Installation Summary to see the installation details.
• Click Register for updates to learn how to receive email updates about product patches.
• Click Download it free to install Adobe Acrobat Reader.
10. The Connected Components Workbench installation is complete.

To upgrade an existing installation

1. Stop your current version of Connected Components Workbench.
2. Perform the installation steps in the order presented on the screen.
3. Modify the products you want to install or uninstall.
   • Clear the product you want to uninstall. By default, the products are selected if they have been installed.
   • Select the product you want to install.
4. Click Install.
5. Restart your computer to complete the update.

FactoryTalk Updater

The FactoryTalk Updater utility is installed with Rockwell Automation software products. It assists the management of installed Rockwell Automation software by announcing new versions and patch roll-ups. Registering for updates is not required to receive announcements from the FactoryTalk Updater.

System logs and some application data are stored in this folder:

C:\Users\Public\Documents\Rockwell\Updater\Data

The logs and application data can be helpful when contacting Rockwell Automation Technical Support. System logs are automatically deleted after 90 days.

Tip: To receive notifications of new versions and patch roll-ups, the FactoryTalk Updater utility requires access to the Download Center web service. Verify that the firewall does not block access to this URL: https://api.rockwellautomation.com/es-be-pcdc-vpcprod/

Unattended or silent install

Use command-line parameters to perform an unattended or silent installation of the software.

Installation Command-line parameters

The following table identifies the installation command-line parameters. Command-line parameters are case-insensitive. However, if a specified value includes a space, be sure to enclose the value in quotation marks (for example, "value with spaces").

Examples

The following examples show how to use the installation commands.

• To install the software with no user interface using the default settings during the installation process. (Silent install)
Setup.exe /Q /IAcceptAllLicenseTerms

• To install the Chinese language version of the software on the D: drive and display the progress, error, or complete messages during installation and restart the computer if necessary. (Unattended install)
Setup.exe /QS /IAcceptAllLicenseTerms /AutoRestart /SetupLanguage=CHS /InstallDrive=D:

Error codes

The following table identifies the error codes that can be returned by an installation.

VeriSign Universal Root Certification Authority certificate

If the VeriSign Universal Root Certification Authority certificate does not exist on the local computer, the certificate is installed while installing Rockwell Automation software. Use Microsoft Management Console (MMC) to view the certificate in Console Root > Certificates (Local Computer) > Trusted Root Certification Authorities > Certificates.

Convert an existing project to the current release

To use the most current features on projects created in previous versions of Connected Components Workbench, convert the project to the current release by opening the project in the latest Connected Components Workbench. This will automatically convert the project’s databases to the current release.

An existing project that is converted to the current release, opened and saved in the current release, or downloaded to a Micro800 controller cannot be opened in a previous release. If a project is shared, all users must upgrade to the current release of the Connected Components Workbench to continue using the project.

When you open a project created in a previous release of the Connected Components Workbench, the project database automatically updates to the current release, which allows access to the latest Connected Components Workbench features. However, to use new device-specific features in the current release, you may also need to use the device's upgrade feature to upgrade the device. For example, Micro800 controllers use the Change Controller feature to update the controller firmware revision to the latest revision to make use of newly added instructions.

User account types for Connected Components Workbench

When you create new projects or open existing projects, we recommend that you do not use the default Guest user account and that you use the same type of account you used when you installed Connected Components Workbench. That is, if you were signed in under an administrator account when you installed Connected Components Workbench, you should sign in with an account that has administrator privileges when you use the Connected Components Workbench.

To change to an administrator account

1. Navigate to: \Program Files > Rockwell Automation > Connected Components Workbench.
2. Right-click CCW.Shell.exe, select Run as, and then select Administrator user.
3. Click OK.

File Extensions and locations

Connected Components Workbench creates and uses the file extension .ccwsln for user-created projects.

By default, the product-managed files are saved to:

C:\Users\<user>\Documents\CCW\<Project#>\<project#>.ccswln

Connecting to a Micro800 controller on a virtual machine

If you install RSLinx Classic on a virtual machine (for example, VMware®), make sure to disable RSLinx Classic on the host computer before you plug the USB cable that is attached to your Micro800 controller into the host computer. If you ignore this step, the host computer will obtain the driver for the Micro800 controller, and the virtual machine may not be able to detect the Micro800 controller.

Connecting to a Device using Ethernet

Use the default EtherNet/IP driver to connect to a device.

If you use Ethernet instead of a USB to connect to the controller, the Ethernet/IP driver is installed by default in RSLinx and you can connect to devices which are on the same subnet as the PC. If a DHCP server is available, in most cases, your computer and the device (such as the Micro850 controller, which defaults to DHCP) will be assigned IP addresses that will allow them to communicate using this Ethernet/IP driver. The Ethernet/IP driver will browse all devices on the subnet.

In cases where the device is not on the same subnet as the PC or you do not wish to view all devices on the subnet, it is recommended to install the Ethernet Devices driver, which requires manually entering the IP address of the device.

To add the Ethernet Devices driver to connect to a device

1. Click Communications > Configure to open the Configure Drivers dialog.
2. In Available Driver Types, select Ethernet Devices.
3. Click Add New and type a name for the driver or accept the default name.
4. If prompted, enter the Ethernet adapter selection. Be sure to select the correct port (it may not be the Windows default).
5. For each device, enter the IP address (or Host Name if DNS is supported) under Host Name. It is recommended to append ":EIP" to the IP address for better performance by avoiding the older CSPv4 port 2222. Click Add New as necessary. Click OK, then Close when finished.
6. For the device, click Connect to open the Connection Browser.
7. Expand the Ethernet Devices driver you previously added.
8. Select the controller that you want to connect to from your project and then click OK.

Security considerations

Connected Components Workbench and its included software components require running system services and network access to communicate with controllers, drives, graphic terminals, and other devices. You may need to enable system services or configure firewall rules for Connected Components Workbench to function properly. However, Connected Components Workbench does not require endpoint firewall rules because it is not a server product that allows remote clients.

For a list of services that require network access, as well as detailed information on security concerns, see Knowledgebase Document ID: PN826 - Security considerations when using Rockwell Automation Software Products.

For a list of TCP/UDP ports used by Rockwell Automation products, see Knowledgebase Document ID: BF7490 - TCP/UDP Ports Used by Rockwell Automation Products.

View Trend and UDC Help with Help Viewer 2.1

The Help Viewer 2.1 Filter is designed to keep the search list compact and manageable. Titles appear in the filtered table of contents (TOC) list only if they contain the root of the term used in the filter and the empty TOC levels are collapsed with an ellipsis (…).

For example, if you specify "troubleshooting" as a filter, only titles that contain "troubleshoot" or "troubleshooting" appear. Nodes whose titles do not contain the term are collapsed to a single node with an ellipsis (...).

In the filtered TOC, you can do the following:

• Mouse over an ellipsis (...) in the filtered TOC to show the corresponding topic title in a popup window.
• Close the Filter to show the unfiltered TOC.

Internet Explorer security settings

Internet Explorer® high security settings can prevent some help features from working as expected.

• For PCs running Windows operating systems, change the Internet zone security level to Medium.
• For PCs running Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2012, you might need to adjust the browser security settings.

VMware compatibility

Compatibility with VMware has not been formally tested, but it has been used extensively with Connected Components Workbench.

• If you experience poor performance using VMware, you may need to upgrade VMware or run Connected Components Workbench on the host operating system. Connected Components Workbench and other software may try to access the networks, to ensure optimal system performance, you may need to disable network adapters.
• If you use Connected Components Workbench with VMware, you may have to manually connect USB devices. When a virtual machine is running, its window is the active window and a USB device is plugged into the host computer, the device automatically connects to the guest instead of the host. This auto connect feature can be disabled in the USB Controller panel of the virtual machine settings editor (VM > Settings). If all of the virtual machine's USB ports are already occupied when it is trying to connect automatically to a new device, a dialog box gives you a choice: you can either disconnect one of the existing USB devices to free its port or ignore the new device, allowing the device to connect to the host.

Manually connecting a virtual machine to a USB device

• Choose VM > Removable Devices to connect specific USB devices to your virtual machine. If the physical USB devices are connected to the host computer through a hub, the virtual machine sees only the USB devices, not the hub.
• There is a menu item for each of the USB ports. Move the mouse over one of these items to see a cascading menu of devices that are plugged into your host computer and available for use. To connect a device to the virtual machine, click its name.
• If a device is already connected to that port, click the name of a new device to release the first device and connect the new one.
• To release a connected device, click None on the cascading menu for the port to which it is connected.
• If you physically plug a new device into the host computer and the auto connect feature does not connect it to a virtual machine, the device is initially connected to the host. Its name is also added to the VM > Removable Devices menu so you can connect it to the virtual machine manually.

Downloading available firmware

The only firmware files installed with Connected Components Workbench 10.0 and later are the two most recent firmware versions for the Micro800 controllers. Additional firmware files (.dmk) are available for download on Rockwell Automation Compatibility and Downloads.

Downloading sample code and Device Manuals

If upgrading Connected Components Workbench from an earlier version to 11.00 or later, the Sample Code and Device Manuals of the earlier version should be downloaded manually. The latest Sample Code and Device Manuals are available for download on Rockwell Automation Compatibility and Downloads. We recommended you install the same version of Device Manuals as Connected Components Workbench.

Activation and grace period

If the Connected Components Workbench Developer Edition is unable to connect to the FactoryTalk Activation server, it enters a seven-day grace period. Once the grace period expires, Connected Components Workbench will run as Standard Edition.

Installing language package

If a German or Italian Connected Components Workbench version is installed on Windows 10 or Windows Server 2012 and later with a different language version, install the German or Italian Language Pack on your operating system.

Spectrum Controls module configuration tool

For the Spectrum Controls module configuration tool, it is installed to C:\Program Files (x86)\Rockwell Automation\CCW\SpectrumTool\ModuleConfigConverter.exe. This launch path can be configured as part of the module’s profile.