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

The following operating systems are supported and recommended*:

• Windows Server® 2022 Standard (Recommended, CIS Benchmark)
• Windows Server 2022 Datacenter
• Windows Server 2019 Standard (Recommended, CIS Benchmark)
• Windows Server 2019 Datacenter
• Windows 11 Professional
• Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 (v24H2)
• Windows® 11 Enterprise (Recommended, CIS Benchmark)
• Windows 10 Enterprise 64-bit (Recommended, CIS Benchmark)
• Windows 10 Professional 64-bit
• Windows 10 Enterprise 2021 LTSC 64-bit (v21H2)
• Windows 10 Enterprise 2019 LTSC 64-bit (v1809)
• Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB 64-bit

Tip: When running on the following operating systems, Connected Components Workbench requires .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 to be installed. Windows Server 2019 Standard (Recommended, CIS Benchmark) Windows Server 2019 Datacenter Windows 11 Enterprise (Recommended, CIS Benchmark) Windows 11 Professional Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 (v24H2) Windows 10 Enterprise 64-bit (Recommended, CIS Benchmark) Windows 10 Professional 64-bit Windows 10 Enterprise 2021 LTSC 64-bit (v21H2) Windows 10 Enterprise 2019 LTSC 64-bit (v1809) Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB 64-bit

*The recommended operating systems have priority for Microsoft Patch Qualifications with Rockwell Automation software.

Rockwell Automation's software installation policy is based on the lifecycle information of Microsoft operating systems. If an operating system's lifecycle state is approaching the end, you may encounter a warning message when trying to install Rockwell Automation software on it.

Rockwell Automation will provide a notice about the lifecycle information of the following operating systems.

For the latest compatibility information, refer to the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy and Product Compatibility and Download Center.

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

• ControlFLASH™ v15.08.00
• FactoryTalk Activation Manager v5.01.02
• FactoryTalk Diagnostics v6.30.00 (CPR 9 SR 13)
• Rockwell Automation USBCIP Driver Package (x86) v3.18
• Rockwell Automation Driver Package (x64) v2.03
• RSLinx® Classic v4.50.00 (CPR 9 SR 15)
• MicroLogix to Micro800 Converter v5.06.00
• FactoryTalk Updater Agent v4.20.01
• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8
• Microsoft Help Viewer v2.2
• Visual Studio® 2015 Shell (Isolated) v14.0.2
• MSXML 6.0 Parser and SDK
• OPC® Core Components Redistributable (x86) v3.00 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 learn about designing a secure networking environment, review this publication:

• Converged Plantwide Ethernet (CPwE) Design and Implementation Guide (publication ENET-TD001) represents a collaborative development effort from Cisco Systems and Rockwell Automation.

To learn about implementing application-level security using FactoryTalk Security, review this publication:

• FactoryTalk Security Application Technique (publication SECURE-AT002) explains how to use FactoryTalk Security to implement authentication and authorization in your industrial automation system and how to enforce product-specific security for applications like Studio 5000 Logix Designer, FactoryTalk View, and FactoryTalk AssetCentre.

To learn about designing and implementing an architecture with device-level security using CIP Security, review these publications:

• System Security Design Guidelines Reference Manual (publication SECURE-RM001) provides guidelines for how to use Rockwell Automation products to improve the security of your industrial automation system.
• Configure System Security Features User Manual (publication SECURE-UM001) describes the system-level configuration requirements to use a controller that has achieved IEC 62443-4-2:2019 certification.
• CIP Security with Rockwell Automation Products Application Technique (publication SECURE-AT001) explains how to implement the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) Security standard in your industrial automation control system (IACS).

Connected Components Workbench version 23.00 has the following new and enhanced features:

New features

• New Micro800 controller catalog

  Add the L20E controllers that support all LC20 features and the following:

  • USB port configuration
  • Up to four Ethernet/IP modules

Enhanced features

• Security enhancement

  Increase the password length of controllers and Program Organization Units to 8–64 characters.

• Feature enhancement

  Feature	Added Controller Supporting the Feature
  2080-Remote LCD module attachment	L20E controllers
  	L50E controllers
  	L70E controllers
  LCD_BKLT_REM, LCD_REM, and KEY_READ_REM instructions	L20E, L50E, and L70E controllers
  USB port configuration	L20E controllers
  MicroLogix mapping	L50E controllers
  MSG_PCCC instruction	L50E controllers

• IPv6 support

Support IPv6 in L50E and L70E controllers and support Modbus TCP server for IPv6-compatible controllers.

• Due to compatibility issues from component obsolescence, Trending is temporarily not supported in Connected Components Workbench version 22.00. [Jira 3056693]
• Fault 0XD011 occurs when downloading a project to a Micro800 Simulator on a Windows 11 operating system. First identified in Connected Components Workbench version 22.00. [Jira 3179991]
• The Swap bit of the COP instruction does not function correctly in a Micro800 simulator, operating the opposite than intended. First identified in Connected Components Workbench version 22.00. [Jira 844757]
• When the Swap parameter of the COP instruction is set to FALSE, the Micro800 Simulator incorrectly byte-swaps 16-bit values, and both byte-swaps and word-swaps 32-bit values. No swapping should occur when the Swap parameter is set to FALSE. First identified in Connected Components Workbench version 13.00. [Jira 1195072]
• Pasting mnemonics constant values from an external text editor to Connected Components Workbench ASCII editor will cause the constant values to become a variable. First reported in Connected Components Workbench version 23.00. [Jira 5090432]
• A project with retention memory exceeded is not detected in a build-only setting. Downloading the project can cause the controller to be bricked. First reported in Connected Components Workbench version 23.00. [Jira 4838307]

• In Connected Components Workbench version 20.00 or later, resetting the firmware via Ethernet to clear the controller password for Micro800 LxxE controller projects will fail and cause controller faults. First identified in Connected Components Workbench version 20.00. [Jira 4807931]

  To avoid this problem, reset the firmware via USB.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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]

• In the User-defined Function (UDF) local variables, variables created by pasting them into a UDF can become disorganized when referenced within a Program Organization Unit. First identified in Connected Components Workbench version 22.00. [Jira 3123764]

  To avoid this problem, create the variables directly in the UDF.

Connected Components Workbench version 23.00 has no changes in functionality since the last release.

The following are the application notes for Connected Components Workbench version 23.00.

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, see the Knowledgebase Document ID: QA63609 - Recommended guidelines for hardening software, computer, device, and network systems and infrastructure (CIS Benchmarks).

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 23.00

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 Connected Components Workbench

Tip: 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 that 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

Use command Setup.exe /? to display the usage options for installation parameters. Command-line parameters are case-insensitive. 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 the 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 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 (x86)> Rockwell Automation > CCW.
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 that 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 UDC Help with Help Viewer 2.2

The Help Viewer 2.2 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.

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.