lkrealt.dll error

[Tulong]

Everytime I shutdown my LookOut, this error keeps coming up lkrealt.dll module error.  What's this related to?

[Ryan.S]

This file is for Logos. What if you launch lookout but don't open any process, and then close it?

If the error happens everytime, I suggest you to repair Lookout from Add/Remove Programs...

What's your lookout version?

[Tulong]

It's version 6.1.  I've noticed that the error only happens when I am also loading DirectSoft5 to edit PLC ladder logic.  Without loading DirectSoft5, I can either reload a process or close LookOut without any problem.  I am also using Direct Logic Plus Driver version 5.3.0.194.

[Ryan.S]

So it is probably the compatibility problem between NI Logos and DirectSoft5 software.

[jbesselm · Accepted solution]

Tulong;

Are you using the correct version of Direct Logic Plus for machines that also are running Directsoft. The HostEngineering website has a note about this. Direct Logic Plus was written for Lookout 4.5. Lookout and Logos have undergone a lot of changes since then. 

You can also save yourself some headaches by upgrading to Lookout 6.2 and using the NI OPC server to talk with the Automation Direct PLCs. I think it is more stable than Directlogic Plus with the newer versions of Lookout, plus it will run as a service.  I have recently upgraded two systems and it's working well. Cost of the SSP is probably about that of DL Plus. The conversion can be pretty easy if you used symbolic links to point to your server process.

Just my thoughts.

Jim Besselman

[Tulong]

Jim,

You may be right about the version compatibility.  Before, I was using Direct Logic Plus version 5.2 without any problem.  However recently, a contractor that worked on one of our project had used a newer version of Direct Logic PLus 5.3 for his works and that had caused a big problem with our LookOut server.  LookOut crashed every single time we tried to launch after that.  I had to update our Direct Logic Plus to the same version 5.3 in order to be able to launch LookOut and ran our processes (both server and client were acting the same way).  Ever since, I've noticed that everytime I launch DirectSoft5 to edit my PLC program.  My LookOut either just suddently quit with the error or when I try to reopen a process.  About upgrading from 6.1 to 6.2, is it fairly straight forward?  As far as I have seen, from 3.1 to 5.x and then to 6.1 is kinda pain in the neck.

[Ryan.S]

To upgrade from 6.1 to 6.2 is straight forward, except that you need to modify your process if you use NI OPC Server.

[JPhillips]

Jim,

I use symbolic links to connect to my server process. Would you please give me an idea of how you went from communicating to your Direct Logic PLCs with Direct Logic Plus Drivers to communicating with them using the NI OPC Server?

Thanks!

[jbesselm]

JPhilipps

It's was a couple of years back and our reccolection is a bit foggy, but I think that we exported the DLPlus driver object and imported the alias names and addresses into the tag names of the OPC Server. So at this point we had the tag names=the old alias names. I asked the individual that actually did it his response was: "If I remember correctly we we created a symbolic link within the drivers process that had the name of the old DLPlus object name. This new symbolic link was pointed to the OPC server's tree for the PLC so the tag names would show up under the root of the new "DLPlus" symbolic link." 

I think that the above method might work but I actually don't think that is what we did. I think that in the OPC server we made the device names match the DLPlus Object names for each PLC and then edited the lks file and substituted the OPC serever.channel.device for the old DLPlus object name. What ever method we used I know it only took a few minutes and we did not have to rename any of the existing DLPus datamembers that were being used.

We also use symbolic links in the client processes that point to our driver process.  

If our recollection becomes clearer I'll let you know.

Jim

[JPhillips]

Thanks a lot, Jim.

That should be enough information for me to get rolling.

I just found out that the latest Direct Logic Plus Drivers are not compatible with Windows 7, and the guy I spoke to from Automation Direct informed me that they were not going to update the driver so that it is comaptible with Windows 7.