As you know, in EcoStruxure Machine Expert 2.3, we introduced an important feature called “Device User Management” to enhance Cybersecurity capability of HMISCU.

This feature is currently enabled by default.

However, our customers are now experiencing a critical usability issue when installing CODESYS PLC project into an HMISCU via USB key (Download a project by File System), the default setting causes communication failure between HMI and PLC.

To solve this, users must physically connect each HMISCU to Machine Expert to modify the settings. This procedure is especially inconvenient when deploying the projects to multiple HMISCU using a USB key.

The goal of this article is to inform about removing default enablement of the Device User Management feature.

This article is applicable to the following products:

HMISCU.

This topic is related to EcoStruxure Machine Expert 2.3 & Vijeo Designer 6.3.2.x

Please note that the procedure relies on disabling a security feature that will leave the HMISCU PLC side open to network intrusions, like Machine Expert version < 2.3.
Disabling is done at the customer's own risk.

To be able to download a project via USB Key without any communication error using EcoStruxure Machine Expert 2.3, you must disable Device User Management feature directly into the HMISCU by editing the codesyssp.cfg file.

Follow these steps to ensure HMI-PLC communication works correctly after a File System download:

1. In Machine Expert 2.3, open your VJD Application. Make sure that "Enable Security" under IOManage -> SoMachine node is not enabled.
2. Download the application into a USB key using the File System download option.
3. In the USB key, navigate to \PUBLIC\CODESYSSP and open the codesyssp.cfg file.
4. Under the [CmpUserMgr] section, add these two lines:

SECURITY.UserMgmtEnforce=NO

SECURITY.UserMgmtAllowAnonymous=YES

5. Save the codesyssp.cfg file.
6. Download the project to the HMISCU. Communication between the HMI and PLC should now work correctly.

Released for: Schneider Electric South Africa