TN - IO - 26090314 Unsupported ABCIP OI Firmware Versions

• Document Version: 001
• Applies to Version(s): OI ABCIP 2023.1 and newer (Communication Drivers Pack)

Description  

AVEVA's approach to testing ABCIP versions has evolved, but if a version is not listed in the Technology Matrix it does not necessarily mean it is incompatible.

Solution Steps:

Maintaining the lab infrastructure to test and support infinite legacy firmware versions was becoming unsustainable. In some cases, the hardware required to test old firmware is no longer obtainable, so when an old lab PLC fails, they cannot replace it. The decision was made to test and support firmware versions that are currently supported by Rockwell at the time of ABCIP releases. If new firmware comes out after release, they will test it against existing ABCIP releases that are still in Full Support per the Software Support Lifecycle Policy and the Technology Matrix will be updated accordingly. The thought is that if a firmware version is not supported by Rockwell, AVEVA should not be supporting communication to that firmware version. Running old firmware can also be a cybersecurity vulnerability.

Newer ABCIP versions will likely work with older firmware, but it is not guaranteed nor supported. If Product Development suspects a problem is related to compatibility with old firmware, it will be the responsibility of the customer to test the reported issue against supported firmware to rule that out first. Running ABCIP with unsupported firmware should only be a temporary scenario until the PLC can be updated.

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