install project dongole

Dear ALL

I've my system up and running on SI dongle for more than 6 month.

Now a days I've  got my project dongle and license cd in hand .

There is a near SD so I plan to install project dongle and license

Can you share detailed steps or KBA  or KBA number doing this.

Thanks in advance

• @Andre Dicaire
• @matt stoner

hagouda

• 5 Sep 2025 9:10 AM
• Cancel

6 Replies

• Douglas Crowder

  

  • 5 Sep 2025 12:06 PM

  I believe you are asking how to remove the SI dongle and install your user dongle and license. If so, it is pretty simple. Insert the user dongle and remove the SI dongle. Put the license file(s) somewhere on the Proplus hard drive. Open DV Explorer and go to the File menu > Licensing > Load license file. See the screenshot (mine shows Load license file is disabled since I am running on an SI dongle). Load the licenses and then assign as needed. The majority will go on the Proplus, but some go to other servers / workstations and redundant controller pairs. You will need to do some changed Setup data downloads.
  
  Swapping dongles back and forth while the plant is running will not cause any issues (I do it all the time when I visit customer sites.) The downloading should be fine as well, if you are careful. Since you have a S/D coming up, it may be best to wait until then unless your SI dongle will expire before then.

  • Cancel
• hagouda

  

  • 5 Sep 2025 1:51 PM

  In reply to Douglas Crowder:

  Dear Douglas
  Thanks for your quick response.
  You are right. I actually need to replace the SI dongle with the project one.
  My system runs on deltav  ver 14.31 ltsp
  As I understand that I will only need to download changed setup data. Not full download.
  Pls advise. 
  Thanks
  Hossam

  • Cancel
• Andre Dicaire

  

  • 5 Sep 2025 4:04 PM

  In reply to hagouda:

  SI Dongles suspend the licensing in the Proplus and allow you to configure the system and perform downloads prior to receiving your licenses. However, be aware that you can out configure the system to a point where you can't license what you've done. A common mistake is to make use of the OPC DA servers on workstations. These can be licensed up to 500 tags with the Excel Addin License, but no more. If you color within the lines, you should be good.
  
  The second thing is that while running on an SI Dongle, many DeltaV Applications will work as long as the Dongle remains available. If the SI Dongle is removed, or the computer it is shutdown or disconnected, the other workstations will find themselves unlicensed. This is the primary reason the SI Key is not supported for production systems. If the key expires, you could find yourself unable to operate the plant.
  
  Note that you can connect the SI dongle to any DeltaV Computer on the system to maintain access to unlicensed applications. It is best to license as soon as you can.
  
  Once you have applied licensing, make sure you are fully licensed for what you've configured. Run a licensing report. Setup download will distribute the licensing to the DeltaV nodes that require them.

  Andre Dicaire

  • Cancel
• hagouda

  

  • 6 Sep 2025 6:24 AM

  In reply to Andre Dicaire:

  Dear Andre
  Thanks for your detail description. please not that we use SI dongle as temporary solution to get the project up and running till we got our project dongle in hand.
  Now a days I'm trying to install it once we have SD. that why I am asking.
  Providing that all configured functions and applications are in according to PO and matches the supplied Dongle.
  Just for confirmation after loading and assign license for any node should I make full downloads or changed stup date only.
  Thanks

  • Cancel
• Douglas Crowder

  

  • 8 Sep 2025 12:40 PM

  In reply to hagouda:

  You don't need to download anything. Just run the licensing report and be sure everything is properly licensed. If you see any exclamation points (!), that item is not properly licensed and needs to be addressed before getting off the SI. If any !, you cannot download _anything_.
  
  Just a side note about full downloads... never do that to controllers while the plant i running. If you do, it won't be running for long.

  • Cancel
• Andre Dicaire

  

  • 8 Sep 2025 5:19 PM

  In reply to Douglas Crowder:

  I'm thinking that you may be good to simply download the Pro Plus, which would trigger updates via yellow pages (auto update service) to workstations. There are explicit license items downloaded to the workstations that enable their licensed functionality independently of the Pro Plus. This licensing would be sent to the workstations with a Setup data download but should get their with yellow pages. Downloading the Pro Plus setup data should trigger the auto update.
  
  The Controller licensing is applied in the database preventing download of the node if the configuration is insufficiently licensed. The SI key allows the database to download without checking for license components and enables whatever is configured, such as Redundancy License, DST Usage, etc. to be downloaded. Adding the licenses to the database will allow future downloads based on covering all licenses.
  
  There are some licenses that are system wide, such as the IO DST and Pro Plus system size. If these are insufficient (! present) downloads to controllers will be prevented. You would need to unassign modules to reduce DST usage until assigned licenses are adequate. Note that for IO DST's, higher DST types (AO, AI) will cover lower DST types, which means as long as the AO DST type is not indicating Insufficient Licenses (!) you are still able to download. If you see (!) on DI DST, the extra DI signals are covered by either DO, AI, or AO, progressively. Missing DI would use available DO licenses until they are consumed, then AI, if needed, and finally AO. Ultimately, if AO DST are insufficient (!), you must add licensing. However, you may only need to add more DI DST's, or DO, or AI to free up the AO covering these lower licenses.
  
  Once you've loaded the licenses with their System ID dongle connected, I would check the Node Download status on nodes showing blue triangle. This should guide you on any downloads. I expect the Pro plus to require setup download. Total downloads would not be required to controllers or IO nodes.
  
  Why can't you do a total download to a controller on a running plant?
  
  The simple answer is that a total download initializes modules including IO values that would be set to BAD status until the module executes the AI or DI blocks. Modules that have external references may therefore execute before a referenced module and read an initialized value instead of a valid process value or calculation result. Unless the configuration has been supplemented to handle this initializing state, there is a strong likelihood that a total download will result in Output channel changes, and as a result disrupt the process. Even if AO and DO blocks first initialize to the current state of their outputs, the subsequent logic in the control modules ultimately determines if the output changes state. Cascade block execution with BKCAL signals are meant to allow a module to initialize to the current output blocks for analog control. Discrete control however is more input to output driven.
  
  So, the golden rule is not to perform a total download while in production. It depends on the configuration. During commissioning, performing a total download and controller switchovers can provide some insight on any impact to the process. Since a controller switchover is required to apply Hotfixes or upgrades, I strongly recommend that switch over behavior be tested. Although every effort is made to make switchover seamless, configurations have proven to be implemented in ingenious ways. The redundancy analyzer tool was created to identify potential references in a system that should be handled with some error checking. Remote references provide the .CST (Connection Status) and Expressions have the (Abort on Read Errors) to avoid calculations based on references that have bad status. Error checking is always more complicated that the core functionality of a program.
  
  Note: DeltaV provides the SYS$STAT parameter that can be used to detect if a module is on its first execution following a download (total or Partial) or switchover. This value is cleared on the next execution. this value can be read by a CALC Expression which conditionally executes an appropriate set of commands, based on the restart type. I don't see this option used a lot but does provide a mechanism to take explicit action as a module initializes and can be useful to deal with specific use cases.
  
  Maybe this is another good reason for having a Digital Twin that allows a deeper understanding of the configuration in abnormal situations.

  Andre Dicaire

  • Cancel