Hello to all. This is my first time posting to the list so please excuse me if I do something wrong. We have a need to develop an upgrade plan for our current DCS system. We currently have some hardware that is no longer supported by Foxboro (WP51As), and next year, more will join that list (CP40A's). Our current software is 6.1.1. I would like to develop a plan to migrate our system towards upgrade, but I have some compatability issues. My first project to tackle is I have two WP51A remotely connected to our system via DNBX, thicknet, and tranciever. The transciever is no longer supported, nor is the WP51A. Both these stations are critical to our process. We need them up and running. I want to replace both of these WP51 with two AW51Bs (in lifecycle, but can buy me time) I have. I also would like to upgrade this communication to either fiber or ethernet, utilizing the NCNIs, etc. However, as I understand it, version 6.1.1 does not support this? From what Ive read I must be at 7.*+ to move to this. Is this a fact? If that's the case, can I load 7.* on those two, yet leave the rest of the system at 6.1.1? (I also understand that there is a good possibility of backwards compatibilty not being there.) I have thought about doing away with those two stations and just increasing my Xwindow capability in the meantime. Currently both of those remote areas have Exceed Xwindow access to the system, but they are monitor limited and would need those extra stations. Also to toss into the mix is the issue of our CP40As moving to being not supported in Jan 2006. Does anyone have any experience in migrating from CP40As to something newer? This may force my hand at software upgrades, which affects hardware upgrades...well, you all understand how that snowball starts to roll... Just as most companies these days are, cost watching is rampant. So I need to develop a way to get my system from what it is now, to an updated system (Software 8+ ???) say 3 years from now, and try to spread those costs out over that time. Obviously I do not want to move to something, only to replace it all in 1-2 years, just in the name of getting by. I havent even decided yet whether to move to XP or stay Unix...//*cracks open another can of worms*\\ Any insight is much appreciated. Once again, please forgive me if I am not using this list properly. John T Yaudes Weyerhaeuser Henderson, Ky _______________________________________________________________________ This mailing list is neither sponsored nor endorsed by Invensys Process Systems (formerly The Foxboro Company). Use the info you obtain here at your own risks. Read http://www.thecassandraproject.org/disclaimer.html foxboro mailing list: //www.freelists.org/list/foxboro to subscribe: mailto:foxboro-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=join to unsubscribe: mailto:foxboro-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=leave