Yokogawa’s Distributed Control System (DCS), Centum VP R5, represents a pinnacle of reliability and scalability in industrial automation. Designed for seamless integration across large-scale processes—from oil and gas to power generation—Centum VP provides robust process control, advanced diagnostics, and secure data handling. Its modular architecture allows you to tailor solutions to your facility’s exact needs, while built-in redundancy ensures continuous operation even under fault conditions.
Yokogawa DCS Software Installation
This guide walks you through installing Yokogawa Centum VP R5 on a new engineering (ENG) PC—creating a legally licensed backup of your factory’s primary ENG station.
Centum VP R5 system – with ENG spare
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure you have:
- Existing ENG PC running Centum VP R5
- Centum VP Software CD
- License Key CD (provided with your project)
These three items must already reside in your facility. You’ll prepare one new PC to host the backup installation.
Step 1. Prepare the New PC
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Install Windows and create an administrator account with a strong password. Centum VP requires an admin password at log-on.
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Rename the computer to exactly match your primary ENG PC’s hostname.
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Adjust Power Settings
- Open Power Options and set “Turn off the display” and “Put the computer to sleep” to Never, preventing unwanted shutdowns.
Step 2. Install DCS Hardware
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V-net Card:
- Set its DIP switches to the same network address as your existing ENG PC’s V-net card.
- Insert into an available PCI slot.
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DCS Operation Keyboard:
- Plug its USB cable into the new PC.
Drivers for both will be installed in the next step.
Step 3. Install Drivers & Core Software
- Insert the Centum VP Software CD and let Windows autoplay.
- First, install the Control Bus Driver (for the V-net card).
- Next, install the USB Driver for Operation Keyboard.
- Finally, install the CENTUM VP Software package.
Driver installation screens
Step 4. Install & Configure Centum VP
- Run the Centum VP installer from the CD.
- Organization Name: Enter your company or unit name.
- Computer Name: Confirm it matches the primary ENG PC exactly.
- IT Security: Select Yes to enable built-in security features.
- Model Selection: Choose Legacy Model (or match your existing configuration).
- Complete the installation wizard.
Step 5. Back Up Your License
On the existing ENG PC, launch the License Manager and export (backup) your license file to a safe folder.
Step 6. Restore & Activate License on New PC
- Copy both the backup license file and the license key files (from the factory CD) onto the new PC.
- Open License Manager as Administrator.
- Select Restore, browse to your backup license folder, and restore.
- Click Verify License Key, select your factory key file, then click Restore again.
- Choose Distribute Master Licenses, tick only your ENG PC name, and confirm.
- Save the license—Centum VP will display all modules (including System View).
Step 7. Back Up Your Project
On the existing ENG PC, export your project (using the Project Backup Utility) and copy the resulting folder to the new PC, preserving its directory path.
Step 8. Restore Your Project
- On the new PC, extract the project folder into the exact same path as your ENG PC.
- Launch the Project’s Attribution Utility → Register → point to the extracted folder → choose Current Project → Exit.
- Open System View and verify your project appears correctly.
Step 9. Transfer Historical Data & Reports (Optional)
To maintain continuity, copy any long-term trend logs, batch reports, or historian archives from the primary ENG PC to the backup. Place them in the same directory structure so that System View can seamlessly display historical trends.
Congratulations! Your new PC now functions as a fully licensed, up-to-date backup ENG station for Yokogawa Centum VP R5. Should your primary ENG PC ever require maintenance or fail, you can seamlessly switch over with minimal downtime.
Credits: Engineer2You blog