Legacy HMI/SCADA: What to Replace RSView32, PanelBuilder32, Wonderware, Citect, WinCC and iFIX With — Paths to FactoryTalk, AVEVA and Ignition

HMI/SCADA software rarely "breaks" the way hardware does: the old computer still runs, the screens still display. The problems come from three directions. When the vendor stops selling it, you cannot buy more licences to expand or replace a PC. Newer operating systems are no longer supported. And when you need integrated security (CIP Security, network segmentation) or data connectivity to higher levels, the old software usually cannot do it. This article collects the status published by the vendors themselves and the paths TDL proposes to the three platforms TDL delivers: Rockwell FactoryTalk, AVEVA and Ignition.

Quick reference

Status read from each vendor's website on 26/09/2026; vendors may update it. Other vendors' names in the table only identify the system in service — TDL does not supply those products.

Rockwell: RSView32, PanelBuilder32, RSLogix, RSLinx

RSView32 → FactoryTalk View SE. This is the path with the most complete tooling. Create a FactoryTalk View SE application, add an HMI server, then choose to import the RSView32 project (FTALK-QR004C p. 17–19; VIEWSE-UM006R p. 121–122, 137). The tag database must go through the Legacy Tag Database Conversion Utility twice — on the RSView32 computer and on the 64-bit FactoryTalk View computer (FTALK-QR004C p. 13). RSView32 alarms move to FactoryTalk Alarms and Events with the FactoryTalk View Alarm Migration Tool (p. 20–26). What has to be redone: VBA written against the RSView32 object model (RSView32 runs VBA on the server side, FactoryTalk View SE on the client side — p. 5), native trends, tag monitors, alarm summaries and some ActiveX controls (p. 27–29). RSView32 historical log files cannot be opened in FactoryTalk View SE (p. 7) — keep a separate viewer if the plant still needs the old data. FactoryTalk Linx comes with FactoryTalk View SE and is not bought separately; remote connections from third-party clients need FactoryTalk Linx Professional or Gateway (p. 9).

PanelBuilder32 / PanelView Standard → FactoryTalk View ME on PanelView Plus 7. A .pba application (or the .pva if the .pba is lost) can be imported into FactoryTalk View Studio ME (2711P-AP006F p. 42–48; VIEWME-UM004S p. 451–459). The items to fix by hand, panel cut-outs and communications when replacing the terminal are collected in Upgrade paths for legacy Allen-Bradley systems. PanelBuilder 1400e applications have their own conversion procedure, with a list of unsupported objects and RIO tags (VIEWME-UM004S p. 438–450).

RSLogix 5 / 500 → Studio 5000 Logix Designer. Logix Designer Export is built into RSLogix 5 and RSLogix 500: Save As, choose an .ACD file (1756-RM085I p. 11). The tool converts ladder only; SFC and structured text are not converted (p. 9). Rungs that need review are flagged with a PCE instruction (p. 16–17); timers move to a 1 ms time base (p. 21) and every reference to PRE/ACC in the logic generates a PCE (p. 32). After conversion the I/O still has to be mapped and the MSG configuration completed (p. 9, 11) — in TDL's experience, this is the most labour-intensive part. Details for PLC-5: PLC-5 to ControlLogix migration.

RSLinx Classic → FactoryTalk Linx. Rockwell lists RSLinx Classic as Active Mature, with limited updates for Windows operating systems and major defects only (FTALK-SP012A p. 2). CIP Security deployments require FactoryTalk Linx (LNXENT-GR001Z p. 23).

AVEVA: Wonderware, InTouch, Citect

Wonderware InTouch, System Platform and Historian are now AVEVA products (aveva.com, Wonderware page). InTouch HMI and System Platform have a 2026 release (AVEVA Operations Control 2026, announced 07/2026). Under the AVEVA Software Lifecycle and Retirement Policy (04/2026 edition), Standard-Term releases receive full support for up to 3 years, followed by up to 2 years of security patches only; Long-Term releases receive 5 years of full support, followed by 2 years of sustained support. The exact dates for each version are in the Technology Matrix on the AVEVA support portal — TDL checks them during the survey rather than listing them here.

• Older InTouch: upgrade to the current InTouch HMI release. If the plant wants to move to the System Platform object model, AVEVA offers a dedicated InTouch HMI conversion service (aveva.com, InTouch HMI Conversion Service).
• Citect SCADA: renamed AVEVA Plant SCADA from release 2020 R2 (AVEVA blog, 09/08/2021) — an upgrade within the same product line. For Schneider Electric's Vijeo Citect, licences have been discontinued (for example VJCNS101114, discontinued 17/05/2024, with se.com listing no replacement); TDL proposes moving to AVEVA Plant SCADA. TDL checks licensing and the specific upgrade path with AVEVA before quoting.
• When changing platform entirely: as in the Pha Lai II subsidiary systems project, Citect was moved to FactoryTalk View SE at the same time as PLC-5 was replaced by ControlLogix.

Siemens, GE, Schneider Electric, Omron

• WinCC flexible: within Siemens, projects from WinCC flexible 2008 SP2 onwards migrate to WinCC in TIA Portal; older versions must first be opened and saved in 2008 SP2 (Siemens WinCC Migration Guide V3.1, 07/2021).
• WinCC V7: Siemens upgrades to WinCC V8, directly from V7.2 onwards (siemens.com, SIMATIC WinCC V8 page).
• iFIX, CIMPLICITY: still released in the Proficy 2026 line (gevernova.com). GE Vernova sold the Proficy business to TPG on 02/03/2026; the new company Velotic keeps Proficy as a separate product line (tpg.com). When a plant standardises on Rockwell PLCs, TDL proposes moving to FactoryTalk View SE, AVEVA or Ignition.
• Vijeo Designer (Schneider Electric): the single Vijeo Designer 6.2 licence was discontinued on 31/01/2024 but is replaced within the same Vijeo Designer line (se.com). When the PLC changes to Rockwell, the HMI moves to PanelView Plus 7 and the application is rebuilt.
• Omron NS-series: Omron stopped taking orders at the end of 04/2022 and deliveries at the end of 06/2023, replacing it with NA5 and Sysmac Studio (notice 2022013CE, 01/03/2022).

Moving between two different vendors is almost always a rebuild of the application: the tag list, alarm list and screenshots of the old screens serve as the specification, while screens, scripts and drivers are built new on the target platform.

Choosing the target platform

• FactoryTalk View SE / ME — plants running Rockwell PLCs that want to keep as much of the existing application as possible (RSView32, PanelBuilder32, older FactoryTalk View). The latest version on Rockwell's version history page is 16. Comes with FactoryTalk Linx and FactoryTalk Alarms and Events.
• FactoryTalk Optix — new machines and lines, or when the whole interface is being redone anyway. The runtime runs on OptixPanel, Embedded Edge Compute, Windows and Linux (OPTIX-AT001D p. 11). As of 09/2026, TDL has not found a Rockwell document describing a tool to convert FactoryTalk View applications to Optix, so TDL treats Optix as a rebuild of the interface.
• AVEVA InTouch HMI / System Platform / Plant SCADA — plants with PLCs from several vendors, already on Wonderware or Citect, needing plant-wide SCADA with a historian and a reusable object model. Upgrades within the AVEVA family preserve the most.
• Ignition 8.3 — when a per-server licence with unlimited tags and clients, web/mobile interfaces (Perspective) and MQTT/Sparkplug are needed. Ignition 8.3 was released on 16/09/2025 (inductiveautomation.com). Moving to Ignition from another system is a rebuild; TDL uses its own conversion tools and reviews the result against the plant's actual application.

What almost never converts automatically

• Scripts: VBA, VBScript, C/C++ embedded in the application — every platform has its own object model.
• Trends and reports: usually redone; old historical data sits in the old software's own format.
• Alarms: alarm structures differ between platforms; even within Rockwell, RSView32 alarms need their own migration tool.
• Drivers and communications: direct drivers (DH+, serial, other vendors' drivers) must be replaced by FactoryTalk Linx, OPC or the target platform's driver.
• ActiveX and custom objects: assessed one by one.

How TDL does an HMI/SCADA migration

1. Inventory: software versions, licences, tag count, screen count, scripts, drivers, operating systems, servers; screenshots of every screen in service.
2. Choose the target and the method: upgrade within the same family, tool-based import, or rebuild — with the list of items that must be done by hand.
3. Trial conversion on TDL's machines: run the conversion tool or rebuild, compare every screen against the screenshots, check alarms and trends against a simulated PLC or a real PLC on the bench.
4. FAT with operations: operators check every screen before it goes to site. If the interface is being redone, ISA-101 and ISA-18.2 can be applied in the same phase.
5. Cutover: run old and new systems in parallel where possible, cut over in a shutdown window; the cutover plan should include a fallback to the old system, agreed with the plant in advance.
6. Handover: project files, licences, documentation and regular backups (for example with FactoryTalk AssetCentre).

Scope and timing are fixed after the survey.