Web-based technology, wireless, and network systems continue to drive HMI/MMI, while growing interest in collaborative manufacturing puts even more emphasis on flexibility and ease of use. These goals can be reached by "embracing productivity tools such as HMI development in XML, automated generation of HMI and Control logic from CAD-based systems by self-configuration based on external data," believes Pradeep David, business manager/HMI & middleware products at Rockwell Automation. (For more, click here.)
Digi Intl vp/engineering Joel Young tells IEN that HMI/MMI "remain built primarily on top of Windows-based systems which use legacy constructs like COM/DCOM. In order to truly meet benchmarks for automation and flexibility, HMI/MMI, particularly the portable ones, must make a transition to Web Services." He continues: "There are two key problems that need to be solved: (1) presentation of data and (2) conversion to specific device protocols. These have been solved in the PC domain. The next step is to move them down to the device domain via Web Services and OPC-like tools." (For more, click here.) (The Digi One IA RealPort, shown, allows any industrial device with a serial port to be connected to the Ethernet and delivers such functionality as DIN rail mounting, device sharing, IA protocol support, Class 1 Div2 rating, and low latency.)
Increased speed, lower costs, and greater connectivity are essential, contends AutomationDirect HMI product manager Greg Philbrook. "Companies can''t afford to have five different operator interface part numbers on their shelves to connect to five different manufacturer devices on their plant floor -- one device should connect to everything." And shop floor-top floor integration is a must. (For more, click here.)
Greater efficiency in "data collection, analysis, and access" is integral to meeting more exacting industry benchmarks, observes Mark Sereika, director/product sales at InStep Software. "When you have six control systems and six HMIs, the perfect product would overlay those systems as the master repository and user tool." (For more, click here.)
Open Standards Drive Demand
Dr. Hugh Jack, associate professor at Padnos School of Engineering, states bluntly: "The emergence of open standards will drive customer demand. The acceptance of commodity hardware solutions, such as Ethernet, will continue to drive down prices and increase flexibility where appropriate. Similarly, open standards such as those for the Internet will continue to expand and create pressure on proprietary solutions. The result of these changes will be a lower overall cost of ownership, greater flexibility, and less dependence on a single vendor," Jack anticipates. (For more, click here.)
The spread of intelligent devices continues to push industry "away from simpler client-server architectures toward broader distributed architectures to allow information to be securely shared with any interested partner as soon as it''s created," observes Ron Sielinski, senior industry technical strategist/manufacturing industry solutions at Microsoft. "Likewise, we''re seeing manufacturers move away from the standard request-reply message paradigm. With the advent of distributed architectures, a lot of manufacturers are moving to a publish-subscribe paradigm, which allows information to be shared beyond just the shop floor. To do this, though, you need standard, non-proprietary communications protocols, such as Web Services." (For more, click here.)
Automation Control Products'' David Hancock believes that most of today''s HMIs "fit a device-based architecture. Many installations use a dedicated PC with an HMI package (full version or run-time only) installed locally. This is really very close to operator interface stations that are built to only run a single HMI application. . . . Both of these solutions result in a distributed system, which is very difficult to maintain." With Thin Clients, HMI can be "installed and updated at a single location." Their low bandwidth also allows wireless networking. (For more, click here.)
"Many customers have implemented web-based information delivery systems throughout their enterprise," comments Dave Kaley, MobileView product manager at Rockwell Automation. "The factory floor is beginning to see a lot of this as well. When information is provided through web servers, the client-server architecture brings less value. This is because the web browser becomes the client and the web server delivers the information. The web server can be more centrally located, thus reducing the expense of maintaining local servers for thin-client devices. The new use of device-based architectures can be referred to as web-client devices. Web-clients need to interface with secure, two-way, live-transaction servers in many cases." (Rockwell''s MobileView Series, shown here, gives personnel remote control of machine functions.)
On the Technology Horizon
What''s on the technology horizon? Omron Electronics regards an HMI as a "machine management station, not merely a machine operation tool," according to Jon Giardina, PLC strategic market manager. In the future, "machines will be debugged without opening up a laptop computer, or learning how to use complex software tools." (For more, click here.)
Users can look forward to a "dedicated hand tool for assisting in troubleshooting and configuring of distributed I/O," says Festo product manager Frank Latino. "As these devices become more complex, configuration and troubleshooting also become more difficult," he explains. "While it is true that all C & T can be done via the network, typically a trained engineer is involved during initial stages. But what about replacing and reconfiguring at 3 a.m.? Is the technician on the factory floor trained and prepared to reconfigure a new device using PC-based tools? Does the master PLC always support auto config? A low cost, rugged, and intuitive dedicated HH tool can be the answer," Latino concludes. (For more, click here.)
Wireless HMI/MMI "will become the new standard," Advantech HMI product manager George Liao contends, providing "remote control and monitoring function to the system while opening up design and layout possibilities. It''s easier on the designers, the programmers, and finally the end users," he says. (For more, click here.) (Advantech''s 5-port, 10/100 Mbps ADAM-6520 Ethernet switch, shown here, allows users to expand networks cost effectively.)
"Better portable hardware and more useful tablets," are on the list, adds Renee Brandt, Wonderware marketing manager/visualization products. "Better user input recognition, such as handwriting and voice, will encourage this." Brandt also expects improved audio/visual components, and "software that enables users to share this information and seamlessly connect with all plant devices." (For more, click here.) FasTrak SoftWorks'' John Zolper says HMI software now can "do the majority of what the other SCADA software products do at a fraction of the cost. Plus, it is now possible to split up the software applications, such as logger/trender, alarming, or batching," into individual and sometimes less costly purchases. (For more, click here.) Rockwell''s David asserts that the adoption of .NET has led to "marked improvement in cross language debugging with added flexibility when building, tracing, and debugging web applications."
"The ability to provide real-time plant data to all levels of an organization and access central storage of process values has become a crucial requirement," comments Jerry Koch, software product manager at Parker Hannifin Corp/Electromechanical Automation-CTC. "Data has to move through an organization from the shop floor to the top floor. Meeting this requirement means additional integration and development cost when installing an OEM machine. OPC Client/Server technology has become ''the'' standard for sharing real-time data between different systems," Koch believes. (For more, click here.)
Industry increasingly embraces collaborative manufacturing, says Process Analytics'' Marcus A. Pontuti. "Today, manufacturers need to extend and implement this model at the production floor level. Plant personnel need links to process functional descriptions, job-specific training, schematics, troubleshooting guides, maintenance procedures and schedules . . . The solution lies with the Open Connectivity Initiative." Such standards as OPC and OLE for process control bring connectivity to "thousands of process devices on the market today," Pontuti continues. "This opens the door for development of custom applications and acquisition systems capable of logging process data to native database platforms such as SQL Server or Oracle." (For more, click here.)
Wireless: The New Standard?
Wireless HMI/MMI "will become the new standard," Liao contends, providing "remote control & monitoring function to the system while opening up design and layout possibilities. It''s easier on the designers, the programmers, and finally the end-users."
Bengt Salomonsson, vp/HMI products at Beijer Electronics Inc, expects strong growth in wireless. "At present only a small percentage of our HMIs are connected onto new wireless technologies, but we believe within 3 years 50% of our customers will be using our value-added Internet features." (For more, click here.)
And Starthis Inc president David Naylor tells IEN that changes are in sight for screen technology. "Traditionally HMI screens have been created on proprietary software application platforms. These HMI products are usually closely linked to the machine being monitored. More recently there has been interest in a ''thin client'' approach driven from a web server or other screen generator capability embedded in a device, a machine, or a machine controller." Starthis is taking a different approach. "Developments in industrial networking technology can be leveraged to move the screen generation capability to a centralized platform that maintains reliability and security while also improving scalability and maintainability," Naylor explains. (For more, click here.)
Adds InStep Software senior technical consultant Tony Basso: "As companies start leveraging these [Internet/intranet] platforms more and more, security certainly becomes important, but there are definite options to ensure secure data sharing. One option that many companies are turning to is private networks. But for those who are more interested in using the Internet, a VPN or IPSec will provide secure transmission."