IEN: Will HMI / MMI shift from client-server to device-based architectures?

Martin: There is no "one way" to look at this problem. Some situations lend themselves to one technology versus another. In machine control, device-based architecture outperforms the standard HMI-PLC-Motion Control architecture.

IEN: What innovations are in store for users of equipment, systems, and peripherals? What enhancements can be expected in software?

Martin: Users can expect to see more real-time diagnostics available at the machine level that will assist in optimizing machine performance. Diagnostics will work toward preventative solutions and improving equipment efficiencies.

More and more use of wireless technology on the plant floor will collapse the window between problem occurrence and problem resolution. Wireless notification of an issue before it becomes a problem directly impacts the bottom line. Proactive response versus reactive response is where the user wants to be!

IEN: What advances do you see in plant floor connectivity? Open standards? Data sharing?

Martin: Plant floor connectivity between the enterprise, plant servers, PCs, PLCs, motion controllers, and other field devices will continue to coalesce into a true open architecture between manufacturers and their devices. The market demands this openness and suppliers who want to play a larger role in this arena will ensure compliance to open standards, or see their market share dissipate.

IEN: Will embedded intelligence play more of a role in HMI / MMI? Collaborative manufacturing?

Martin: Embedded intelligence will play a bigger role on the plant floor, especially from a diagnostics and preventative maintenance standpoint. Enabling a piece of equipment to execute procedures that would avoid a shutdown on the plant floor, communicate that information to maintenance personnel, and then allow them to plan a shutdown is a huge cost savings to a production facility.

As more standards are adopted in the embedded intelligence arena, these standards will decrease the time to market for business applications, thus allowing companies to innovate more quickly. As businesses see the cost benefit to implementing innovation more rapidly, more emphasis will be placed on the collaborative process to ensure "doing it faster and doing it right the first time."

IEN: Will wireless play a role in HMI / MMI?

Martin: Wireless will play an ever-increasing role as the technology is made more affordable and more secure.