The complete redesign of Rockwell Automation's suite of HMI hardware and software is in keeping with the automation leader's multiplatform ViewAnyWare strategy. Rockwell has experienced great feedback for its PanelView Plus, MobileView electronic operator interfaces, VersaView industrial computers and monitors, the InView message displays, and the RSView software that now integrates them all.
"Ninety five percent of the products coming out of Rockwell Automation's $200 million Information Platforms Business have been redesigned recently, and this is most people's first look at the new hardware and software," said Scott Coleman, director of marketing for Information Platforms. "The improvements to the line are the most significant we have made in years. And the response has been tremendous. What users have been looking for is anything that helps one operator run multiple machines with little or no training. Better graphics - including colour - at a lower cost, combined with software that makes better use of the hardware investment. One development package that works throughout the enterprise to make implementing and maintaining HMIs more efficient - ViewAnyWare is a multiplatform visualisation strategy with some far-reaching goals:
* Make realtime data available throughout the enterprise in applications best suited to specific tasks.
* Allow application re-use, scalability and portability across hardware platforms.
* Ensure interoperability among Rockwell Automation visualisation and control products.
"Users often fall into several camps when seeking visualisation solutions", says Coleman. "Some want fully dedicated HMI systems. They are looking for a long-term, stable platform that will not bother them with changes to the chip set or complicated upgrades to the software. If a forklift gets stuck through an HMI panel on a machine, they want to be able to pull a new one out of a box and replace it without delay. Others want open systems and the extensive flexibility they provide. Users of open systems gain the freedom to customise and the extensive application options. The good thing about a company the size of Rockwell Automation is that we can offer both open and dedicated systems," says Coleman. "And ViewAnyWare is the thing that lets us take dedicated applications and move them to open systems platforms. Still others want highly networked, distributed systems that will allow them to control entire plants and enterprises in various locations."
Distributed applications are becoming more common in both open client/server systems and hybrid open/embedded environments. ViewAnyWare's common design environment takes the burden off end-users to maintain different software platforms in a distributed environment. It also allows end-users to implement machine-level applications that can be re-used on different embedded and open hardware platforms.
Modular hardware
The new dedicated platform is the PanelView Plus, which is the next generation of the PanelView Standard and PanelView 'e' dedicated terminals. The new open platform is the VersaView CE, a Windows CE computer supporting multiple applications, Microsoft Internet Explorer and thin-client technology. It is a part of the new VersaView family of industrial computers and monitors.
Both platforms have been redesigned from the ground up to provide more pixels, brighter screens, more memory, faster response time and support for more communications protocols. Each comes in four models based on screen size, and in touchscreen, keypad or touch/keypad configurations.
The new modular, three-part design starts with the display module, then adds a snap-on logic module to supply an Ethernet port, USB ports, a serial port, a built-in DC power supply, field expandable memory and space for Type II Compact Flash memory cards. An optional communications module snaps onto to the back of that. The standard mounting depth for both the PanelView Plus and VersaView CE is 56 mm for the display and logic module, and 84 mm with the optional communication module attached. The standardisation of the logic and communication modules means users who have multiple units now only have to stock about one-third as many replacement parts.
Migration made easy
Rockwell believes that its VersaView family is the next generation of industrial computer and monitor products. The VersaView line is designed to be easy to select, specify, buy and install. It is a readily available stocked product - rather than made to order, with catalogue numbers that will remain constant even as internal technology enhancements are made to the products. It comes complete with pre-installed software and all connectors for plug-and-play installation. It also comes with a Factory System Recovery CD, which will restore all factory-installed presets in 10 minutes, in the event that a custom installation goes awry.
"PanelView Plus combines and increases PanelView Standard and PanelView 'e' functionality, while delivering the same price point as the PanelView Standard," says Mark Buntin, PanelView Plus marketing. "If you are happy with PanelView Standard or 'e', we will continue to support them. But if you are ready for more functionality in the same cut out for less cost, you owe it to yourself to check out the new line."
According to Dave Kaley, PanelView Standard marketing, "For the same price as pulling off a cabinet door and cutting a new hole for a PanelView screen, users can drop a 305 mm PanelView Plus screen into a 254 mm hole. We have been paying attention to what customers are asking for: more functionality at lower cost, and a good migration path." To ease the migration of applications, a new conversion utility within the development software automates much of the process. "For example, 80 PanelView screens and 5000 tags can be imported in five minutes with a 95% conversion rate," says Kaley. "That significantly speeds up migration time."
"HMI software suite ViewAnyWare challenges the notion that every HMI needs its own proprietary software," says Coleman. "A typical plant uses three to 10 different software packages for visualisation, and that means the maintenance costs are high from having to learn a different set of programming instructions, as well as from having to manage new versions of the software."
Designed with a common look, feel and navigation system, RSView Enterprise Series includes RSView Studio (the common design environment for the Enterprise Series), RSView Machine Edition and RSView Supervisory Edition. The common design environment cuts development time and costs, and reduces the costs associated with learning and maintaining multiple HMI packages. RSView Studio comes with a range of new functions and hundreds of re-usable objects - from pipes and conveyors to buttons and trend graphs - that make programming easier. Designers can test run screens within the RSView Studio development environment. With RSView Studio, PanelView applications can be migrated to RSView Machine Edition, and RSView32 applications can be migrated to RSView Supervisory Edition. RSView Machine Edition combines the world-class features from PanelView and RSView32 to provide excellent graphics and animation, and a robust runtime environment.
RSView Machine Edition runs on PanelView Plus, VersaView CE and open platforms such as the VersaView computers. RSView Supervisory Edition is ViewAnyWare's supervisory level HMI, typically used for plant-wide or enterprise-wide control. RSView Supervisory Edition can be used as a single station or in a highly distributed client server environment.
The RSView Enterprise Series is enabled by FactoryTalk, a collaborative platform that allows users to share information (such as tags and displays) without duplicated effort. FactoryTalk also provides enterprise-wide access to realtime manufacturing information such as live data coming from the control system. This integration of information results in reduced costs, so users can focus on optimising their own business, rather than optimising software.
Other visualisation hardware
The RSView Enterprise Series software environment extends to other new HMI hardware platforms. The MobileView line of portable interfaces, introduced last year, add mobility and flexibility. These tethered or wireless terminals give users the same rugged hardware and functionality found in other Rockwell Automation HMIs, and come in machine-terminal, safety terminal and tablet versions.
InView terminals are one- to four-line marquee displays that can be seen 60 to 90 m away. Support for ActiveX controls in the programming software lets users drive the displays from RSView32 and RSView Supervisory Edition now. Within the next 18 months, Rockwell says that InView's integration with the other HMI platforms will be tighter and more direct. New to the InView line is the smaller panel mount P22R display, which replaces pilot lights with smarter technology, and VFD displays with long-lasting LEDs.
Given the extent of the HMI news coming out of Rockwell Automation, users of the almost 400 000 PanelView terminals installed today have a unique opportunity to upgrade to graphics, integrated development and more.
For more information contact Jeff Sandison, Rockwell Automation, 011 654 9700.
| Tel: | +27 11 654 9700 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.rockwellautomation.co.za |
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