Tag write capability and enhanced security added to web-enabled HMI software.
Manufacturers now have greater flexibility and mobility for making real-time changes to plant floor operations using the latest version of FactoryTalk ViewPoint software from Rockwell Automation. In addition to tag write capabilities, the latest version of the company’s Web-enabled HMI software also features enhanced security capabilities that allow administrators to manage and control who can access system and machine parameters from outside the plant.
FactoryTalk ViewPoint 2.0 software extends visualisation and real-time decision making capabilities to browser-based remote users, such as plant managers, supervisors and mobile workers. The software supports fully scalable and animated Web displays of existing FactoryTalk View HMI software and Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus applications. The latest release adds compatibility with Google Chrome 10 and Safari 5, in addition to the existing support for Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, 7 or 8, and Mozilla Firefox 3.
Using FactoryTalk ViewPoint 2.0 software, operators of a line could, for example, see if equipment was over dispensing and remotely change the parameters to reduce product waste. In the past, this could only happen on site or on the factory floor. Today, operators can use a browser to make the necessary adjustments instantly whether they are at another plant, in the control room or on the road.
The software is also ideal for system integrators and OEMs that want to monitor customer installations, perform diagnostics or provide support for visualisation applications they have deployed. This functionality is also becoming vital for applications that require monitoring of remote sites such as in the water and wastewater, oil and gas, and mining industries.
“Remote visualisation and control marks a major advance in the manufacturing industry,” says Sean Homan, business manager of control systems at Rockwell Automation. “With FactoryTalk ViewPoint 2.0 software, users can access critical plant information when and where it is most actionable and valuable to them. Delivering this information via a secure Web browser provides a cost-effective and easy-to-maintain way of reaching remote users.”
The new functionality allows users to access and write to FactoryTalk View Machine Edition and Site Edition (SE) applications remotely using numeric and string (text) entry objects, and momentary, maintained, multistate, ramp and interlocked pushbuttons. Companies with FactoryTalk View SE applications can also access and write to FactoryTalk View SE commands remotely, including set, toggle, ramp and simple expressions (for example: Tag1 = Tag2 *.55 + 72).
The enhanced security system allows administrators to define user groups and assign them access to view and write capabilities whereas previous versions only permitted administrators to allow or disallow users’ access to the entire FactoryTalk ViewPoint application.
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