Open-architecture HMI upgrades to full Scada

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Aug 19, 2003

A typical 100-point HMI for just GBP 400, supported by 130 major drivers and complete with a free development system, is the promise for the new CitectHMI.

A typical 100-point HMI for just GBP 400, supported by 130 major drivers and complete with a free development system, is what Citect is offering the system integration market with its new CitectHMI.

Based on Citect's award winning Scada software, the new HMI is the ideal product for price-competitive OEMs.

It combines ease of use, reliability, flexibility and an open-systems architecture in a package that is both upgradeable to Scada and easily customised to meet individual user requirements.

CitectHMI is a powerful entry level HMI software, developed specifically for machine, plant and equipment builders who require a flexible, easy-to-use operator interface solution that can be quickly tailored to end user needs.

Using the CitectHMI, OEMs can gain a real competitive advantage by reducing planning, development and commissioning times and consequent time to market.

CitectHMI offers OEMs the benefits of all-in-one functionality with a package that includes essential Scada functions such as process visualisation, alarm processing, trending reporting and statistical process control (SPC).

Designed primarily for stand-alone applications requiring 100, 300 or 600 I/O points, the software includes a wide variety of driver and connectivity options, up to three of the former being accommodated at any one time from an extensive library extending to 130 named vendors.

In the unlikely event that the driver required is not in the library, then it possible for the OEM to write his own using Citect's driver development kit.

Complementing CitectHMI's powerful Scada functions are features that make the HMI simple to configure and easy to use and customise.

These include customisable installation, online runtime language switching to support global customers, OLE automation for automated building of graphics pages, CiCode and CitectVBA programming languages, and graphical elements such as Genies, Super Genies and ActiveX objects.

The provision of industry standard graphical symbols, together with preconfigured templates equips the CitectHMI with a clear development package that ensures the expenditure required for product planning and commissioning is reduced to the minimum.

In addition, the integration of customised applications is made easy through the use of CitectVBA and standardised interfaces such as OPC, OLE automation and ActiveX support.

Although essentially a tool for stand-alone applications, CitectHMI offers the benefits of a scalable solution, in that it can be upgraded easily into full CitectScada, one of the world's leading industrial automation software packages.

The wider possibilities of using CitectHMI are also evident from the connectivity options that enable third party applications to access data from the HMI, seamlessly, to integrate with existing control solutions.

The scope of this access even extends to efficient, long distance monitoring of processes via the Internet.