Product category:
Electrical and Electronic Subassemblies
News Release from: CKS Holdings | Subject: Series 42 keyboards
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 30 May 2003
Customised keyboards provide ruggedised
alarms
A control system recently installed for monitoring North African gas pipelines, designed by ABB for a Middle East oil company, features novel built-in alarm keyboards in place of an annunciator.
ABB has recently installed a control system in North Africa for a Middle East oil company The control system, which has built-in alarm keyboards in place of an annunciator, continuously monitors the gas pipelines
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 23 Apr 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Open and shut case for Westinghouse control
Westinghouse commissioned CKS to design and manufacture custom workstations for the control and monitoring of the screen doors currently being installed for the Guangzhou Metro Line 2 in China.
USB provides universal industrial HMI solution
Bruce Piggot of CKS explains that working with the right partner brought USB solutions to industrial keyboard and trackerball applications.
Supervising the alarm systems are industrial sealed keyboards, designed and manufactured by CKS Holdings.
To integrate the alarm systems, the keyboards - sealed to IP65 - are dedicated alarm, semicustomised CKS Series 42 keyboards, positioned in the control room next to the Scada monitoring equipment.
ABB bespoke software manages the alarm system, and the keyboards are driven by the OPC server, which records the alarm events in the database.
Each key on the keyboard contains a high bright LED with two flash rates - controlled by the computer - to indicate the alarm state.
The keyboard is directly linked to the PC, and, by depressing the flashing key, the screen will display associated graphics, enabling the operator to quickly identify the nature and cause of the fault.
"I chose CKS because we had worked together successfully in the past", stated Mike Oakley, Consultant Engineer at ABB.
"I investigated two other keyboard manufacturers, but decided on CKS because of the quality and reliability of their keyboards and their flexible and economical customisation".
CKS keyboards are economically and easily customised, due to the 2mm thick steel grid template that forms the basis of the keyboard layout.
The template not only protects the keyboard, but the grid allows individual keys to be positioned in any order within a standard format.
Also, any amount of customisation can be offered, utilising the maximum amount of standard components.
All CKS keyboards are designed to withstand the harshest industrial environments, and are backed by a 5-year warranty.
• CKS Holdings: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Engineeringtalk email newsletter
• Engineeringtalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
