Portable HMIs put power in hands of engineers

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Mar 8, 2002

The Allen-Bradley MobileView family of portable HMIs break the boundaries of traditional fixed panel operator interfaces to provide a convenient and powerful means of control.

The Allen-Bradley MobileView family of portable HMIs (human machine interfaces) break the boundaries of traditional fixed panel operator interfaces to provide a convenient and powerful means of control.

MobileView uniquely allows personnel to move around a machine, down a production line or throughout an entire plant, increasing efficiency and optimising plant productivity.

"In order to measure the effect of any adjustments, a worker may have to walk hundreds of metres between a machine and a fixed panel device", says Paul Herron, product manager, Rockwell Automation.

"By using a portable HMI adjacent to the machine or process, changes can be made locally and the effect observed immediately, providing significant efficiency and productivity benefits, especially in terms of worker safety".

As well as reducing changeover and set up times, maintenance and repair is more efficient and cost-effective, with faults being quickly located and rectified.

The result is considerably reduced downtime and lower total cost of ownership.

The new family incorporates thin client technology, enabling operators to carry functionality in their hands and take it directly to the machines.

MobileView interfaces can be integrated into new or existing control architectures because the terminals act as thin clients to computer applications like the Rockwell Software RSViewTM family of HMI software.

This reduces hardware and software costs since communication is through the server using an Ethernet link.

The range is suitable for industrial use and comprises the MobileView Machine Terminal, MobileView Guard Terminal and a soon to be released wireless offering, MobileView Tablet.

Each has a 7in VGA touchscreen and keypad, and is designed to run Windows CE based applications.

The Machine Terminal MT750 is only 290mm in diameter and 75mm deep, it weighs 1.5kg and so can be rested easily on the arm.

Designed as a real-time machine interface it is also ideal for maintenance applications.

It can be integrated into an existing control system by acting as a thin client to computer applications, such as Rockwell Software RSView32TM, running on a computer.

Connection is through a 20m cable to a power supply and Ethernet communications link.

The Guard Terminal G750 is designed for troubleshooting or maintenance applications in gated or safety critical areas.

Integrated safety components allow operators to get close to potentially dangerous machinery, in the safest manner possible.

This includes an emergency stop and/or a three-position enable switch.

The three-position enable switch detects if the operator releases the switch and also if the operator "clenches" the switch in a panic situation.

This provides an operator with an interface to the control system while maintaining access to the safety system.

The introduction of MobileView interfaces provide manufacturers in a wide range of industries with the opportunity to access information and machine control from any point around a machine.

This reduces set up time and speeds troubleshooting allowing production to be optimised and costs reduced.