What are HMI panels and why do I want them?08/24/2017HMI, or human machine interface has been around since humans have been interfacing with machines. Believe it or not even the simplest machines that we learned about in grade school have HMI. The lever has the arm. The user pushes the arm down to… Well you know how a lever works.Fast forward a few years through the industrial revolution to the modern machines of today. We interface with machines in many different ways. Buttons, switches, terminals, alarms and a vast array of other input and output devices are used to input commands and monitor results. One of the most versatile human machine interfaces is a touch screen controller. These controllers, made by many different manufacturers offer a whole host of advantages.Eliminate buttons and switches. Modern HMI controllers can be programmed and configured to take the place of hundreds of physical buttons. Having a panel full of buttons and switches has the potential to take up a tremendous amount of physical space. Using an HMI panel can even replace the controls of several processes.Visual representation. A display can illustrate a part of or the entirety of the system it controls. It can show alarms, specify a particular part of the process that is not functioning correctly and allow for more comprehensive troubleshooting.Control. Some HMI controls have the ability to provide full SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) operations, built in PLC control with the ability to perform monitoring, display or save data for analysis, and program multiple operations that can be changed as easily as replacing a memory card. Industrial Computer. Many manufacturers produce a touch screen that is a fully self-contained computer that use the different versions of the Windows operating system depending on the era of manufacture. These industrial computers can run more specialized software that will allow high levels of control. They can use standard computer peripherals such as keyboards and mice for input or can also integrate touch screen control. These computers can be backed up through standard methods used to back up standard desktop and laptop computers.Versatility. HMI panels have really come a long way since their early days of large CRT display units. Thanks to LCD technology, they are now available in all shapes and sizes and can be configured for use in any application or industry. Even if you do still have a CRT based HMI control in use, it can be easily upgraded to an LCD display easily and economically. Back To Blog
What are HMI panels and why do I want them?08/24/2017HMI, or human machine interface has been around since humans have been interfacing with machines. Believe it or not even the simplest machines that we learned about in grade school have HMI. The lever has the arm. The user pushes the arm down to… Well you know how a lever works.Fast forward a few years through the industrial revolution to the modern machines of today. We interface with machines in many different ways. Buttons, switches, terminals, alarms and a vast array of other input and output devices are used to input commands and monitor results. One of the most versatile human machine interfaces is a touch screen controller. These controllers, made by many different manufacturers offer a whole host of advantages.Eliminate buttons and switches. Modern HMI controllers can be programmed and configured to take the place of hundreds of physical buttons. Having a panel full of buttons and switches has the potential to take up a tremendous amount of physical space. Using an HMI panel can even replace the controls of several processes.Visual representation. A display can illustrate a part of or the entirety of the system it controls. It can show alarms, specify a particular part of the process that is not functioning correctly and allow for more comprehensive troubleshooting.Control. Some HMI controls have the ability to provide full SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) operations, built in PLC control with the ability to perform monitoring, display or save data for analysis, and program multiple operations that can be changed as easily as replacing a memory card. Industrial Computer. Many manufacturers produce a touch screen that is a fully self-contained computer that use the different versions of the Windows operating system depending on the era of manufacture. These industrial computers can run more specialized software that will allow high levels of control. They can use standard computer peripherals such as keyboards and mice for input or can also integrate touch screen control. These computers can be backed up through standard methods used to back up standard desktop and laptop computers.Versatility. HMI panels have really come a long way since their early days of large CRT display units. Thanks to LCD technology, they are now available in all shapes and sizes and can be configured for use in any application or industry. Even if you do still have a CRT based HMI control in use, it can be easily upgraded to an LCD display easily and economically.