Wireless Data Entry

I am looking into a device that operators could walk around with and enter process readings and test results.

Currently the operators are jotting this down on paper logs which are either rarely used or difficult to get information from if needed, plus the area they cover is fairly large.

It would be implemented in a warehouse type environment with minimal electrical interference, and I would like to get it back to an ethernet switch so I could display and historically track the information with A-B's RSView, but not used for control.

I think I can handle the wireless repeaters/ switches, but am not having much luck locating a suitable handheld data entry device.

Any suggestions out there? Thanks.

I'm not sure to well understand your need but I think you can look at the Scalance W + the Wireless mobile panel 277 from SIEMENS
http://www.automation.siemens.com/hmi/html_76/microsites/simatic-mobile-panel-277-iwlan.htm

http://www.automation.siemens.com/net/html_76/produkte/050_scalance_w700.htm

Hope it'll help you

Sounds like a job for a laptop computer and wireless router?

If I were to tackle the project, I would use a pocket PC such as an HP iPAQ on wireless ethernet. Develop a custom application that allows data entry into a database.

Depending on the details of what they are doing a wireless Palm Pilot may also be an option. I've used these in the past for machine diagnostics

I've run across a couple sites that have software that can essentially make a Palm Pilot operate as an HMI. Can the wireless comms on the PP be re-configured to allow standard TCP/IP comms with my network?

I have a couple old Palm Pilots at home I would like to try this with. You can pick these 'older ones' up for next to nothing any more.

Also went and checked out the iPAQ site. Looks like this may work with a wireless router.

These are just operators roaming around in a very large building and hand entering data such as times, weights, etc...

Doesn't really justify 'wired' automation, and a laptop I'm afraid would be too cumbersome. Looks like the iPAQ has a mobile version of Excel that may work. Does the Palm Pilot have some type of spreadsheet available?

I've actually never used the ones I have. Won one in a contest and had the other given to me

I have never used this but I have seen a lot of adds in magazines

http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/12222

Not sure about your budget but how about something like this;

http://www.massgroup.com/Products/tabletpc.asp

Please feel free to prove this wrong. Palm Pilots I do not think have wireless capabilities but there are several Palm models that do.

The PocketHMI requires a physical connection, serial, to the PLC. If you want neater information you might want to consider adding a DB9 connector on the panel so noone needs to open it. Once they get the data you want they will need to transfer it to a PC, several ways to connect one or 2 PC's to a network.

If you bought newer wifi model PDA's I think you could have them enter the data and transfer it to a computer using wifi. I have used a Palm Pilot with the PocketHMI but not one of the newer PDA's. I would try to make sure they would not grow legs too.

I forget what they are called now but most warehouses these days have data entry units that are handheld or on forklifts. I think the ones I was around were radio units but they sent data directly to a PC database.

rsdoran said:

I forget what they are called now but most warehouses these days have data entry units that are handheld or on forklifts.

Click to expand...

They are still called "warehouses".

(Forgive me...It's Friday and I can't wait to get to some establishment that sells beer. It's been a tough week.)

Try This:

Seriously, forget my last post. I googled "wireless data entry PLC" and came up with a ton of leads.

For example:

http://www.instanthmi.com/IHMI-AppNote.pdf

The two "Palms" I have (and no I don't mean Rosy and her five sisters) are one of each. One you can carry around and put in a little docking station to 'sync', and the other actually has an antenna you can flip up and connect to a wireless service and have internet access etc...

I don't necessarily need access to a PLC, unless I can build little HMI screens for them to enter their data, but I definately need the wireless thing to be able to send data to a spreadsheet on the network somewhere. Some of the links posted so far may just do the trick.


I'd like to get my other two palms around a cold one myself. Unfortuneately, one of the things my maintenance and project team is surprisingly, recurringly, accurate at, is completing a project at 4:30pm on Friday. Which, we all know what happens then! Automation Checkout and Testing!! Are we the only facility like that?

I've seen this implemented at a few places.

If you want realtime connectivity then youll have to go with something wireless such as a Palm, but if you just want to log the data then look at something like Radius.

I've seen it where they use these little handhelds with a built in barcode scanner for taking equipment readings.
They scan in the barcode at the location then punch in the data.
When their round is done they go back and 'dock' the handheld and it sucks all the data in.
Works pretty good from what I've seen.

Maybe something like this then
http://www.waspbarcode.com/portable_data_terminals/

If it is an inventory type system then maybe something like this
htt://www.waspbarcode.com/asset_management/mobile_asset_combo_wpa206.asp

If you can program VB.net then you could create an ASP web page application that would collect any kind of data you wanted to enter. Because it would be web based and .NET you could use a Pocket PC with 802.11 to connect to the network and read the web pages. I did an inventory system like this for my final project in college. If you can't do the program talk to your IT guys they may have a solution for getting the data.