Least expensive touch screens

amigo · Oct 15, 2009

Like to get opinions on reliable and best cost effective 3-6" color touch screens of your choice.

For my application:
1) must support Modbus Slave protocol, Touch screen is the slave.
2) must have retentive memory/registers so user entries remain during power cycles

Thanks.

bkottaras · Oct 15, 2009

amigo said:
Like to get opinions on reliable and best cost effective 3-6" color touch screens of your choice.

For my application:
1) must support Modbus Slave protocol, Touch screen is the slave.
2) must have retentive memory/registers so user entries remain during power cycles

Thanks.

For the money I'd use a Horner XLt or XLe.
Plus, you get a PLC build in with the unit.
Modbus isn't a problem as they support Master and Slave.
Retentetive registers as well.

StoneMan · Oct 15, 2009

I would check out EZ Automation. I'm sure they have something for you and their prices are great! I just ordered an 8" color touch panel with an LED back light and ethernet for $899. They are very easy to program, the only problem I had was choosing the correct driver for the PLC I was using - trial and error got me the correct one.

Eric Nelson · Oct 15, 2009

My 'budget' HMI of choice has always been Maple System's Silver series, now replaced with their new widescreen models (LINK). I have yet to try the new widescreens myself, but they should be just as good (hopefully better). The configuration software could still use some improvement, but with enough effort, you CAN make the HMI do exactly what you want.

-Eric

amigo · Oct 16, 2009

thanks guys,
Horner looks interesting, but the US website seems to be dead, where is the best place to get these online?

EZ Automation looks nice but can't tell if they have retentive memory on the smaller units or not?

Maple silver series has caught my attention for a while now but they do not offer retentive memory in silver series I believe, right?.

My application calls for retentive memory in the HMI not the PLC. I rather stick to that plan for now.

bkottaras · Oct 16, 2009

http://store.heapg.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=HE%2DXL1E0
The Horner site is down.
The link is for their web site store.
You can order through the site.

StoneMan · Oct 16, 2009

Call or email EZ's tech support, they should be able to answer your questions.

Technical Support
Phone: 1-877-774-EASY
Fax: 1-877-775-EASY
[email protected]
Technical Support Hours:
6:00 am to 12:00 midnight CST

Eric Nelson · Oct 16, 2009

amigo said:
Maple silver series has caught my attention for a while now but they do not offer retentive memory in silver series I believe, right?

The local bits and words (LB + LW) disappear on a power cycle, but the recipe bits and words (RB + RW) get saved. I have not used them for the exact purpose you describe, but I would think it should work fine. The manual states that the recipe data gets saved automatically to EEPROM every 5 minutes. Of course, any changes made between the saves would not be updated. If this is an issue, you can always write a macro to save all values to an external flash drive, and run it whenever changes are made.

It appears that on the latest models, the variable data can now be stored directly on a flash drive plugged into the USB port on the back (EMx registers), thereby making it retentive...

I'm interested to know what type of device you are connecting this HMI to. The device has no capability to save data locally?

-Eric

Suresoft · Oct 16, 2009

Delta HMI's are well priced and very reliable. Awesome product.
www.delta.com.tw

amigo · Oct 16, 2009

Eric Nelson said:
The local bits and words (LB + LW) disappear on a power cycle, but the recipe bits and words (RB + RW) get saved. I have not used them for the exact purpose you describe, but I would think it should work fine. The manual states that the recipe data gets saved automatically to EEPROM every 5 minutes. Of course, any changes made between the saves would not be updated. If this is an issue, you can always write a macro to save all values to an external flash drive, and run it whenever changes are made.

It appears that on the latest models, the variable data can now be stored directly on a flash drive plugged into the USB port on the back (EMx registers), thereby making it retentive...

I'm interested to know what type of device you are connecting this HMI to. The device has no capability to save data locally?

-Eric

Thanks.
What I am connecting to the HMI is one of these:
www.catnetsystems.com
The product has storage capabilities but requires me to do some programming to shift some data around to keep track of what was last written by users and resend to the HMI upon power up.
I want to avoid this programming if I can help it.

Ok, so if recipe data (RB+RW) of the HMI get saved, is there a way for me to directly read and write them from the Modbus side? Or do I need to write a macro on the HMI that shuffles them back and forth and forces them into the LB and LWs upon power up?

@Suresoft, I will take a look at Delta, Thanks.

Eric Nelson · Oct 16, 2009

amigo said:
Ok, so if recipe data (RB+RW) of the HMI get saved, is there a way for me to directly read and write them from the Modbus side? Or do I need to write a macro on the HMI that shuffles them back and forth and forces them into the LB and LWs upon power up?

Based on THIS PDF (which I'm guessing you already looked at), you can only write to the LB and LW registers. You would have to write a macro to move them to the Recipe or Extended Memory (EMx) registers...

In the long run, it might be easier to just add a cheap PLC as a middleman in the system that both your CatNet AND the PLC talk to. The PLC serves as a 'dumb' device that simply stores (and RETAINS) data used by both devices...

Now that I think about it, doesn't something like this already exist? A no-frills device that just 1.) speaks MODBUS and 2.) stores data on say, flash-based media...

-Eric

amigo · Oct 16, 2009

Eric Nelson said:
Now that I think about it, doesn't something like this already exist? A no-frills device that just 1.) speaks MODBUS and 2.) stores data on say, flash-based media...

-Eric

Yeah, I can get CatNet to do this, but was hoping to avoid any extra programming anywhere.
looks like I got to fat finger it.
Oh well, thanks for the hints.

Least expensive touch screens

amigo

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bkottaras

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StoneMan

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Eric Nelson

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amigo

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bkottaras

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StoneMan

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Eric Nelson

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Suresoft

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amigo

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Eric Nelson

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amigo

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