CMORE HMI Panels

Hi there,

Anyone have any experience in C More HMI panels? Are they used in US at all? I have a US customer that wants us to consider using them in place of AB Panelviews.

I haven't toyed with the software but it looks pretty easy to navigate. My concern is the low cost. Are they reliable?

I work for an OEM in the US. We have used quite a few of the C-More HMIs with no hardware issues. We were actually turned on to them by one of our customers. I think we have had one hardware issue in 10 years and AD replaced the HMI without much question.

The "simpler" your HMI is (the fewer advanced features you use) the less of a shock it will be moving from PanelView Plus to C-More. There are just things you simply can't do with a C-More that you can with the PanelView Plus. But one thing you will learn to LOVE is the 20 second download and reboot time on a C-More as opposed to the 2 minutes the PVP spends doing the same thing.

Keith

I have about 10 running EA9 and a few older EA7 units running in relatively harsh environment, (Hot shop floor with a lot rubber dust)


They have have been holding up well for a bunch of years..
Get the screen protector for the panel you choose

https://cdn.automationdirect.com/static/specs/eaxcov2.pdf

We currently have a few of these in our plant that have been reliable for the last 7 years (very harsh/corrosive environment). Within that time we've had a few newer AB PVs fail on us...

The cost point was the major attraction for the temporary switch and they are fairly easy to navigate. However, we are predominantly a Rockwell end user, therefore we have been able to negotiate with our Rockwell distributor and prefer to use the AB PVs.

We have numerous C-More's in use at our facility. They have held up well.

I am the same as Glitch, we have many panels in oily/coolant mist environment. They work really good.

If you are looking to collect data, it's not the best option, but it can organize everything nicely into an excel sheet via flashdrive if that works for your project.

Programming is very simple, I learned in about two weeks. C-more forum page very helpful also. You could probably find an even cheaper one on ebay brand new.

alive15 said:

Programming is very simple, I learned in about two weeks. C-more forum page very helpful also. You could probably find an even cheaper one on ebay brand new.

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Same here, had a customer with a machine down and was able to learn it enough to get them back up and running in no time

The C-More comes in basically two different models. C-More and C-More Micro
The C-More Micro HMI has free software and can come in screens sizes up to 6".
C-More screens (EA9 Series) are available 6" up to 15" or Headless. (External HDMI port for large screen TV)

Very easy to program. I have several running in a plant for years without any trouble. Currently installing a headless.
https://www.automationdirect.com/adc/shopping/catalog/hmi_(human_machine_interface)/c-more_touch_panels_ea9_series

You can download the software and run in demo mode for a quick look.
https://support.automationdirect.com/products/cmore.html

Tutorial on the EA9 Series:
https://accautomation.ca/series/c-more-hmi-series-panel/

Regards,

gclshortt said:

The C-More comes in basically two different models. C-More and C-More Micro

Click to expand...

Not a big fan of the Micro

There are certainly areas where C-More just isn't going to cut it, like if you want to gather data or are doing something pretty complex. That said, if you are just wanting to have indicators or push buttons and don't really care about scripting or recipes, then I have found it hard to beat the C-More. I think the software costs about $150 and has free upgrades for life. The panels seem to hold up at least as good as PVP 600's in our plant and are a fraction of the cost. I am currently using C-More panels for any new project and have even went back and replaced a few PVP 600's with a C-More. The currenty project I am working on is replacing a Panelview 1200 with a 15" C-More.
The vast majority of instances where I have a panel mounted I am not using even a minuscule amount of what an AB panel can do. I simply do not need that. So for the price, it is hard for me to justify spending the extra $ for AB vs AD.
Another interesting tidbit, I once had to call their tech support and both the receptionist and the tech support guy had very distinct Southern US accents. As it turned out, I was having a "not really here" day and had my subnet entered incorrectly so the error was squarely my fault, both in entering it and not catching it.

The pros: Price!, intuitive software, does the majority (if not everything) I need in an HMI.
Cons: Not as capable as an AB panel, AD has no local rep/support if you needed it though there phone support is good.

Excellent product and tech support

We have several EA9 panels running in a harsh environment and they have held up well.



I am using a Cmore Micro for my personal project at home mainly because of cost. It has the basic features so if that is all you need, it will work well. You can download the software for the Cmore Micro for free so you can look at it and see if it has what you need for no cost.


The Cmore EA9 series is paid software with more features, but not expensive ($95?)



Mike

I was mistaken on the price. It isn't $150, it is currently $98
https://www.automationdirect.com/ad...ies_programming_software_-a-_cables/ea9-pgmsw
Still free upgrades as new versions roll out.
The C-More Micro has free software. I've used 3 Micro panels for a series of small gauging cells and they worked great.

Duranthas said:

Another interesting tidbit, I once had to call their tech support and both the receptionist and the tech support guy had very distinct Southern US accents.

Click to expand...

We are based outside of Atlanta, GA, so yeah; pretty Southern. Just far enough from the city to avoid most of the city problems, just close enough that if you want to go do something it isn't much of a hassle.

The C-More software also has a simulator that allows you to view the visual response with no hardware attached.