HMI software feature survey...

[Mark-]

Hello,

#1 What HMI feature do you consider a must in an HMI?
#2 What feature would you like to see in an HMI?
#3 What is the most important aspect (alarming, graphics, drivers, database connectivity, etc.) of an HMI?

Thanks for your time.

 

[DwSoFt]

I am most experienced with Allen Bradley HMIs.

As far as hardware I like the fact that panelview+ have USB and flash abilities. makes it really easy to transfer a new load without having to setup any communications between it and my laptop.
As far as software, every brand is different, but ease of use.goes a long way. I recently have done a few things on some Quickpanels nd it was easy to figure out using ProficyME. Good help files make it even easier. lol

 

[mk42]

I'm consistently surprised at how low resolution industrial HMI devices are. If nothing else, it seems like easy specsmanship to have higher resolution at the same size.

I'm not sure if there is any actual benefit from having a higher resolution at the same size screen, though. One can only make a button so small, and text has to be a certain size to display properly. I don't think

I'm also surprised at the new push from vendors with "widescreen" HMIs. Do users actually care? I'm an engineer, not a real graphic designer, but I always figured something close to a square would be optimum, at least from a visual standpoint. It isn't like we use them to display movies or anything.

 

[DwSoFt]

I'm also surprised at the new push from vendors with "widescreen" HMIs. Do users actually care? I'm an engineer, not a real graphic designer, but I always figured something close to a square would be optimum, at least from a visual standpoint. It isn't like we use them to display movies or anything.

The newer screens running windows or the like probably could play movies for the operators, although it would be good if they never found that out. haha

 

[JeremyM]

More and more I'm inclined to wish I could detach completely from anything involving programming with FactoryTalk View. I've just now had to isolate the View Studio to a virtual machine on our server cluster and do the HMI programming over RDP because it wrecked Studio 5K's seemingly fragile stability due to RSLinx Classic changes - or something. "FATAL ERROR" is endlessly descriptive. Also, if they could manage writing projects to the user's documents rather than some obscure directly under C:\ or public documents, that'd be great. Studio 5K v21 and greater does this, why not the other? That said, I think the PanelView construction is certainly decent, although the resolutions and viewing angles offered by the built-in displays are abysmal. I shouldn't be forced to stand squarely in front of an LCD to avoid color washout, nor should display elements be so 1997-era jagged; at Rockwell prices, incorporate high-resolution IPS panels and software anti-aliasing or just stop trying altogether.

 

[widelto]

Drivers, database connectivity, better trend graphics, higher resolution, and interfaces with other programs are my desires.

 

[RussB]

Drivers, database connectivity, better trend graphics, higher resolution, and interfaces with other programs are my desires.

That's quite the moving target.
Drivers for what?
Some specific database or will proprietary do?
Better than what/who's trending?
How much higher res.?
Interface to what/who's other programs?

 

[mk42]

The newer screens running windows or the like probably could play movies for the operators, although it would be good if they never found that out. haha

This is true. The panels I typically use do have a media player included. I've heard of people using them for instructional videos for the operators, to help train them on what they are supposed to do, if confused.

If the operators figured out that they could bring a USB stick in with a movie and play it on the HMI.... yeah. that'd be bad.

 

[diat150]

are we talking about an operator interface like a panelview or a scada system like wonderware, ignition etc?

 

[Mark-]

Hello,

are we talking about an operator interface like a panelview or a scada system like wonderware, ignition etc?

I titled the post "HMI software feature survey...."

I am really only interested in the software portion of any HMI. If a PanelView provides some feature (software side) and it answers one of the questions, I am interested.

 

[Elcan]

Hello,

#1 What HMI feature do you consider a must in an HMI?
#2 What feature would you like to see in an HMI?
#3 What is the most important aspect (alarming, graphics, drivers, database connectivity, etc.) of an HMI?

Thanks for your time.

Are you a member of a team developing a new HMI?

 

[Mark-]

Hello,

Are you a member of a team developing a new HMI?

No

 

[NetNathan]

Quickpanels are pretty simple to do.
TFT only would be nice.

 

[JaxGTO]

Hello,

#1 What HMI feature do you consider a must in an HMI?
#2 What feature would you like to see in an HMI?
#3 What is the most important aspect (alarming, graphics, drivers, database connectivity, etc.) of an HMI?

Thanks for your time.

#1 One that does not crash several time a day.
#2 One that does not crash several time a day.
#3 One that does not crash several time a day with the features my customer wants.

 

[treellama]

#1 FileOpenDialog
Logging to CSV - and some way of retrieving those files over a network connection
Decent scripting. No need to invent your own language, vbscript is fine