HMI suggestions

[Archie]

That might be a problem, as I write for an OEM that sells a product that he doesn't want copied.

Out of curiosity, have you ever had a customer demand the PLC and HMI programs? I remember a while back the subject of locked out programs was discussed on here and one person even said they told the vendor to take the machine back when they refused to give him access to the programs.

 

[sbaum]

I could do all of the alarm emails via vb script if it wasn't for the tag limit.

Maybe it's time to consider a 4000 tag license?

Better yet upgrade to Indusoft v8.0 and I'm fairly confident support will help you resolve any issues.

Curious what your issue is with the Alarms... I did find a bug with an early release of v7.1 where I couldn't use a tag in the alarm worksheet email address fields, but that has since been fixed.

I've run into several bugs over the last couple years with Indusoft. But I have to say, they have always provided a fix or a work-around.
Keep daily project backups then you can always roll back to a previous version.

 

[dploof23]

Out of curiosity, have you ever had a customer demand the PLC and HMI programs? I remember a while back the subject of locked out programs was discussed on here and one person even said they told the vendor to take the machine back when they refused to give him access to the programs.

I never buy any equipment unless it is stated up front that the DOCUMENTED PLC/HMI code is to be included with the machine. I am not going to buy something that I can not service or modify.

 

[ganutenator]

Out of curiosity, have you ever had a customer demand the PLC and HMI programs? I remember a while back the subject of locked out programs was discussed on here and one person even said they told the vendor to take the machine back when they refused to give him access to the programs.

Not in this industry. The end user is a car wash owner. Most of these guys can barely even turn on a computer.

 

[arlenjacobs]

Best/Cheapest HMI software and go.

When you say cheapest, do you mean:

lowest purchase price?
lowest purchase price for the development software or runtime software/license?
HMI on a PC or dedicated touch panel?
least time spent in engineering costs?
least time spent in commissioning costs?
least time spent in support and maintenance? over 1 year? 10 years?
dare you say, lowest total cost of ownership?



There's been so many threads on best HMI; we need some details to fight over.

 

[ganutenator]

When you say cheapest, do you mean:

lowest purchase price?
lowest purchase price for the development software or runtime software/license?
HMI on a PC or dedicated touch panel?
least time spent in engineering costs?
least time spent in commissioning costs?
least time spent in support and maintenance? over 1 year? 10 years?
dare you say, lowest total cost of ownership?



There's been so many threads on best HMI; we need some details to fight over.

Good question.
I mean as cheap or cheaper than Indusoft.
Preferably pc based w/ industrial hmi hardened options.

It is for an OEM that obviously cannot afford to add the big runtime costs to the price. aka Wonderware, Cimplicity, AB, et al.

 

[ganutenator]

That VB suggestion got me taste buds wet. Now, would my biggest hurdle be to write a modbus tcp interface then?

 

[ganutenator]

p.s. I've been in the Industry since 1990.
Yes, having access to the plc program and hmi source code was always a must have.
This is different. I've been in this industry only since 2006.
My customer spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on patent attorneys.

 

[ganutenator]

Maybe it's time to consider a 4000 tag license?

Better yet upgrade to Indusoft v8.0 and I'm fairly confident support will help you resolve any issues.

Curious what your issue is with the Alarms... I did find a bug with an early release of v7.1 where I couldn't use a tag in the alarm worksheet email address fields, but that has since been fixed.

I've run into several bugs over the last couple years with Indusoft. But I have to say, they have always provided a fix or a work-around.
Keep daily project backups then you can always roll back to a previous version.

50 customers * are you ****ing kidding me right now?

 

[ganutenator]

I never buy any equipment unless it is stated up front that the DOCUMENTED PLC/HMI code is to be included with the machine. I am not going to buy something that I can not service or modify.

I'm assuming you are commenting on here from a linux box, never plan on owning a car wash, and don't own a phone.

 

[Toine]

I never buy any equipment unless it is stated up front that the DOCUMENTED PLC/HMI code is to be included with the machine. I am not going to buy something that I can not service or modify.

That would put us out of business pretty quickly. Hardware is easy to copy. A lot of our years of experience has condensed into the software that drives it.

 

[gclshortt]

That VB suggestion got me taste buds wet. Now, would my biggest hurdle be to write a modbus tcp interface then?

Check out the following:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/easymodbustcp/

http://easymodbustcp.net/

Regards,

 

[ganutenator]

That would put us out of business pretty quickly. Hardware is easy to copy. A lot of our years of experience has condensed into the software that drives it.

right, my customer has spent tens of thousands on his patent attorney.

 

[ganutenator]

Our OEM platform has 0 bugs.
In fact, if you find a bug, we will pay you $500 for reporting it.
If you can't troubleshoot the system w/ the HMI, then we didn't do our job.

Other than the fact that Indusoft ever so often decides to either put the wrong date on an email alarm or fail to send it until the next day or fail to send it altogher. grrr!

Or the fact that I spent plenty of time putting in the value text for alarms but Indu sometimes just says screw it and says 1.

 

[JDCROCKETT724]

I have used a delta HMI with modbus comms before. 7" color display is $452. Development software is free.

https://www.wolfautomation.com/prod...hscreens/touchscreen-7-color-no-ethernet-port