Panelview alternatives

[PLCDontUQuitOnMe]

That being said, I dont understand the need for this feature. IMO plc and hmi programs must be stored on a central server, with version control etc. And with this always current backup, there will be no need to upload from a hmi.

While that would be ideal, as an end user at a plant, things don't always go as planned. I am quite diligent with backups to the server. However, I have maintenance employees who are able to make changes to the AB HMIs, I have engineers bringing in contractors occasionally who may make changes to these as well. I can tell these people until I'm blue in the face to get backups to me or put them on the network, however it doesn't always happen.



So when I go to an AB HMI and am going to make changes, I can verify that the file running on the HMI matches the backup on the network, and I can use the backup on the network, but how do I know someone didn't change something on a screen, download it back to the HMI without changing the file name? Now I change the backup off the network and dump in my changes and overwrite theirs...it's a big issue. That is why I always upload from the HMI, which guarantees I have the latest and greatest.


With our Siemens HMIs, I have to trust the backup on the network is actually what's in the machine. This isn't a huge problem for me because I'm generally the only one who touches the Siemens hardware in the plant, but I can imagine the nightmare if I had others making changes and not putting the backup on the network. It would be a disaster of people overwriting other's changes to the HMI. At least with AB and the ability to upload, it guarantees you have the actual latest version.

 

[GaryS]

Unless the client request's a panvview i use a standard touch screen computer and create the HMI in Net Studio

 

[janner_10]

My go to alternative to Panelviews are Weintek. Weintek is a fraction of the price, don't have to wait 4 months to get one and so far I have never had an issue with one. The software is free.

I've used the Automation Direct C-Mores and the EZ Touches. I like the C-More software but the screen is often "bubbled up" with an air pocket underneath. Makes it look and feel cheap. I have one customer that has several of them and they have had several go bad over the years.

jmo.

This

 

[mad4x4]

My choice is the EXORINT JMOBILE Panels these are my goto muilti protocol panel.

https://www.exorint.com/en/products

 

[inick2005i]

In the last 4 years or so we've been buying RedLion touchscreens from Crimson. They are fairly reliable and they're fairly intuitive to program. They are also inexpensive compared to PanelViews. We had a few "fail to boot" issues that rendered a few dead, but a recent firmware change has solved that issue.

 

[OkiePC]

In the last 4 years or so we've been buying RedLion touchscreens from Crimson. They are fairly reliable and they're fairly intuitive to program. They are also inexpensive compared to PanelViews. We had a few "fail to boot" issues that rendered a few dead, but a recent firmware change has solved that issue.

I saw that too with the earliest versions of Crimson 3.1 and the CR series HMIs. One of them I thought was fubar, I was able to update with the later firmware and revive. I hope you didn't toss those that had the boot errors.

Red Lion Crimson software is my favorite and I like their hardware too. They boot fast and can do just about anything. The editor takes some time to learn but is very intuitive and can do things that most competitors cannot.

The Graphite hardware is the best, and for screens larger than 10", that is what we try to use. We had one issue with a 15" CR3000 that made me think I had actually a real hardware problem (for the first time in over ten years using them). It ended up being a wrinkled gasket causing the bezel to have a slight warp which caused the plastic screen overlay to create an intermittent "touch" condition in an unused area of the screen. The resulting symptom was an unresponsive HMI, but we swapped it for a Graphite which is superior quality with glass touch screen and aluminum case and then discovered the true root cause.

So aside from one that got dropped and another that appears to have been throat punched by a frustrated operator, I have not yet had a true hardware failure with them.

My major complaint with them is recent lack of availability, but I think that has affected all HMI manufacturers.

 

[keithsimpson]

What I have done is use a touchscreen connected to a PC and installed FactoryTalk View Station and got a license for the number of screens it uses. Worked out fair bit cheaper and it kept the panelview program without needed any changes other that the resolution.

 

[Engineerj22]

What I have done is use a touchscreen connected to a PC and installed FactoryTalk View Station and got a license for the number of screens it uses. Worked out fair bit cheaper and it kept the panelview program without needed any changes other that the resolution.

And the program runs faster too! I worked at a continous slab caster and we had to put the panelview application on PCs because the amount of data happening bogged down the panelviews. Also the computer was like you said, cheaper.

 

[Helliana]

You can store (and subsequently retrieve) a program backup on Siemens comfort panel by means of its integrated webserver.
With this you can access the integrated flash memory, or an attached USB or SD card.

I know you can get the runtime out of the HMI, but I do not believe it is possible to convert the runtime to a developmental file. If there is, please let me know how.

 

[inick2005i]

I saw that too with the earliest versions of Crimson 3.1 and the CR series HMIs. One of them I thought was fubar, I was able to update with the later firmware and revive. I hope you didn't toss those that had the boot errors.

Red Lion Crimson software is my favorite and I like their hardware too. They boot fast and can do just about anything. The editor takes some time to learn but is very intuitive and can do things that most competitors cannot.

The Graphite hardware is the best, and for screens larger than 10", that is what we try to use. We had one issue with a 15" CR3000 that made me think I had actually a real hardware problem (for the first time in over ten years using them). It ended up being a wrinkled gasket causing the bezel to have a slight warp which caused the plastic screen overlay to create an intermittent "touch" condition in an unused area of the screen. The resulting symptom was an unresponsive HMI, but we swapped it for a Graphite which is superior quality with glass touch screen and aluminum case and then discovered the true root cause.

So aside from one that got dropped and another that appears to have been throat punched by a frustrated operator, I have not yet had a true hardware failure with them.

My major complaint with them is recent lack of availability, but I think that has affected all HMI manufacturers.

We had a small 4" screen that had a boot issue a few years ago, we did toss it. But the last one we had with a boot issue (10") I googled to see if there was a fix and ended up fixing it with firmware upgrade and putting it back out in the field. We only use 4" and 10", and never have messed with the Graphite program (didn't realize there was a different software other than Crimson).

 

[Rson]

Another + for Weintek (I use Maple Systems - same thing)

Works for both Siemens & Allen Bradley - design HMI once, use with either.

You could also go the route of replacing with a Panel PC running a license of Factory Talk - usually shaves a grand or more off the price of the HMI.

 

[GTUnit]

I will never spec another Panelview unless forced. I have done a few Automation Direct CMore panels and I wanst really a fan. They are ok.

I started using Advantech panels and they have been great. Not expensive. Software is pretty good.