Multiple Screens Solution

Hi all.

I have an application where I am using a Siemens 315-2DP CPU to control 3 x machines. My client now wants a colour screen (plus/minus 6 inches) at each of the machines to display certain process values at each machine. There will be no interaction between the screen and the operator. It will solely be used for display purposes. I only have to display 10 different values on each screen, and as soon as a value exceeds the set value, the colour of that specific value must change. Each machine will have different process values.

Now, please bear in mind that I live in South Africa, and that Siemens is not a very cheap product. To use a TP177 colour screen will set me back about R14000.00 (USD 1870), which is quite a lot of money to spend on a Touch Panel which is not even going to be used as a Touch Panel. This means that I will spend USD 5610.00 on 3 screens to display 10 values on each screen, and this price excludes cabling, housing cabinets, connectors, labour etc.

I did the sums for using WinCC with multiple screens, but the smallest amount of tags available is 128, which costs about USD 4697.98, this makes this option just as unfavourable as the first option. Is there anybody out there who can suggest a cheaper option than this?

Rene Venter

Contact your local Schneider Electric office or distributor. The Magelis XBTGT line of displays is full featured and low cost. They include most protocols (Siements) and multiple HMIs can communicate with one end device using data sharing and exclusive input features. Software is easy to use, low cost and includes fully featured simulator.

Hello René;

Interesting application.
Here is the best (cheapest) I could find, while remaining in industrial environment specs:

3 units (G306C000), Red Lion G3 5.7 inch Color Touchscreen Operator Interface, Ultra DSTN QVGA display 320 x 240 for indoor use.
Price - $999.00 ea.

Communication to the S7-315 over TCP/IP, using CP343-1 Lean (Price: $620 US, list 2006) 6GK7 343-1CX00-0XE0
[See the following technote, Red Lion G3 to S7 PLC through Ethernet (without TSAP):
http://www.redlion.net/Support/TechNotes/HumanMachineInterface/TNOI34.pdf]

Programming software for the G3 units: Crimson 2.0 software: free Internet download from the Red Lion site.

So, total cost, excluding the ethernet switch and cabling, would amount to approximately US $3617.

Red Lion also has a distributor in south Africa, they can give you exact pricing and delivery:
Micropower Instruments 27-1-1462-1106 http://www.micropower.co.za/

Another option would be something like a Windows CE Industrial PC Panel, say from Advantech, and an OPC client for each, and creating your own VB display; but that would be much more problematic, at least for me.

Hope this helps,
Daniel Chartier

See http://www.redlion.net for their G3 series OITs.

Dear Rene,

Please contact Mr. Gaetano Nicolaci, Sales Manager at ESA HMI.

ESA has alternatives to cases like yours.

gnicolaci @ esahmi. com

Regards,

Rodrigo Reyes

Rene,

Unfortunately I can't think of a specific product that would fit your needs. I imagine that there are probably several companies that make panelview like embedded devices that run their own software instead of being a standard computer.

The numbers that you put up are getting close to the range where I would recommend a distributed system. The price you quoted should get you touch screen industrial computers. The software price is about what FactorySQL and FactoryPMI would run (leading web launched HMI). It's pretty borderline at your project size, but would be way more expandable in that you would get unlimited clients and tags. For example, someone on a PC on the network could also pull up the application. Your project could also be made significantly more power and flexible (again, given your requirement description, this is WAY MORE than you asked for).

If the project won't grow and you only need exactly what you're asking for, there HAS GOT to be a vendor with a simple, cheap, embedded display. I'll help you look for one if nobody recommends one soon.

----
Nathan Boeger
http://www.inductiveautomation.com
Total SCADA Freedom

Check out PRO FACE at http://www.proface.com

They are a lot cheaper than Siemens and communicate with everything. Also the software you need to program is cheaper.

Hello,

You can go for HAKKO Touch Screen. This is the cheapest solution. You can go for V606ec20, that is the cheapest and good quality product.

deepak

Have you looked at Maple Systems?

If you have just a single PLC, you may want to look at Maple Systems (http://www.maplesystems.com). The HMI520T may be a good fit. I am probably misinterpreting their product literature, but I believe you can make one connection to the PLC and then daisy-chain the other HMI panels together. The 6", 256 color, TFT lists for $469.

Regards,

Tony R. Gunderman, PE, CAP

Hi all.

A while ago I enquired about a Multiple screen solution (see message below). Thank you to everyone who contributed. I eventually went with the Red Lion option, which cost me $1240 each. I did not go for the CP343 option ($1000 in South Africa), but I opted for a Serial Converter ($426). The configuration is as follows: I convert the info from the PLC to serial via the Serial Converter. The Serial cable then goes to the first screen. I then run normal Ethernet cable from the First to the second screen, and from the second to the third screen. The 1st screen gets set up as a master, and the 2nd and 3rd screen as slaves. In the 1st screen I added a gateway block which then sends the info through to the 2nd and 3rd screens. The protocol I used was Modbus over Ethernet. I thus also saved on Profibus cable and connectors. My total saving on the project amounted to about $2000. Thanks to all of you once again.

Greetings
René