The HMI in your pocket

[BobO]

A reply to a super old post, but what's Host's temperature on such a project nowadays? I know a lot has changed in the world since this was started 8 years ago, but the need is still there, arguably more-so? I'd love a (Host designed/manufactured) full-featured solution.

Quite frankly, I think the C-More line falls flat on it's face in several aspects. It can graph, but graphs won't survive a power cycle or program update. It can do remote access, but the experience over phone or PC is fairly grainy, doesn't utilize the device's keyboard, etc. The dev software doesn't even have a find function, let alone replace.

This is just scratching the surface really. I've started using Weintek devices that do much, much better in these departments, but no symbolic access, only native Do-more. Still better than modbus only, but once you start modularizing your code, doing logs, etc, it would be so much easier to be able to access User Data Types natively.

I don't know how it looks on your end, if it would be something that is built into/activated in the next generation Do-more, or a standalone device similar to RHMI's currently. These are just "legacy" type solutions, and I've not used CODESYS/WebVisu, but it seems like they do a lot of things "differently" than the old status-quo. The market is full of HTML5 HMI's nowadays, make it work with that?

It remains a desire. I have had a vision for two level solution. Level 1 is a simple table based HTML generator that makes it easy for users to generate pages that look and feel like BRX built-in web pages. Not an HMI, but a simple monitor that requires virtually zero programming. Level 2 would be full HMI pages built in a DmD based HMI page editor. Not sure if the display would be browser based or app based, possibly both. Rather than have a conventional HMI, there would be a hardened "terminal" that could log into any PLC to view the HMI pages in that PLC.

As part of the Gen2 engine we are working on, I'm sure all of this will get new discussion.

[Garyhlucas]

Wow! Totally blows me away that I started this thread 8 years ago!  Today, I am even more interested in a phone app. I am developing a product that can only succeed if I can get the cost down and eliminating the HMI would be huge.

[Kristjan]

If you will be creating a phone app then you are probably interested in the new Sparkplug POM, or at least the MQTT part of it. A very exciting implementation that I am looking forward to try out.

And it would be interesting to see what you create, you could post some screenshots on this thread to give us some inspiration

[BobO]

If you will be creating a phone app then you are probably interested in the new Sparkplug POM, or at least the MQTT part of it. A very exciting implementation that I am looking forward to try out.

And it would be interesting to see what you create, you could post some screenshots on this thread to give us some inspiration

Our initial effort will likely disappoint...it isn't a phone app (unless you count the browser), just an instruction for user generated web pages. The pages will look very much like the existing BRX web pages, since it is using the same generation code. We are wanting to add some simple widgets...simple meters and maybe a very simple trend line...but mostly the emphasis is textual/numerical displays of live PLC status. Not designed to replace an HMI, just to provide some user generated status pages to be viewed on anything with a web browser.

[Garyhlucas]

Old post, but right now I am programming a machine that has a full PC on board to analyze data from a color analyzer, read a barcode, etc.  The line printer has an HMI on its controller so we have 3 HMIs, touch screen PC with a keyboard too, printer HMI, PLC HMI.  Would have loved to use the CM5 headless, but it has WAY more capability and costs more than a CM5 with a 7" screen!  Seem like a Raspberry Pi level device could easily do this job. 

I am also working on an advanced waste treatment system for homes where the single biggest factor is the total system cost.  No good place to mount an HMI and a bluetooth connection would be perfect.  We need the full capability of a BRX36 so no savings to be had there.  From the state of NJ, there are 60,000 failing septic systems that need to be replaced over the next 10 years!

I am not a wheel inventor, I'm a wheel user.

[BobO]

After much debate, I think we've come to a consensus. We will allow read-only web access with HTTP, but for writes will require HTTPS. Since we really can't serve HTTPS with a BRX CPU, we are doing an HTTPS POM.

Also taking a run at doing some proper HMI widgets.

Early attempt shown. Works and looks great on a cell phone too.

[Controls Guy]

It remains a desire. I have had a vision for two level solution. Level 1 is a simple table based HTML generator that makes it easy for users to generate pages that look and feel like BRX built-in web pages. Not an HMI, but a simple monitor that requires virtually zero programming. Level 2 would be full HMI pages built in a DmD based HMI page editor. Not sure if the display would be browser based or app based, possibly both. Rather than have a conventional HMI, there would be a hardened "terminal" that could log into any PLC to view the HMI pages in that PLC.

Some people are doing that with CoDeSys.  The HMI is web pages in the controller and if you want to duplicate a traditional HMI install, they put an Android tablet or something with a browser and mount it on the door.  I do note that you said HTTP isn't necessarily good as an HMI, and I'm inclined to agree, but this is the kind of thing that's circulating out there.

[BobO]

Some people are doing that with CoDeSys.  The HMI is web pages in the controller and if you want to duplicate a traditional HMI install, they put an Android tablet or something with a browser and mount it on the door.  I do note that you said HTTP isn't necessarily good as an HMI, and I'm inclined to agree, but this is the kind of thing that's circulating out there.

I'm actually pretty pleased with what I'm able to do with HTML. I think this will serve many people's need for simple HMI. I'm actually getting excited about it.

[Garyhlucas]

Bob,
I am extremely happy to hear about this!  Right on time, almost exactly 8 years to the day from my original post.  I was only 64 when I wrote that.

[BobO]

Bob,
I am extremely happy to hear about this!  Right on time, almost exactly 8 years to the day from my original post.  I was only 64 when I wrote that.

Sorry it's taken this long!