Posts tagged ‘HMI’
Invensys Simplifies SCADA with Wonderware System Platform 4.0
Invensys Operations Management announced the release of its Wonderware® System Platform 4.0 software, which delivers new information services, new device connectivity functions, tiered historian capabilities and improved Web visualization. These enhancements enable plant operators to manage and control equipment and processes more effectively. In addition, information systems personnel can more easily integrate and make use of real-time manufacturing information, and users can be updated continuously on the company’s overall operations performance.
Wonderware System Platform’s new tiered historian capabilities simplify data time-stamping, information aggregation, retrieval and reporting, and improve information security and disaster recovery across distributed operations. The platform historian is also available as a standalone offering, Wonderware Historian 10.0.
The Information Server 4.0 component of the platform now provides the rich experience and performance of real-time ArchestrA graphics for Web visualization for more functional and effective KPI reports and HMI graphics. Using the company’s open platform, customers’ graphical configuration efforts can be reused easily and managed across their manufacturing enterprises, both as Wonderware InTouch® HMI graphics and inside their Web applications.
“The Wonderware System Platform 4.0 software provides a single, scalable and open platform for SCADA, HMI, MES and EMI software, addressing the business and functional needs of industrial automation, operations and information personnel,” said Steve Garbrecht, director of product marketing at Invensys Operations Management. “Its plant model-based, integrated configuration environment provides a logical representation of the physical processes being controlled and supervised, enabling rapid configuration and deployment of component object-based industrial applications. This software platform solution allows our engineering teams, along with our ecosystem partners and customers, to accelerate flexible innovations that are aimed at achieving operations excellence.”
Software Toolbox Integrated with AFCON Pulse SCADA/HMI
Software Toolbox announced that its Symbol Factory.NET and Industrial Gadgets.NET graphics technologies have been integrated with a new Pulse SCADA/HMI software application from AFCON Software and Electronics Ltd., enabling engineers to select animated images from a library of more than 3,600 industrial and manufacturing objects to create custom control panels.
“Because Pulse is based on the Microsoft .NET framework, Industrial Gadgets.NET and Symbol Factory.NET from Software Toolbox are natural complements to Pulse,” said Orly Inbar, marketing director at AFCON. “AFCON customers have confirmed that the availability of Industrial Gadgets.NET objects significantly reduces engineering time, while providing strikingly realistic and state-of-the-art visualizations of real-life equipment. Engineers from Software Toolbox worked closely with the AFCON development team in making a smooth integration of their tools with Pulse.”
With AFCON’s Pulse software, application engineers can work within a unified SCADA/HMI environment that now combines the powerful .NET graphics tools from Software Toolbox. Symbol Factory.NET allows engineers to use the built-in object browser to pick from a wide range of animated objects to create custom screens that address their specific operations responsibilities. The addition of the Industrial Gadgets.NET application enables users to select from analog and digital controls to create realistic industrial control user interfaces to view input and data controls.
“The Software Toolbox object-oriented graphics components will enable engineers to rapidly build solutions for specific manufacturing and infrastructure requirements,” said John Weber, president of Software Toolbox. “Symbol Factory.NET and Industrial Gadgets.NET capabilities will enhance an operator’s ability to customize each process screen. Engineers can now spend less time creating and modifying HMI applications.”
Software Toolbox Releases TOP Server Version 5.2
Software Toolbox® has released TOP Server Version 5.2 to its client base and channel partners. TOP Server, powered by Kepware, is Software Toolbox’s OPC and native HMI device connectivity software application. The new release delivers enhancements offering users the latest choices in OPC technology and new alarm and event generation capabilities for data collected in TOP Server.
“The release of the OPC UA interfaces in TOP Server delivers on our commitment to protect our client’s investment in OPC technology and demonstrates the value of an ongoing relationship with Software Toolbox,” said John Weber, president of Software Toolbox. “The OPC A&E condition-monitoring plug-in option gives users another way to get value from data they are collecting using TOP Server. Many HMI/SCADA packages offer an OPC A&E client interface in their alarm management systems and now our clients have a way to deliver alarms and events messages directly to the systems from TOP Server.”
New features in version 5.2 include:
- OPC UA Server & Client Interfaces – OPC UA, the latest generation of OPC interfaces, offers Web-based services, is firewall friendly and provides secure messaging to other OPC UA applications without using DCOM. TOP Server delivers an OPC UA server interface and optional OPC UA client interface, which empowers users to use TOP Server as a standards-based tunneling solution.
- Expanded OPC-A&E Server Interface – Using the new OPC A&E condition-monitoring plug-in, users can specify conditions on tags read from devices using any of TOP Server’s hundreds of drivers and generate alarm and event messages using the OPC A&E standard.
- Driver Updates – Expands the functionality of the ControlLogix Ethernet, Mettler Toledo, Idec and Modbus Ethernet drivers, and adds a new C# sample application for the Custom Interface Driver.
TOP Server 5.2 will be available for download or as an upgrade for users on active support and maintenance contracts on Feb. 11, 2010 at www.toolboxopc.com.
Invensys Announces ‘Powered by Wonderware’ Program
Invensys Operations Management, provider of technology and software to the process and manufacturing industries, announced a newPowered By Wonderware® program that delivers its Wonderware InTouch® human-machine interface (HMI) software in a Compact Edition form factor for Windows CE devices. The program was created in partnership with Advantech Corp., Arista Corp., Axiomtek, B&R Industrial Automation, Beckhoff Automation, Beijer Electronics, Kontron and VIPA. Powered By Wonderware certified devices are now available from these vendors, with pre-installed images ready for use out of the box.
“The Powered by Wonderware program, in conjunction with our partners, means that our customers can now order their HMI hardware with runtime software pre-installed, directly from their vendor of choice,” said Keith Jones, marketing program manager, Wonderware HMI/SCADA products. “This offers a certified combination of InTouch Compact Edition software and vendor hardware, tested by Wonderware and ready to use out of the box. Customers will appreciate the time they will save with the pre-installed software, as well as have confidence that their industrial computer panel is ready to run. In addition, InTouch Compact Edition software has never been more affordable, with users able to select the license size they need and take advantage of exciting new bundled pricing.”
By partnering with many of the world’s top HMI hardware brands, Invensys now offers clients the most cost-efficient version of Wonderware InTouch HMI software on a vast amount of hardware styles and ratings.
“Wonderware customers are assured that InTouch Compact Edition software is certified to function properly on all certified hardware and that, together with our partners, we will support the complete solution in every corner of the globe,” said Dan Fitzpatrick, global embedded program manager, Invensys Operations Management.
Powered By Wonderware is an ongoing open program, with Invensys planning to announce additional members in the coming months.
PetroComputing 