(Rohnert Park, CA)— Parker’s Electromechanical Automation Division, a leading supplier of motion control technology announces the release of a new, affordable human-machine interface (HMI) solution that fully leverages the wide availability of the Internet, IP networks and web browsing software to enable Distributed HMI software, remote support and application sharing. Interact Xpress™ combines a rich, graphical runtime interface with HMI development tools that can be accessed from either the HMI panel or any PC running Internet Explorer®.
Interact Xpress offers an affordable solution for multi-site, multi-station and standalone machine HMI applications where remote control, monitoring and support are desirable. Supervisory stations can even be created by simply publishing the local HMI screens to supervisory software or a simple web browser. Bundled with Parker CTC’ new XPR PowerStations, Xpress eases the implementation of distributed HMI in remote station applications for oil and gas pipelines, power transmission, and wastewater treatment, as well as larger machines with multiple HMI stations, such as printing and paper converting machinery.
Xpress HMI applications are developed, edited, published and run in an HMI that is a web server, allowing users and OEMs to easily publish upgrades and applications to any global location with an Internet or IP connection and a web browser. This web integration also simplifies implementation of remote diagnosis for support of machinery anywhere in the world.
With Xpress, HMI applications can be served and edited remotely from any PC running Internet Explorer in real time. In this scenario, the HMI designer/editor is able to support multiple runtime versions in a web published development, eliminating version control issues. In addition to offering users online editing capability, development tools can be used offline to work on applications when a live Internet connection is not available.
With its inexpensive development software, unlimited tags and more than 35 device communication drivers included, distributed HMI implementation costs will be significantly reduced with Interact Xpress, when compared to more complicated Windows runtime systems. Xpress even allows applications to be developed, modified and published from the runtime system itself, using multiple levels of secure access to manage and administer system changes.
Xpress allows unprecedented runtime client performance through the use Adobe Flash® technology and takes advantage of this ubiquitous web browser plug-in to present an intuitive HMI development environment and generate highly rendered runtime graphics and animations
Interact Xpress software is pre-installed and bundled with Parker CTC’s new XPR PowerStation hardware, which is designed to optimize the performance, storage and connectivity features of Xpress HMI. The NEMA4/4X-rated XPR PowerStations are available with 6”, 8” and 10” TFT touchscreen displays, embedded fanless CPU, 256 MB DRAM and a full range of standard features including: CompactFlash storage, USB, RS-232/422/485 ports and a 100BaseT Ethernet port. With standard 128 MB CompactFlash storage, XPR models feature non-rotating storage media and fanless operation for high system reliability.
Interact Xpress HMI software will join InteractX™ and original Interact software to round out the Parker CTC line of HMI solutions, which range from simple pushbutton panel replacement to advanced HMI multitasking and database applications. Inspiring the look and feel of Interact Xpress, InteractX is a Windows-based, unlimited tags HMI software product that was honored as Control Engineering magazine’s 2003 Editors’ Choice and Engineers’ Choice awards in the HMI software category.
Filed Under: Data acquisition + DAQ modules
Tell Us What You Think!