[foxboro] Browser based HMI (again)
- From: <tom.vandewater@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <foxboro@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2007 13:07:13 -0400
I know, I type too much! But here it goes again.
In response to George Bocancea's questions about Triconex/Foxboro
interfaces Alex Johnson wrote:
George asked: "What is the preferred HMI for the Triconix PLC?"
Alex replied: "The IPS preferred offering is InFusion Foundation or
Wonderware's FactorySuite. Both feature InTouch which is the most used
HMI on the planet."
Tom says: "IMHO the most used HMI on the planet is a browser but I know
Alex was referring to control systems HMI's ;<)"
George asked: "Is there proprietary HMI software available?"
Alex replied: "I believe all solutions to HMI's in the industry today
are proprietary. Some are more open than others, but I'm not aware of
an open source HMI with significant volume."
Tom says: "I agree that many control system HMI's are still quite
proprietary but the winds of change are upon all of them. I've
mentioned Honeywell's Experion PKS HMI before and here it goes again"
Quoted from Honeywell's site at:
http://hpsweb.honeywell.com/Cultures/en-US/Products/Systems/ExperionPKS/
PlatformInfrastructure/OperatorStationConsoleFunctions/default.htm
" This advanced interface solution combines consistent and secure
access, robustness, and performance with state-of-the-art web graphics
capabilities. HMIWeb technology offers the benefit of fully integrated
data delivery using standard Internet technologies such as HTML and
XML."
Tom says: "Sure this has a tinge (or maybe a lot) of vendor propaganda,
but they are in fact using a browser as their primary HMI and
application configuration interface (more propaganda):"
"HMIWeb merges process, application, and business data seamlessly, and
is the most open, secure, and user-friendly control system interface
available. It enables information from multiple systems to be viewed on
a single operator interface display. This not only facilitates remote
operation, but supports integration of foreign data sources and the
various tiers of mission-critical plant systems."
Tom says: "No, I'm not a Honeywell salesman. I just think that Foxboro
and Wonderware are in a good position to take the next step. I don't
care if they maintain a proprietary database behind the scenes called
InSQL; I just want them to use standard web services to present
configuration and real time data to an HMI that can also display
non-Wonderware/Foxboro data. I'm talking about all of the other
Enterprise data needed to run a plant/corporation. There would be
tremendous power and marketability in that in my mind.
Other major enterprise application providers have already made
the leap. Even the behemoth SAP knew they needed SQL databases from the
start to keep pace and they recently acquired Light Hammer so they would
have the ability to simplify the HMI to their proprietary internal
applications. Their HMI was so clumsy it was bringing them down. By
serving the SQL database they give their customers more flexibility to
relate it to other enterprise data, and give themselves a way to get
data from many other enterprise applications.
I don't care if Wonderware/Foxboro decides to use MS SQL Server
on "their server" to serve the control system data, as long as queries
can be called from the browser of my choice, Firefox, Opera, Netscape,
(internet explorer:<( running on any OS platform. Does anyone really
know what databases Google or Ebay are using? Does anyone care? No,
they mostly want to access the data from Solaris, Linux, MS, or MAC's
whenever they need it and their browser coupled with web servers
throughout the plant/enterprise/country/world are there to provide it."
Tom stepping down from stump as others around him say:
"You talk too much."
Tom VandeWater
Control Systems Developer/Analyst
Dow Corning Corporation
Carrollton, KY USA
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