It is interesting that touch screen never really took off with process controls and I suspect your statement about Operators not wanting to lean forward is the key impediment. The plant where I saw them used the most had CRT's in panels so the Operator stood in front of the touch screen and manipulation was then quite easy. A couple of sites where I visited never used the modular or alarm keyboards and always used qwerty keyboards for Operators to enter data. Flashing points on overview graphics were used to get the Operator to the point in alarm. FoxView on Windows does allow the soft modular keyboards but I have not seen them in too many sites. Perhaps a reasonable solution would be for Foxboro to allow this application to run on Windows (no AW or WP or FV license required) and connect via USB to the AW or WP stations. A windows computer is probably much less expensive that the GCIO and Modular Keyboard. Terry > To: foxboro@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: Re: [foxboro] Obsolescence and unavailability of 6 X 8 annunciator > keypads > From: corey.clingo@xxxxxxxx > Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 10:19:42 -0500 > > All valid arguments, in addition to mine that I'd like to investigate the > use of thin clients for consoles (we have had too many problems with > various extenders lately to make me trust in them for future > higher-resolution displays), and that operators often need full > alphanumeric capabilities (for Select, primarily) so we have both > keyboards anyway, on limited desktop space in the console. > > I'd like to be rid of the membrane keyboards going forward as well, but > the operators really like them, and certainly we will have to put some > time into the graphics to improve navigation and access to critical > displays. What did you guys do to ease that transition? > > > No touch screens here. The operators greatly preferred using trackballs > or mice to leaning forward and touching the screen :) > > > Corey > > > > > From: > tjvandew@xxxxxxxxx > To: > foxboro@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Date: > 03/16/2011 09:43 AM > Subject: > Re: [foxboro] Obsolescence and unavailability of 6 X 8 annunciator keypads > Sent by: > foxboro-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > > > We quit using them for a host of reasons: > Cost of Ann keybds and GCIO to support them. > Long term reliability and support. > Tied the effective operation of the process to that specific > location/workstation. If control room needed to evacuate and operate from > different location the operator needs to have same functionality > elsewhere. > When we combined operator responsibilities we couldn't easily combine the > Ann kybds. > They went the same way as the old CRT touchscreens. Is anyone out there > still using those? Just curious. > > Tom > Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry > > > > > > > _______________________________________________________________________ > This mailing list is neither sponsored nor endorsed by Invensys Process > Systems (formerly The Foxboro Company). Use the info you obtain here at > your own risks. Read http://www.thecassandraproject.org/disclaimer.html > > foxboro mailing list: //www.freelists.org/list/foxboro > to subscribe: mailto:foxboro-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=join > to unsubscribe: mailto:foxboro-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=leave > _______________________________________________________________________ This mailing list is neither sponsored nor endorsed by Invensys Process Systems (formerly The Foxboro Company). Use the info you obtain here at your own risks. Read http://www.thecassandraproject.org/disclaimer.html foxboro mailing list: //www.freelists.org/list/foxboro to subscribe: mailto:foxboro-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=join to unsubscribe: mailto:foxboro-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=leave