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Operator Interface Resource Center

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Controls engineers need a variety of information on topics such as display terminals, HMI software, industrial PCs, alarm & annunciation, data acquisition and touchscreens.

Display terminals provide varying levels of operator interface from simple panel meters and text messages to graphical representations of entire processes by use of various types of HMI software.

Industrial PCs are ruggedized versions of PC technology that are suitable for industrial environments, largely by eliminating moving parts and providing more-protective enclosures.

Touchscreens are an alternative to keyboard or pointing device data entry, working well with graphical operator interface software, and providing prompt response to machine alarms.

Timely news, back-to-basics primers, feature articles, technical white papers and descriptions of the latest products all provide valuable insights that can be used in designing and building machine controls.

White Papers: In Depth Research

The Advantages of Fanless PCs in Industrial Environments
Author: Ian Bacon, computer design engineer and Anderson Peeples associate design engineer for CCS
Posted: 02/18/2013
With new trends in technology emerging daily, computers are becoming more prevalent in all aspects of industry. However, certain areas have traditionally been difficult or harsh on conventional computer systems. Extreme temperatures, dust and particulates, airflow restrictions and even lack of maintenance access are fairly common issues found in the typical industrial setting. These problems can greatly affect the performance of traditional computers. A variety of technologies and methods have been implemented to try and combat many of the issues found in harsh environments, but one of the best methods is to remove all moving components, including fans, from the computer system. While this approach creates a variety of challenges in design, this white paper discusses how a fanless PC can prevent many of the common stresses a traditional computer may experience and help decrease the downtime of an average system.

SNMP I/O Devices Make Monitoring Environmental Conditions Easy
Author: Austin Lin, product manager and Wayne Chen, technical service for Moxa
Posted: 01/18/2013
According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2012 Statistical Abstract there were more than two million cases of burglary and vandalism at unmanned remote sites from 2009 to 2012, with damage averaging at about $2,100 per incident.

This paper will first explain what SNMP is, why you should use SNMP for environmental monitoring, and then discuss how an SNMP environmental monitoring device will help ease the management and implementation process. Lastly, we will give a real life application and then address how Moxa's SNMP supported I/O devices will help you easily set up your environmental monitoring system.

Eliminate Software Disasters With a Self-Repairing OS
Author: Sun Lee, Product Manager and Bruce Chen, Project Supervisor for Moxa
Posted: 01/07/2013
Without software, computers are useless. Unfortunately, the more functional software gets the more complex it is, and the chance it will eventually encounter a crash increases in step. This is true regardless of where a computer is used, whether in homes, offices, or even in tiny embedded applications. System failure can occur at any point in the system at any time, and a big part of planning for such disasters includes preparations for a timely recovery from catastrophic software failures. With a little ingenuity and automation, business losses due to software failure can be practically tossed aside as a thing of the past.

Although reliance on computers is now ubiquitous, in industrial contexts these machines are literally of capital significance. Automated system crashes due to software failures are not mere annoyances; they are destructive events that cost money and may threaten a business' survival. Failures in large, networked systems may even spread, increasing the costs and danger. For these reasons, system recovery has become a pressing concern for any business that relies on extensive automation, but is of the greatest importance in remote installations like oil or gas pipelines, mines, offshore environments, or power substations. In places such as these, timely arrival at the equipment site may be difficult or even impossible, so effective disaster recovery plans that take these limitations into account are imperative. For software failures, automation is the answer. The key is to streamline system recoveries so they are rapid, simple, and reliable–particularly for mass deployments–and do not require the on-site presence of maintenance staff.

This white paper shows how just how easily an automated software recovery system can be implemented by exploring how it is designed and operates.

Essential Criteria to Consider When Choosing RAM
Author: Ian Bacon, computer design engineer, CCS-Inc.
Posted: 11/06/2012
When looking for a new computer, there are many important factors to consider before beginning your project – one of the most essential being the specifications of the RAM that will be included.

Storing and transmitting the data used to function, RAM is a critical component of any computer. However, due to the variety of options available, picking the right specifications for your system can be an extremely time consuming task. In this white paper, Ian Bacon, computer design engineer at CCS-Inc, has compiled a checklist of essential criteria one should consider when beginning their next project.

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