by Gary Mintchell | Feb 21, 2014 | Automation, Operator Interface, Technology
Iconics’ MobileHMI app
Another announcement at ARC in Orlando last week came from software developer Iconics blending mobile HMI and the Internet of Things. The company introduced its new MobileHMI solution delivered to “Any Glass, Anytime!”
Iconics, always on the cutting edge of commercial technology trends, sees the increasing use of mobile devices in industry along with improved cloud technologies as a chance to develop new solutions. MobileHMI, an “app”, is now available from the major app stores, including those from Microsoft, Apple, and Google.
MobileHMI is a full HMI/SCADA client on any platform or smart device and runs on hundreds of smartphones, tablets, browsers and Web-enabled HDTVs, enabling users to tap into the Internet of Things (IoT) and access critical data anytime, anywhere. With MobileHMI, industry leaders such as executives, engineers, maintenance technicians and operators can now utilize a fully featured mobile client designed for operations on the go. Configuration enhancements simplify development of screens for mobile users, making it easy to provide a clean experience on all devices without incurring the extra cost of development time. Additionally, preconfigured templates and the ability to target specific devices with displays make MobileHMI ready to handle any combination of devices.
Russ Agrusa, Iconics CEO and President, says about the new release, “The new MobileHMI product is a technology marvel. Creating rich, real-time universal visualization for smartphones, tablets, Web browsers or Web-enabled HDTVs is effortless. Simply download the MobileHMI App from the Windows Store, Apple or Google app stores and youâre ready to get going. What makes the MobileHMI technology unique is its simple patented configuration technology that delivers secure visualization natively to any device such as iPhones, iPads, Samsung Galaxy S4, Windows Phone and Microsoft Surface, as well as HTML5-enabled devices.”
by Gary Mintchell | Feb 21, 2014 | Automation, Technology
This is a significant advance for interoperability between EDDL and FDT (finally!) announced at the ARC Forum last week in Orlando. FDI Cooperation LLC announced the first public release of the FDI Usability Style Guide and a preview release of the Field Device Integration (FDI) developer toolkit. This release of the developer tools and style guide comes close on the heels of the first release of the overall FDI specification at the NAMUR annual meeting in Germany in November of 2013. Both of these preview releases will make it possible for automation suppliers to prepare for developing FDI-compatible products and host systems.
The common cross protocol Integrated Development Environment (IDE) will help device manufacturers create FDI Device Packages for FOUNDATION fieldbus, HART, and PROFIBUS devices. The purpose of standard developer tools is to ensure that automation suppliers can develop high quality, reliable FDI-based solutions in a consistent manner. A standard set of developer tools also significantly reduces development costs and time to market for both device and system developers. The IDE includes a reference host that allows device developers to execute and test FDI Device Package against a standard implementation to ensure product quality. With the release of a beta version, FDI Cooperation offers device and system vendors the possibility to become familiar with the FDI Tools and Components before the first release. The vendors benefit from the early access because they get familiar with the tools and can prepare their own product development. FDI Cooperation benefits from the feedback from the beta users, which helps to improve the robustness of the tools and components.
Developers interested in obtaining the FDI IDE or Common Host Components should contact the respective foundations supporting FDI, including Fieldbus Foundation, HART Communication Foundation, and Profibus International.
Demo of FDI Developer Tools
Stephen Mitschke, director of fieldbus products at the Fieldbus Foundation, demonstrated the current release of the FDI developer tools. Mr. Mitschke showed the functionality of the IDE and how it can be used to develop devices. The functionality of device packages was also demonstrated, in addition to the reference host, which can be used by developers to access the functionality of FDI compliant devices.
The demo of the developer tools was based on the protocol independent FDI Common Host Components. Host system manufacturers implement FDI Common Host Components for device management tools, asset management tools, and process automation systems. FDI Common Host Components will allow for rapid development and ensure FDI Device Packages behave consistently across different systems. FDI Host Components fully support legacy EDD libraries to protect end user investments.
FDI Style Guide
The first release of the FDI Usability Style Guide gives developers best practices and guidelines for building products according to the FDI specification. By following the recommendations in the style guide, suppliers can develop devices with a common look and feel under the FDI specification. The style guide provides additional information related to the technical specifications given in IEC 62769 and IEC 61804 and supports FDI Device Package designers to achieve uniform user guidance and uniform behavior independent of the implementation technology (UID, UIP). The FDI Style Guide will be available for download from the FDI web site.
FDI Specification
At the core of the FDI specification is the FDI Device Package that includes everything a host system needs to integrate an intelligent device. With FDI, each device is represented by a single FDI Device Package that can scale according to the complexities and requirements of each device.
Each FDI Device Package contains a mandatory Device Description (EDD) that provides parameter definitions, structure of the parameters for context specific views, and automated work processes for device procedures such as calibration. FDI Device Packages may also include User Interface Plug-Ins, software components that support advanced device setup and diagnostic functions. Product manuals, documentation, images, electronic certifications and other attachments may also be delivered in the FDI Device Package.
FDI Device Packages make it easier for automation suppliers to develop and integrate intelligent devices because they only need to create a single, unified FDI Device Package for each intelligent device that can work with all host systems and tools, reducing overall development costs while preserving and expanding existing functionality. Users will also find it easier to manage information from intelligent devices with a single device package, instead of juggling different technologies and investing significant capital in custom integration efforts to connect multiple technology platforms.
The five major automation foundations, including the FDT Group, Fieldbus Foundation, HART Communication Foundation, PROFIBUS & PROFINET International, and OPC Foundation have developed a single common solution for Field Device Integration (FDI). These foundations have combined their efforts to form a joint company named FDI Cooperation, LLC (a limited liability company under US law). FDI Cooperation, LLC is headed by a “Board of Managers”, which is composed of the representatives of the involved organizations, as well as managers of global automation suppliers including ABB, Emerson, Endress+Hauser, Honeywell, Invensys, Siemens and Yokogawa. FDI’s mandate is to develop a single technology for the management of information that comes from all intelligent devices throughout all areas of the plant.
by Gary Mintchell | Feb 20, 2014 | Automation, Technology
One of the announcements made at last week’s ARC Forum in Orlando was this one from Yokogawa. Executives presented this new simulation solution to press on Feb. 10.
Yokogawa Electric Corporation executives said that in April it will begin offering new solutions for optimizing plant operations in the oil & gas, petrochemical, and other industries. These solutions will be provided as part of Yokogawa’s VigilantPlant Services suite to support safe, stable, and highly efficient plant operations. The technology underlying these solutions is Yokogawa’s newly developed MIRROR PLANT online simulator.
The MIRROR PLANT simulator can visualize the internal state of a plant process and make near-term predictions on plant behavior. According to the company, this is an industry first, this simulator operates in synchronization with the plant control system and features the good performance required in commercial plants.
Development Background
In recent years, there has been increasing focus on improving plant safety and strengthening competitiveness by making plants more efficient. For example, in the chemical industry, plant operators need in real time to manage or adjust the state of catalysts and the composition of the reagents and product materials in a chemical reactor, to optimize both plant productivity and product quality. However, many of the process variables are difficult to measure or cannot be measured directly. Based on actual process information such as flow rate, temperature, and pressure, simulation technology can make predictions on items that cannot be measured in real time, for example the amount of each component in a product, and thus simulate the state of a plant. By means of high-speed calculations, the simulator can make near-term predictions on the state of a plant. Operators can then anticipate events and take action earlier to ensure safe operation.
Yokogawa and its subsidiary, Omega Simulation Co., Ltd., jointly developed the MIRROR PLANT online plant simulator. It operates in synchronization with the plant control system and constantly updates a process model. Based on this simulator, Yokogawa will offer support solutions that help its customers optimize their plant operations.
Special notes:
1. Near-term prediction of plant states
The MIRROR PLANT simulator operates in synchronization with the plant control system. Based on real-time manufacturing process information and using a proprietary function for adjusting model parameters, MIRROR PLANT precisely simulates the state of a plant. By using plant models, MIRROR PLANT visualizes the current state of the plant, the state of the plant up to several hours in the future, and the state at plant locations where it is not possible to measure temperature or pressure. It then displays these results on screen at a CENTUM VP integrated production control system operator terminal or at a standard PC. MIRROR PLANT also has an alarm function that can alert operators to potential problems. As such, the MIRROR PLANT solution can help our customers operate their plants safely and efficiently while maintaining product quality.
2. Consulting and engineering services
Yokogawa offers consulting and engineering services for building the simulation models that are key to MIRROR PLANT’s effectiveness. Yokogawa’s experienced process control engineers provide our customers these services. The simulation models used in MIRROR PLANT are built based not on statistical data from plant operations, but on physical laws. Thus, processes can be theoretically verified, and the simulator can be used for a broad range of applications such as identifying problems in a process. The optimum operating conditions can then be identified before making changes to items such as the production volume or the feed material composition. Based on MIRROR PLANT, Yokogawa offers these services to help its customers optimize their plant operations.
3. Proven effectiveness
A field test of MIRROR PLANT was conducted from 2011 to 2013 at a plant of Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., and the results showed that it efficiently stabilized and optimized the operation of a distillation tower. As a result, MIRROR PLANT won the Technology Award from the Society of Instrument and Control Engineers (SICE), which commended this innovative technology for boosting plant productivity and safety.
MIRROR PLANT was developed based on the OmegaLand integrated dynamic simulation environment and its core technology, the Visual Modeler plant simulator. OmegaLand and Visual Modeler are software packages that were developed by Yokogawa’s subsidiary, Omega Simulation Co., Ltd. OmegaLand builds virtual plants and simulates their operation under conditions that are close to the actual state. These are used for plant operator training and process design in the oil & gas and petrochemical industries.
by Gary Mintchell | Feb 18, 2014 | Automation, Operator Interface
Industrial automation manufacturer Opto 22 has announced groov version 2.1, an update to its groov web-based mobile operator interface system for building and using effective, scalable operator interfaces on smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. groov 2.1 improvements include faster tag handling with OPC-UA servers, and improved data exchange with mobile devices for faster response times and lower mobile network costs.
groov lets industrial automation end-users, system integrators, machine OEMs, technicians, or any authorized person quickly and securely monitor and control PLCs and PACs like Allen-Bradley ControlLogix and CompactLogix, Siemens SIMATIC S7, Schneider Electric Modicon, GE PACSystems, and other controllers, all from a mobile device. groov gets important data out of processes, OEM machines, and manufacturing systems and into operators’ hands.
A major improvement in groov 2.1 is faster operator interface development due to new real-time OPC tag browsing. An OPC-UA server can have potentially tens of thousands of tags to choose from for an operator interface, and real-time browsing makes it faster to select tags and link them to on-screen indicators and controls.
groov 2.1 exchanges up to 75% less data with smartphones, tablets, and other devices running an operator interface than earlier groov versions, thanks to improved data handling and compression. Mobile devices operating over a cellular or other network with slower connections benefit with faster updates, faster interface responses, and lower mobile network costs.
groov 2.1 includes other improvements and new features:
- Webpage links can be added to interface screens, making it possible, for example, to incorporate an internal company webpage showing production targets and KPIs.
- Update/refresh rates can be individually set for IP camera widgets, so an IP camera monitoring a production machine, for example, can update twice a second, while a camera watching a loading area might update once every ten seconds.
- Slider controls and range/level indicators can be oriented horizontally or vertically. Orienting these items vertically saves screen space and is particularly useful for compact mobile devices.
- Using IP camera widgets on an interface screen no longer requires router configuration changes or opening firewall ports for each camera’s IP address. Instead, IP camera widgets can optionally use a reverse proxy server to communicate through the groov’s IP address.
What’s groov?
groov is a zero-programming, web-based way to build, deploy, and view effective, scalable operator interfaces to monitor and control systems and equipment using mobile devices and other computer-based systems. These operator interfaces can be viewed on almost any mobile device or computer regardless of its manufacturer, operating system, or screen size, including smartphones, tablets, PCs, and even smart high-definition televisions.
groov can augment existing human-machine interfaces (HMIs) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems by making important information available at any time and in any location. groov is available as either the standalone groov Box hardware appliance or the PC-based groov Server for Windows software.
groov uses a standard method of securely communicating with devices on the plant floor, including PLCs, DCSs, PACs, databases, and OPC-DA servers called OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA). A fully functional version of groov Server for Windows is available to download and try so you can see your own system’s data on a smartphone, tablet, or other mobile device. groov operates for two hours without a license and can be restarted if more time is required.
groov works with Kepware Technologies’ KEPServerEX communications platform. Kepware has developed hundreds of device drivers for communicating with diverse automation systems, databases, building automation systems, and more.
groov 2.1 will be available on Mar. 3, 2014. Choose either the groov Box hardware appliance (GROOV-AT1) at a list price of $2895.00 USD, or groov Server for Windows software (GROOV-SVR-WIN) at a list price of $2695.00 USD. groov.com
by Gary Mintchell | Feb 17, 2014 | Automation, Podcast, Safety
Following up on a popular podcast interview I did with Jonathan Johnson of Rockwell Automation on its industrial Safety Automation Builder, here is a conversation with Rockwell’s Steve Ludwig, Safety Programs Manager, and Mark Eitzman, Safety Market Development Manager, who provide an update on acceptance of the SAB and discuss the Safety Maturity Index.
