DavidS (Customer) asked a question.
Suggestions for contemporary HMI look and feel.
We have many 100's of systems using the C-More HMI.. Our users are are looking for a more contemporary user interface, that gives them more of the modern user interfaces (Ipone, Android, etc) We would like to deliver a more contemporary experience then what the C-More can offer. We are using the BRX PLC. Open for suggestions... Run a Windows Tablet with Visual Studio... Develop Web Pages then connect to PLC... This will be a self contained system in a box. Ideas and suggestions welcome...
We have had similar struggles. The C-more is perfect for plant-location, control cabinet door-mounted, bullet-proof HMI. But customers wanted "advanced" computer-based capabilities (SCADA). We would always include a C-more for dependable operation, and then add on computer-based functions. We tried many approaches over the years. We loved the Lookout-Direct SCADA package offered by Automation Direct (a version of National Instruments Lookout with the drivers for Automation Direct PLCs). Everything you are looking for, but unfortunately that SCADA is no longer available. (National Instruments now offers their LabVIEW software) One of our customers hired a computer programmer to develop a custom system using an industrial monitor/ computer inside the control cabinet. That did not materialize. ("development" was taking too long, and the displays he was programming were not really any better than the C-more). One customer is using DataWORX (once offered by Automation Direct) for collecting data for monthly reports. This has no impressive display capabilities, but works for computer-based data collection. One customer is using the Stride Linx platform. Not really a SCADA system, but this works for remote (internet-based) data collection. One customer is using "Ignition" software by Inductive Automation. I'm guessing this is what you are looking for, in that it can produce impressive "modern" computer displays, with a million-and-1 functions, but this comes with a high price tag in development costs and licensing costs.
As far as HMIs, comparing A-B Panel View, Maple Systems, and C-more, I believe the C-more, by far, has the best looking HMI displays.
So we are not the only one that has faced this customer request... The internal conversation has been, 'Fashion or Function' with the C-more being a solid reliable HMI, but might not be all that pretty. Your list is pretty much where we have all ready traveled in looking for a solution... Ignition came up this morning in a conversation.. We were hoping there might have been the perfect solution already out there that we missed..
All others input is welcome.
I dont know of any HMIs that offer "modern" graphics with nice rounded corners and depth to images and high resolution. You can get that in some SCADA like was talked about, but not really HMIs yet. You can however either purchase some bitmaps that have a more modern graphical feel to them and use those bitmaps in your projects to overlay buttons and menus, or have an artist create some for you. Add too many bitmaps on a screen though and the project can get very slow to respond.
I've used icons from sites like https://fonts.google.com/icons and https://www.flaticon.com/ and have also used AI to create icons. At that time, it took a lot of prompting, trial and error, and manual cleanup, but AI is probably better now.
Take a look at the CM5-RHMI and the new C-more Industrial monitors we just launched.
C-more Industrial Display: 18.5in, color TFT LCD, touch screen (PN# CTM-18W-M-PM) | AutomationDirect
The CTM-18W-M-PM with the CM5-RHMI definitely satisfies the user / hardware experience we are looking for. The gap is still the C-More CM5 object library being some what dated.. It would be nice if there was an updated object library with a little more contemporary objects... Importing icons to place over objects has proven to be tedious and time consuming and never looks right.. Many issues with format conversion and pixilation.. The hunt goes on...
BTW - We had a meeting with Ignition, and they are a software solution only.. Lic required for each control, and need to supply a server to run their software inside the PLC cabinet, and also then need to provide tablet of some type for display..