High-performance HMI with non-volatile alarm buffer

Siemens adds multiple interfaces, abundant memory to a Microsoft Windows CE 5.0 T standard package.

By Control Engineering Staff April 9, 2008

Atlanta – Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc . is addressing the needs of highly demanding, high performance human machine interface (HMI) applications with the introduction of its new Simatic MP 377 Multi Panels . Available in 12-inch TFT-displays and 15- and 19-inch touchscreen models, these Microsoft Window CE-based interfaces provide 64K of brilliant colors to handle complex visualization tasks.

Siemens MP 377 HMIs

The MP 377 includes a non-volatile alarm buffer without battery, additional retentive memory for software PLC data, and RS 485/ RS 422-interfaces for process connection (MPI, PROFIBUS DP up to12 Mbit/s). Additionally, each unit includes a combined SD/multimedia card slot, 1 x CF card slot, 2 x USB interfaces, and 2 x Ethernet RJ45 interfaces. The HMIs’ Microsoft Windows CE 5.0 T standard package includes Microsoft Media Player, Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 for Pocket, and PCMicrosoft Viewer (Word, Excel and PDF).

Designed to support the WinAC MP 2007 operating platform, the MP 377 includes 2 MB of user memory and an additional 12 MB of memory for larger projects. It is configured with WinCC flexible 2007 Standard software, with options including Sm@rtService, Sm@rtAccess, OPC-Server and Audit.

Freescale Semiconductor , a provider of magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) products, is providing non-volatile 4Mbit MRAM technology to Siemens’ Simatic Multipanel MP 277 and MP 377

–edited by Renee Robbins, senior editor, Control Engineering Daily News Desk