Custom Touchscreen--Modbus RTU

[fifty60]

I have a touchscreen/plc combination that I normally use on standard equipment. The touchscreen/plc are designed by a separate company, and we purchase them as a unit.

I would like to add a little more capability to my user interface by adding another screen.

All the screen is doing is communicating via Modbus RTU to the PLC and displaying the content of some registers. I need the screen to look nice, and be customizable so that it looks like it was made for its purpose.

Are there any touchscreens that can plug into my PLC over serial Modbus RTU, and that I can customize the screen a little bit to reflect the application? I basically want to get the touchscreen, tell it what registers to read, and it will need to display the information.

 

[GoldDigger]

Do you really need touch input from the second screen? That will be much more complicated than just display output.
It would generally be the PLC that gets customized to use the screen, not the screen itself.
If the display would only need to passively read info off the modbus you could use a small processor and display combination, such as based on the Arduino or Raspberry Pi.

 

[fifty60]

The 2nd screen does not need to be a touchscreen. i would like to do a do a Pi running windows 10 (the heavens open), and then run that to a seperate display...but I'm not sure about putting something like the Pi or an Arduino on an actual machine, albeit a custom machine...it would work well though..

 

[ptonsparky]

There are HMIs that communicate with several different PLCs via Modbus. I believe you will need to select one listed for use with your PLC. Not talking UL here.
Check out C More Micros for one.

 

[Saturn_Europa]

I have a touchscreen/plc combination that I normally use on standard equipment. The touchscreen/plc are designed by a separate company, and we purchase them as a unit.

I would like to add a little more capability to my user interface by adding another screen.

All the screen is doing is communicating via Modbus RTU to the PLC and displaying the content of some registers. I need the screen to look nice, and be customizable so that it looks like it was made for its purpose.

Are there any touchscreens that can plug into my PLC over serial Modbus RTU, and that I can customize the screen a little bit to reflect the application? I basically want to get the touchscreen, tell it what registers to read, and it will need to display the information.

http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/

There are some very good automation engineers at this site.

 

[petersonra]

take a look at AB panelview 800.

inexpensive ($400), touchscreen, and free programming software.

does modbus rtu and tcp (might do modbus ascii too - don't recall offhand).

http://literature.rockwellautomation.com/idc/groups/literature/documents/pp/2711r-pp001_-en-p.pdf

and it does not look like a homebrew system when your customer sees it.

btw - these are not the same thing as panelview component terminals. this is a much better option that actually works quite well, with some limitations. but for the relatively simple kinds of things you generally seem to be doing, it will likely work more than adequately.

 

[Cmdr_Suds]

I would suggest you take a look at a Maple systems HMI. They are very cost effective and can communicate with a very large variety of PLCs via a large variety of communications protocols including Modbus.
www.maplesystems.com

 

[petersonra]

I would suggest you take a look at a Maple systems HMI. They are very cost effective and can communicate with a very large variety of PLCs via a large variety of communications protocols including Modbus.
www.maplesystems.com

These are good choices too, although some of the styles still have a bit of a home brew look to them, most of them are quite respectable looking. And that is a big deal. I want something I can be proud of, not something that looks like I made it in my basement like a fair number of the low end HMIs.

 

[ptonsparky]

These are good choices too, although some of the styles still have a bit of a home brew look to them, most of them are quite respectable looking. And that is a big deal. I want something I can be proud of, not something that looks like I made it in my basement like a fair number of the low end HMIs.

The last larger project we did has just what you say for one of the HMIs. Nice, large, good color, more options than you can use. That is where the whole process is run. The second gives info only. Current, RPM and temperatures in a hot, noisy environment where the operators spend a limited amount of time. Depends on what you want or need. Cheap is OK if it fills the need and works.

 

[petersonra]

Cheap is OK if it fills the need and works.

Inexpensive is OK.

Cheap looking not OK.

 

[Cmdr_Suds]

When somebody starts talking Ardrino or Rasberry Pi, they are definitely heading down the home brew road. Maple systems HMIs may not be the most industrial grade but they do work and are a world better then trying to shoehorn an Ardrino into an industrial control application. Don't get wrong, they are great for proto-type work and home projects. They are a component level type device, not an industrial assembly part like a PLC or HMI which is complete assembly with terminals and case that is ready to be installed in a control panel.

 

[Bugman1400]

Do you really want another HMI device to be mounted at a different location? Or, could you use the same HMI but, add another screen that displays the info you want? Seems like you could take your original program and add an button at the bottom to change to your info screen and then have a Return button at the bottom of that screen to take you back. If you don't have FactoryTalk Studio then you will need to find someone who does.