HMI update 05/26/2016...

·        The HMI now supports the MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) as a client.

o   Publishing

o   Subscribing

o   All QoS (Quality of Service) levels

o   Last will and testament

o   User name/password

 

·        A new text animation was added for a binary state.

WeMo devices...

The HMI now supports accessing four WeMo devices.

Insight switch

Maker

Switch

Light switch

The HMI can read the inputs and write the outputs. Subscriptions are supported for lower network bandwidth.

 

The extended information provided by the Insight switch is also collected by the HMI.

HMI trending update...

Trending/logging of data values has been part of the HMI from the initial release. Trending was accomplished by storing data values, at a user configured frequency (1 second or greater), to an internal database. The “logged” data can be linked to a graphic trend element and displayed as a scrolling trend. The data can also be exported to various formats.

Today we added a feature to allow a graphic trend element to connect to a database, using ODBC, and fetch the stored data. An external program can be used to store the data to the database or the HMI ODBC data logger feature can be used. The ODBC data logger can store data at 100 millisecond or greater intervals.

HMI update 02/22/2016

This update covers three areas of the HMI.

·     Support for string reading/writing was added to the GE SRTP driver.

·      The SMS notification logic was retested and changes made to provide for phone/modem differences.

·      A new scripting feature allows for a script to read and parse a CSV (comma separated values), tab delimited or XLS (Excel) file. After the file is read, the values are available for any script to access for reading/writing and save to disk in the same or different format. Also, an empty object can be created, filled with data and exported to a file.

Expanded database controls

The HMI has supported database access, via ODBC, for many years.
Today database access expanded by adding:

·        Ten (10) new graphic controls which connect directly to the database

·        Editable SQL query execution

·        Scripting commands to control connections and queries

·        Diagnostic logging for troubleshooting

Here is the new database graphic element selection dialog.

 

General purpose drivers

The HMI has two new drivers.

The first driver is a general purpose serial port driver.

The second driver is a general purpose TCP/IP driver.

A general purpose driver does not implement a protocol. For example: MODBUS RTU or MODBUS TCP/IP. The driver provides direct access to the “port” and the raw data received/transmitted.

To utilize the driver, scripting is used. Both drivers provide two methods to control the “port”.

Method one: Callback

This method provides a script executed by the driver, is self-contained and provides “callbacks” to handle the port. For example a callback would occur when a byte(s) is received (OnRxChar), the port is opened (OnOpen), etc..

Method two: Polling

This method is executed in a normal script and controls the port via script commands. Callbacks do not occur and port control can be in one or more regular scripts.

Included with the release are four example projects. All example projects read one word of data from a MODBUS slave/server. The examples include a “callback” and “polling” method example for both the serial and TCP/IP port types.

HMI update 07/01/2015

The feature to draw and animate graphics in the graphics editor and have the created graphic pages viewable via a web browser has been released. Let us know if you have any needed additions to this feature.

Also, support for Ethernet access to Siemen S7-200 devices, via a CP 243-1 Ethernet module, has been added to the HMI.