SweetWilliam introduces HMI app for iPad devices

October 9, 2013 - SweetWilliam released its new HMI Pad system for iOS7. The HMI Pad system provides a flexible, powerful way to create, deploy and display Human Machine Interfaces for control and monitoring of PLC based systems and equipment, which will run natively on an Apple iPad device. The most defining characteristic of HMI Pad is the fully native nature of its core components. Native applications are able to fully exploit mobile device capabilities and provide the best possible user experience. With HMI Pad, functionality, visual appeal, user action feedback and raw performance are aspects that are not compromised. This is in contrast to web based HMI solutions or remote desktop clients for tablet devices where HMIs must either run on a server or on top of a web browser. The HMI Pad system is specially suitable when end user experience is a key consideration or when intermediate hardware running server code is not desirable or available. HMI Pad enables high performance HMI to be deployed and run on tablet devices with no more hardware than the tablet itself. Moreover, an Apple iPad with HMI Pad installed can replace or complement traditional HMI touch screen panels while bringing more features, full mobility and convenience. Using one of the protector cases available in the market -we recommend the Survivor case from Griffin- the combination becomes even more robust than many conventional HMI panels. The following comparative list shows important differences that characterize the HMI Pad platform in relation to web based systems for tablet devices.

• Fully multithreaded application designed from the ground up for maximum efficiency and speed. As opposed to the single threaded execution and high bandwidth requirements of web based apps.
• Better user interface and more adaptable to specific user needs. Excellent user experience through immediate response to user actions and to PLC value changes.
• No need for intermediate boxes or PCs running server code. The application communicates directly with PLCs from major international brands.
• Integrated support for the iPad sensors such as accelerometer, gravity, geolocation, interface rotation and other features such as multi-touch, gesture recognizers, and the standard iOS user interface controls.
• Single component solution. An Apple iPad is all you need, no more hardware required or involved.
• Security is implemented at all levels.
• System engineers can deploy or update projects online for particular end users devices with a single 'tap', this is not the "one size fits all" approach of web based HMIs.
• Still, the availability of a web browser component allows for displaying any web based content, including web based HMIs from third parties, and seamlessly integrate them on the native interface of HMI Pad.

System Components. The HMI Pad system consists of three software components: HMI Draw, HMI Pad Service and HMI View. The HMI Draw application enables automation integrators and OEMs to build Human Machine Interface projects that will run natively on Apple iPad devices. The HMI Pad Service is a fully integrated server in the cloud to store HMI projects and to securely deploy and update HMIs online to end users devices. End users download and run HMIs specifically developed for them with the HMI View app. The Development Environment. HMIs are build in the HMI Draw app by creating pages and dropping visual items and other objects on them. Objects are linked together or with PLC tags through expressions. Automation engineers connect objects in a similar way than they would cells on a spreadsheet program. The resulting HMI project runs on top of the available hardware processors just as a spreadsheet document would do. This architecture is very powerful and provides a fantastic environment for advanced creation of HMIs. The HMI Draw app provides complete HMI project editing capabilities. Full copy/paste/duplicate capabilities of any object or group of objects -not only graphical ones- even across projects is available. All object properties can be edited and completion hints are given at all times. Unlimited undo/redo is extended to every single aspect of HMI project development. Available items for HMI creation include the following: Page, Number Field, Text Field, Button. Switch, Segmented Control, Slider Control, Rotary Knob, Array Picker, Dictionary Picker, Tap Gesture Recognizer, Label, Bar Level, Range Indicator, Trend Graph, Scale, Gauge, Lamp, Pipe, Image, Frame Shape, Web Browser, System Item (including date/time, communications status, network data, interface orientation...), Location (including longitude, latitude, speed, magnetic and true north...), Motion (including gravity, acceleration, rotation speed, compass, attitude...), Media Player (for audio playing), Background Expression (to store intermediate results), Timer, Alarm (with recent events list and acknowledge feature), and PLC Connector. All objects and object properties are highly and dynamically configurable, and more functionality is being constantly added. The expressions engine supports all common data types including numbers, strings, arrays of any type, and even dictionaries. Its syntax is based on the Ruby language expressions and supports a large subset of them, bringing unprecedented functionality for HMI development. Automation engineers can also chose to export projects as a text file and make changes in a standard text editor for  complex project edition in bulk, project template creation, or simply documentation purposes. Edited files can be imported back to the app and any changes will be reflected. Communications. The communications subsystem is fully multithreaded and applies PLC tag grouping techniques and communication frame optimization by determining the minimal set of commands that are required to complete a read cycle. The expressions subsystem also gathers dynamic information on which is the minimum set of variables that must be present on the PLC polling list at any time to keep interface integrity. At no time non-essential requests are made to PLCs. Communications performance is therefore independent of project size or number of tags, and network bandwidth use is kept to the minimum at all times. The application is compatible with PLCs from major manufacturers in America, Europe and Japan, including Allen Bradley, Mitsubishi, Omron, Opto22 , Schneider Electric , Siemens , Wago , Beckhoff etc. Communication drivers use native communication frames as specified by PLC manufacturers and were made using fine tuned, low level c++ code for high efficiency. Online deployment of HMIs. HMI projects and related files can be stored in the cloud via the integrated HMI Pad Service and installed or updated on customer's end user devices with no need of physical presence. The procedure is based on the creation of Activation Codes that automation integrators deliver to their customers. End users then redeem activations to download associated projects automatically. HMI project privacy and know-how is preserved through secured transmission and encrypted storage on end users devices, who are unable to edit projects or reuse HMIs on unauthorized devices. Cost. The HMI Pad system is extremely effective in terms of cost. To begin with, the HMI Draw or HMI View app can be downloaded from the App Store for 1 USD. With the HMI Draw app installed on an iPad, automation engineers can start developing HMI projects. At this stage no restriction is imposed. Particularly, engineers can use unlimited PLC tags, unlimited PLCs, unlimited pages and virtually unlimited anything. Essentially the app is delivered with nothing that would prevent the completion and full testing of HMI projects of any size or complexity. Automation integrators or OEMs can purchase Activation Codes at any time either during project development or when the HMI is ready for delivering to customers. The cost of activations is flat with respect to projects. That is, cost does not depend on number of PLC tags, number of PLCs, pages, or anything except the number of HMI project instances installed on end users devices. Prices range from 150 USD for a single activation to 80 USD for activations in packs of 10. Activations never expire and old projects can be re-used or re-deployed with the same activation if they are not longer in use. About SweetWilliam. Based in Barcelona, SweetWilliam, S.L develops native mobile apps for real time monitoring of PLC based industrial systems and processes. It was the developer of the ScadaMobile and Modbus Gem iOS apps which have been jointly downloaded by tens of thousands of automation integrators worldwide, and it keeps a deserved reputation of reliable, high quality, innovative products at affordable prices.

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