CIMON Announces Updates to Canvas 4.0 HMI Dev Platform
The new eXT and nXT series of Xpanel HMI displays from CIMON have been given an upgrade with the release of Canvas 4.0, providing access to new features for HMI project development.
Programmers of the eXT and nXT series of HMIs from CIMON will now have access to exciting new features such as tag list importing, visual gauge objects, IIoT data protocols, remote control of pages by tag access, and many more included with the Canvas 4.0 version release.
HMI Project Development
Designing an effective user interface on an HMI is quite different from typical PLC or control system programming. The display functions only as a portal between the information display and the commands to the control system; it does not handle any logical execution of instructions or control of field devices. Likewise, an HMI does not usually facilitate data transfer from the field to the edge like a gateway would.
Innovations from CIMON have enabled the newest generations of the Xpanel family with a number of exciting benefits. The new eXT and nXT panel series are poised to take advantage of many features aimed to streamline both the front-end development of the display as well as the connection of data streams between the HMI and other devices.
CIMON recently announced the new features in the Canvas 4.0 upgrade. Image used courtesy of CIMON
Xpanel Hardware Specs
The nXT touch-screen panel is the most capable display in the product catalog, with an aluminum bezel providing a robust front-side IP68 rating for protection against both dust and water ingress. The model also features a highly sensitive, capacitive, 7-inch color touch-screen.
The eXT provides many of the same performance metrics but has been made slightly more cost-effective being designed inside a plastic housing with a resistive touch-screen and multiple size options from 7-15 inches.
Both HMI families are provided with two Ethernet ports and one each of RS-485, RS-232, and USB ports.
The new nXT and eXT lines of HMIs from CIMON. Image used courtesy of CIMON (modified)
Canvas 4.0 Feature Updates
The Canvas platform provides all of the features that HMI developers would expect, and the newest 4.0 version seeks to address feedback from users while looking to the future to allow expansion as project needs demand.
The following items are a few of the included updates.
Tag Generation and Management
It is essential to understand tags when trading data back and forth between HMI and PLC environments. For initial creation, tags can more easily be imported from CSV or vendor-specific export files.
Page management can also be accomplished with tags, including opening and changing popup page positions from the PLC rather than limiting page control to the HMI tags alone.
Tags in the editor can also be more easily sorted and filtered for ease of management in large projects.
New Communication Protocols
Several critical communication capabilities have been added, including the serial DF1 used for many Allen-Bradley RS-232 interfaces and a serial format used to communicate with Hallim PLCs.
Additional data protocols enrich the IIoT implementation process, enabling a new Ethernet server messaging and Sparkplug node protocol, the latter of which is a format that specifies a data payload for MQTT message transmissions.
Menu settings for the new serial and Ethernet communication protocol options. Image used courtesy of CIMON (modified)
Project Library
Critical resources and files to support the project are now stored directly with the project on the HMI, rather than being stored only on the programming computer. This way, future project uploads will include all necessary files, thus ensuring project integrity.
Example Placeholders
For novice and introductory users, placeholder text is automatically generated as prompts for new object creation, providing examples and directions to speed creation.
Future-Proofing HMI Development
Designing an HMI program is not simply a matter of adding the bare minimum of display icons and user inputs on the cheapest commercial display. Manufacturers must ensure that a device will not only meet all current needs but also be ready for future integration and applications.
The changes implemented by CIMON in the new Canvas version 4.0 demonstrate this forward-thinking initiative to ensure that users are given a feature-rich environment, both for new developments and for future upgrades and maintenance.
