🐛 📧 🚶🏿 Touch terminal for harsh environments 👨🏽‍🤝‍👨🏼 🤳🏿 🕐

Advantech TPC devices are thin clients for running human-machine interface (HMI) applications. They are a full-fledged x86 computer with passive cooling built into a secure monitor with a touchscreen.

HMI terminals are designed for harsh industrial environments. The operator can operate the terminal without taking off his gloves and in conditions of increased pollution, while the resistive touch panel eliminates accidental pressing when a drop of liquid gets on it.

In the article, we test the devices in gloves and analyze the characteristics of several models.

Demo: using a touchscreen with gloves

In an industrial environment, liquid droplets, chips, dust and other contaminants can get onto the terminal screen. Therefore, it is important that the pollution could not provoke false clicks on the screen, as is the case with popular capacitive touch panels. Suffice it to recall how raindrops can provoke accidental clicks on the smartphone screen.

For such conditions, resistive-type touch screens are better suited. They can be controlled without removing gloves and they are protected from false alarms in the event of contamination. The video demonstrates a fairly high accuracy of the touch screen, while the operator uses rough rubber gloves, clicking on the small interface elements is not difficult.

^{[Video] you can work with a resistive screen with gloves.}

The video shows the SCADA demo system running in the Google Chrome web browser on Windows 10.

Specifications

TPC series terminals are based on Intel Atom processors with support for 64-bit OS and fully passive cooling. The TPC-1840WP and TPC-2140WP models use the AMD T56E platform with a more powerful graphics subsystem to run demanding OpenGL applications. The amount of RAM on all devices is 4GB.

^{Model TPC-1551T with back cover removed}

All devices in the series have UEFI support. Downloading the terminal can take place via the network via PXE, or a 2.5 "HDD / SDD disk or CFast memory card can be installed in the terminal for local loading of the operating system. Local drives can be used to back up critical data.
Despite the fact that the concept of devices implies their use as a thin client, the system's performance is enough to launch a desktop operating system like Windows 10 and a full browser.

The following interfaces are located on the rear panel:

2x - RS232 / RS485
1x - USB 3.0
3x - USB 2.0
2x - independent Ethernet with network boot support
Slot for iDoor expansion modules Also
available are models with audio ports In / Out, HDMI for connecting a second display.
Most TPC models have a full-size mPCIe slot for installing expansion cards.

IDoor Extension Modules

The set of TPC interfaces can be expanded with the help of proprietary Advantech iDoor modules. These modules are mPCIe modules with an external interface panel.
In the form factor of iDoor modules, there are many options for proprietary industrial interfaces, such as PROFIBUS, EtherCAT, PROFINET, network interface modules of 3G / 4G modems, WiFi / Bluetooth, as well as digital input and output modules.

Installation

TPC terminals can be embedded as mortise panels in a level with a surface. To do this, at all ends of the device are mounting brackets and screw holes. On the page of each device, viewing 3D models is available.

It is also possible to install on a standard VESA-bracket 100x100 or branded brackets TPC-1000H-SMKE / WMKE for installation on a table or wall.

Electrical Compliance

All devices have passed tests for compliance with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard and comply with IEC60664 part 2. They have protection against improper power connections (reversed contacts plus and minus), can withstand short-term increases in supply voltage, as well as constantly increased voltage up to 20% from the nominal.

Work in harsh conditions

All TPC devices can operate over a wide temperature range from -20 to 60 C ° . Compliant with IEC60068-2-64 and IEC60068-2-27, can withstand constant vibrations and shocks up to 10G.
With the correct installation of the terminals in the mortise panels, the protection of the front panel corresponds to IP66 class.

Why do we need HMI terminals?

Using thin clients allows you to centrally manage and update interfaces in embedded systems. A full-fledged operating system makes it possible to use any familiar development tools, including web applications. As a result, the development speed of such interfaces is significantly higher compared to building hardware control panels or programming specialized microcontrollers.

The one-piece display panel without gaps and openings eliminates the ingress of liquids and contaminants into the devices, and the resistive touchscreen allows you to work with gloves and with pointers and styluses.

The presence of expansion modules allows you to add any industrial interfaces to the terminal, as well as discrete I / O ports for processing digital signals locally using HMI applications. An example of creating your own HMI interface in the Advantech HMI Designer program we reviewed in the article Habr Control Panel based on HMI from Advantech

Touch terminal for harsh environments