Some modern HMI software platforms have created their own IOT applications for users. This typically requires moving and using data full circle, from the edge device to the cloud and back again to the shop floor. These HMIs can work at the edge device level, machine level or supervisor level. They can send data to online repositories, such as online Wonderware, storage and reporting services.
In this case, the edge devices are sensors, transmitters, motor drives or other field devices that collect data in industrial applications and may perform some control as motor drives do. HMI softwares that allow the car to run on Linux can embed the HMI into the edge device as long as it has the force of hosted LINUX. Modern HMIs embedded directly in motor drives can record data directly to a database without relying on the system HMI, bypassing the system controller and making it an intelligent edge device.
There are many analytic cloud stores available with HMIs. Once the data from the HMI is in the cloud, users located anywhere in the world can analyze and run reports on the data. These results can be pushed back to any HMI in the plant to provide actionable information. These HMIs can be full-featured PCs or simple edge devices running Linux.
While many manufacturing applications have progressed over the years by automating manual processes to capture production time on a daily basis, with incremental improvements to capture minutes per day, advanced HMIs and analytics are now helping users to capture valuable production time on a daily basis. A little optimization of many machines adds up.
By evaluating the performance of many classes of machines or equipment and analyzing them, these modern HMIs are collecting and providing actionable information in many different formats, from PDF files to data displays accessible through a Web browser.
This information can be displayed on HMIs, many of which are equipped with web server functionality, allowing any remote device capable of running a web browser to access the information, including laptops, smartphones and tablets.