Siemens HMI for 2+ machines

Hello friends,

We´re starting a new project and, of course, I´d like to use Siemens Automation on it. The thing I´m thinking is that I can´t (or would not like) to have one HMI for each equipment. The correct idea for this project would be to have ONE HMI panel for 2, 3, 4, 5+ machines.

Have you guys faced a problem like this!? What would be a good solution!?

I was thinking about using a touch computer instead of HMI. Is it possible to do it, like a RT terminal with Ethernet!? Could it be a normal computer, like a DELL for example!?

Or does Siemens have a solution for these cases!?

Thanks in advance for your attention and help.

Hello Eduardo;

When we talk about connections for an HMI, we mean the number of PLCs connected.

Do your machines have a single PLC per machine?

In that case have a look at the following discussion. It addresses S7-1200 PLCs and Basic/Comfort panels, programmed with TIA POrtal. If your project incl=udes different equipment, please search for the answers on the forum or tell us so we can help you find the answer.

https://support.industry.siemens.com/tf/ww/en/posts/how-many-ktp-700-basic-hmi-maximum-connection-with-s7-1200-plc/203374?page=0&pageSize=10

Hope this helps,

Daniel Chartier

Hello.

dchartier

When we talk about connections for an HMI, we mean the number of PLCs connected.

@dchartier:

Said with respect - the link you have given is not directly helpful. The question is from the viewpoint of the HMI; not the the viewpoint of the PLC.

@EduardoFS:

A quick search did not produce the answer I hoped to present you. It depends on the class of HMI / SCADA what the maximum connections it can have. When using Siemens products we use the KTP700PN. The following image shows that defining 5 connections gives a problem, while 4 is okay.

Another article to look at is:
https://support.industry.siemens.com/tf/WW/en/posts/147345/

There other ways of doing this task, also including non-siemens products. Best to do some web research on that.

Another approach is to have a PLC that links as a server between the machines to the HMI. For this case, Mr. Chartier's provided link is helpful. Yet another idea is to use an IOT2000 as data server (read: middleman). It is best to create topics at the relevant conferences stating detailed questions if you think these ideas are worth following up on.

Regards.

Hello friends, 

Thanks for your help, @dchartier and @#dP.

I didn´t know it was possible to connect more than 01 PLC to the same HMI, I´ll try to test it here.

Just to explain it better how it would work:

All the machines would have just 01 PLC per machine and the same project (basically). From the point of view to control the machines and positioning of the HMI, sometimes it´s better to have just one HMI to visualize and control many machines.

Now, another question:

If the HMI "A" is connected via ethernet switch to the machine "B", "C", "D" and "E", how do I select which machine (or PLC...B, C, D or E) I´ll be controlling!? Is it necessary to create a screen for it with some special object or will the HMI detect by itself I have created more than one connection!?

Thanks guys. 

 Hello.

EduardoFS

If the HMI "A" is connected via ethernet switch to the machine "B", "C", "D" and "E", how do I select which machine (or PLC...B, C, D or E) I´ll be controlling!? Is it necessary to create a screen for it with some special object or will the HMI detect by itself I have created more than one connection!?

Have you worked with PLC and HMI combined project before?

The easiest way is to have all the PLCs and HMI in one project. The tags of each PLC that needs to be linked, is dragged over into the HMI tag table. The link is done automatically.

Go ahead and try this out: Have 4 PLCs and 1 HMI. Have some tags in the PLCs and then link these in the HMI.

It is a bit more complicated when the HMI is alone in a project. Each PLC needs to have a stand-in called "proxy". The PLC project needs to create the proxy that is imported into the HMI project.

Do you have a standalone HMI project or a system combined project?

BR

#dP

 Hello.

EduardoFS

If the HMI "A" is connected via ethernet switch to the machine "B", "C", "D" and "E", how do I select which machine (or PLC...B, C, D or E) I´ll be controlling!? Is it necessary to create a screen for it with some special object or will the HMI detect by itself I have created more than one connection!?

Have you worked with PLC and HMI combined project before?

The easiest way is to have all the PLCs and HMI in one project. The tags of each PLC that needs to be linked, is dragged over into the HMI tag table. The link is done automatically.

Go ahead and try this out: Have 4 PLCs and 1 HMI. Have some tags in the PLCs and then link these in the HMI.

It is a bit more complicated when the HMI is alone in a project. Each PLC needs to have a stand-in called "proxy". The PLC project needs to create the proxy that is imported into the HMI project.

Do you have a standalone HMI project or a system combined project?

BR

 Hi,

Yes, I´ve worked with siemens projects before, but never with ONE HMI and TWO PLCs. Actually, I didn´t know that it was possible. I thought it would be necessary a computer with RUNTIME...

Now, from the single HMI, I need to access all the 4 machines individually (4 is just a example of number). Is there a way to choose to access the screens of MACHINE 01, or MACHINE 02, or 03...? All the PLCs and HMI will be in the same project.

Thanks.

EduardoFS

Hi,

Yes, I´ve worked with siemens projects before, but never with ONE HMI and TWO PLCs. Actually, I didn´t know that it was possible. I thought it would be necessary a computer with RUNTIME...

Now, from the single HMI, I need to access all the 4 machines individually (4 is just a example of number). Is there a way to choose to access the screens of MACHINE 01, or MACHINE 02, or 03...? All the PLCs and HMI will be in the same project.

Thanks.

 See attached an archive file that consists of three short movies.

Tags are linked from multiple PLCs to one HMI. The created tags can then be used in the development of the HMI just as one would for one HMI and one PLC.

Are the movies helpful?

#dP

 

EduardoFS

Hi,

Yes, I´ve worked with siemens projects before, but never with ONE HMI and TWO PLCs. Actually, I didn´t know that it was possible. I thought it would be necessary a computer with RUNTIME...

Now, from the single HMI, I need to access all the 4 machines individually (4 is just a example of number). Is there a way to choose to access the screens of MACHINE 01, or MACHINE 02, or 03...? All the PLCs and HMI will be in the same project.

Thanks.

 See attached an archive file that consists of three short movies.

Tags are linked from multiple PLCs to one HMI. The created tags can then be used in the development of the HMI just as one would for one HMI and one PLC.

Are the movies helpful?

 Hi again @#dP,

Yes, the videos were very very helpful, thank you very much. As I told you before I didn´t know it was possible with only one HMI...so thanks for the help.

SO, I believe that if I need a individual screen for each of the "lamps" you created, I just need to create the "same" screen 4 times, just using, for example, screen 01 for PLC_1_lamp...screen 02 for PLC_2_lamp and so on...is that right!? Or should it be done different!?

Thanks again for your time.

EduardoFS

 Hi again @#dP,

Yes, the videos were very very helpful, thank you very much. As I told you before I didn´t know it was possible with only one HMI...so thanks for the help.

SO, I believe that if I need a individual screen for each of the "lamps" you created, I just need to create the "same" screen 4 times, just using, for example, screen 01 for PLC_1_lamp...screen 02 for PLC_2_lamp and so on...is that right!? Or should it be done different!?

Thanks again for your time.

The design depends on you. Yes, it will work to have a page (or groups of pages) duplicated for each PLC.

Other solutions are possible if the count of pages become a problem. The "comfort" range is better at handling this, but the "basic" range also has some tricks.

To demonstrate: Create a tag that is internal (no PLC link). Then go through the properties of that tag. Focus on the "multiplex" functionality. From this you can do "indirect" addressing where one tag can represent several others.

See this idea in the picture.

BR

#dP

 

EduardoFS

 Hi again @#dP,

Yes, the videos were very very helpful, thank you very much. As I told you before I didn´t know it was possible with only one HMI...so thanks for the help.

SO, I believe that if I need a individual screen for each of the "lamps" you created, I just need to create the "same" screen 4 times, just using, for example, screen 01 for PLC_1_lamp...screen 02 for PLC_2_lamp and so on...is that right!? Or should it be done different!?

Thanks again for your time.

The design depends on you. Yes, it will work to have a page (or groups of pages) duplicated for each PLC.

Other solutions are possible if the count of pages become a problem. The "comfort" range is better at handling this, but the "basic" range also has some tricks.

To demonstrate: Create a tag that is internal (no PLC link). Then go through the properties of that tag. Focus on the "multiplex" functionality. From this you can do "indirect" addressing where one tag can represent several others.

See this idea in the picture.

BR

 Problem solved! Thank you very much! ;)