HMI stands for Human Machine Interface. In the industrial field, HMI products with touch input capabilities are often referred to as "touchscreens." HMIs are used to connect to industrial control equipment such as programmable logic controllers ( PLCs ), frequency converters, DC speed controllers, and instruments. They utilize a display screen to show data and input units (such as touchscreens, keyboards, and mice) to input operating parameters or commands, enabling human-machine information interaction.
So, is HMI just a touchscreen?
The difference between HMI and touch screen
Actually, that's not the case. Strictly speaking, there is a fundamental difference between the two. A "touchscreen" is merely a hardware component that may be used in a human-computer interface (HCI) product. It's an input device installed in front of the display screen, replacing some of the functions of a mouse and keyboard. In contrast, an HCI product is a human-computer interaction device that includes both hardware and software components.
Composition and working principle of HMI products
Human-machine interface (HMI) products consist of two parts: hardware and software. The hardware part includes a processor, display unit, input unit, communication interface, data storage unit, etc. Among them, the performance of the processor determines the performance level of the HMI product and is the core unit of the HMI.
HMI software is generally divided into two parts: system software running on the HMI hardware and screen configuration software (such as BAMS software) running on a PC with a Windows operating system. Users must first use the HMI screen configuration software to create a "project file", and then download the created "project file" to the HMI processor for execution via the serial communication port, USB interface, or Ethernet interface of the PC and the HMI product.
Basic Functions and Selection Criteria for Industrial HMIs
Basic functions:
Equipment operating status display: such as indicator lights, buttons, text, graphics, curves, etc.;
Data and text input operations, and printing output;
Production formula storage and equipment production data recording;
Simple logic and numerical operations;
It can connect to a network of various industrial control devices;
HMI (Human Machine Interface) Selection Criteria:
Display screen size, color, and resolution;
HMI's processor speed performance;
Input method: Touch screen or membrane keyboard;
Image storage capacity;
The type and number of communication ports, and whether printing functionality is supported, etc.
Does it come with the driver for the device to be connected (such as a PLC)?
Banner Industrial-Grade Human-Machine Interface
Quick Start (2S)
The THM series human-machine interface is equipped with a real-time operating system specifically designed for HMI, ensuring real-time, efficient (10ms level), multi-threaded, and stable operation of the hardware over long periods of time.
TFT true color LCD
The entire series of displays features 16-bit true-color LCD screens, ranging from 4.3 inches to 15 inches. The colors are uniform and the image quality is exquisite.
Power isolation (not supported on S series)
The power isolation design enhances human-machine reliability.
PCB board conformal coating (not supported on S series)
The PCB motherboard is treated with a conformal coating, which effectively prevents moisture, dust, and oxidation.
Abundant communication interfaces
Anti-interference serial ports (RS232, RS422, RS485); Ethernet interface; USB master/slave interface, etc., supporting serial and Ethernet port transparency.
Supports most mainstream controllers
It currently supports more than 350 driver communication protocols, and this number is continuously increasing.
