Posting problems...

Dear Readers,
It has been a busy month. I was up against some deadlines and did not get to post as planned. Another problem occurred when the video card in my computer died. The fan on the card stopped working, the chip over heated and sagged power. The result was that my hard drive did not write properly and destroyed the boot sector along with parts of the file sector.
So, I am currently posting from another computer.

So, what does all of this have to do with HMI's?
Well, you be assured that with an HMI product that these problems won't occur. There are no fans or hard drives in our HMI's. This guarantees long service life. This minimizes downtime.

Hopefully, next year, things will go better for me an my PC.
Have a Happy and Productive New Year!

Event History Display Elucidation

Event History Display:
Shows only the current day's events. What's up with that? How can I look back at the history? Isn't that what "history" is all about?

The MMI8000 handles Event History viewing in an unexpected way. (Thus this post.) It is true that the Event History display only shows current day's events if.... it is not redirected to show some other day's events. The secret to displaying past day's events rests in the Option List object. I know, very cryptic, why did they do it this way, etc, etc.

I think you will agree with me that scrolling through long lists of events can be quite boring and frustrating. The longer the list the more tedious this becomes. I am sure some people don't mind doing this. But, if you are like me, then you want to go right to the day in question. But I digress...

OK, open EB8000, go to the Objects menu, to Button and expand out to select the Option List object. or click on the tool.
If you have a historical Event Display object there should be a field labeled Source (dates of historical data).



Enable this feature and EB8000 takes care of the details internally to make it work. When placed on the screen with the event Display object, it shows the current active date and allows the user to select a past date for review.
Your screen might look something like this... during project editing.



When running, dates are shown in the Option List Object next to the larger Event History Display Object.
Feel free to leave a comment if you are uncertain about this.

Widescreen Monitor Problems

Recently some have been complaining about font problems. The usual complaint is that the fonts on the PC screen during editing are different than during simulation and also after download. Some have speculated that it is widescreen equipment or an incompatibility with the software.

The usual problem is that the PC Monitor's settings need to be tweaked. Simply setting the monitor's DPI setting to 96, usually fixes the problem. OK, how do I get to the DPI setting? Here are the easy steps.....

1. Right click on an unused part of the PC Monitor's background. (A menu pops up.)
2. Select Properties from the pop up menu. (Display Properties Dialog appears.)
3. Select the Settings tab in the Dialog.
4. Click the Advanced button in the Settings tab.
5. Confirm the DPI setting is 96 or change it to 96.
The PC may ask you to reboot or install the Windows CD but this is not necessary. The new settings can be applied immediately.

The fonts should be working properly. When done editing with EasyBuilder8000, you can always put the DPI setting back to whatever it was previously.

Button, button, who's got the button?

Do to the short work week, we have a short post. I hope everyone has an enjoyable and laughter filled Thanksgiving holiday.

If you have one of the new MMI8000X Series or are contemplating purchasing one, there is a power button on the front of the unit. The power button also has an LED incorporated into it that lights when the HMI is running.

In order to avoid confusion here is how it is supposed to work:
Once the unit is powered up, the button can be pressed and held for about 5 seconds to make the unit power down. (commonly referred to as a "soft power down")
Once powered down, if power is still connected, the unit can be powered up again by pressing the power button. This allows the unit to be powered down without having to power down the entire panel or mounting a separate power switch just for the HMI.
If the unit is powered down and power to the unit is cycled, the unit does power up. So, if you desire, you can still restart the unit by cycling power to it.

Summary:
Units affected: MMI8150X, MMI8121X, MMI8104XH
Power applied to HMI always starts the HMI.
When power is maintained to the HMI, the power button can be used to power OFF and power ON the HMI. (Just like the power button on your appliances at home.)

How's This for Starters?

I have had requests from some customers regarding the startup screen. Basically, they would like their company logo or some other information to be displayed other than the Weintek logo.
This is entirely possible! So where is the setting? How do I do it?

Please note this only works with three HMI models. For reference...
6050: pixel resolution = 480x272
8070H: pixel resolution = 800x480
8100: pixel resolution = 800x480

The Easy steps to amazing:
Make a bitmap (*.BMP) file with the exact same pixel dimensions as the HMI's display resolution.
Once the bitmap is created. Open EB8000's ProjectManager.exe
Select download...
Check the Startup screen checkbox and browse to the bitmap.
select the HMI IP address
Click Download.
Reboot the HMI to see your beautiful new startup screen.

Easy, yes?

Using a USB stick for project transfers

A situation came up recently where I had to use the USB project loading transfer to get a customer out of trouble. The process worked so smoothly the customer was impressed. I highly recommend using the USB Stick transfer for some very good reasons.

• No fuss or muss with cables and IP addresses. A PC isn't needed except to generate the USB compatible project.
• No special software needed by the person downloading the program into the HMI.
• The USB stick can be saved and used to restore the project if the HMI has to replaced.
• A USB stick is very transportable.
• Multiple USB sticks can be used to program several units at once, thus saving time.

Be sure to use a compatible USB stick. Storage Devices.pdf

Procedure: (Procedure Document)
1. In EB8000 use the Tools|Build Data for USB Disk or CF Card Download command.
2. Select the where you want to save the USB compatible project. The utility creates a folder named "mt8000" then click the "Build" button.
3. Copy the file to a USB memory stick.
4. Stick the USB stick in the HMI while it is powered up. A dialog pops up.
5. Select to download the project.
6. Enter the HMI's password. (The default Password is 111111) Another window pops up to select the USB stick.
7. Expand the USB selection by selecting the "+" sign in front of it. Go to the directory where the mt8000 folder is located (Do not go to the mt8000 folder).
8. Then touch OK to download. The project is downloaded and the HMI automatically reboots.

This is fairly simple. It is especially helpful to know you can email a project to a customer that does not have EB8000 software and have them update the project in their unit in a few minutes. The machine is back up and running and you can get credit for saving the day!

How old is too old? v1.6

Hi, I have received several calls recently about people with older EB500 series units (MMI-720,750, etc.) having problems downloading projects. As it turns out these customers have units with V1.6 BootROM.
You might ask..."How do you tell the BootROM version?" Well, thank-you for asking. The way to tell is to put dip-switch 2 in the back of the unit to the up position and cycle power to the unit. When you do, a screen comes up that shows the BootROM version and some other information about the HMI. This is the same as using EasyManager and "Jumping to RDS mode". But I digress....
The problem is the new EB500 V2.7.4(Build2) software is incompatible with the old 1.6 version BootROM. The results of a download are a black screen and anguish. What to do?
The last compatible version of EB500 that works with 1.6 version BootROM is EB500 V2.3.0. Download the V2.3.0 software and use it to make your project. Yes, I know it can't open the new V2.7.4 project so you will have to start over. This is one of the sad facts of getting old.
And by the way, be sure to put dip-switch 2 back down when you are done.
Here is a link to EB500 V2.30

If you've got it, Font it.

Okay, I know it has been too long since my last post.
Below is a link for the new Fonts mentioned in my last post. These fonts can be used with the new EB8000 version 3.30 when translating older EB500 projects to the new EB8000 format.
There is even a check-box in the translation utility specifically for these fonts. Be sure the fonts are installed before using them.

Hint: If using other fonts instead, Franklin Medium Gothic is close in size to the old EB500 fonts. Other fonts make labels too big or small. Usually, text on the windows is slightly shifted so some touch up has to be done.

By the way, the keypads from old projects are kept. If the Direct windows not deleted, two keypads pop up every time a value change is attempted. There are two popular options:
1. Delete the direct windows and put the keypads in the System Parameter's General Tab. Assign them in the Numeric Input object's Data Entry Tab.
2. Leave the direct windows and trigger them with a separate Set Bit part using the old touchscreen mapped trigger addresses.

Get the Font files here
The Font files are in a ZIP file. Extract the files from the ZIP file and place them in the Windows/Font folder to activate them.

You should be ready to translate!
Get EB8000 version 3.30 here. Caution, this is a 70MB file!
UnZIP and run.

More Features, More drivers

It just keeps getting better. The new release for EB8000 V.3.30 has some new drivers and the software has some great new features.
Get the complete list of drivers: Driver Document PDF

Some new features:
1. Clicking on project compile errors take you right to the problem. No more close the compiler window and then trying to find the error. This is a big time saver.
2. History and Data files can now be backed up directly in CSV format. No need to use the CSV converter tool. Less steps to get the data into a spreadsheet.
3. The back light PLC Control object can now be used to turn on the back light if it is off. This means the PLC can turn on the back light to alert the operator when some important task needs to be done.
4. The ability to translate an older MMI project to the new EB8000 format using some special TTF fonts designed to mimic the old bitmap fonts used in EB500. I have tried this on an old project and the conversion came out almost perfect. I only had to redo the Security portion of the project. This is a huge time savings.
One thing. You will need the true type font files.
Next post I should have them up.

MMI8000 Some like it, some don't tips

MMI8000 has some internal bits to take care of what some would consider annoying issues.

THE BEEP...
Some people like the fact that the touchscreen beeps when you touch an object. The audible feedback is reassuring. For others the beep is a continual annoyance. What to do?
Use a Set Bit object with Write address LB9019, Attribute "Set OFF when window opens", no Shape and no Label to set system bit 9019 OFF. Place it on the common window or startup window.

THE CURSOR...
The pointy arrow cursor lets you know where the last touch happened, but sometimes it just gets in the way when trying to read a number or text. What to do?
Use a Set Bit object with Write address LB9018, Attribute "Set ON when window opens", no Shape and no Label to set system bit 9018 ON. Place it on the common window or startup window.

THE HMI's SYSTEM BAR (that little rectangle with the "<" sign in it in the lower right corner)...
The System bar expansion button always appears on the opening screen on power up. It goes away after the opening screen changes. But, really it is still there. If you touch the lower right corner it will pop back up. Operators can go in and look at some system parameters and pop up keypads that overlay the project running behind them. What to do?
Use a Set Bit object with Write address LB9020, Attribute "Set OFF when window opens", no Shape and no Label to set system bit 9020 OFF. Place it on the common window or startup window.
NOTE: Just a word of caution. Once the bar is hidden with this method there is no way to go in access the system settings unless you make another button someplace in your project to show it or you download another project without the Set Bit object.

I hope this helps all of the frustrated project developers out there.

New units, Old cutouts...

What do you do when a product becomes obsolete and the replacement does not fit in the same cutout? Design and layout changes from the drafting department often arrive too slow. And what about the panels that already have cutouts? And more importantly what about customers that need an upgrade?

I will have to admit that this ranks high on the annoyance scale of doing business. That is why it is nice when a manufacturer actually comes out with a retro-fit adapter plate for the new products.

As you are probably well aware the older 8" and 10" HMI products from KEP have been replaced with the new MMI8000 series units. The new 10.4" units are slightly smaller than the old 10" units. And, there is no 8" unit so the even smaller 7" unit is the replacement. Going smaller to bigger is usually not a problem. But, going bigger to smaller is.

KEP will be offering 2 adapter plates in the near future...

Adapter 1: RFZ061000, is used to fit a new 10.4" MMI8104XH or 10.2" MMI8100 into the old 10.4" MMI1500 cutout.

Adapter 2: RFZ060700, is used to fit a new 7" MMI8070H or 5.6" MMI8056 into the old 8" MMI850 cutout.
Preview preliminary datasheets here....

RFZ061000
RFZ060700

The source for KEP HMI

Some people have asked, "Does KEP make the HMI's in NJ?" Actually, KEP buys our operator interfaces from a reputable worldwide seller of HMI's.
View a promotional video from this company:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze2SE97rnYE

Searching youtube for "weintek" will yield some other interesting videos from this company that might be of interest.

New products, software

Well, its now official. The new MMI8100 and MMI8104XH have been released. There are some in stock. I case you were wondering where the datasheets are, they are on my website and soon to be on the KEP website.
Here is the link:
http://brian.kep.com/MMI8000/Documents/MMI8000_Documents.html

Also new is V3.21 EB8000 software. More on this in my next post.

Last Century products

Talk about old. I just got a call today about replacing an old Sentry digital display. For those of you who don't know we stopped making them in 1989. This means the unit was probably over 20 years old! (It is over 100 years old in Digital display years. LOL)

This just speaks volumes about the quality of KEP products. Not much has changed quality wise since 1989 at KEP. We certainly look forward to upholding these high standards for years to come.

For those of you who aren't sure about what a Sentry display is, follow the links below. They lead to scanned in documentation I dug up and dusted off.

Sentry datasheet: SentryDS.pdf
Sentry Manual: SentryManual.pdf

Its Real? Yes!

After getting back from vacation and up to speed. I had a chance to try out the VNC capabilities of the newer MMI8000 models. VNC is a way to show and use the MMI8000 series product on a PC screen. (Remote viewing and control).
I got an MMI8070H and connected it to the companies local network. I then went into the MMI8070H system menu and activated the VNC capabilites.
I then went to the "vnc-4_1_2-x86_win32_viewer" folder under EB8000 and started the viewer. After logging in everything worked exactly as promised! (What else would you expect?)
It was then that a coworker dropped by my office. He admitted that was cool. He pulled out his iPhone and downloaded a free VNC app. With little experimenting he was able to get the MMI8070H display on his iPhone. He was able to change screens and values without any problems. How cool is that!

Units that have VNC capabilities:
MMI8070H, MMI8100, MMI8104XH, MMI8121X, MMI8150X

Details on using VNC:
http://brian.kep.com/MMI8000/VNC/MT8000VNC.pdf

Again? More changes....

Another chapter in LCD history is coming to an end. The once popular 640x480 pixel LCD display format is becoming difficult to get. It is no wonder with all of the new technology and higher resolution screens out there.
This, unfortunately, has impacted the HMI market. In particular, the MMI8104 and MMI8104X have been discontinued. (Yes, just like that! Caught me by surprise.)
For a few more weeks we can order the last production units.
The good news is that the MMI8100, a wide-screen (800x480) version in the same case is available ($1099.00 List).
Coming soon is the High resolution wide-screen (800x600) MMI8104XH ($1600.00 List). These models have more display area. The XH version has spectacular viewablility and as well as fast screen refresh rates.
Contact KEP directly for more information. Datasheets coming soon!

USB or not USB that is the question.

I am getting phone calls and emails about downloading to the MMI8070H and MMI6050 through the USB device port. The questions usually go something like this.... "I connected the HMI to my computer and a new hardware found box pops up. I cancel it. I know the computer found the HMI but downloading and uploading still don't work."
Like most USB devices a driver does need to be loaded.
1. The next time you connect, select to browse to the driver instead of letting the computer search for it.
2. Browse to the folder where EasyBuilder8000 is installed and look for the subfolder "usbdriver". (Typical path to the folder is: "C:\Program Files\EB8000\usbdriver")
3. Select the folder and proceed to install the USB driver.

Once installed, Downloads and Uploads will proceed as normal.

ZOID update

I took inventory of ZOID parts and found we still have enough to build about 60 more units. Once these units are sold there will be no new ZOID orders accepted. I am projecting at the current rate of sales that the last ZOID's will be sold sometime in January 2010. If you know someone that might need a spare, now is the time to get it.
The reasons for the ZOID being discontinued are...
1. KEP can no longer get some of the IC chips used in the main CPU board. Unfortunately there are no drop in substitutes.
2. The cost to rework the main CPU board are not justified by the meager sales.
3. Operator interfaces are becoming the standard for machine interfaces and their costs have dropped to the point where they are more attractive economically.
4. The software for the ZOID is technologically obsolete.

MMI8000 Libraries

I have beefed up the library section for the MMI8000 products.
http://brian.kep.com/MMI8000/Libraries/MMI8000%20Libraries.html
However, I see this is going to spin out of control into one huge page. I will have to break it up into categories for next time.
Have a great holiday weekend!

Holiday JULY 3, 2009

Just a quick note...
KEP will be closed 03JUL09 for Independence Day.
Hope you have a great weekend!

New Software fixes pesky bug

Just when you thought EasyBuilder8000 v3.10 was good for a while, another version follows hot on its heels! V3.11 fixes a problem in past versions with communications.

Occasionally if the communications link to a PLC was broken, just reconnecting the PLC still left the HMI sitting there displaying "PLC no response" and looking dumb. Not every PLC model had this problem but enough did to be annoying. To restore communications, the HMI had to be reset. What a pain!

This problem should be past history with V3.11.

By the way...first production units of the new MMI6050 arrive in a few weeks.

New EB8000 Software ready for test

Well that was quick! Already a new EB8000 software is ready for testing. The new version 3.10 has some more exciting features...

1. For those of you who hate it when people decompile the latest project you can make a project un-decompilable (is that a real word?). Look for the "Decompilation is prohibited"check box when compiling a project. Nobody can steal your work now.

2. Portrait Mode: For those of you who like "Kindle" and the like, this is for you. Now you can make long vertical sliders.

3. Security Interlaock feature is great for Data Entry objects but what about the rest? Well with this new version this great feature has been added to Bit Lamp, Word Lamp, Numeric Display and ASCII Display objects. Now you can hide those pesky Bit Lamps!

4. Connect to an SIEMENS S7/300 eith the current version needs a patch cable going to a SIEMENS MPI cable. This was a rather expensive scheme to get communications. With V3.10 you can connect SIEMENS S7/300 directly without a MPI cable via a serial port COM1 or COM3 (using 187.5k baud rate) with SIEMENS S7/300 MPI driver. (Only MMI8070H and MMI8100 withMPI compatible stickers on the rear panel support this function.)

There's even more features that I have not covered here. Get the new software and try it out. Let me know if you find any bugs. New version for test V3.10 (66MB)

Some new MMI6050 docs are in the MMI8000 documentation section.

MMI6050 Update

The first regular shipment of MMI6050 product is expected to be available 07JUL09. The first shipment is limited to 15 units. Plan your purchases now.


EB8000 bug found in Find and Replace feature. The Find and Replace feature does not find Bit and Word addresses if they are associated with and Index Word.

New 4.3" product coming soon!

Monday is the expected release date of the new MMI6050 HMI. This new design replaces the older MMI430T. The case is the same as the old MMI430T. But this new unit uses the new improved EasyBuilder 8000. If you uploaded the latest version last week you will see the MMI6050 selection in the list of HMI models.

I will be adding the MMI6050 Datasheet to the website so look for it soon!

If you get a chance upload the latest help file for the EB8000 Project Manager at
http://brian.kep.com/MMI8000/Software/EB8000_Software.html

Interesting Bug found by Tim...
When copying a Word Lamp with more than 31 states, the copied object loses it's font information for states above 31. It must be entered again manually.

New EB8000 Version 3.02 posted

I am posting the new version 3.02. The help files are out of date but for the most part still apply. More on this later.