NEW SMARTPHONE AND TABLET BASED PROCESS MONITORING

Phil Black - PII Editor 25/07/2013

204 1 minute read

Listen to this article

Winchester Innovation Ltd have developed a range of technologies for industrial control and display using smartphones and tablets. These devices offer advantages such as low cost off the shelf pricing, easy replacement, long battery lives, simple upgrade paths and high quality manufacture. They can augment or replace existing bespoke display/control user interfaces.

The two main platforms are Apple (iOS) and Android, with Microsoft an up and coming option.

Typically there are two main functions:
• Monitoring
• Control

Monitoring can work with real time or stored data. Data visualisation such as charts and gauges can be used to enhance the operator’s experience. One or many devices can be monitored, or many smartphones/tablets can monitor one device.

In terms of control, the touch based user interface allows continuous improvement of operator user interfaces for optimum process efficiency and flexibility. General familiarity with the platforms reduces the need for operator training thanks to standard platform user interface guidelines.

Common connectivity options are WiFi and Bluetooth. Bluetooth 4.0 offers many new opportunities, particularly for newer iOS devices. Other options include 3G, GPRS and SMS. If required, our partners can add a range of wireless options to your system.

The process of utilising smartphone and tablet devices is straightforward. We take an ‘Agile’ approach allowing incremental (and therefore flexible) deliverables.

The steps are:
•    Requirements capture & feasibility study
•    Mock up a skeleton of the controls
•    Implement & release beta(s) with fast iteration
•    Delivery
•    Ongoing continuous improvement as required