With Unified-E, you can implement a client/server HMI system where multiple control and operator stations can simultaneously access your plant – ideal for multi-user operation and distributed control systems.
Operation can take place simultaneously and independently from multiple operator stations. Data changes are immediately reflected on the operator device, ensuring that all stationary operator panels and smartphones used for remote plant monitoring remain up to date. With Unified-E, you benefit from a powerful, distributed HMI software that centrally manages data in the HMI server and supports multiple HMI clients in parallel. This makes Unified-E the perfect solution for industrial automation and process automation.
Larger plants are typically operated using multiple operator stations, requiring a client-server architecture.
Does your plant have only one operator station? Then the Machine Operation with HMI might be the right solution for you.
The Unified-E App Manager is the central control module for an efficient HMI server architecture. It enables fast, stable, and synchronized plant operation by acting as a gateway between HMI clients and control systems such as PLCs. In Gateway Communication, all operator devices with the Unified-E Client connect to the Unified-E App Manager, ensuring a consistent data foundation.
The Unified-E App Manager is installed on a Windows computer, transforming it into a gateway PC or server for HMI clients. Instead of accessing PLCs or databases directly, the individual HMI clients communicate exclusively with the Unified-E App Manager via a secure HTTPS connection.
Machine data such as alarms, diagrams, or CSV logs are recorded and processed by the Unified-E App Manager on the gateway PC—independent of the currently active or connected operator stations.
Unified-E supports HMI devices and operator stations running Windows, Android, and iOS. This gives you full flexibility when selecting your operator devices—stationary Windows panel PCs, Android panels, rugged tablets, or even smartphones as remote HMIs are all possible. Multiple users can simultaneously access, monitor, and operate the plant.
Contact us for recommendations on suitable hardware suppliers.
The entire plant control visualization, including plant schematics and alarm tables, is created in the HMI design softrware, Unified-E App Designer—without requiring duplicate configuration for different display sizes!
Once the plant operation interface has been configured, it is installed as an operator app on the Unified-E App Manager. HMI clients register once for this operator app in the App Manager.
If changes in the HMI editor need to be applied to HMI clients or operator devices, the process is extremely simple: The operator app just needs to be updated in the App Manager, and all operator devices will automatically receive the update upon their next connection.
When using gateway communication via the HMI server, all available communication drivers provided by Unified-E are supported. These do not need to be purchased or downloaded separately, as they are already integrated into the software.
The most important protocol connections:
Your HMI for plant control or monitoring can be easily configured using the Unified-E App Designer, which is available for free in the download section.
For plant operation using the Unified-E App Manager as an HMI server, Gateway Licenses are available. The Gateway License is activated in the Unified-E App Manager. For development purposes, you can use the free Developer License.
Depending on whether smartphones are used for remote plant monitoring and alarm notifications via the internet in addition to local operator devices, the following license options are available:
Detailed information on license types and pricing can be found under Pricing.