Panel PC

REFERENCES
Panel PC - All-In-One Embedded System
Acnodes' industrial panel PCs are all-in-one embedded systems with an industrial-grade LCD display and fanless cooling system. With features such as extended working temperatures, multi-touch technology, IP rated enclosures, expansion slots, MIL-STD ratings, and stainless steel enclosures, Acnodes panel PCs are ready for deployment in a wide range of applications (factory, food processing industry, smart home solutions, IoT devices). One of the benefits of panel PCs is the interaction and versatility that it provides. The monitors come with touch screen technology and provide various mounting solutions that allow it to be easily mounted to different applications. Acnodes' Panel PCs are also highly-customizable with options for different system configurations, expansion slots, additional I/O ports, LCD protection, high brightness display, optical bonding, and operating system.

Human Machine Interface (HMI) Solutions
A Human Machine Interface (HMI) is a user interface that connects a person to a machine or system, allowing users to interact with the machine. HMI solutions can vary in sophistication and cost, which depends mostly on the amount of interaction and information exchange needed between the user and the machine. Computation intensive tasks must be taken into account when choosing an HMI solution since HMI usually doubles as a data collection and supervisory communications hub. The advantages of HMI interfaces in industrial application includes improved productivity and efficiency, remote management, and the ability to manage and analyze data. Touch screens, IP / NEMA protection, and increased tolerance for vibration and temperature extremes are some examples of HMI interfaces used in industrial applications and manufacturing plants.

Touch Screen Monitors - Overview
A touch screen acts as an interface between humans and computers in an automation control unit. Unlike keyboards or mice, touch screens provide convenience and user-friendly access to receive information from one computer to another. Touch screens work by detecting touch points according to physical relations and are divided into three types: Resistive type touch screen, Capacitive type touch screen, and Projected Capacitive type touch screen. A resistive type touch screen consists of a glass panel and film screen that functions when a finger or other stylus produces voltage by way of pressure sensors. A capacitive type touch screen comes with a transparent electrode layer that relies on the electrical properties of the human body to detect when and where on a display the user touches. Lastly, the projected capacitive type touch screen, which is similar to the capacitive type touch screen, is composed of a sheet of glass with embedded transparent electrode films and an IC chip that supports multi-touch.

Essentials of Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) and Industry 4.0
From a single control panel design to comprehensive, mission-critical systems, computer-aided engineering (CAE) applications have enjoyed wide-scale use over the past three decades. In many facilities today, the design, manufacturing, and logistic phases of control panel design are optimized individually. However, the fourth industrial revolution, Industry 4.0 (Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)), is expanding the reach of today’s advanced CAE tools while tying together the value-added chain in the factory to value-adding networks outside the factory. The use of CAE for control panel design and manufacture in the Industry 4.0 era removes engineering from its isolated island. With Industry 4.0, engineering is digitally connected to planning, purchasing, manufacturing and logistics.CAE using the Industry 4.0 approach, with end-to-end engineering tools, provides consistent standardization across systems. Whether at the factory, at a remote site or at a sister factory, users can select, place and connect hardware, components and wires in to a schematic and quickly create a panel layout using a predefined and automated design process.