Failsafe, Wireless Operator Control and Monitoring via “Rapid Roaming”

Siemens Industry has provided plant floor engineers with added reliability and flexibility with two new mobile panels, the 277 IWLAN and its safety-rated version, the 277F IWLAN.

“The latest additions to our line of portable devices for wireless operator control and monitoring communicate through what we call our ‘rapid roaming process,’” says Alan Cone, Siemens Industry’s HMI marketing manager.

Rapid Roaming is based on the extended WLAN iPCF-MC (Industrial Point Coordination Function with Management Channel) which ensures fast handover of radio signals between access points and interruption-free roaming times – both features are basic requirements for mobile operator control and monitoring making the safety rated F model ideal for deployment in safety-related areas where enabling and emergency stop buttons are used. Moreover, the Mobile Panel 277F IWLAN, which is TUV certified, is compatible with Profinet and Profisafe.

Other new features include color display of the WLAN signal strength and an additional vibration alarm, which is triggered when a specific lower limit threshold is reached. The configuration of the Industrial WLAN connection has been simplified for both new Siemens panels with a software wizard available via a web interface.

“The idea behind these HMI panels is to deliver end users with the most reliability possible, while also improving key elements like flexibility, power and ease of use,” says Cone. “Users can have confidence that their wireless signals won’t get dropped or blocked which, in turn, makes additional wiring to connect the device to the network unnecessary. You can install the panel almost anywhere in your process and know that you will get the information you need when you need it, regardless of how sensitive that transmission may be.”

The devices meet multiple international wireless standards, and so can be deployed all over the world. The Mobile Panel 277 IWLAN is also suitable for applications with the Simotion motion control system while the new failsafe Mobile Panel 277F IWLAN comes in a variant that utilizes economical Moby D Smart Cards for site localization, and log in to the appropriate operating area on an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag instead of a transponder as you see in security-compliant robot cells.

For more information on the SIMATIC Mobile Panel series 270, please click here.

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