Operator system interaction
The operating stations used on process control systems allow operators to monitor and control process engineering plants conveniently and reliably. They can be used to monitor the current state of the plant as well as process values and alarms. They also provide support to operators for manual controller of processes, such as starting and stopping motors. The system status, trends and historical data are represented graphically and the ability to display alarms contributes significantly to error correction. The report server generates detailed reports that include process data, alarms, trends and all events.
APROL Engineering desktop
Workstation functionality
Tooltips provide detailed information
Menu items are provided with meaningful tooltips to display detailed information about the respective programs.
Touch screen virtual keyboard
A virtual keyboard can be used to implement touch screen solutions or provide help if the physical keyboard fails.
Access via web browser
Taking into account the required access rights, the entire operator interface can be started from a Microsoft Windows 11 computer via VNC (Virtual Network Computing) using a VNC viewer.
Web access without configuration effort
Users can carry out operation and monitoring tasks, complete historical evaluations of alarms, events or trend curves, call up logs and start various diagnostic tools for network equipment or hardware and software components without additional configuration effort and without functional restrictions.
Multiscreening
Support for 1, 2, 3, 4 screens
Multiscreening with a keyboard/mouse makes it possible to connect several screens to one operator station. Depending on the graphics card, 1, 2, 3, 4 or even 8 screens can be used with a single operator station.
Flexible assignment of images
The flexible assignment of images makes it possible to display a different process graphic, trend diagram or alarm monitor on each of these screens and to operate them using a mouse and keyboard.
Multiscreening
Operation and monitoring
DisplayCenter for interaction
DisplayCenter acts as the central application for process control. In the process graphic, the operator can see all current process states and intervene interactively depending on the defined permissions.
Personalized user environment
Depending on which operators are logged in, different configurations for the appearance (such as menu bar, toolbar and graphic tree) can be stored. This means that only the visualization elements relevant to each operator are displayed.
Process graphic history
The most recently used process graphics can be called up quickly using the forward and back buttons (similar to a web browser). It is also possible to select the last 11 activated process graphics directly via menu entries.
Operator interventions are fully logged
All operator interventions are coordinated via the authorization system and securely logged via the integrated audit trail (in accordance with the requirements of 21 CFR Part 11 and GAMP5).
The look and feel is freely configurable
In addition to the functionality, the look and feel are adapted according to company-specific operating philosophies. This enables user-friendly migration of old process control systems without compromising plant availability by retaining the familiar user environment.
Button text
DisplayCenter
Operation and monitoring
Graphic tree for navigation
The graphic tree presents all configured process graphics with their corresponding names and descriptions. These images can be selected directly from here.
Process graphic text search
The integrated full-text search in the graphic tree also makes it possible to search for a specific process graphic or device.
Favorites for important images
Each operator can save process graphics as favorites in the graphic tree during runtime, similar to a web browser. This enables quick access to the most frequently used process graphics.
Button text
Graphic tree / Favorites
Process graphics with Tooltips
In Engineering, Tooltips can be stored for each device. They are shown to the operator when moving the mouse over the corresponding object. The Tooltips can even contain images and process values.
Process graphics with scalable vector graphics
A variety of image formats, such as bmp, jpg, png and svg (scalable vector graphics), can be embedded as a background for process graphics.
Integrated calls from the process graphic
Web page calls (system messages, audit trail, logs, system and project documentation) and the playback of video sequences or even remote control of entire computers can be embedded directly in the process graphic.
Process graphics
VncViewer functionality
VncViewer as a visualization element
DisplayCenter provides the AprolVncViewer and VncViewer visualization elements for embedding in a process graphic.
AprolVncViewer as an embedded app
The AprolVncViewer can be integrated into a process graphic as an embedded app.
APROL VncViewer
VncViewer visualization element
HMI applications can be embedded in a process graphic using the VncViewer visualization element.
Authentication is supported
The VncViewer visualization element supports all standard functions such as locking and verification as well as extended authentication during interaction in the HMI application (two-man rule) and logging in the audit trail.
Frame indicates existing permission
When a VNC view is activated, it is displayed in read-only mode in a thin black frame. This frame is colored in the selection color (yellow) when the operator clicks once with the mouse in this VNC view and receives permission to perform interactions in the VNC view (read/write mode).
6 VncViewer visualization elements in a process graphic
Online parameter management
Easy handling of online parameters
The faceplate view (measuring points / online parameters) and control module view (online parameter groups) are available to clearly display and easily edit online parameters.
Commissioning
The application software is simplified by a list display. This not only makes it easier to enter missing parameters (runtimes, delays, etc.), but also allows the "Inhibit" flag of several control modules to be enabled at the same time.
Operating dialog boxes allows comparison
Dialog boxes allow all parameters for a measurement point to be displayed at the same time as well as comparison of several measurement points. Existing online parameters can also be transferred to other measurement points using these dialog boxes. When importing the online parameters into the project created in B&R's CaeManager engineering tool, a new version is automatically created with the version comment "Online parameters imported".
Online parameter management structure