Hi there,
looking for some support and suggestions.
I got my hands on an older Uniop/Exor HMI panel. The specific model if anyone is interested is the ERT-16-0045.
I would like to know what would be the simplest way to get these two to talk to each other.
From what I gathered the HMI panel uses a DB15 connector that uses the rs232 coms to talk.
If anyone has any experience or any pointers it would be great if you could throw some hints my way 
TIA
$1500. Were I in your shoes I'd sell it and use the money to buy a nice tablet computer with a decent processor and enough memory to run a modern operating system.
The answer to your question is that you need two things: 1. An RS-232 to TTL serial converter; 2. Software.
- a few dollars on ebay
- read HMI manual. It tells you baud rate and how to talk with it, mostly how to listen to it if there is a custom mode.
An HMI is usually connected to a PLC unit to be used as the operator's panel. It will periodically poll or receives values on the PLC registers (most know how to talk to certain brand PLCs) and displays them on the LCD. You may change some of these values on the panel. If your panel has a custom mode where it only sends out values when you press a key, then you can use it on an arduino. Otherwise you have to emulate a PLC. Is that what you want?
I spent some fair amount of time trying to find some HMI to work with Arduino but I only bought one and didn't get it to work. So I designed these 
10 number keys 4 directions and enter/escape
$1500.
And that's 2nd hand.
Rob
Hi there and thanks for the response,
After looking through the specs, it looks like its PLC dependant. So I suppose the Arduino would have to emulate a PLC. I have in no right mind, any idea how to do that.
I've managed to make my own cables as I have the pinout of the adapters on the back, they almost all go to a db9 serial adapter, except one, which is a 15 pin adapter.
The HMI also has an Ethernet port enabled, but I doubt I have the module for that...but maybe.
So yes, I guess I'm trying to emulate a PLC.
And nice work by the way
liudr:
[quote author=Coding Badly link=topic=127254.msg957169#msg957169 date=1350273353]
The answer to your question is that you need two things: 1. An RS-232 to TTL serial converter; 2. Software.
- a few dollars on ebay
- read HMI manual. It tells you baud rate and how to talk with it, mostly how to listen to it if there is a custom mode.
An HMI is usually connected to a PLC unit to be used as the operator's panel. It will periodically poll or receives values on the PLC registers (most know how to talk to certain brand PLCs) and displays them on the LCD. You may change some of these values on the panel. If your panel has a custom mode where it only sends out values when you press a key, then you can use it on an arduino. Otherwise you have to emulate a PLC. Is that what you want?
I spent some fair amount of time trying to find some HMI to work with Arduino but I only bought one and didn't get it to work. So I designed these
10 number keys 4 directions and enter/escape
[/quote]
As I received it as a gift I'm not gonna look into selling it.
I'm looking at it as a learning tool. So far...it's working.
WeeBo:
After looking through the specs, it looks like its PLC dependant.
Yep, you need to set up the HMI to talk with a particular brand of PLC. If you want, you can make your own interface with various arduino-compatible LCD and LCD shields.
Well I worked on several PLC/HMI installations in the refinery I use to work at before retirement. All the HMI display/keyboards I came across could be called rather simple terminals and one should be able to send data to them and request data from them as one would would any terminal using the correct 'escape codes'. It's just a matter of if the HMI manual documents it's raw commands and control states, baud rates, etc.
The PLC itself would have built in custom 'logic blocks' to make communications to the HMI a little easier for the person writing the PLC ladder logic programs, so the PLC would perform a lot of 'abstraction' for the PLC programmer to use the HMI interface. But at least the ones I came across could be consider pretty general purpose data terminals much like the popular CRT terminals used in decades past, it's just a matter of knowing all the proper 'escape codes' it has available. I would think it would be a good match for a arduino HMI project once you get the proper RS-232 to TTL converter wired up correctly.
Lefty
Lefty,
Maybe it was coincidence that I made my LCD panel to work on ANSI escape codes (without knowing HMIs work with escape codes). They are nice and once you have it set up, you can add to it and forget all about calling functions with parameters. Everything is done with text!
Hi All,
for HMI visualization you can use our Software VisBee.
Actually we are working on the driver to communicate between ARDUINO and our visualization Software VisBee.
MODBUS (and others) is already working.
It’s a fully loaded professional Visualization system for HMI and SCADA.
You can download the Software without any restrictions at www.visbee.de (english version)
The is a extra version for ARDUINO - Fans 
(VisBee-light)
The driver will be available during march/april 2013.
If you have further questions let me know.....
BR,
Chris