The US operator interface specialist Maple Systems has released an HMI with video capabilities that, it suggests, could revolutionise automation control and monitoring. The technology allows live or recorded video to be integrated into HMI applications – to show images of production processes or operating tutorials, for example.

Two cameras can be connected to the HMI and the video imported on different channels. One camera can show a complete bottling line, for example, while another shows close-ups to reveal whether bottles are being filled correctly.

Live video of processes can be recorded in NTSC or PAL formats, and images captured when alarms or triggers occur. The images can be stored on removable memory devices such as SD cards or USB drives for later review and analysis.

This video facility can also be used to incorporate tutorials, to show messages or warnings, to display advertising, or to perform quality control analyses.

A media player function allows the images to be reviewed. It supports a variety of video file formats, offers forward, reverse, pause and zoom functions, and can be customised to match the look-and-feel of an application.

Video can be captured and recorded even when the viewing windows are closed, allowing other HMI screens to be viewed at the same time.