For many years, our line of Industrial KVM Extenders has been a critical part of our product line-up, allowing our customers to forego the expense and hassle of a fully ruggedized PC by extending keyboard, video, and touch screen signals from a ruggedized industrial workstation back to a standard PC or server located in a clean, safe IT closet.
A common problem for any fully enclosed NEMA 4/4X, IP65/66 rated display is exactly how to get the cables in and out of the enclosure while maintaining a water-tight seal. This problem has been approached in a variety of ways by equipment suppliers, but usually the solution involves either conduit, some sort of compression gland, or watertight external connectors with custom mated cables.
Cable connections between computers and peripherals on the factory floor are expected to hold tight during the rigors of operator movement and vibration that is not typical of office environments.
Hope Industrial Systems’ new benchtop and panel mount models round out our line of industrial keyboards with 24 models, giving users plenty of flexibility to choose the configuration that works best for their specific application. These new keyboards have the same rugged industrial specifications as our existing keyboard products and carry our standard 4-year warranty.
There are several factors to consider when an existing panel mount monitor has failed and it is out of warranty. Most users opt to replace the display since many manufacturers will charge more and take longer to repair the monitor when compared to buying new. Much of the reason is due to the declining cost of LCD’s over the past several years. Therefore, it is wise to consider all the factors in total cost of ownership when selecting a monitor for a new project.
Hope Industrial Systems’ new USB KVM Extender uses a single CATx cable to extend VGA video and USB signals for touch screens, keyboards, mice, and any other USB 1.1 compliant device up to 300 m (1000′).
Often our customers find it critical to be able to see their HMI screens or access their systems’ controls at any given time. By default, most operating systems are designed to put the monitor or touch screen to sleep after 10 minutes. While allowing the display to sleep is recommended to extend its lifespan and conserve power, some customers find it important to be able to access their system at a moment’s notice. It is important to note that no Hope Industrial displays put themselves to sleep; they only revert to power saving (sleep) mode when they are not receiving a video signal, or have been specifically instructed to do so by the host operating system.
Connecting electronic equipment on the factory floor is an important aspect of any control system. There are several options for connecting data and power to monitors and other devices. Regarding the cables themselves, there are options in cable quality, shielding, terminations, etc. There are also decisions that affect their appearance and how they are protected and sealed.
Hope Industrial Systems’ Windows-based customers find UltraMon a useful application for managing multiple monitor environments. There are a few features that are particularly beneficial and effective for improved efficiency of customers’ work environments.
Last summer, we released our line of industrial Thin Client Enclosures, which we designed to protect any industrial or desktop-grade small form factor PC or thin client device from the rigors of an industrial environment.