The new generation of mobile operation and monitoring panels from Siemens offers improvements in performance, flexibility, convenience and quality as compared with the previous range. Second-generation wired Simatic HMI Mobile Panels feature a brilliant seven or nine inch 16 million colour widescreen display with a 16:9 aspect ratio capable of presenting even highly complex and detailed images of processes and plant clearly. Other highlights include the unique illuminated emergency stop button, the flexible options for integration into safety applications and a compact connection box that can be mounted directly on the cabinet. The new IP65 operator panels can be used across a wide range of temperatures (from 0 to 45?C), are dust-tight and resistant to chemical action and incorporate splashwater protection. The panels, which offer combined key and touch operation, are integrated into the automation solution via Profinet and configured using the Simatic WinCC engineering tool in the TIA Portal and a novel Style Editor.

The second-generation Simatic HMI Mobile Panels feature a robust industrial design capable of withstanding falls from a height of up to 1.2 meters and offer all of the functionality and performance of the Simatic HMI Comfort Panels. It is possible to configure operating screens for both static and mobile applications and then add mobile specifics, for example. Some 40 per cent larger in area, the widescreen-format display produces a needle-sharp, bright and detailed image. It is fully dimmable too, meaning that it can be adapted easily to different environments.

Models that include a stop/emergency shutdown button include a novel button illumination feature that becomes active only when the mobile operator panel is connected to a safety circuit. Now users need just the one panel version for automation with straightforward stop and safe emergency shutdown functions.

The new compact connection box takes up only a third of the space of its predecessor and can be mounted directly on the cabinet, which is particularly advantageous for small machines with a small footprint. The connection box is simply bolted onto the outside of the cabinet door and then fully wired up from the inside. Robust connecting cables from two to 25 meters in length ensure the operator always has adequate freedom to move around.