AutomationDirect has released a new line of low-cost operator panels. The C-more Micro-Graphic panel is a touch panel with a text panel price, manufactured by our parent company Koyo Electronics, part of the multi-billion dollar JTEKT group.
C-more Micro-Graphic panels are compact operator panels available in touch screen and non-touch screen models. The 3.1″ easy-to-read LCD monochrome display offers a resolution of 128 x 64 pixels. With 768KB memory, C-more Micro-Graphic panels support up to 999 screens, limited only by project memory usage. In addition, C-more Micro-Graphic is equipped with LED backlights with five user-definable colors.
Using the panel with touch display, operators can quickly initiate an action or enter a value. Projects can include bitmap pushbuttons, increment/decrement pushbuttons, and even a pop-up numeric keypad right on the screen. The display panel supports 8 lines by 21 characters of dynamic text, enabling embedded variables, ON/OFF phrases, lookup text, and more. C-more Micro-Graphic also supports 10 lines by 32 characters of static text and is capable of reverse video to accentuate text.
C-more Micro-Graphic panels have an alarm function which allows control of backlight color with flashing, function key LED flashing, beep activation, and custom banner alarm displays. In addition to alarm indication the panel can display bar graphs, bitmap buttons, and graphical indicator lights.
C-more Micro-Graphic panels also include a recipe button object which can transfer up to 99 tag values to PLC destination registers with a single touch.C-more Micro-Graphic panels connect directly to the 6-pin, modular RJ12 communication port of most DirectLOGIC PLCs for both power and communications. If connecting to another brand of PLC, or to a non-RJ12 port on an AutomationDirect PLC, an optional snap-on 24 VDC power adapter is required. Two models are available; the EA-MG-P1 power adapter or the EA-MG-SP1 model, which is equipped with a 24 VDC power adapter and a 15-pin D-sub RS-232/RS-422/485 serial port.
For applications requiring more advanced data entry, two optional keypad bezels are available. Both bezels are “plug-and-play,” with no programming or external power needed. The EA-MG-BZ1 is an eight-button bezel designed for simple setpoint adjustment and data entry, equipped with Menu, Escape, Clear, Enter, and four arrow buttons. The EA-MG-BZ2 offers 20 buttons providing the same function keys, plus a numeric keypad.
The C-more Micro-Graphic panel configuration software allows the use of bitmap graphics to display images of pushbuttons, switches, and indicators. Simply drag and drop user-defined or standard objects onto the screen construction area, where they can be configured with PLC data tags. A helpful feature of the software is the project simulator, which allows the developer to view and run a project on the PC screen exactly as it would appear on the panel, without being connected to the panel. All functions of the screens can be tested, including touch objects, entering data values and testing the functionality of display objects by changing data tag content. The simulator can save hours of programming and debugging time before ever downloading the project to the panel. The programming software (EA-MG-PGMSW) is available for download online at no cost or a CD can be purchased.
C-more Micro-Graphic panels are UL, cUL, and CE approved, RoHS certified, and are NEMA 4 and 4X indoor rated. For complete details on the C-more Micro-Graphic product line, visit www.c-moremicro.com.
Originally Published: Dec. 1, 2007