ATLANTA- The new Simatic® MP 377 15-inch Daylight Readable human machine interface (HMI) from Siemens Industry, Inc. is a high-contrast, full-color touch panel designed for installations outside a typical factory.

The new Daylight Readable HMI meets the needs of automation users requiring a rugged, outdoor HMI where screen visibility is necessary in direct sunlight.

“Daylight readable HMIs are popular in several outdoor applications including oil, gas, irrigation, marine, electric power and many more,” said Alan Cone, Siemens Industry product marketing manager. “Previously, users were limited to only non-graphical text panels or monochrome electroluminescent panels without any support for color touch screen graphics, making it difficult to develop intuitive HMI operator screens.”

Engineered with transflective technology, the MP 377 15-inch Daylight Readable HMI includes a UV protected exterior and 3mm-thick glass that resists sunlight discoloration and ensures a rugged IP66 environmental rating for outdoor installation. The HMI comes with a TFT color display and built-in Profinet/Ethernet and Profibus/MPI communication ports, eliminating the need for a separate controller to run control logic. The panel includes two USB ports for peripheral connection to flash drives, keyboard, mouse or printer, and 12MB of onboard application memory that can be expanded with an integrated SD memory slot or CF card slot.

The MP 377 Daylight Readable HMI is capable of running Simatic WinAC PC-based control software and standard WinCC flexible HMI panel software. Designed on the Windows CE operating system, the MP 377 can run many standard PC applications, including HTML and JAVA support within its preinstalled Microsoft CE Internet Explorer enabling remote monitoring and control for quick troubleshooting or program changes.

A built-in web server provides Internet/intranet connectivity options using WinCC Flexible Sm@rtService, Sm@rtAccess technology for remote access to diagnostics, historical data logging and even full remote screen operation. Other features include 1024x768 screen resolution for large screen area viewing, capacitive touch screen for finger or thin glove activation and energy saving LED backlight with an adjustable dimming range for darker non-glare outdoor environments.

The MP377 15-inch Daylight Readable HMI meets IP66 environmental enclosure ratings and is certified with industry standard agency approvals, including cUL US HAZ. LOC. Class 1, Div. 2; ATEX Zone 2/22; FM Class 1, Div. 2; CE and C-Tick.

For more information on the MP377 15-inch Daylight Readable HMI, visit www.usa.siemens.com/tiadisplays.