Headless HMIs slash prices, simplify set up, and unlock inventive show choices starting from handheld tablets to wall-mounted scoreboards.
By Bobby Thornton, AutomationDirect
On a conventional manufacturing facility flooring, operators normally monitor and management tools utilizing traditional panel-mounted touchscreen human-machine interfaces (HMIs). However to satisfy the calls for of a contemporary facility, designers want applied sciences to extra successfully assist staff with cell tablets, massive format shows highlighting key standing info, and different modern distant visualization choices.
A headless HMI—that’s, an HMI stripped of its built-in display and as a substitute paired with no matter show greatest meets the precise software calls for—is the easiest way to ship versatile visualization anyplace. Customers can entry the data they want utilizing the suitable interface, whether or not they’re on the manufacturing facility flooring, in a supervisor’s workplace, on the break room, and even utterly off-site.
AutomationDirect’s C-more CM5-RHMI (Determine 1) is on the forefront of headless HMIs, profitable the 2025 Silver award in Management Engineering’s Product of the Yr program, and capturing the Gold Medal in Design World’s 2025 LEAP Awards. These accolades underscore a development in direction of headless HMIs for versatile and efficient automation. The advantages of those units embody decrease prices, simpler set up, and significantly elevated show choices.
Determine 1: The award-winning AutomationDirect CM5-RHMI supplies the highly effective performance of the C-more collection of HMIs in a compact, cost-effective package deal.
The Case for Going Headless
Conventional all-in-one HMIs combine a processor and a touchscreen show with the mandatory connectivity, and they’re usually put in utilizing a protecting enclosure with a cutout making the show portion accessible.
By foregoing the show totally, headless HMIs obtain a considerably decreased price and very compact footprint, and they are often put in inside management panels with out making any cutouts. This reduces set up efforts and avoids considerations about compromising the enclosure’s NEMA ranking. The dearth of a show additionally reduces energy necessities and warmth era within the enclosure, making headless HMIs simpler to include in a variety of functions.
With a headless HMI, designers can choose the perfect show choice independently of the HMI. The show could also be an industrial-rated unit positioned inside HDMI cable distance, or maybe a consumer-grade show of any measurement. If it ever turns into essential to improve to a bigger show, or change a show (because the show is usually thought of essentially the most fragile half), that is potential with out taking the HMI offline, minimizing downtime. Along with primary shows, the CM5-RHMI is appropriate with many exterior touchscreen applied sciences, and customary enter units like keyboards and mice might be simply related through USB.
Since HDMI carries each video and audio, alarm tones and different notification sounds might be broadcast on to the show’s audio system, serving to be certain that operators are instantly alerted to any points. HDMI splitters can be utilized to feed a headless HMI view to a number of screens, and HDMI boosters can ship the sign to a show positioned removed from the HMI.
The CM5-RHMI retains all of the core options of the usual touch-panel CM5, together with:
- Quite a lot of ports (Ethernet, USB, SD, and so on.)
- Safe communication protocols
- Consumer entry management
- Compatibility with many PLC manufacturers
- Handy recipe and alarm administration
- Historic information logging and development graphs
As well as, AutomationDirect provides highly effective and intuitive configuration software program utterly freed from price.
A Wealth of Purposes
Some widespread use circumstances reveal the flexibleness of a headless HMI method.
For instance, primary operator workstations in a management room surroundings may use a regular desktop monitor for routine management. Massive TV screens might be put in all through a manufacturing facility or warehouse space, offering an easily-viewed scoreboard with important info (Determine 2).
Determine 2: Powered by a headless HMI, massive format shows can present key course of info, retaining plant workers knowledgeable even at a distance.
If the HMI is in a harsh discipline surroundings or outside location, it may be related to a consumer-grade monitor in a close-by climate-protected management room, eliminating the necessity to pay additional for an industrialized show. Shows positioned in front-office areas can ship real-time manufacturing facility flooring info to the enterprise workers, extending operational consciousness all through the ability.
In some circumstances, there may be no want for a devoted show in any respect. As an alternative, operators and upkeep personnel can join remotely to the HMI utilizing a smartphone or pill by an online browser or devoted app. A headless HMI is the best bridge for these “displayless” deployments. Operators may even use a single cell gadget to entry a number of headless HMIs.
The Backside Line
Headless HMIs allow the perfect of each worlds: the rugged core performance anticipated from an industrial HMI, plus the liberty to decide on any visible front-end. The result’s decrease price, easier set up, and future-proof show flexibility. With the award-winning CM5-RHMI, there’s by no means been a greater time to go headless.
Concerning the Writer
Bobby Thornton is the product engineer for HMI and CLICK PLCs at AutomationDirect, and a graduate of College of South Alabama. His 30+ years’ expertise within the industrial automation discipline embody design, set up, and assist of course of instrumentation, AC Drives and management programs for the pulp and paper, non-woven, and fiber optics industries. He joined AutomationDirect in 2004.
