| Sector: | Industrial |
|---|---|
| Technology User: | Computer Generated Solutions |
| Application: | Ethernet Connectivity |
| Product(s) Used: | DeviceMaster RTS |
| Integrator: | BlueCherry |
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Applications
Industrial Automation
DeviceMaster RTS - Computer Generated Solutions
Applications
Industrial Automation
DeviceMaster RTS - Computer Generated Solutions
DeviceMaster RTS - Computer Generated Solutions
Challenge
BlueCherry® ShopFloor Control System, by Computer Generated Solutions (CGS), is a complete plant information and shop-floor control system, that gives control of the factory to management. The product is specifically tailored to the sewn-products industry. The solution includes data collection devices on all the workstations in the factory. The data collection terminals each have a barcode scanner, 16-character keypad, and a 32-character display. The DeviceMaster RTS’s ports are configured as RS-485, with each port managing up to 31 terminals. CGS has developed a custom program embedded on the DeviceMaster using the Comtrol Software Developer Kit (SDK). This embedded program polls the terminals, and conducts low-level protocol checks like checksums, ACKS/NAKS, and resends. It can also execute store-and-forward buffering as needed. The DeviceMaster provides Ethernet connectivity to the terminals through a socket connection to a PC. As it receives transactions from the terminals, it sends them to the PC via the socket connections.
Technology Solution
By having polling, protocol checks, and buffering programs residing on the DeviceMaster, poll-data can be returned in less than a second. Latency has been significantly reduced from when PC’s were loaded with this task. By placing programmed DeviceMasters around the plant-floor, the operator can enter a transaction at the terminal, which is sent to the DeviceMaster, to the PC, on to the Host computer, where it gets processed, and the response is then returned to the operator all within a second. “600 terminals can be managed with four 8-port DeviceMasters. CGS’s goal for its customer is to increase operator productivity. And DeviceMaster helps us meet this goal.” Said Lee Allen, Product Manager for CGS Applications Solutions.
An additional benefit CGS gains from using the DeviceMasters in customer installations placed around the floor is freeing-up bandwidth on the plant network. They are able to offer great system performance even when using existing legacy PCs, all via the DeviceMaster’s robust and programmable platform. For more information visit Comtrol’s Software Developer Kit (SDK) for use with DeviceMaster.
