Case Studies

Correctional Center Building Control Interface Upgrade

Correctional Center
Posted in Application Development, Infrastructure

Summary

DMC integrated a pair of high performance HMI displays into an existing building infrastructure control system at a federal correctional prison.  DMC specified, provided, and installed hardware to integrate with the building's existing Modbus Plus network and Modicon PLC's.  DMC also created a new HMI program for the Magelis monitors that included sensor control, alarm monitoring, and door key control.

Floor Overview

Floor Overview

Summary Screen

Summary Screen

Communication Screen

Communication Screen

Solution

For this project DMC provided a turn-key operator interface to integrate with the correctional center's existing infrastructure network.  This interface was responsible for controlling sensors, key switches, and alarms through a Modbus plus network.  This project was an upgrade of a legacy Modicon PanelMate 4000 (from the late 90's) to a new Schneider Electric Magelis GT6330 touch screen.

DMC became involved in this project during the initial stages of planning and was able to help solidify the customer's chosen hardware by specifying the needed peripheral pieces and verifying the operational capabilities.  DMC went through the necessary steps of obtaining the original software to extract the legacy program from the PanelMate and used that as a basis for the new Magelis program.

Features of the software included the ability to monitor the correctional center's alarms and doors while controlling key switches from a central location.  The operation included an intuitive user interface which presents users with floor plan views of each floor showing the sensors and doors in their actual positions.  Users can control components simply by pressing the pictorial representation on the floor plan.

DMC also provided a network communication status tool that shows the status of the entire Modbus plus network, a document repository that allows users to access the emergency operating procedures for the correctional center, and an alarm viewer that reports specific, urgent alarms such as glass break sensors and fire alarms.

In this project, DMC was able to implement an updated technology platform that interfaced seamlessly with their existing system.  Thus, DMC was able to provide a custom, turnkey solution that provided the correctional center with a user friendly, modern control interface.

Customer Benefits

  • Integrated with existing system
  • Provided customer with turnkey solution
  • Replaced legacy hardware that had reached end of life and was no longer supported
  • Provided intuitive, touch screen interface that reduced training time
  • Added network communication monitoring to ensure proper operation

Technologies

  • Modicon PanelMate HMI (4000 series)
  • Magelis GT6330 HMI
  • Eaton Cutler-Hammer Canvas HMI Software
  • Schneider Electric Vijeo Designer HMI Software
  • Schneider Electric Gateway USB Module for Modbus Plus
  • Modbus Plus Network
  • Modicon Quantum PLC with Hot Standby redundant PLC setup