New simple, robust and cost-effective distributed control system for smaller plants

PMSXmicro will be available in two formats: a conventional tower PC with a separate 22-inch monitor, or a panel PC with an integrated 21.5 inch full HD display. The system displays a status overview of the entire plant using process graphics, and provides a graphical interface for operators to interrogate details of the system state and make alterations to parameters as required.

PMSX micro has a comprehensive integrated alarm and event system. When alarms occur, the operator can navigate directly to the relevant process graphic, allowing a rapid and appropriate response to production events. The system also records events and messages securely and in the correct sequence in a database, allowing process flows to be traced in the event of production problems or following changes to the plant. Operators can add annotations or comments to events, which are also retained for subsequent analysis. The system includes built in maintenance functions, as well as a wide range of analysis options to help operators understand process data and improve plant performance. PMSX micro has been developed for machines, processes and plants that could benefit from the functionality of a distributed control system but where the cost and complexity of a full-scale system has been difficult to justify in the past. The system is suitable for applications with around 1,000 analogue or digital inputs and outputs across three to five separate automation stations. It is also deployable in applications that currently use Mitsubishi Electric controls and where additional control engineering functions are required.

Engineering and system changes to PMSXmicro are made using a separate engineering environment, running on a Windows laptop. A licence for the engineering system is only required during initial system engineering or subsequent changes, making PMSX micro a particularly cost effective solution for plant operators. Because PMSXmicro runs on Mitsubishi Electric and ME-Automation Project’s robust and proven PMSX distributed control platform, expanding to a larger scale system is straightforward, should this be required.