Beckhoff CP32xx Panel PC with multi-touch HMI functionality

Dec. 15, 2015 – Beckhoff Automation says its CP32xx Panel PC series is an all-in-one, high-performance automation device for HMI and control applications.

The mounting arm installation features IP65 protection and boasts best-in-class multi-touch control panel technology in “rugged, yet compact” housing. The area at the rear of the CP32xx Panel PC, which is required for swiveling and tilting the connected mounting arm, is also “efficiently used to accommodate the added IPC components while saving space,” it notes. The components in the solution are thermally decoupled from each other, says Beckhoff, adding that the computer is built around the integrated mounting arm in a u-shaped housing with cooling fins for passive cooling. The unit promises an operating temperature range from 0 C to 45 C. The connecting cables are laid through the support arm into the connection compartment for up to six IP 65-rated connectors. In the basic configuration, two of the connection points are configured with an Ethernet interface or power supply; the remainder are optionally available for a further Ethernet, USB or serial interface, or for a Mini-PCI fieldbus interface. A narrow, circumferential metal impact protector helps protect the touchscreen surface, while the all-glass surface features an anti-reflection coating and promises maximum resistance to environmental influences. The panels can also be operated with thin latex work gloves. Five-finger touch and operator interface solutions requiring two-hand operation are equally possible, it notes.