Hardware Comparison: PanelView Plus 7 Standard vs. Performance

As smart factories, facilities and cities continue to grow, so does the need for improved visualization and functionality in Human Machine Interfaces (HMI).   By bringing that visualization down to the operator and technician level at the machine level, machine state, error messaging, real-time running conditions, and other information can be graphically displayed to assist in decision-making and remediation of problems.

 Introduced in 2015, Allen Bradley’s PanelView Plus 7 Performance offers a broader range of features than its predecessor, the PanelView Plus 7 Standard.  For system designers looking to use the PanelView 7 family in their control design, here is a comparison of the most common features of each:

PanelView Plus 7 Standard Vs. PanelView Plus 7 Performance

Screens

There is quite a difference in screens and alarms allowed in a system between the Standard and the Performance.  The PanelView Plus 7 Standard allows up to 100 graphics screens within a control system.

The Standard is also limited to 500 alarms.  By contrast, the PanelView Plus 7 Performance does not limit screens or alarms.  The only limiting factor is the memory capacity and CPU selected.  This makes the Performance a good choice for more complex systems and for designers building a design optimized for IoT data and cloud-based analytics that call for better visualization of data to make real-time decisions on machine state.

Displays

The Plus 7 Standard comes in 7 display sizes.  There are three in widescreen – 4”, 9”, and 12” – and there are four non-widescreen – 6”, 7”, 10”, and 15”.  The displays are LED-backlit with up to 262K colors for rich visualization.  The screens are available on touch screen only.

The Plus 7 Performance has only six sizes available.  Four are standard width, including the 7”, 10”, 15”, and 19” while the 9” and 12” are available in widescreen.  The Performance offers a more extensive size range with its most giant screen at 19” than the Standard.  Like the Standard, the Performance also has 262K colors available in these LED-backlit displays.  Both Standard and Performance offer high-resolution graphics.

Controller Connectivity

The Plus 7 Standard can connect to both ControlLogix and CompactLogix controllers.  However, it can only connect to one controller within a system.  Specifically, the Standard can connect to:

• CompactLogix 5370 and 5380
• ControlLogix 5570 and 5580
• Micro 800 Controllers
• Third-Party Controllers

The Plus 7 Performance has the same controller connectivity as the Plus 7 Standard but can be connected to multiple controllers, making it more versatile for ring and star configurations.

Communication

Both the Plus 7 Standard and Performance offer EtherNet/IP communication.  DLR support is included on the Performance and optional on the Standard. There is a distinction within the Standard for the number of EtherNet ports available.  Within all screen sizes, some versions have a single EtherNet port with IEEE1588 support.

These are denoted by the number 21 in the catalog number.  For catalog numbers with the number 22 in the sequence, these versions offer two EtherNet ports, one with IEEE1588 support and one with star, linear, or DLR network topology. The Plus 7 Performance offers two EtherNet ports on all versions.

For USB ports, the Standard offers one type A host port for storage and one type B for connection to a host computer.  By contrast, the Performance offers two type A host ports for storage and one type B for connection to a host computer.  Both the Standard and Performance have a Secure Digital (SD) card slot for storage.

Viewers

Another big difference between the Plus 7 Standard and the Plus 7 Performance is in the number of viewers offered.  The Standard comes with only a PDF viewer.  The Performance, however, may be used in larger system designs the utilize remote access.  Because of this, the Performance allows PDF, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, a Web Browser, and a Media Player.

Power and Electrical

Another area of difference is the power and electrical availability for the Standard vs. the Performance.  The Plus 7 Standard only offers 24V DC on all sizes, although power consumption is 35 W for the two smaller screen sizes vs. 50 W for all others.

Because the Plus 7 Performance is better suited for more extensive system builds and more complex control systems, all screen sizes in the Performance family offer both DC and AC versions.  DC versions operate on 24V V DC with 50 W of power consumption.  The AC versions use 100…240V AC and run at 105 VA.

Scalability

Because the PanelView Plus 7 Standard is limited to connecting to a single controller, its scalability is lower than the Plus 7 Performance.  The Plus 7 Standard can operate within standalone systems as well as be scaled in midrange class systems in either Linear, Star, or Device Level Ring configurations.

With its more extensive feature set, the Plus 7 Performance can be deployed in mid-range scale builds as well in a Device Level Ring configuration.  However, unlike the Plus 7 Standard, it can also be used within Allen Bradley’s Integrated Architecture System for larger and more complex builds.

The Integrated Architecture System allows scalability for factory-wide and enterprise control solution designs.  This makes the control system flexible across process and batch operations as well as motions and drives.  The standard design environment allows applications to be built and configured using many components, including I/O, network access, motion control, cables, drives, and controllers. 

The PanelView Plus 7 Performance can work within the Integrated Architecture System.  It can be used in builds such as a Linear configuration to bring visualization to operators in real-time via access to other system components.  This is where the unlimited screen and alarm capacity works in the Plus 7 Performance’s favor compared to the Standard.

ArmorView Plus 7

Allen Bradley also makes the ArmorView Plus 7.  This HMI only comes in one size of 12.1”.  Its functionality is roughly the same as the Performance.  However, it is designed as a fully enclosed panel for a cabinet-free terminal, placing it directly in critical positions on a machine.  It offers EtherNet I/O communication and buttons, and switches can be customized to tailor the visualization experience.  It can also be mounted on swing arms and pedestals. 

While the ArmorView Plus 7 is enclosed in cast aluminum to allow its deployment directly at the motion or control point or the operator station, it is not ideal for some industry-specific applications. In specific industries like food and beverage, the better option would be the PanelView Plus 7 Performance which offers stainless steel casing on its 9” and 12” models.  However, the ArmorView Plus 7 does have an emergency E-stop button for quick stops to protect the product, equipment, or safety.