Explosion-Proof Display System with Remote Transmitter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs) for explosive environments require complex and bulky protection measures, such as sand-filled housings, which are not slim or easy to install, and do not efficiently support operation in Category 2 explosive atmospheres.
Innovation Solution
A slim, explosion-proof display and input system with a touch surface and HDBaseT interface, where the display unit is installed in the hazardous area and a transmitter unit, with HDBaseT and USB interfaces, is set up remotely in a non-hazardous area, enabling bidirectional communication over a network cable, using HDBaseT Alliance Specification 2.0 and integrated circuits for signal conversion and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional HMIs use sand-filled enclosures for explosion protection, then safety in explosive atmospheres is improved, but device complexity and size increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the processing unit from the display device, placing it in a separate control computer located outside the hazardous area. Only the display unit remains in the explosive atmosphere, significantly reducing the amount of electronics that require explosion-proof certification and simplifying the overall protection structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is divided into two separate units: a display unit for the hazardous area and a transmitter unit/control computer for the non-hazardous area. This segmentation allows the complex processing functions to be located outside the explosive atmosphere while maintaining full functionality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If HMIs are designed with integrated processing units for full functionality, then operational capability is improved, but protection requirements and device size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The processing unit is extracted from the display housing and placed in a separate control computer. This allows the display unit to be compact while maintaining full processing capabilities in the external control system that communicates with the display via HDBaseT interface.
3Ease of operation
If video signals are transmitted using standard monitor cables, then connection simplicity is improved, but transmission distance is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces standard monitor cable transmission with HDBaseT technology, which uses structured cable infrastructure (Cat5e/Cat6) to transmit video signals over much longer distances (up to 100 meters) while maintaining signal quality and using standard networking components.
4Ease of operation
If display units are placed directly in hazardous areas for user access, then operational accessibility is improved, but exposure to explosive atmospheres increases thermal load on components
Solution Approach 1:
The heat-generating processing unit is extracted from the display and placed in the control computer outside the hazardous area. The display unit in the hazardous area contains only minimal electronics, significantly reducing thermal load and the risk of igniting explosive atmospheres while remaining accessible to users.
Data Source
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Figure 2a~2b
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AI summary
Explosion-proof display and input system designed for operation in a category 2 potentially explosive atmosphere; comprising a display unit with a screen having a touch surface for inputting commands and which is explosion-proof, and a transmitter unit that can be set up remotely in a non-hazardous area.