Explosion-Proof Thin Client Terminal for Hazardous Area Data Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing thin client terminals used in explosive areas require extensive cabling and high-bandwidth data transmission to support real-time graphics and input operations, leading to complex and costly explosion-proofing measures, with significant power consumption and cabling efforts due to the need for high-power devices and wide-bandwidth data flow between the explosive and safe areas.
Innovation Solution
A thin client terminal with programmable data processing capabilities, including graphics processing and storage, configured for explosion-proof operation, reduces data transmission by processing and compressing data locally, allowing for reduced bandwidth and power usage, and enabling direct input processing without relying on the server for graphics generation and data transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a computer is set up outside the explosive area to process data and generate graphics, then explosion safety is improved, but data transmission bandwidth and power consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
A thin client terminal is introduced as an intermediary device between the safe area computer and the explosive area display. The thin client receives compressed data from the computer, processes it locally to generate graphics, and displays them. This mediator approach allows the high-power computer to remain in the safe area while the thin client handles local processing with minimal power consumption in the explosive area.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is divided into functional segments: the computer in the safe area handles high-level processing, while the thin client terminal in the explosive area handles local graphics processing and display. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, reducing the power consumption burden in the explosive area while maintaining safety.
2Manufacturing precision
If high-bandwidth data transmission is used to support real-time graphics, then graphics quality is improved, but cabling complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The thin client terminal performs preliminary processing of the data stream by decompressing and rendering graphics locally before display. This preliminary action reduces the amount of data that needs to be transmitted over long distances, allowing the use of simpler, less expensive cabling while maintaining high graphics quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the data transmission parameters by using compression to reduce the data volume before transmission. The thin client receives compressed data, expands it locally, and processes it into graphics. This parameter change allows standard cabling to suffice while maintaining high graphics quality through local processing power.
3Productivity
If explosion-protected devices with high electric power are used in the explosive area, then processing capability is improved, but safety and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The thin client terminal serves as an intermediary that performs local processing with minimal power requirements. By offloading the heavy processing tasks to the safe area computer and only performing necessary local graphics processing in the explosive area, the system achieves adequate processing capability without requiring high-power explosion-protected devices, thereby reducing safety and complexity burdens.
4Reliability
If data is processed and graphics are generated in the safe area, then explosion safety is improved, but data transmission volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thin client terminal performs preliminary data decomposition and graphics generation locally in the explosive area. By preparing and processing data locally before display, the system reduces the volume of data that needs to be transmitted back and forth between the safe area computer and the explosive area display, while maintaining explosion safety.
Data Source
AI summary
A thin-client terminal (1,1′) according to the invention serves for use in a potentially explosive area (ExB) and has at least the following components: an EDP device (11,11′), which can be programmed using software, has graphics capabilities, has its own storage and computation capacity, is connected, via at least one data transmission channel (K), to a computer (C)—which is not arranged in the potentially explosive area (ExB) and acts as a server—and is capable of communicating with the latter as a thin client in accordance with the client/server principle, and a display (12) which is connected to the EDP device (11, 11′) and is intended to display data. The thin-client terminal (1,1′) according to the invention is explosion-proof or is intrinsically safe and can thus be used in the potentially explosive area (ExB). The thin-client terminal (1,1′) also preferably has an explosion-proof or intrinsically safe keyboard (13) which is connected to the EDP device (11,11′) and is intended for inputting data.