Just what the title says… I recently had to do this when a small, but very critical, sub unit in process was using the old PanelMates, no spares, no program backups, nothing. Well had one go out and luckily had one still working to build off of, and the thin client deploys to the Hope Industrial monitors.
After I built and tested one on the fly, I then did the same for the other..
Very aggravating when kept telling process engineers to update these obsolete units while you can so everyone isn’t begging/demanding me to perform a miracle on the fly… but no, as usual, so after this, I now own that whole sub unit as well. Just the systems and controls aspect of course. Use Schneider M580s and AVEVA/Wonderware system platform everywhere else in the plant. The thin clients are just word IN/OUT via ethernet/ModbusTCP. These monitors only have a few screens and “they” don’t want operators to have access to the Wonderware sessions or anything else at these locations.
so, are you just publishing the client to the TC as a published app from a terminal services server? The practice is starting to gain traction in the industry, and I think or the most part the general concept is the right way to go. As long as you have control of the system with no lag or as long as the speed of the interface is not mission or safety critical, I think just using MS terminal services and RDP or published apps is a very valid option.
I have now deployed two Thin Manager systems and TM is just a glorified frontend for TS that is more industrial automation specific. It gives you better control of your deployment and security in a centralized place but in the end, you still have to have all of the MS BS in place to make it work.
Another approach that we are working with is from Bosch Rexroth, their CtrlX solution. The concept here is really good but the current implementation is very lacking (and we haven't even started up the project yet). The idea is that everything runs from a single, affordable unit (PLC, HMI, VPN, Motion, SQL, and so on) and data is across all of the processes is shared at a low level "Data Layer". Again, I like the concept and the structure of the environment means that anyone can create and publish an app to run on the hardware (Core) creating this open marketplace. I don't know that it's going to have the impact they expect though and currently the only HMI software providers are partial attempts at a WYSIWYG design studio and they do not understand the demands of the Industrial Automation as they have never performed in the industry till now. But again, the concept is that your HMI environment is centralized and deployed as a web app to locked down Android based panels or other devices with web browsers.
I am all for Centralized terminal servers and reducing the hardware footprint on the floor. but so far it seems that Microsoft is making this cost prohibitive unless the solution is already being used onsite and then I worry if the solution can handle the load of an entire production floor. Getting rid of Microsoft from Industrial automation entirely is ideal, but I don't see a mature solution that isn't going to end up costing just as much or more.