HMI Upgrades Using Existing Field Equipment
An HMI upgrade can retain existing field equipment. For Medina County, GDS replaced Wonderware with VTScada while keeping the Motorola RTUs and communications in service. We identify which components can remain and which need to change when planning the migration.
Operator Screens and System Functions
We review site screens, alarm priorities and routing, trends, reporting, user access, workstation needs, and redundancy requirements. The existing graphics provide a starting point, and operator input helps determine how the new application should work.
Testing and Transition to the New System
The migration plan covers signal checks, alarm testing, historical data, changeover responsibilities, and operator training. Operating documentation is also part of the discussion. For ADOT, GDS developed an Ignition application and an operator guide for Phoenix metro freeway pumphouses.
Common Questions
- How do existing screens and alarms carry into the new application?
- We inventory the current screens, tags and alarms, then review them with operators. Existing behavior is a useful reference, but nuisance alarms, unclear status labels and obsolete screens should be addressed in the agreed design. The resulting mapping provides a basis for testing.
- Can historical records be retained?
- We review the source historian, export formats, timestamps and retention needs before promising a transfer. Depending on the available interfaces, the plan may import supported records or preserve an accessible archive alongside the new historian. Historical data needs a separate validation step from live tags.
- Can we keep existing Motorola field equipment?
- Where the controllers and communications are suitable, yes. The Medina County migration retained Motorola RTUs while replacing Wonderware with VTScada. We verify the actual models, firmware and data exchange for each proposed migration.
- How do operators prepare for the changeover?
- Review sessions should cover normal operation, alarms, manual controls and communication failures using the new screens. We agree the training, operating guide and changeover checks with the owner, including how staff report and resolve problems during acceptance.