A Java-based remote GUI concept for distributed automation systems

In modern factory automation environments it is increasingly important to be able to remote-control complete production lines from one or several management consoles. Currently, production equipment typically possess own operating panels, ranging from a simple foil keyboard and a few LEDs to a sophisticated 3D console. Additionally, many devices offer basic remote access facilities with the help of well-defined interfaces such as SNMP. However, these remote access possibilities can usually not entirely replace a device's user interface but only complement it. The well-known concept of embedded web servers within production equipment is both often costly to implement and rather not advisable without an available Ethernet TCP/IP connection. This contribution describes an alternative, easier implementable approach that is based on Java.