A Human Machine Interface (HMI) serves as the vital bridge between a machine and its user, providing a graphical representation of the machine's status while enabling the user to control the device by sending commands through a processor. HMIs find applications in a wide array of industries, including industrial manufacturing, factory automation, building automation, and energy storage, among others, where a visual display is required to interact with machines.

HMI typically incorporates a processor to run the Operating System (OS) and execute custom applications, a high-resolution display(s) or touch screen for input, a GPU to bring the graphics acceleration to life for the user, and high-speed interfaces such as USB, PCIe, and ethernet for connectivity to outside world. There are many different levels to HMI ranging from low end to high end that utilizes multi core processors to achieve high levels of compute. Nevertheless, the implementation remains consistent as seen in Figure 4-1 showing a block diagram of a typical HMI.

The AM6x processors, such as the AM68 or AM69 devices, are ideally suited for HMI applications, spanning the mid to high end of the spectrum, effectively ushering customers into their next generation of requirements. Figure 4-1 portrays a typical block diagram for an HMI using AM68 or AM69 devices. The flexibility of this application allows for scalability based on the specific AM6x family device in use.

Figure 4-1 HMI Box Block Diagram on AM68/AM69

Figure 4-1 shows the typical block diagram for an HMI using AM68 or AM69 devices. This application can be scaled up or scaled down based on which device from the AM6x family is being used. The processor would interface through PCIe or ethernet with an external module such as a PLC or other controller so that it can acquire the proper data to display to a screen. The data displayed could be a pressure gauge, a motor encoder showing RPMs, or status of a machine. From there, the operator is able to decide what is needed next: Should they utilize USB3 to upload a new test program or data? Should they employ PCIe Gen 3 to write a set of data to an SSD drive? Or should they simply push a button to send a new command back to the machine, acknowledging the status?

Customers play a pivotal role in developing the software for interpreting and displaying this data on the screen, where the GPU comes into play for demanding processing tasks. With the Linux based SDK for our processors and their support in mainline kernel, the integration of custom applications onto our platform is streamlined. Moreover, the CSI2-RX interface facilitates the connection of multiple cameras to the HMI, making it ideal for applications requiring area monitoring and setting surveillance.

For projects with more advanced requirements, our Analytics variant of the AM6x processors empowers you to delve into advanced analytics for camera inputs, turning your regular HMI into a Smart HMI, refer to the whitepapers: Advanced AI Vision Processing Using AM69A for Smart Camera Applications and Advanced AI Vision Processing Using AM68A for Industrial Smart Camera Applications for how Edge AI can take your project to the next level of the industrial revolution.