CTM400 Industrial Operator Interface Terminal for Harsh Environments

Description

The CTM400 terminal is a compact, rugged, industrial data entry and display terminal. It is intended for use as an operator panel and as a service/setup panel in microprocessor based equipment. The CTM400 has a 50-key alphanumeric keypad including 8 function keys. By using the shift key, the eight function keys are mapped to 16 functions. The shift key is marked as the 2nd key in the upper right corner of the keyboard. Pressing and releasing the 2nd key shifts the keys to the characters above each key. A set of command sequences are used by the host to control these terminals. Intelligent Instrumentation's products are backed by over 30 years of experience providing solutions to industry through state-of-the-art technology. This experience has ensured that the design of the CTM400 is focused on the needs of customers.

Display

The CTM400 features a 2-line by 40-character liquid crystal display (LCD). For ease of viewing in low-light areas, the display is illuminated with an electro-luminescent backlight that may be controlled either from the keyboard or from the host computer. The viewing angle is adjustable by inserting a small flat-head screwdriver through the hole in the middle of the connector panel on the back of the terminal.

Communications

The CTM400 built-in host communications port features RS232C character mode operation.

Auxiliary

The auxiliary port on the CTM400 may be used for the following purposes:

• Digital I/O Port - The digital I/O port consists of 8 inputs and 8 outputs. The digital inputs may be used to read the state of any TTL or CMOS signal. Possible applications include reading switch positions, machine state, and door latch positions. The digital outputs may be used to provide control of external devices such as lights, alarms, and door latches. In most cases, an intermediate relay or transistor circuit must be added to drive the external device.
• Serial Pass-through Port - The RS232C serial auxiliary port is a TxD and RxD pair which may be used to communicate with devices such as an electronic scale, CRT, or a second terminal. When the terminal is placed in serial pass-through mode, it behaves as if the host and auxiliary RS232 wires are connected and the terminal is transparent. All keys and display functions are disabled.
• Serial Echo Port - The RS232C serial auxiliary port may also be placed in echo mode. All keystrokes which cause a character to be transmitted out the host port will be transmitted out the serial auxiliary port.
• Parallel Printer Pass-through Port - The parallel printer port is implemented as a subset of the Centronics printer interface. Seven data bits, a data strobe, and printer busy signals are supported. All other printer outputs are ignored. Unused printer inputs, if present, may need to be tied to appropriate levels for proper operation.
• Parallel Printer Echo Port - The parallel printer port may also be placed in echo mode. All keystrokes which cause a character to be transmitted out the host port will be transmitted out the parallel printer port.

Mounting Options

The CTM400 may be placed on a desktop or a wall using the TM8447 metal stand. For a true NEMA-4 installation the TM8448 industrial mounting kit for recess mounting, or the LPA006 stainless steel enclosure is a must.

Operation Mode

Two modes of operation adapt the terminal to various applications and software environments. One mode provides a means of communicating to the terminal, the other allows terminal setup. The two modes are as follows:

• Setup mode allows the maintenance personnel to establish the terminal operating parameters interactively from the keyboard. Prompts guide the operator through the selection of baud rate, protocol, and other parameters.
• Character mode operation is similar to that of a standard CRT. In this mode all entered characters are immediately sent to the host computer; the user selects whether the characters are displayed locally before transmission. The host computer has full control of screen format and of the location of the visible display window. The window and cursor can be scrolled in four directions using relative cursor positioning characters.

Standard Commands

The standard commands are as follows:

• r - Read from digital input port
• e - Echo message from host
• u - Set pass through mode
• v - Set pass-through termination characters
• t - Set turnaround delay
• k - Set keyboard parameters
• m - Define function message
• d - Set display characteristics
• f - Set display format
• i - Insert function message in output stream
• w - Write to digital output
• a - Asynchronous serial interface configuration
• j - Configure auxiliary port
• b - Backup parameters in nonvolatile EEPROM
• c - Configuration request
• x - Set terminal to default/custom parameter set

Command Set

The programmer is given a powerful set of command or Escape sequences with which to control terminal operation. With the exception of communication-related functions, options selected from the keyboard in Setup mode may also be changed by the host computer. All commands supported by Intelligent Instrumentation's on-line terminals are supported by the CTM400.

For a brochure of the entire HMI operator interface terminal and serial autoID data collection terminal line, download the family brochure here

For a quick-reference of functionality of terminals, download the Microterminal Selection Guide here