THE INDUSTRY LEADER OF INDUSTRIAL COMPUTERS

Industry: Electronic Manufacturing, SMT Shop Flow Control

Product: SE5016

Country: China(from 2006 until now)

Case Overview

One customer is doing IT device manufacturing, they process SMT and assemble products with an information collection system called Shop Floor Control System(SFCS), SFCS is on-line computer application system that integrates all relevant real-time information along every step in a manufacturing process. The functions of SFCS include data collection, WIP (work in process) tracking, material management, inventory management, exception management, and quality management etc. IT manufacturing has the following characteristics: a large variety of products, and short product life cycle. Therefore, SFCS is very essential to let IT manufacturing vendors to collect real-time production line information, supporting manufacturing decision making, and increasing manufacturing efficiency.
Originally, customer used local PC embedded with multi-port serial board (as a station) to connect with several barcode readers, after reading data, the station will send it to host PC for data processing.

Now, new problems came with more stations added,

1. Slot number of PC is limited for more serial board embedded.

2. PC is not a “compact” equipment for ease-of-installation.

3. S/W upgraded to each PC is not convenient and user friendly.

System Requirement,

1. A serial-to-Ethernet server is needed to connect with bar code readers and upload reading data to host PC over TCP/IP protocol, no more local PC.

2. Serial Server must be reliable for long-time operation, and compliant with industrial standards.

3. Serial server must be compact size for ease-of-installation, in addition, ease-of-use for operators is necessary as well.

4. No need to modify existing application software of host PC for new system.

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What was done by Atop,

1. SE5016 was provided by Atop to successfully convert Serial RS232/RS485 to Ethernet in cost effective way.

2. SE 5016 provided software selectable RS232/RS485/RS422 port with Gas Discharge Tube for Surge protection or Photo-couple isolation RS422/RS485.

3. SE5016 provided Virtual Com Mode for either TCP server or client, it allowed host PC to connect with multiple serial devices without modification of application software.

Key success factors,

1. Atop SE5016 works reliably, and trouble free.

2. Atop co-works with local SI to perform a quality service to user.

Business Benefits,

Over two years operation, it approved a reliable and stable solution, customer implemented lots of SE5016 for SFCS in whole production line.