Share Real-time Monitoring And Control Of Multiple Systems Through Workstation Integration

By Author: Deam Malmstrom
Total Articles: 2
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Control rooms and operations centers will add a significant and transformative capability to their tool kits when they adopt workstation integration.  Managers and operators will have unprecedented ability to share control of multiple systems or computers.

This paper provides a summary of the connection, set-up, and technological capability of workstation integration in a typical control room or operations center.

Better Decisions: improve operators' performance and decision-making
One Operator: see the connection and set-up for a single operator
Shared Systems: connect multiple operators and add Ethernet with ease

Make Better Decisions

The primary purpose and real magic of workstation integration is to improve the decision-making ability of operators in control rooms or operations centers.  The strategic value derives from the operators' increased capability, as they are better able to access, organize, and interact with crucial information ...
... from all systems, at a single integrated workstation.  Workstation integration solves a real world business problem that has plagued control rooms for years.

Workstation integration combines visual information from various incompatible systems onto a single workstation display without having to re-design or change each independent system.

The same technology that creates an integrated workstation also provides managers and operators unprecedented ability to share monitoring and control of multiple systems.  Several operators could simultaneously see the same set of systems, create unique sets of layouts of information, and take control of
specific systems.

One Operator

Note how simple the connection is for one operator managing three separate systems from one workstation.  Plug the integrated keyboard, mouse, and monitor into the outbound data and video cards, then connect the various systems' keyboard/mouse and video into the inbound cards on the Workstation Integrator unit.


Figure 2: Interface Card Configuration.  Each Workstation Integrator comes with three different types of cards and multiple patents

The Workstation Integrator comprises three different types of PCB cards, all developed to make shared connection a snap (Fig. 2).

Control Module: for operator keyboard and mouse
Display Output Card: for operator display
System Interface Cards: one for each system

Plug the operator's keyboard and mouse cables into the Workstation Integrator's control module.  Connect the operator's display into the display output card.  Plug each system into its own system interface card (Fig. 3).

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Video from each computer comes to the system interface card, and the USB cables connect out to the mouse and keyboard input of each computer.  You could add an audio cable from the system to the interface card, but this is not shown on the diagram.

Plug your cables into the appropriate slots - begin work.  Connecting is drop dead simple.  You need NO additional drivers, NO system modifications, and NO new downloads.

 

Shared Systems

Connecting multiple, shared systems with multiple operators is nearly as easy as connecting one operator with multiple systems.

Provide a patented Workstation Integrator for each operator.  Prepare the integrated monitor, keyboard, and mouse, as in the first example above.&nbsp

Figure 4: Shared Control Configuration.  Connect each system to at least one Workstation Integrator and the Ethernet switch will allow real-time, shared monitoring, managing, and control.

Connect a standard distribution amplifier (DA) to each workstation that shares control.  Video from each system will then be sent through a DA to each workstation that would share control.

Keyboard and mouse signals into a connected system would only come from one of the Workstation Integrators.

Coordination of control between operators and the passing of mouse and keyboard messages is done over a standard Ethernet network (Fig. 4).  Add an Ethernet switch to the system by plugging into the control module card of each Workstation Integrator.


Conclusion:

Operators make better decisions and become more efficient with their time by deploying workstation integration.  Connecting one operator to multiple systems is as easy as plugging the system keyboard/mouse and video into the appropriate cards on the proprietary, patented Workstation Integrator.

Connecting is drop dead simple (even a caveman could do it) and requires NO additional modifications to the shared systems.

For more detailed information, please contact Dean Malmstrom.

Dean Malmstrom has several patents and patents pending in the area of control room integration.

Portalis LC
204 Fort Union Blvd, Suite 202
Midvale, UT 84047
801.352.9111
dean@portalislc.com