HP Prime too complicated

[DrD]

Cyrille,

USB is important, but to ignore serial comm is to ignore the many, many devices that are STILL in use today, that require serial communication. The industrial market had many programmable products, (designed for field applications), that would become a significant capital re-investment to deploy newer USB technology, or WIFI, BT, etc. Every time a new flavor of communication comes along, a gradual phase-in or compatibility association must be worked out, if there is any hope of making a realistic transition.

Every manufacturer wants to build the ultimate mandated lock, over which it is the sole provider of the key. Industry at large, uses products from a lot of different vendors. Each product has to be integrated into the corporate mainstream SCADA system. So there are two major components that must be accommodated:

1. SCADA compatibiity (Host side)
2. Field services: Installation, callibrations, maintenance. (Client side)

There is quite a market for (2. Field services), when you consider ALL of the various devices likely to be encountered. At the utility where I did this sort of thing, we probably had at least a hundred different products that required some sort of field service. Until they were no longer serviceable, meaning no parts, and no mfr support was available AT ALL, many times they are kept in use. To see 1980 technology still in use today, alongside new products just acquired, happens all the time.

What you don't see out there, is something that bridges the gap. Every time the protocol changes, there is an expectation that the corporate world will just jump and dump in favor of the new equipment. I doubt that happens very often! This is a market opportunity, not a sole reason for building this tool. That is why I see some sort of I/O as a valuable addition to the Prime. There probably aren't that many people that would actually be able to create ppl programs, using the I/O commands, but as the need begins to be resolved with some similar approach, there is much to be gained. Some enterprising entrepreneur may find reward in this pursuit!

-Dale-