Getting Started with Gen 3 & 4 HMI Modules

1 Pick your Module & Get a Dev Kit

Generation 3 & 4 modules are mature products and not recommended for new projects. We recommend starting with Generation 5 HMI Modules, for example, the SIMx52 or SIMx62 families for new designs.  

If you’ve purchased a development kit for a Generation 3 or 4 HMI module, for example, the SIM115, SIM231, or SIM543, and want to get started, you’ve come to the right place.

2 Got your Dev Kit?    Power it Up!

For smaller SIMs, such as the SIM115 and SIM231, you can power the whole module from the USB connector.  

For larger SIMs, such as the SIM543, the dev kit includes a 110/220VAC to 5V power adapter, a barrel jack adapter, an example JST16 wire harness, and a handy connector wiring card. Connecting all these pieces together will power the unit.

Be sure to connect the power + and – wires correctly according to the wire card or you will damage your unit. Consult the technical reference manual if you have any doubt on the correct connection of the power supply to the unit.

Many SIMs purchased in single unit (-01) packages have a built-in demo installed. If you purchased a production multi-pack (-05 or -10), there may be a (fairly unimpressive!) manufacturing GUI installed.  Either way, once the unit is powered, the on-board firmware will execute and any installed GUI should start running and displaying info on the LCD screen.

If there’s a demo installed on the SIM, go ahead and explore it!  It was developed using the Serious Human Interface™ Platform (SHIP) rapid GUI development system, including the SHIPTide GUI Development IDE and is less than a few hundred lines of code (really!).

3 Download SHIPtide and Connect

In order to build a GUI and uploaded it to your module, you’ll first need to download the no-cost tools from Serious. SHIPTide is the IDE where you develop your GUIs for downloading into your SIM. SHIPTide also has built-in communications and firmware upgrade capabilities for managing your SIM’s configuration.

Download and Install SHIPTide

For the Gen3 and 4 HMI modules, use SHIPTide 5.1 or later, downloadable from the www.mySerious.com portal.

Note: SHIPTide is only supported on Windows 10 64-bit systems.

Download SHIPTide 5.2 and install it on your PC. This download/install not only installs the SHIPTide tool, but also Windows USB custom drivers as well as the SHIPHarborMaster application. SHIPHarborMaster is a separate background app that sits in your Windows toolbar and monitors connect/disconnect events from Serious modules (both SIMs and SCMs) as well as brokers the conversation between the USB subsystem and higher level applications such as SHIPTide.

Run SHIPTide and Connect

You can run SHIPHarborMaster directly – SHIPTide does not need to be running to connect a PC to a SIM – however the easiest way to start is by running SHIPTide which auto-launches the SHIPHarborMaster background task. With the module powered and connected via USB, the drivers will recognize the module and give a Windows 10 notification of the connected unit as shown here.
Within SHIPTide you will also see all connected devices in the “Devices:” pulldown:

Update the SIM’s Firmware

You can easily, within SHIPTide, see what firmware versions are installed on the unit and the Serious Serial Number of the unit: click on Tools>Firmware Update to bring up the Firmware Update panel.

The panel shows the installed firmware versions and the serial number of the unit. It also, if you are connected to the internet, enables you to browse active, retired, and experimental firmware bundles available from Serious. You can, directly from this panel, select, download, and install a new firmware bundle onto your SIM.

If this panel shows a newer firmware release is available for your SIM than currently installed, go ahead and update your SIM now: it will only take a moment. You’ll see the SIM reboot and firmware being installed, then an additional reboot.  SHIPTide will show the module disappear and reappear as the module reboots.  When complete, you can go back into the Firmware Update panel and see the new firmware revision(s) you installed.

Note there are three firmware objects in every SIM: two boot loaders and the SHIPEngine GUI management firmware.  You can learn more about the SHIPv5 boot system here.

3 Build & Run First GUI

We know you’re eager to get your own GUI started! Dive right in. Within SHIPTide, click the Project->New menu and choose your SIM: Now give it a project name and choose a simple starting template for your GUI: You’ll now see a very simple GUI in SHIPTide’s workspace. Go ahead! Let’s build this GUI and install it into your SIM! Click Project->Build & Export and SHIPTide will “compile” your project and and prompt you to upload it to the SIM:

4 What’s Next?

Now it’s time to dig deeper into SHIPTide and how to build that rich and modern GUI you’ve always wanted for your product.

Time for a little watching and learning:

Serious Documentation Zone

The Serious Documentation area has a wealth of information:

  • applications notes
  • example projects
  • training videos
  • reference manuals for SHIP concepts

mySerious.com Portal

The mySerious.com portal contains many downloads for your SIM, including:

  • Technical Reference Manual (TRM)
  • Mechanical Design Package (MDP), including STEP file models of your SIM
  • SHIPTide updates

Don’t Get Stuck!

Product Safety

Please follow general Product Safety practices to avoid any situation which could damage your SIM or create hazardous conditions. More detailed information specific to your product will be available in the Technical Reference Manual.

Serious Gatling™ Technology

Cost-Effective Higher Performance Graphics

Serious Gatling™ Technology is a cost-effective graphics enhancement capability for modules without dedicated graphics controllers, such as the SIM115 and SIM231.  It enables the following key performance elements:

  • Lower DRAM bus overhead — less than 17% on the SIM231 in 16 bit color mode compared to nearly 45% on the SIM225
  • 24bit (16 million) color support
  • Removes the “bus lockout” software challenge related to Direct Drive solutions
  • Enables broader LCD timing support for more flexible LCD selection

SIM115 3.5″ HMI

SIM115 3.5″ HMI


SIM115 is a mature product — see the SIM152 for new designs.

SIM115 is an Extended Lifetime Product.

 

With a compact, bright 3.5″ 320×240 LCD screen and powered by a 96MHz Renesas RX631 MCU with Serious Gatling™ Technology for rapid-fire 24-bit color delivery and ambient light sensing, the SIM115 can deliver an outstanding front control panel experience for your product.

Standard high-speed UART, SPI, and power connectivity are provided by a 16-pin Power/Communications connector — perfect for simple wire-harness attachment to existing systems. A low-profile, high-density module-to-module 60-pin expansion connector supports easy daughter card development for proprietary system integration. Or, choose one of the Serious Communications Modules to provide the communications flexibility you need, including industrial, IT, and IoT connectivity.

Explore these options compared to the SIM152:
  • SIM252 for similar capabilities and pricing in a wide-format 4.3″ form factor
  • SIM352 for a larger, high resolution 5″ experience
  • SIM552 for similar capabilities in a larger 7″ form factor
  • SIM562 for a high performance 7″ experience with video playback
  • SIM862 for a high-performance 10.1″ experience with video playback

FEATURES & VARIANTS

3.5″ 320×240 color TFT display
  • Serious Gatling™ Technology accelerated for rich 24-bit color performance
  • Various LCD & touch options
  • Ambient light sensing
96MHz 32-bit Renesas RX631 MCU
  • 128kB RAM, up to 512kB FLASH
On Module Memory
  • 8MB or 16MB SDRAM
  • 8MB or 16MB Serial FLASH
Extensive I/O
  • 60-pin Board-to-Board I/O Expansion(Power, GPIO, CAN, UART, I2C, I2S, SPI, USB Host, Device…)
  • 16-pin Wire Harness Expansion(Power, UART, I2C, I2S, SPI,…)
  • 0 FS Embedded Host
  • 0 FS Device
  • SHIP Programming Port
Wide Operating Range
  • -20 to 70°C operating temperature range
  • 6 to 5.5 VDC Input Power
SIM115A01A02A03A04
Processor & Memory
Processor96MHz Renesas RX631 MCU
MCU Flash/RAM (kB)512/128
DRAM (MB)161688
SPI NOR Flash (MB)161688
LCD & Touch
Touch TypesResistiveNoneResistiveNone
Ambient Light Sensing
Connectivity
16-Pin Serial/Power Expansion
60-Pin SCM Expansion
USB2.0 FS Device Logic
USB2.0 FS Device Micro B Connector  
USB2.0 FS Host with A Connector  
Peripherals
Front LED  
Piezo Sounder  
RTCC w/Battery Backup  
10-bit DAC Audio Output  

LCD OPTIONS

See LCD Options for definitions and codes. Additional options may be available; contact your local Serious representative for details.

Resistive Touch Options

LCD Option

R45ALL

Size (inches)

3.5

Pixels (w x h)

320×240

Touch

Resistive

Cover Glass

1mm+

Brightness (typ NITs)

400+

Backlight Life (typ hrs)

50,000

Viewing Technology

Landscape

Color Depth (bits)

24

Operating Temp

-20/+70C

Ambient Sensor

 
Non-Touch Options

LCD Option

N55ALL

Size (inches)

3.5

Pixels (w x h)

320×240

Touch

None

Cover Glass

None

Brightness (typ NITs)

500+

Backlight Life (typ hrs)

50,000

Viewing Technology

Landscape

Color Depth (bits)

24

Operating Temp

-20/+70C

Ambient Sensor

 

DEVELOPMENT TOOLS AND SOFTWARE

SHIPTide GUI Development IDE

  • Pixel accurate page layout
  • Built-in media support: jpg, png, bmp, tif, ttf, wav, and more
  • Windows 10 based

SHIPEngine Runtime GUI Engine

  • Licensed with every SIM
  • Runs GUIs generated by SHIPTide
  • Handles graphics, touch, communications, events, and more

Older HMI modules, including SIM115SIM225SIM231SIM243SIM535SIM543 are all supported by SHIP v5.1. For the extra features in SHIP v5.2 and onwards, choose a newer “Gen5” HMI Module, including the SIMx52 and SIMx62  families.

Learn More about the Serious Human Interface™ Platform (SHIP)

 

 

DEVELOPMENT KITS

The SIMx52 and SIMx62 Development Kits

SIMx52 and SIMx62 HMI modules are supported by SIM Dev Kit Accessory (SIMDKA) packages. Just purchase separately the individual HMI module of your choice, and add the appropriate DKA as a build-your-own dev kit.

SIMx52/x52 Dev Kit Accessories

DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES

The Serious Documentation Zone has extensive SIM documentation, downloads, resources, training, and more.