What Is the Schneider Magelis HMI Family?
Magelis is Schneider Electric's family of human machine interface (HMI) terminals and panels used to visualise, monitor and control industrial machines and processes. The range spans small text displays, compact touch panels and larger advanced touchscreen terminals, and it is programmed using Schneider's Vijeo Designer software or the newer EcoStruxure Operator Terminal Expert environment. Magelis HMIs are commonly deployed alongside Schneider PLC platforms such as Modicon M340, communicating over Ethernet, serial (RS-232/RS-485) or fieldbus links.
It is worth noting that Schneider Electric has been consolidating its HMI portfolio under the Harmony brand, with several former Magelis ranges now offered under Harmony names — for example, the Harmony ST6, STO/STU and GTO touchscreen families are described by Schneider as successors to earlier Magelis equivalents. Magelis terminals themselves remain widely deployed in the field, and many are still supported, serviced and available through industrial automation distributors.
How Magelis HMIs Fit Into a Control Architecture
A typical Magelis-based installation has three layers: the PLC or controller that runs the process logic, the HMI panel that gives operators a window into that logic, and — increasingly — an industrial PC that handles data logging, SCADA hosting, recipe management, historian functions or gateway duties. The HMI is optimised for rugged panel-mount operation and fast operator response, but it is not designed for heavy computing tasks such as running a full SCADA server, database or MES client.
That is where an industrial computer complements the HMI. The IPC handles the compute-intensive work while the Magelis panel stays focused on the operator interface.
| Layer | Typical Role | Example Hardware |
|---|---|---|
| Controller | Process logic, I/O control | Modicon M340, M221, M241 |
| HMI terminal | Operator display, alarms, setpoints | Magelis / Harmony touch panels |
| Industrial PC | SCADA, historian, gateway, data logging | Fanless industrial PC, DIN-rail or wall-mount |
Connectivity and Software Considerations
Magelis panels and the industrial PCs that sit alongside them usually need to speak the same protocols. Ethernet (Modbus TCP, EtherNet/IP) is the most common backbone, while legacy installations often rely on dual serial ports for Modbus RTU or ASCII devices. When specifying a companion PC, look for:
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Dual Gigabit Ethernet so the PC can sit between the plant network and the enterprise network without a switch.
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Multiple serial ports (DB9) for RS-232/RS-485 links to older PLCs, weighbridges, drives or barcode readers.
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Fanless, ventless chassis because control cabinets are dusty, hot and often washed down.
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Wide-temperature tolerance and 12–24 V DC input to match typical panel power supplies.
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A stable, long-life OS image — Windows 11 IoT, Windows 11 Pro or an embedded Linux — so the platform stays supported for years.
Use Cases
Industrial PCs paired with Magelis or Harmony HMI panels are found in water and wastewater plants, food and beverage lines, packaging machinery, textile mills, energy sub-stations and building automation. Common roles include SCADA server, OPC gateway, production data logger, vision-system host and remote-access node for maintenance engineers. In each case the HMI gives the operator local control, while the IPC provides the storage, networking and processing headroom the panel alone cannot deliver.
Thinvent Products for HMI and SCADA Deployments
Thinvent's industrial PC range is built for exactly this role. The Thinvent® IPC3 with Intel® Core™ i3-1215U (6 cores, up to 4.4 GHz, 10 MB cache), 16 GB DDR4 RAM and 1 TB SSD delivers the compute headroom for SCADA, historians and gateway workloads, and is available with quad DB9 serial ports for legacy Modbus RTU devices, dual Gigabit Ethernet, and a choice of Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11 IoT, DOS or Thinux™ Embedded Linux. For lighter panel-side tasks, Thinvent mini PCs and thin clients offer the same fanless reliability in a smaller footprint, making them a practical companion to any Magelis or Harmony HMI installation.
