On a conventional control panel every button runs its own wire back to the control unit. On a twenty-button panel that means twenty wires into the cabinet. On a CAN-based panel, four conductors are enough.
Button layout is not left to chance: frequently used functions sit where the hand naturally rests, hazardous ones where they cannot be pressed by accident. Gloved operation, symbol legibility and night visibility are part of the design. Panel housing and keypad are selected for the IP and vibration conditions the machine works in.
The panel is added to the machine’s existing CAN bus and its message structure defined to match the control unit. Together with the joystick, operator screen and valve system, a single control architecture can be built.