Control Engineering articles from April 2003

Control Engineering archives from April 2003

The new guy. (Editorial).
April 1, 2003... If you haven't heard the news already by cruising our Web site, there's an editorial director onboard at Control Engineering, and I'm it. Like any "new guy" at any organization, I know I have a lot of explaining to do. After all, everyone wants...

Device server in RJ-45 package helps network I/O device. (Technology Update).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... As a developer of networked, application specific peripherals, Barix AG (Zurich, Switzerland) recently faced the problem of finding a way to network enable its universal, intelligent I/O device, Barionet, which is used for distributed data...

ESC reaches 15 years of innovation. (Embedded Systems Conference: San Francisco).
April 1, 2003... Though it seems like only yesterday the Embedded Systems Conference (ESC) was just learning how to walk, so to speak, the conference has now reached its 15th year. This latest "teenage" edition of ESC, featuring more than 300 exhibitors...

Hello, 21st century.(Schneider Electric)
April 1, 2003... The people of Schneider Electric work day in, day out to simplify machine control. In fact, we're passionate about it. That's why we invented the first Web-enabled controller. The world's smallest circuit breaker. The only motor starter with an...

Unilever applies batch software to freshen deodorant production. (Exclusive: Application Update).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Body odor isn't pleasant, but most people rarely have to smell it thanks to Unilever's personal care products plant (Rae-ford, NC), which has 600 employees and runs a 24/7 operation. Faced with a required relocation, consolidation and upgrade...

Industrial HMI makes a splash on advanced luxury yacht. (Exclusive: Application Update).(human -- machine interfaces)
April 1, 2003... Hardworking industrial human -- machine interfaces (HMIs) are usually found on plant floors, not at the PC-based controls of a luxury yacht moored in sun-splashed Palm Beach, Florida. However, the 153-ft, aluminum-hulled Detroit Eagle is not an...

A few controls users, suppliers pierce overall economic gloom. (Market Update).
April 1, 2003... Industries that use and produce industrial did not have a very good year in 2002, if you examine their sales and profits compared to the year before. In one of the more useful sources of analysis, Business Week magazine takes the financial...

Legend 520. (New Standards in High-Performance Vision).(Advertisement)
April 1, 2003... The most affordable' machine vision sensor in the industry utilizes CMOS imaging technology for complete machine vision inspections, barcode reading and OCR. Ethernet ready and value priced.

Legend 540. (New Standards in High-Performance Vision).(Advertisement)
April 1, 2003... Real-time machine vision inspections at the fastest speeds ever known. The Legend 540 inspects up to 9,000 parts per minute and delivers 8 times the performance of traditional smart cameras. Built-in Ethernet connectivity.

Legend 544. (New Standards in High-Performance Vision).(Advertisement)
April 1, 2003... 1280 x 1024 resolution means ultra-precise inspections at the highest resolutions ever known in smart camera technology. The Legend 544 detects microscopic flaws and even reads heavily distorted barcodes-- all at ultra-high speeds. Built-in...

IntelligentScanner. (New Standards in High-Performance Vision).(Advertisement)
April 1, 2003... OCR/OCV capabilities with 1 & 2-D code reading/verification at unprecdented speed. Code blemishes, poor lighting and background inconsistencies present no problems for the IntelligentScanner. Integrated lighting, an ultra-fast processor and...

Legend 530. (New Standards in High-Performance Vision).(Advertisement)
April 1, 2003... The smallest, Ethernet-ready vision sensor on the market, features increased performance and on-camera control of up to 4 external lights for imaging high-speed motion. Coordinate data for robot control, OCR, barcode reading and machine vision...

Legend 542C. (New Standards in High-Performance Vision).(Advertisement)
April 1, 2003... Color recognition and high-speed inspections at a smart camera price. The Legend 5420 introduces color.? inspections with powerful tools like "one touch" color learning and color segmentation. Internet-enabled.

Legend 544C. (New Standards in High-Performance Vision).(Advertisement)
April 1, 2003... Full color inspections at 1280 x 1024 resolution make this mega-pixel machine vision sensor the best value in the industry. Suitable for the fastest manufacturing lines, the Legend 544C offers OCR, 1 & 2-D barcode reading and precision...

SpectroCam. (New Standards in High-Performance Vision).
April 1, 2003... Ideal for demanding color applications, a built-in spectrograph detects even the smallest color deviations: The peak location of the spectrum also' monitors for LED quality control. Highly. sensitive to color with unlimited color. learning...

Agilent Technologies Inc. has acquired exclusive rights to absolute encoder technology from Optolab Microsystems AG. (In Business).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * To complement its motion control portfolio, Agilent Technologies Inc. (Palo Alto, CA) has acquired exclusive rights to absolute encoder technology from Optolab Microsystems AG (Erfurt, Germany), a supplier of optoelectronic solutions. While...

GE Fanuc Automation North America Inc. acquired Ramix Inc. (In Business).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * GE Fanuc Automation North America Inc. (Charlottesville, VA) acquired Ramix Inc. (Ventura, CA), a supplier of embedded computing connectivity, storage, and memory solutions for defense, aerospace, telecommunications, medical equipment, and...

Yamanouchi Ireland Co., Ltd. a subsidiary of Japan's Yamanouchi Pharmaceuticals. (In Business).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * Yamanouchi Ireland Co., Ltd. (Dublin, Ireland), a subsidiary of Japan's Yamanouchi Pharmaceuticals, will use ABB's IndustriallT technology to upgrade its Dublin-based production facility.

Opto 22. (In Business).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * To help users implement its Snap Ultimate I/O remote monitoring, control, and data acquisition system at their own pace, Opto 22 (Temecula, CA) has developed and released its Snap Ultimate I/O Learning Center. This package includes a...

FF, HART, Profibus partner to extend DDL specification. (News).
April 1, 2003... Austin, TX -- Three leading organizations dedicated to control network technology--Fieldbus Foundation, HART Communication Foundation, and Profibus Nutzerorganisation e.V. (PNO)--have started an unprecedented collaborative project to extend the...

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems. (News).(global shipments reach $965 million)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
April 1, 2003... Global shipments for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems, including transponders, readers, software, and services, reached approximately $965 million in 2002 according to "Global Markets and Applications for RFID and Contactless...

Control Engineering appoints editorial director. (On-the-Move).(David Greenfield)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Oak Brook, IL -- Control Engineering has announced David Greenfield as editorial director. In this role, Mr. Greenfield will manage the publication's content direction to ensure that Control Engineering's editorial evolves with today's industry...

Modbus Organization links with Chinese Standards Organization. (News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Hopkinton, MA -- A recent addition to the Modbus Organization Inc. (MOL) board of directors indicates closer ties between MOI and the Chinese Standards Organization. The new director on MOI's board is Feng Xiaosheng, chairman of the China...

Integrated motors market poised for substantial growth. (Industry View).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Wellingborough, U.K; Austin, TX -- Though the current market for servo and stepper motors with incorporated positioning electronics is less than 2% of the overall servo and stepper motor market, this sector is likely to grow rapidly soon. ...

ODVA, TIA to develop joint industrial Ethernet specifications. (Best Practices).(Open Device Net Vendor Association, Telecommunications Industry Association )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Boca Raton, FL; Arlington, VA -- The Open Device Net Vendor Association (ODVA) and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) have formed a cooperation and cross licensing agreement for building common industrial Ethernet specifications....

SmartSignal detects in wider applications. (Best Practices).
April 1, 2003... Lisle, IL -- SmartSignal's equipment monitoring and predictive capabilities are extending beyond airline and large utility turbines to locomotives and pipeline meters, a company representative told Control Engineering recently. The technology,...

Control valve market to reach nearly $3.5 billion by 2008. (Industry View).
April 1, 2003... Dedham, MA -- The worldwide control valve market, which totaled almost $3 billion in 2002, will reach almost $3.5 billion by the end of 2007, expanding at a cumulative annual growth rate (CAGR) of just over 3%, according to a new study by ARC...

Bottom up or top down? (Think Again).
April 1, 2003... So should you incorporate a bottom-up or top-down philosophy for information integration, as part of your open systems strategy? Microsoft. Net strategies have been seen as a bottom-up approach, reaching from the plant floor into...

Direct-drive linear motion lives! Manufacturers apply material advancements, refine thermal management, and cut production costs to widen applications and attract more users. (Cover Story).
April 1, 2003... Technologically, they've made a straight line to success. Direct-drive linear motion systems eliminate gearboxes, ballscrews, belts, couplings, or other rotary-to-linear motion converters between motor and load-- offering superior speed,...

Optimizing assets requires well-'tuned' resources and the right attitude: until there is executive support to develop a culture committed to optimizing production assets, all the tools in the world won't get the job done.
April 1, 2003... A band director manages available assets by getting each musician to play the same song, measure, and count at the same time. Optimizing the band to win every contest it enters requires ensuring every instrument is in tune and every musician is...

One is wide open the other is open wide: what's the difference between 'open systems and a root canal?
April 1, 2003... Depending on how you define open systems, where you apply them, and how deeply, experiences can seem like a walk on a prairie or an eternity in the dentist's chair. What does "open control" currently mean for control engineers and their...

8 ways to improve control system projects: engineering the control system should always be an integral part of the overall project. Avoiding certain common pitfalls will help improve effectiveness and efficiency.
April 1, 2003... Process control systems are growing more powerful and more complex. And in the future they are expected to integrate into plant- and enterprise-wide systems to an ever-greater degree. The repercussions of these developments are significant:...

Machine vision sensors, systems penetrate new realms. (Product Focus: Machine Vision).
April 1, 2003... Seeing usually means believing, but it less often means perceiving. Though this remains all too true for human eyes, their mechanical counterparts are becoming increasingly sophisticated, efficient, intelligent, network enabled and, yes,...

Dual RS-232 port wireless LAN. (Products & Software: Exclusive).
April 1, 2003... Huntington Beach, CA -- New SeriaLan, a dual RS-232 port Wireless LAN, transmits/receives RS-232 serial data to/from any 802.11 b wireless LAN network, PC, laptop, and PDA, or worldwide via the Internet. Reportedly, it's the only device of its...

Multifunction calibration bench. (Products & Software: Exclusive).
April 1, 2003... Marietta, GA -- Beamex's MCS 100 calibration bench system with expanded functionality now features the MC5-P calibration host module, offering multifunction calibration capability for pressure, temperature, and electrical signals--including...

Intelligent microstep driver. (Products & Software: Exclusive).
April 1, 2003... Nashua, NH -- DR-38M intelligent bipolar microstep driver operates from a single 24-40 V power supply input and delivers 4 A output. It includes features found in high-cost controllers, such as CW and COW limit inputs, speed-sensed fast/slow...

New release of ProduceIT. (Products & Software: Exclusive).
April 1, 2003... Wickliffe, OH -- The latest release of ProduceIT Batch provides tighter procedural control for the production management component of IndustrialIT automation systems. Advantages of tighter procedures include improved consistency of manufactured...

Remote data gathering. (Products & Software: Exclusive).
April 1, 2003... Clifton Park, NY -- Sixnet Datalog Server provides the ability to gather time-stamped data from remote locations and transfer these data to duplicated central databases, or SCADA systems over an Ethernet, telephone, or wireless link. At each...

Adjustable-speed generator matches load. (Products & Software: Exclusive).
April 1, 2003... Fort Smith, AR -- OptiGen adjustable-speed generator automatically adjusts generated power output to match various load requirements for standby power applications. Designed to supply up to 250% rated power for electric motor starting, OptGen...

Intelligent motion and logic controller system. (Products & Software: Exclusive).
April 1, 2003... Hoffman Estates, IL -- VisualMotion open control and intelligent drive system (shown at NMW 2003) is designed for accurate process control with capability for rapid process changes. System hardware is Rexroth PPC, a combined motion and logic...

Next-generation VME-based controllers. (Products & Software: Exclusive).
April 1, 2003... Charlottesville, VA--Introduced at NMW 2003, PACSystems family of controllers contains an engine built on standard embedded architecture using commercial, deterministic operating systems, making the engine portable to multiple platforms and...

Ultra-compact process instruments, meters. (Products & Software: Exclusive).
April 1, 2003... Stamford, CT -- Omega iSeries has added an UltraCompact Version requiring only a 2-in. space behind the front panel. The family of microprocessor-based instruments is offered in two DIN sizes with NEMA-4, IP65-rated front bezels. These...

Kit analyzes 20 humidity channels. (Products & Software: Exclusive).
April 1, 2003... Zurich, Switzerland -- Using multi-viewer software, Sensirion AG has developed the EKH3 for economically measuring 20 humidity and temperature sensors and producing values of humidity, temperature, and dew point for viewing on a personal...

Servo valve for position, velocity control. (Products & Software: Exclusive).
April 1, 2003... Twinsburg, OH -- New Duplomatic DXJ3 Series servo-proportional valve is intended for position, velocity, and pressure control applications. The valve reportedly provides high dynamic performance with a linear force motor, direct driving a zero...

AutomationDirect[R]. (Product & Literature Showcase).
April 1, 2003... Automation Direct [R]. offers 3,500 brand name and private-labeled products through a new 1,300-page desk reference and Online Automation Superstore. The desk reference features product descriptions, technical information and price lists for...

2003 serial connectivity update. (Product & Literature Showcase).
April 1, 2003... New product selection guide details Sealevel Systems full line of serial I/O products, including new Ethernet to Serial Servers, Low Profile PCI, PCI, USB to Serial, PC/104, CompactPCI, Serial Converters, PCMCIA, and Synchronous bus interface...

The smart way to power-up your system. (Product & Literature Showcase).
April 1, 2003... Pulizzi Engineering offers a large selection of standard, readily available off-the-shelf, UL, cUL, CSA, TUV and CE approved AC Power Distribution and Power Management Control Systems. These units are designed as "turnkey systems" with...

Using Ethernet with fibre optic cabling. (Product & Literature Showcase).
April 1, 2003... Contemporary Controls [R] recent Extension explains how Ethernet will function with no problems over fiber optics by learning some simple rules. A knowledge of cabling basics and Ethernet standards will help you understand the advantages of...

Electrical design software demo CD. (Product & Literature Showcase).
April 1, 2003... Multi-media demo CD-ROM illustrates the functions of Promis-e electrical control system design software. Powerful AutoCAD add-on has schematic design functions including auto ID assignment, auto cross referencing and auto wire numbering....

Complete automation solutions. (Product & Literature Showcase).
April 1, 2003... POWER Engineers' Automation Group provides complete systems automation, integrating plant floor controls with enterprise business systems. POWER is a leading provider of engineering services, including instrumentation and controls, HMI/SCADA,...

New! DASYLab V6c is now shipping. (Product & Literature Showcase).
April 1, 2003... With more power at every level, the easy-to-use data acquisition software for Windows-based PCs has added exciting new features, headlined by the Test Sequence Manager in the Full version. More documentation and display features enhance the...

Your express lane for enclosures! (Product & Literature Showcase).
April 1, 2003... The most common NEMA Type 12, 4 and 4X enclosures are sold for less, with ship-out in 24 hours! AD Products Co. (a subsidiary company of Berkshire Hathaway) offers UL and cUL listed Adalet 304 stainless steel, aluminum * and fiberglass...

Operator interface terminals. (Product & Literature Showcase).
April 1, 2003... QSI Corporation manufactures a full line of handheld, pedestal and panel-mount operator interface terminals for OEM, vehicle and industry. Products include character and graphic terminals with touch screen that are programmable, customizable,...

DAQ Designer 2003 configuration advisor. (Product & Literature Showcase).
April 1, 2003... Design a custom data acquisition (DAQ) system. DAQ Designer 2003 recommends the right software and hardware for your specific system and application, and is packed with hundreds of measurement examples to reduce your development time. You also...

Selecting a flowmeter: the paradigm case method. (Back to Basics).
April 1, 2003... With so many types of flowmeters avail able, how do users decide which type to use? When replacing a failed or worn flowmeter with a like flowmeter, the decision is easy. This approach offers the advantage of buying from an existing...