Instrumentation & Automation News articles from July 2003

Instrumentation & Automation News archives from July 2003

Industrial PC enclosures.
July 1, 2003... Type 4F IPC Industrial PC enclosures offer EMC containment capability for use with high-speed processors that create higher frequencies. They are capable of attenuating at frequencies up to 30 dB. Designed to fit in 19" racks, Type 4F...

Panel mount PLC.
July 1, 2003... The FP-e panel mount PLC with LED display in a 1/16 DIN size is designed for use in small machines where space is at a premium. Programming memory is 2.7K steps. Over 180 instructions includes integer and floating point math, PID, Auto-Tuning,...

Industrial Ethernet radio.
July 1, 2003... The OS2400-HSE industrial Ethernet radio can be used for applications with large amounts of data requiring fast throughput. It not only transfers data but voice and video as well. The radio has a 20+ mile range at 10MB/s, however the range can...

Industrial computer.
July 1, 2003... The ET4550 industrial computer offers an NFI touch screen. The 15" TFT display is front-panel sealed to NEMA4X/IP66 standards for use in applications where chemicals, dust, liquids, dirt and metal shards may exist. An optional stainless steel...

My Dad's soapbox. (Pool's Reflections).
July 1, 2003... In early June, I attended the Sensors Expo Show in Rosemont, IL. This very focused show on sensors and data acquisition technologies is always one of my favorite shows as an editor because it covers some of the "coolest" technologies that are...

Output module: for PLC and I/0 products. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... A new high-speed counter/pulse output module is designed for the Terminator I/O and DL405 lines of PLC and I/O products. Input configurations supported include two quadrature encoder counters up to 100 KHz, four single-channel counters up to...

Switching power supplies: with soft-start circuitry. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... Designed for industrial control and embedded systems applications, the DR-45 Series of DIN-rail mounted enclosed switching power supplies accepts universal input from 85 to 265 Vac and input frequencies from 47 to 440 Hz. Four models are...

Trackballs: mount directly under a console. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The Models TBS225 and TBS200 industrial-duty trackballs have 2.250 and 2.0 ball diameters respectively. They are enclosed and mount directly to the underside of a console. These models employ Teflon ball seals for environmental protection....

Industrial computers: for human-machine interface applications. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The ARP-1606, ARP-1608, and ARP-1610 systems are PC-based industrial computers that are designed to serve as human-machine interfaces for factory, machinery automation, transportation, and health-card applications. The slim Panel PC provides an...

Programmable terminal: displays pages independently. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The GraFX is a ragged, full-featured programmable terminal that features 120 x 32 pixel graphics display. The display allows the user to review data prior to processing. The unit displays standard ISO font sets and international character sets...

Modular pin header: for surface mount production processes. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... A new modular pin header, the SL-SmarT 5.0X, achieves 100-percent continuity in the surface mount production process while reducing cost by 30 percent and simplifying logistics. Only one system is needed for both the 5.00 and 5.08 mm pitch. The...

Junction boxes: made with stainless steel parts. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The M12 eurofast junction boxes have stainless steel inserts. All metal parts on these junction boxes are made of 316 stainless steel. Available in 4- and 8-port versions, they have integrated home-run cables of PVC or PUR materials. The nylon...

Portable chassis: for field or laboratory use. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The CT-310A is a high-performance portable VXI chassis designed with transportability and modularity. Weighing less than 15 lbs and supplying more than 500 W of total usable power, the unit is equally at home in the field or in the laboratory....

Interlock safety switch: more capabilities and features. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The T2007 Series miniature interlock safety switch is available with more capabilities and optional features to satisfy a broader range of applications. It is suitable for smaller machines with space restrictions while providing two sets of...

Pressure regulators: hand-operated for precise control. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The 2340 Series of hand-operated pressure regulators is designed for applications that require precise control of systems with inlet pressures up to 500 psi. With only three moving parts and no sliding seals, the lightweight design provides set...

Electronic enclosure system: thermally managed, fully integrated. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... A thermally managed, 10U-high, fully integrated 'electronic enclosure system incorporates a 21-slot VME64 extensions backplane with PO connectors. The new system features a shielded EMC 190 subrack that can accommodate up to 21 6U x 160 mm deep...

Humidity generator: provides NIST traceable calibration. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The Model 2500 Two-Pressure Humidity Generator is compact and mobile, providing NIST traceable calibration of humidity sensors both on-site and in the field. The system is ready to use within one hour of delivery and gives fast return on...

Analog-to-digital converter: with onboard voltage reference. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The ADS1110 is a 16-bit delta-sigma analog-to-digital converter with an onboard voltage reference and SOT23-6 packaging. The unit is designed for use in high-resolution measurement applications where space and power consumption represent...

Flow meter: plastic-bodied electromagnetic unit. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The EM-101 is a small plastic-bodied electromagnetic flow meter in nominal sizes of 1/40, 3/80, and 1/20. Capable of measuring the pulsating flows from both air and solenoid-driven metering pumps, the meter is primarily designed for...

Ultrasonic level sensor: measure liquids, solids and open channel flow. (Level Measurement & Control).
July 1, 2003... IntelliScaff[TM] and UniScan[TM] non-contact, ultrasonic level measurement instruments are said to deliver radar-like performance at an ultrasonic price for measuring liquids, solids and open channel flow. Both can be installed fight out of the...

Level indicator: continuously monitors the status of the indicator for fail-safe operation. (Level Measurement & Control).
July 1, 2003... The GR II Maxima is a rotary level indicator that lets you know at all times the status of the unit. It has a supervisory circuit that uses an optic encoder and slotted timing wheel to monitor whether the shaft is turning. The supervisory...

Level sensors: feature magnetic floats. (Level Measurement & Control).
July 1, 2003... The LS-Series liquid level sensors are made from corrosion-resistant materials and feature magnetic floats which activate reed switches when the liquid level rises or falls, as desired, and then provides an output signal. Requiting no external...

Ultrasonic level transmitter: two-wire version for steam, condensate, foam or dust. (Level Measurement & Control).
July 1, 2003... Model U11 two-wire non-contact ultrasonic level transmitter is designed for applications with steam, condensate, foam or dust. It features pushbutton programming, plain English menus, echo elimination and optional 2-way communications. HART...

Trends in level measurement & control. (Level Measurement & Control).
July 1, 2003... The level control market is looking for sensors that are easily configurable to specific applications. Output, mounting, filtering and reaction requirements can vary significantly. Improved reliability is demanded with increases in...

Liquid level meter: measures liquid levels in single and multiple chemical baths. (Level Measurement & Control).
July 1, 2003... Model LE 100 liquid level meter is designed to simplify measurement of liquid levels in single and multiple chemical baths. It is a 1/16th DIN microprocessor-based unit with a built-in back pressure sensor capable of measuring levels up to 1000...

"Intelligent control" relays: accept a variety of input signals. (Switches & Relays).
July 1, 2003... This line of "intelligent control" solid state relay assemblies designed to interface with a variety of control input signals is rated for loads up to 100 A at a maximum 40[degrees]C ambient temperature. Nine different models are available to...

RJ45 A/B Switch: manage critical network resources from remote locations. (Switches & Relays).
July 1, 2003... Model 4407 Remotely Controllable RJ45 A/B Switches is designed to manage critical network resources from remote locations. It can be used to remotely switch printers, terminals, programmable logic controllers, bar code readers, back-up data...

High density relay modules: eight relays in one inch of DIN-rail. (Switches & Relays).
July 1, 2003... This line of high density DIN rail-mounted multi-channel relays, the CR Series, are available in densities as high as eight relays in one inch of DIN-rail. These relay packages include an integral fuse for the relay contacts that can be easily...

Trends in switches & relays. (Switches & Relays).
July 1, 2003... "ITT Industries, Cannon has seen a very strong trend among our customers for switches that feature multiple functions instead of just single functions. This is driven by the requirement for increased functionality in their end products. Among...

Illuminated toggle switch: for use on front panels or custom designs. (Switches & Relays).
July 1, 2003... The TL Series illuminated toggle switch, available in red, green and amber BRIGHT LEDs, is designed for use on front panels or custom designs requiring a modern design solution. The switch has colored translucent actuators that accentuate the...

Solid state relays: with heat sink and DIN rail mounting plate. (Switches & Relays).
July 1, 2003... SSRDIN Series are fully-integrated solid state relays with heat sink and DIN rail mounting plate in a space-saving design. These touch safe relays are built with LED input indication. The single pole, NO, zero crossing relays have dual SCRs...

Online analyzer: uses two-point calibration curve. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... An online version of the TOC-Vc Series Analyzer is available. Offering a detection limit of 4 ppb and a measurement capability up to 25,000 ppm, the online version uses a two-point calibration curve, which can be increased to seven points with...

Drive system: open control and intelligent operation. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... VisualMotion is an open control and intelligent drive system designed to ensure short changeover time for machinery and high accuracy during the process. Precision servo drives replace rigid mechanical elements to simplify the machine design,...

Magnetic encoder: two-channel TTL level output. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The new magnetic encoder series MDE2-16 measures 8.4 mm in length and 16 mm in diameter. It provides two-channel TIL level output with 16 cpr resolution available. The encoder supply voltage range is from 3.3 to 26.5 Vdc. The encoder is reverse...

Digital camera: captures 48 frames per second. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The MegaPlus ES 1020 is a high-resolution compact digital camera capable of capturing mega-pixel images at 48 frames per second. The ES 1020 is available in both monochrome and Bayer color versions. The camera allows short electronic shutter...

Automation software: for autotuning servo drives. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The second generation of Copley Motion Explore software, called CME2[TM], is designed for automating the tuning and commissioning of servo drives. The software removes the pain of initial brushless motor startup. Current loop tuning is...

Power meter: handheld three-phase unit. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The PowerPad[TM] is a handheld three-phase power and power quality meter with a large easy-toread graphical color display. Measurements are displayed numerically and graphically with colored waveforms. The meter is menu driven with pop-up...

Measurement sensor: unbreakable electrode for food industry. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... TopHit HCPS401 is an electrode based on ISFET technology. It is a measurement sensor that is free of glass breakage risk because it is made of PEEC, an unbreakable and chemically resistant synthetic material. It has high resistance to...

Networking module: for devicenet PLC uses. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... A line of advanced networking products is designed for use with the DL05 nano and DL06 micro lines of PLCs. The H0-ECOM Ethernet Communications Module provides a 10 Mbit Ethernet link for PLC system and can be used for peer-to-peer PLC...

Visualization solution: bundled capabilities on a single platform.
July 1, 2003... The QuickPanel[TM] Control and View visualization solution combines the QuickPanel family of touchscreens with Cimplicity Machine Edition software as well as the Microsoft Windows CE operating system. With bundled capabilities on a single...

Single board computer: full-size form factor. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The SBC-860 is powered by Intel Pentium 4 processors. It is a full-size form factor single board computer with an onboard CompactFlash Type II socket and four USB 2.0 ports. The unit employs the 82845GV chipset, which supports high CPU...

Keithley Instruments. (Webpage Guide).
July 1, 2003... Keithley Instruments' dynamic website amkes it simple to review product specifications, download drivers and other software, and order instrumentation through our e-commerce storefront (available in the U.S. only), all online. Our document...

Waterproof accelerometers: withstand water pressure and temperature variations. (Accelerometers).
July 1, 2003... Series HEVP piezoelectric accelerometers are biaxial sensors designed for vibration measurements in two mutually perpendicular axes. Complete vibration studies can be performed over the entire length of a robe by simply moving the probe within...

Sound/vibration measurement devices: 110 dB of dynamic range. (Accelerometers).
July 1, 2003... Two additions have been made to this company's sound and vibration hardware family. The NI PXI-4472B device is a new version of the NI 4472 optimized for vibration and low-frequency AC measurements. The new four-channel NI PCI-4474 board is...

Vibration monitor: DIN-rail mountable dual relay alarm module. (Accelerometers).
July 1, 2003... Model 682A04 DIN-rail mountable dual relay alarm module is designed to provide an early warning of deteriorating machinery conditions and operates with vibration sensors that directly output a 4 to 20.mA signal or with vibration transmitters...

Accelerometer: for vibration measurements. (Accelerometers).
July 1, 2003... The Accelerometer design, employing a quartz sensing element, provides a wide operating frequency range along with extremely low sensitivity to thermal transients, and base strain. The 8795A50M5 is a low impedance, voltage mode piezoelectric...

Force transducers: for extremely harsh and demanding environments. (Accelerometers).
July 1, 2003... These internally gaged force sensing Clevis pins and instrumentation packages are now available in shock qualified configurations to MIL-901D specifications. Similar Clevis pin designs, incorporating internal 4-20 mA amplifiers, have also been...

Trends in accelerometers. (Accelerometers).
July 1, 2003... Safety has been a significant driver in the development of accelerometers at Motorola's Sensor Products Division. Engineers from automotive, consumer and industrial markets increasingly need to design-in the ability to sense changes in movement...

Terminal blocks: spring cage, double level angled type for restricted cabinet space. (Connectors, Wire, Cable & Terminal Blocks).
July 1, 2003... The STTBS 2.5 double level terminal block with angled wire entrances this company's ST-DESK spring cage family. With two levels and a width of only 5.2 mm, the STTBS 2.5 terminal block is designed for applications when control cabinet space is...

Ethernet connector: industrially hardened; rated for Category 5 transmissions. (Connectors, Wire, Cable & Terminal Blocks).
July 1, 2003... The Ethernet Han-Brid[R] RJ-45 connector for industrial connectors is rated for Category 5 transmissions. The Han-Brid packages standard RJ-45 plugs and jacks into a variety of hoods and housings that offer protection from water, oil, dust and...

Quick disconnect connectors: conform to IP50 and IP68 ratings. (Connectors, Wire, Cable & Terminal Blocks).
July 1, 2003... There are two categories in the quick disconnect push-pull precision locking connectors: one category conforms with a specification rating of IP50 and the other conforms to IP68 watertight rating. There are three sizes in each group with a pole...

Junction boxes/cordsets: FOUNDATION fieldbus-compliant. (Connectors, Wire, Cable & Terminal Blocks).
July 1, 2003... Designed specifically for the demands of FOUNDATION fieldbus-based applications, FieldConnex junction boxes offer short-circuit protection, built-in selectable terminators and durable field-mountable aluminum housings. The junction boxes can be...

D-Sub connector: speed up troubleshooting in profibus applications. (Connectors, Wire, Cable & Terminal Blocks).
July 1, 2003... The Brad Harrison[R] diagnostic D-Sub connector offers a high transfer rate enabling it to perform comprehensive test functions that speed up implementation and troubleshooting in Profibus applications up to 12M baud. To help ensure a fast and...

Trends in connectors and cabling. (Connectors, Wire, Cable & Terminal Blocks).
July 1, 2003... Hypertronics is seeing a trend in OEMs requiting unsurpassed reliability from both the connectors and the cabling. Customers like the idea of 'one-stop-shopping' for a complete end-to-end interconnect solution because it shortens their supply...

OPC servers: ported to Microsoft's Pocket PC operating system. (Industrial Automation Software).
July 1, 2003... This INGEAR pocketPC[TM] brand of full-featured OPC servers each build upon Windows-CE[TM] OPC servers and support Intel's X-Scale[TM] processor. They run on a next generation Pocket PC, when used in conjunction with COTs, ancillary WLAN...

CT Server software: links factory floor to enterprise systems over the web. (Industrial Automation Software).
July 1, 2003... CTServer[RM] software provides a direct, web-based link between the factory floor and enterprise systems such as MRP, CRM, documentation and quality analysis. Remote terminal units such as those used for tank farms, water treatment and...

Real-time security software: security solution for industrial control environments. (Industrial Automation Software).
July 1, 2003... Industrial Defender[TM] is a real-time security software and services suite designed specifically for industrial control environments. The security solution is targeted at mission critical industries including power generation, energy...

Image process software: increases performance of machine vision applications. (Industrial Automation Software).
July 1, 2003... Spectra 4.1 enhanced-version of this company's imaging processing software library is optimized for Intel's MMX SSE (Streaming SIMD Extensions) and SSE-2 instruction sets and features more than 300 functions. Sapera 4.1 incorporates a number of...

Device life-cycle management tool: maintains all calibration, configuration and standards tracking to devices. (Industrial Automation Software).
July 1, 2003... This Device Management System (DMS) software contains an MS/SQL Server database that maintains all calibration, configuration and standards tracking related to HART[R] and conventional devices, including a history of every activity and action...

Trends in industrial automation software. (Industrial Automation Software).
July 1, 2003... "Today, industrial automation systems are realizing a new kind of competitive edge where flexible computing technologies and robust execution platforms deliver intuitive development tools for higher performance systems. Development tools, such...

Protective enclosures: flange mounted and stainless steel. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The DN4X Series of enclosures consists of flange mounted stainless steel disconnect units. The units can be used where protection from dust, water, oil, and dripping water is required. They come equipped for mounting a disconnect device. ...

Calibration instruments: pressure and signal loop units. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The JOFRA[TM] line of calibration instruments includes the AMC 900, a benchtop unit designed to provide base calibration for a fleet of handheld instruments. The unit features a large backlit display, external pressure module capability, and...

Encoders/tachometers: for general industrial use. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The M56 ThinLine[TM] series of encoders/tachometers are designed for general industrial applications. The products incorporate WideGap[TM] sensor technology, which can simplifie installation by eliminating time-consuming alignment procedures....

Cardbus module: for embedded applications. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The PPM-Cardbus is a PC/104-plus module that supports both Cardbus and PCMCIA cards. It is designed for embedded applications requiring additional functions susch as 802.11 (a, b, and g) wireless networking, Bluetooth, IEEE-1394 Firewire, USB...

Power Measurement Terminal: for incorporation of three-phase motors. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The KL3403 Power Measurement Terminal allows industrial users to easily incorporate measurement and control of the three-phase motors into the Beckoff Bus Terminal I/O system. The KL3403 enables a comprehensive network analysis to be carried...

Inductive sensor: milled from stainless steel. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The SteelFace inductive sensor is designed to survive longer in environments where mechanical damage is an issue. The unit's enclosure is milled from one piece of solid stainless steel with an impact and abrasion resistant face approximately...

Thermocouple assemblies: with stainless steel flanges. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... An array of RTD and Type T thermocouple assemblies is available with stainless steel flanges for quick mounting and easy sensor changeover in temperature monitoring and product validation applications. Several termination head styles are...

Light screens: miniature object detection. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The LX Series high-speed, high-resolution part sensing light screens are available. Each diode of the LX's electronics system becomes a part of up to 11 light beams to generate a nearly solid crosshatch pattern and achieve detection of...

New family of temperature transmitters is easy to configure and offer quick delivery. (July Automation Excellence Awards).
July 1, 2003... Endress+Hauser, Greenwood, IN, is bringing a new line of temperature transmitters into the U.S. market. According to Jochen Eberheim, Division Manager Temperature, iTEMP[R] temperature transmitters are small, reliable, accurate, easy to...

The newest version of LabVIEW, LabVIEW 7 Express, can now run on PDA's and FPGAs. (July Automation Excellence Awards).
July 1, 2003... A culmination of four years of engineering effort, National Instruments' new LabVIEW 7 Express graphical programming software extends LabVIEW to a wider range of measurement and automation applications, from embedded FPGAs to Palm OS and...

New automation and data acquisition software for Opto22's SNAP Ultimate I/O system adds PID control, enhanced security and performance. (July Automation Excellence Awards).
July 1, 2003... Three new product announcements from Opto 22, Temecula, CA, are designed to enhance the performance of the company's SNAP Ethernet I/O and SNAP Ultimate I/O line of industrial automation controllers. The offerings include ioControl 2.0, the...

Temperature controllers: for thermocouple sensors. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The KT Series of temperature controllers has an accuracy of 0.1% RTD and 0.2% for thermocouple sensors with very small overshoot due to its proprietary PID and autotuning algorithm. Each controller has universal input that can be configured...

Traceability timer: to NIST standards. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... The Traceable Credit Card Timer is thin, small, and counts down from 99 minutes, 59 seconds with a one second resolution. The alarm sounds for one minute when zero is reached. Features include a memory to automatically recall the last set time,...

Digital DC Ammeters: LED-display units. (Products News).
July 1, 2003... The DCA5-20PC Series of digital dc ammeters are LED-display units that precisely scale, digitize, and display the output standard 50 mV and/or 100 mV dc shunts. The direct-connect units are self-contained including buffered inputs, scaling...

Displacement sensors: operation from low-voltage power supply. (Product News).
July 1, 2003... Series DDCP transducers are self-contained displacement units requiring no auxiliary signal conditioning. Operation is from a low-voltage dc power supply or battery. They are constructed of corrosion-resistant stainless steel. The spring loaded...