Automation.com e-News - October 12, 2005



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October 12 , 2005 - Volume VI, Issue 41
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In this Issue	Our Sponsor
From One Techie to Another: Stanley Wins DARPA Grand Challenge Featured Article: Largest US Ethernet Powerlink Application with 22 Motion Axes What's New on Automation.com AutomationDeck Product & Company News Featured Evaluation Software: EZTouch OI Software CD Featured Products: DIN Rail Mount Relays Ampla Manufacturing Execution System Switches & Ethernet Products Thin Clients & Thin Manager Software New Job Opportunities Featured Book: Pinto's Points – How to Win in the Automation Business New Auctions & Classifieds Dilbert Pick of the Week	LabVIEW 8 – Discover Distributed Intelligence Design and synchronize intelligent devices and control systems with National Instruments LabVIEW 8 software. LabVIEW 8 provides a single graphical programming platform for easily creating simple analog PID control loops as well as complex control systems with integrated FPGAs, analog, high-speed digital, vision, and motion I/O. Click Here to view an interactive tutorial on using LabVIEW 8 to easily control your industrial automation system.
From One Techie to Another
Stanley Wins DARPA Grand Challenge The DARPA Grand Challenge took place this last weekend in the Mohave Desert, with five autonomous (robotic) vehicles crossing the finish line. The 131.6 mile course was finished first by "Stanley", entered by Stanford University, in just 6 hours, 53 minutes and 58 seconds. The DARPA Grand Challenge is an unprecedented government effort to accelerate research and development in autonomous ground vehicles to help save American lives on the battlefield. DARPA awarded $2 million dollars to the autonomous ground vehicle that successfully navigated a challenging desert course the fastest (in less than 10 hours). The vehicles were required to find and follow a prescribed course route, avoid obstacles and negotiate turns, all while traveling at militarily-relevant rates of speed. The ground vehicles are fully autonomous - not remote-controlled. As you may recall, this challenge took place in March of 2004 with no vehicle coming close to crossing the finish line (or collecting the then $1 Million prize). This year four vehicles crossed the finish line in less than 8 hours and a fifth, Terra-Max, 16-ton Oshkosh Truck, crossed the finish line in 12 hours and 51 minutes. (I grew up near Oshkosh, WI and my brother works for Oshkosh Truck so I had to bring special attention to this one). Being a techie, I'm of course interested in what makes Stanley tick. I thought it would be interesting to find out what manufacturer's products were used in this winning vehicle. So, I put a call into Sebastian Thrun, Stanford University's Director of AI Lab and team leader, and immediately went to voicemail with a full mailbox (no surprise there). I also sent an e-mail to Sebastian, but I don't really expect I'll hear back. Here's what I was able to scrap up. Stanley is a Volkswagon Toureg operated by the following senses and brains... The “senses” include: Sight: Five laser rangefinders; monocular video camera; radar for long range sight Position: GPS sensor with 20 cm resolution for pose estimation; measurements of wheel speed for pose estimation Balance: a 6DOF inertial measurement unit; GPS compass generates 2DOF balance information from two separate GPS antennas The "brains" include: Seven Pentium M motherboards in a rugged rack mount unit Battery-backed, electronically-controlled power system Custom software modules for: Planning and Optimization Control LIDAR – Light Detection And Ranging (like radar but with lasers) Computer Vision Inertial Navigation Reliability Data sampling from instruments at rates varying from 10 Hz (times a second) to 100 Hz According to DARPA, based on the technology shown in this year's race, autonomous robotic convoys could be deployed in battlefield conditions within 5 years. Enjoy the rest of this eNews! Rick Zabel
Featured Article
Largest US Ethernet Powerlink Application with 22 Motion Axes Increased raw material prices, skyrocketing labor cost and huge customer incentives at car dealerships force the Automotive Industry in the United States to use more efficient machinery in order to cut overall production cost. As an answer to that urgent demand Eagle Manufacturing designed a new machine concept with 22 different interacting servo-axes. Read complete paper by Markus Sandhoefner of B&R Industrial Automation. This is number four in a series of white papers that were presented at the SPS Electric Automation America Exhibition and Conference in Chicago on May 23 -26, 2005. More articles and white papers on various automation topics More application stories using various automation products
What's New on Automation.com
AutomationDeck This week we sent out the first issue of AutomationDeck, an electronic card deck of automation, process control and instrumentation products and services. Recipients of the card deck have the ability to scroll forward and backward through the cards using arrow keys. Each card in the deck offers a link to the advertiser's web site along with an information request mechanism. Information requests are immediately e-mailed to the advertiser so they can respond to requests quickly. Our e-newsletter subscribers will automatically receive AutomationDeck. Use the link at the bottom of this message to edit your e-mail preferences. To view AutomationDeck, please visit: www.automation.com/automationdeck/2005-october.htm. The next issue of AutomationDeck is scheduled for January 2006.
Product Announcements & Company News
Hear all about it...industry news is published on our site daily. Here are the latest news headlines for your review...use the following links to read the full article. Check out our Daily News Headlines page frequently to stay up-to-date on the industry events. Product Announcements: National Instruments and Leading Sensor Vendors Release More Than 3,200 TEDS Smart Sensor Products 10/11/05 National Instruments Introduces ExpressCard-GPIB Controller for High-Speed, Portable Instrument Control 10/11/05 SICK STEGMANN, INC. Introduces New BTF Absolute Wire Draw Encoders 10/11/05 B&B Electronics Announces Results of Wireless Sensor Networks Survey 10/11/05 Honeywell Joins Field Device Tool Group 10/11/05 Adept Technology to Offer DENSO 6-Axis High-Speed Robots 10/10/05 Datalogic Introduces Two Enhanced Versions of the High Performance Laser Scanners 10/10/05 Xytronix Introduces WebRelay™, Electro-mechanical Relay with Built-in Web Server 10/10/05 ASI Introduces New High Density IEC Terminal Blocks: CBD, HMM, NCS 10/10/05 PATLITE Introduces LU5 Modular LED Indicating Light 10/10/05 PATLITE Introduces LCE Economical LED Signal Tower 10/10/05 Phoenix Contact Announces Steeplechase VLC Version 7.0 With Major Enhancements 10/7/05 GE Fanuc Introduces Proficy™ Real-Time Information Portal v2.5 10/7/05 Online Development's xCoupler is PE's Product of the Year Finalist 10/7/05 Bosch Rexroth Introduces Hydrostatic Fan Drive System 10/7/05 Kurt Introduces SPC PREMIUM Software For Total Shop Floor Control And Analysis 10/6/05 AXIOMTEK Releases 12-inch Intel Pentium M Industrial Panel Computer 10/6/05 The AW Company Announces New Fuel Monitoring System 10/6/05 PIAB Introduces the P6010 Vacuum Pump with COAX® Multi-stage Ejector Technology 10/6/05 Banner Engineering Introduces EZ-LIGHT™ Indicator Lights to Show Sensor Status in Restricted Visibility Applications 10/5/05 Invensys Process Systems Introduces New Avantis Asset Management Software 10/5/05 Company & Organization News: Beckhoff Automation Appoints New Product Training Director 10/11/05 Results-Driven Power Control Roadshow Brings ABB Low Voltage Products to Prospects and Partners in Portland 10/11/05 ABB Automation World 2006 Dates and Venue Announced 10/11/05 ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. Comments on Impact of Delphi Chapter 11 Filing 10/11/05 Sensor System Solutions, Inc. Secures $15.6 Million Financing 10/10/05 Wonderware and Microsoft Host Solution Provider Conference in U.S., Europe and Asia 10/7/05 Innova Holdings, Inc. Appointed as Value-Added Reseller for Barrett Technology Inc. 10/7/05 ISA Offers Helping Hands to Hurricane Victims 10/6/05 Eurobex Completes Acquisition of McKinstry 10/6/05 MAVERICK Announces the Acquisition of GE Energy's Automation Services Business 10/5/05 FKI Logistex North America Sells White Systems Unit 10/5/05 Application News: Sinopec Selects Invensys for Pipeline SCADA System in China 10/11/05 QSI Graphical Operator Interface Used in GP2 Technologies’ Book Binding Machinery 10/10/05 FKI Logistex Wins Contracts With Helen Of Troy Limited 10/7/05
Featured Evaluation Software
EZTouch OI Software CD AutomationDirect's EZTouch Operator Interface Panels are being deployed to rave reviews by those looking for ease-of-use in operator interfaces. Request this demo version of the programming software to see why it’s called "EZTouch". This demo is fully functional, but cannot write to the panel. Click Here to Request your free EZTouch Software CD
Featured Products
WAGO's DIN Rail Mount Relays save cost and panel space. More Information on DIN Rail Mount Relays Request Product Catalog or WAGO Assistance
Citect’s Ampla Manufacturing Execution System allows you to find downtime, improve workflow and maximize OEE. More information on Ampla Manufacturing Execution System Request CitectSCADA Trial or Citect Assistance
Phoenix Contact’s Switches and Other Ethernet Products speed network build-up and reduce downtime. More Information on Switches & Ethernet Products
Save money now - Thin Clients and ThinManager industrial management software from ACP. More information on Thin Clients & Thin Manager Software
Product & Supplier Search Other Featured Products for October Find Products by Category Find Manufacturers & Suppliers
New Jobs
Here's a list of new jobs posted on Automation.com: Project Manager/Lead Engineer: Houston, TX - Intech Process Automation, Inc 10/11/2005 Plant Automation Sales Consultant: California - Western States Controls Group 10/10/2005 PLC Controls Specialist: La Crosse, WI - D. S. Electric Supply 10/10/2005 Sr. Controls Engineer: Modesto, CA - E&J Gallo Winery 10/07/2005 Senior Product Specialist: Seneca, SC - Schneider Electric Square D 10/06/2005 HVAC Technician: San Diego, CA - automationtechies 10/07/2005 Systems Architect: St. Louis, MO - automationtechies 10/06/2005 HMI Programmer: Milwaukee, WI - automationtechies 10/06/2005 Controls Engineer: Shakopee, MN - automationtechies 10/11/2005 To view other recent job postings, please use our Job Search Function.
Featured Book
Pinto's Points – How to Win in the Automation Business Jim Pinto's new book is just in from the printer. If you need some insightful pointers on how to succeed in the automation business, or an overview of today and tomorrow's hot technologies, then this is the book for you. Pinto's Points covers management topics, globalization, sales and marketing, technology trends and futures, and far-out technology visions. It closes with whimsical humor and poetry which I hope you'll enjoy. It includes 174 brief "points" in 6 different parts, each introduced by an industry guru. Once again, Jim Pinto has gone beyond 'business as usual' to explore the implications of future technology and how it will change the global automation marketplace. Conveniently organized and with insights from other industry leaders, this book is a must read for every automation professional and a classic for your automation library bookshelf. Requeste more information or order Jim's new book at: www.automation.com/store/pdetails15051.php. Order both of Jim's books in a discounted bundle at: www.automation.com/store/pdetails15063.php
New Auctions & Classifieds
eBay hosts over 6500 auctions for industrial automation, control and instrumentation products. From PLCs to sensors, from motor controls to robotics...Use the links below to browse the latest new, used and surplus automation products by category: Control Systems & PLCs Drives & Motion Control Fieldbus, DeviceNet, Ethernet Instrumentation Operator Interface Panels Power Supply, Circuit Breakers Relays, Timers, Counters Robotics Sensors Switches Temperature Controllers Valves & Flow Controls Wiring, Connections & Cables Other
Dilbert Pick of the Week
Who says you can’t call for references anymore?
I hope you enjoyed this e-news update. If you have any comments or suggestions regarding the content in this e-newsletter or on Automation.com, please don't hesitate to contact me. Rick Zabel Vice President Automation.com View our Privacy Policy For editorial and advertising inquiries, please contact Rick Zabel or see our Media Kit. For automationtechies recruiting and contract staffing services, please visit www.automationtechies.com.