Automation.com e-News - March 29, 2006

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March 29, 2006 - Volume VII, Issue 13
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In this Issue	Sponsored by National Instruments
From One Techie to Another: I've become a PDA addict Featured Article: Enterprise HMI Systems: Is the cost too high? Product & Company News New on Automation.com Universal Flow Monitors Featured Training School of Instrument Maintenance Featured Catalog inRAx Catalog - Modules for Allen-Bradley® Platforms Featured Products: ioLogik 4000 - Network I/O Server Flat Panel Monitors FactoryPMI HMI/SCADA Software DIAdem DataFinder New Job Opportunities New Auctions & Classifieds Dilbert Pick of the Week	Strategies for Building Intelligent Maintenance Systems Leading technology developers and expert practitioners of predictive maintenance will present a series of five Web events focused on the development of intelligent maintenance systems. It is intended for reliability and maintenance professionals who are tasked with developing consistent and cost-effective predictive maintenance programs. To view one or all of these events, visit ni.com/info and enter the code: zzaqt6
From One Techie to Another
I've become a PDA addict It's official, I've already become a PDA addict in just four days. Last week, I told you I was going to buy the Cingular 8215 Pocket PC. Well, it almost didn't happen. On Friday, I went to the Cingular dealer near our office and was told the 8215 was on a nation-wide backorder. It's only been out for a few weeks and they can't keep up with the demand. What a bummer! So, I put my name on the waiting list. When I got back to the office, I called the new Cingular dealer that just opened near my house. They didn't have any in stock, but Amanda checked the computer and four of them had just arrived at the warehouse that day. She arranged to have one of them delivered to their location so I could pick it up after work. Thanks Amanda! Interestingly enough, while I was driving home, I got a call from the first dealer telling me two had just come in. I know I wasn't second on the list, so I'm not sure why I got a call so soon. Anyway, I digress, but I was just so impressed by the awesome customer service at these Cingular dealers. Way to go Cingular! It took me a couple of days to get my PDA set up properly. But, now I'm ready to go. With my job, I spend most of my day on the Internet and communicating via e-mail. I'm always a little hesitant to travel because I'm taken away from my computer and I ultimately get way behind. At night in my hotel rooms, I'm frantically trying to respond to e-mails from the day and review new content before it goes live on the site. My PDA will make my traveling life so much easier because now I can respond to important e-mails as I receive them during the day. Well, at least in theory. Not only does my PDA give me instant access to e-mail and the Internet, but it also gives me easy access to my calendar, contacts and tasks. It's a computer away from my computer. Any changes I make on my PDA will automatically be synchronized with my computer when I return. My PDA is also a world phone, so I can travel internationally and still stay in touch with the office and family. If you do any traveling at all, and I know many of you travel for projects and startups, a PDA is a very useful tool. I'm foot-loose and fancy free...OK, not quite, but you get the idea. If you don't already have a PDA, try it...I'm sure you'll love it! By the way, if you didn't respond to my short PDA Survey last week, please take a few seconds now to let me know how you use your PDA. Enjoy the rest of this eNews! Rick Zabel Vice President, Automation.com
Featured Article	Sponsored by AD Products
Enterprise HMI Systems: Is the cost too high? One hears so much about Enterprise HMI and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) that it's easy to suppose these systems are everywhere. A visit to almost any manufacturing facility will show the contrary. There is a promise that tomorrow's systems will have a global view of all processes within the plant via the corporate intranet/portal. Why is this a promise of tomorrow? The technology is there and the need is recognized. So why the disconnection? Read full article written by Steven Hechtman of Calmetrics Company. More articles and white papers More application stories	AD Products, a web-based distributor, is the authority on enclosures and accessories. With the addition of instrumentation products we are your one-stop shop for your automation and process control needs, offering enclosures, cord grips, test & measurement devices, thermal management solutions and much more. Call us at 800.325.4935 or visit www.adproductsco.com.
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: New Real-Time Features in NI LabVIEW Control Design Toolkit Shorten Development Time for Complex Control Systems 3/28/06 National Instruments LabVIEW 8 Wins Two Design News Awards 3/28/06 Moxa Introduces Ethernet I/O Server for PC-Based Data Acquisition and Control 3/28/06 Measurement Computing Introduces Brand New Line of Low-Cost Analog Output Devices For USB 3/28/06 Emerson Introduces Rosemount® Analytical X-STREAM™ Gas Analyzers 3/28/06 Adept Technology Introduces AdeptSight™ Guidance for Material Handling and Assembly Robots 3/28/06 Korenix Launches JetNet 3705 Industrial PoE Unmanaged Switch 3/28/06 Elektronik Names Electronics Workbench Software Suite Among 2005 Top Products 3/28/06 Omron Develops World's First Antenna Technology That Boosts UHF RFID Tag Read Performance 3/27/06 Emerson Launches DeltaV Operator Training Solution to Improve Operator and Plant Effectiveness 3/27/06 ASI Expands Line of Sensor Distribution Boxes, Cables and Connectors 3/27/06 Famic Technologies' New Version of Automation Studio™ Brings Systems Design Flexibility And Efficiency 3/27/06 RF Neulink Announces Availability of Spread Spectrum Wireless LAN 3/27/06 RF Industries Introduces New Kit to Combine Precision 3.5mm Adapters For High Frequency Applications 3/27/06 Siemens Introduces Oil Field Management Software 3/24/06 MOST SIL 2 Safety Architecture Receives TÜV Certification For Emergency Shut Down and Burner Management Applications 3/24/06 Banner's New SLM Series Metal Slot Sensors Deliver Ultra-Fast Resonse Time 3/24/06 Parker Introduces 15" HPC and HPX PowerStations with FDA-Approved Material on Exposed Front Bezel 3/24/06 Mettler Toledo's New Industrial Weighing Terminal Offers Compliance and Versatility 3/24/06 Haydon Switch & Instrument Introduces New “W” Series Anti-Backlash Nut for Linear Actuators 3/24/06 Universal Flow Monitors Introduces Larger Sizes of CoolPoint™ Flowmeter for Water and Coolant 3/23/06 ExperTune Receives Patent for Loop Health Metrics 3/23/06 Alpha Gear Drive Introduces cymex® Servo Sizing Software 3/23/06 Advantech Launches LGA 775 Full-Sized Single Board Computer with Optimized Speed and Dual PCI Express Gigabit Ethernets 3/23/06 Danaher Motion Introduces Guide to Portescap Specialty Motors 3/23/06 B&R Automation Introduces USB Drive Combination for Industrial Applications 3/23/06 Ice Qube, Inc. Introduces New Convoluted Core Heat Exchangers 3/23/06 Emerson's Water Quality Monitoring System Performance Verified By The EPA 3/23/06 Fieldbus Foundation Releases Updated Interoperability Test Kit 3/23/06 Xycom Automation Announces New Pro-face Brand AGP3000 Series Operator Interface Touch Screens 3/22/06 Cognex's New Checker Sensor Doesn't Need a PLC to Track or Reject Parts 3/22/06 AD Products Adds Meriam MFT and MFC Communicators to Their Growing Instrumentation Product Offering 3/22/06 Company & Organization News: ISA Automation West 2006 Presents Innovation Alley: Sneak Preview of Tomorrow's Technology 3/28/06 Schneider Electric Accelerates Penetration Of Ultra Terminal Market in Europe With Acquisition of Merten in Germany 3/28/06 Paccar Names FANUC Robotics a Preferred Supplier 3/28/06 Green Hills Software to Present at Embedded Systems Conference 3/28/06 GE Fanuc Automation and Symbion Systems Sign Exclusive Agreement to Provide Comprehensive PAT Solution to the Life Sciences Industry 3/24/06 Automation Federation Established with WBF and OMAC as Charter Members 3/24/06 Yokogawa Executive Named To Fieldbus Foundation Board 3/24/06 GE Fanuc Embedded Systems Acquires SBS Technologies 3/23/06 Manufacturing Interoperability Guideline Working Group - A Collaborative Venture of ISA, MIMOSA, OAGi, OPC, and WBF 3/23/06 Richard E. 'Dick' Morley to Open ISA Automation West 2006 3/22/06 Mori Seiki Partners With Ellison Technologies in the Midwest 3/22/06 Application News: Invensys Wins Major Process Control and Safety System Contract for Major Fertilizer Project In Oman 3/28/06 Invensys to Implement SCADA System for Major Expansion at GASCO Habshan Gas Plant in U.A.E. 3/27/06 Kuka Robotics Selected by C.M.H. Manufacturing to Provide 7 Axis Robot for Alluminum Ladling Application 3/22/06
New on Automation.com
I would like to welcome Universal Flow Monitors as a Featured Supplier on Automation.com. Universal Flow Monitors, Inc. manufactures flowmeters that provide customers with the reliable flow measurement required for process monitoring and control. The company focuses on applying flowmeter technology to customers’ problems, developing instruments that solve problems and have multiple applications, and offering flowmeters that provide both high performance and cost-effectiveness. For more information about Universal Flow Monitors, please use the following links... Universal Flow Monitors Company Profile Universal Flow Monitors Product Showcase
Featured Training
School of Instrument Maintenance Technology is changing rapidly. Are you and your maintenance staff keeping up with the changes? Endress+Hauser can help with schools designed to teach fundamental, theoretical, and practical knowledge about instrumentation and application technology, with an emphasis on service and maintenance of the instrumentation. Training combined with hands-on experience, is a powerful combination that will help you better manage your life cycle costs. These courses are designed to be conducted at their training facility in Greenwood, Indiana, but upon request, they can quote on-site or local sessions. This maintenance course is designed to aid in the understanding of functionality, installation, calibrations, programming, troubleshooting, repairing, and preventative maintenance. Each of the three sessions in the Spring, Summer, and Fall, include the following topics – Promass Coriolis flowmeters, Micropilot Radar level devices, and one yet to be decided. You can register for all three days, or only the one(s) you are interested in. Click here for more information.
Featured Catalog
inRAx Catalog - Modules for Allen-Bradley® Platforms ProSoft Technology’s inRAx product line provides in-chassis protocol interface modules, flow computers, open solution modules, FLEX adapters and Drive adapters for Allen-Bradley® platforms. InRAx products allow Allen-Bradley platforms (ControlLogix®, SLC™, PLC-5®, FlexLogix™ and CompactLogix™) to communicate with dissimilar networks and protocols, including DNP 3.0, EtherNet/IP, Honeywell DE, Modbus Plus, Modbus TCP/IP, HART multi-drop, DF1, PROFIBUS DP, IEC 60870-5 and more. Click here to request Your FREE catalog
Featured Products
ioLogik 4000 is designed to read sensor data, and to control the on/off status of devices via Ethernet or RS-485/232 remotely from a host computer or PLC controller. More Information on ioLogik 4000 - Network I/O Server

Advantech offers a full series of flat panel monitors ranging from 6" to 19" screen size with NEMA4/IP65 compliant front bezel and hard anodic coating to prevent panel from abrasion and acid corrosion More Information on Flat Panel Monitors

PLC-SQL database communication bridge and Historian and Web Based HMI/SCADA system featuring unlimited clients, all at one low fixed price! More Information on FactoryPMI - Next generation industrial SCADA software

DIAdem DataFinder brings sophisticated data management and data mining functionality to the desktop at a fraction of the cost and without the maintenance challenges found in traditional IT-supported data management solutions. More Information on DIAdem 10.0

Product & Supplier Search Other Featured Products for March Find Products by Category Find Manufacturers & Suppliers
New Jobs
Here's a list of new jobs posted on Automation.com: Process Control Group Leader: Laurel, MD - Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission 3/28/2006 Applications Engineer: Charlotte (Matthews), NC - Software Toolbox Inc. 3/27/2006 Project Manager: Exton, PA - automationtechies 3/22/2006 Manager of MES Solutions: Exton, PA - automationtechies 3/22/2006 Sr. Controls Engineer: Exton, PA - automationtechies 3/22/2006 Electrical and Controls Engineer: Modesto, CA - automationtechies 3/24/2006 Packaging Application Engineer: Schaumburg, IL - automationtechies 3/24/2006 Senior Project Manager: San Ramon, CA - automationtechies 3/24/2006 Automation and Controls Engineer: Fresno, CA - automationtechies 3/24/2006 Controls Engineers: Anderson, CA - automationtechies 3/24/2006 Design Engineer: Ceres, CA - automationtechies 3/24/2006 Director of Engineering: Modesto, CA - automationtechies 3/24/2006 To view other recent job postings, please use our Job Search Function.
New Auctions & Classifieds
eBay hosts over 8000 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
Whatever you do, don’t outsource to Elbonia.
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.