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May 9, 2007
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    Sponsor: SIXNET In this Issue

    Etherbus® Industrial PoE Solutions

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    The Etherbus Series includes:
    • PoE Industrial Ethernet Switches
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    • Kevlar "Super" Ethernet Cable
    • Industrial 48V Power Supplies
    • IP67 Waterproof Connectors

    See what Etherbus can do for you. Request your free CD.

    		  

    From One Techie to Another:
    The Red Queen's Race - Run Twice as Fast

    Featured Application Story:
    Nynas Integrates supply chain with Matrikon Resolution

    Product Announcements:
    Simulation software; FCMI flow meter; Modbus gateway; Touch panel computer; Power supplies; Cellular modem; Wireless sensor network node; and much more

    Resources & Literature:
    Online connector catalog; OPC to SAP website; ERP website; and more

    Events, Seminars & Training:
    Automated Test Summit (Online); Profibus Developer Workshops; East Cost Advanced Manufacturers Event; Honeywell Users Group; and more

    Company News:
    New Siemens CEO; Phoenix Contact Opens Technology Center; ABB forms CPM Operations business unit; Wonderware and Bison Gear celebrate 20 years; and much more

    New Job Opportunities

    Dilbert of the Week
    Sponsor: Sena From One Techie to Another
    Bluetooth Serial Adapter

    More Information

    The Parani is a Bluetooth Serial Adapter designed to replace RS232 serial cables with wireless connectivity. Features include software-free configuration support via dip-switch, battery pack for flexible power supply, & pairing button for automatic connection between two Bluetooth devices. Ideal for Industrial and Building Automation Wireless applications.

    Click Here for More Information
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    Product Search
    Sponsor: OPC Foundation

    More Information about OPC Events

    What is OPC? Want your company to be an innovator leader, and maximize your product and resource utilization? Learn more about OPC, and how to achieve secure reliable interoperability with high performance quality products from hundreds of vendors.
    • For End-Users and System Integrators: the OPC Foundation provides no cost seminars providing the solid foundation for what and how to use OPC based products.

    • For Vendors and Developers: The OPC Foundation will conduct an OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) Developers' Conference in Scottsdale, AZ June 25-28, 2007.

    Click Here for more details, schedule and registration for these and other important OPC Events.

    		 

    The Red Queen's Race - Run Twice as Fast

    "...it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!" That quote, by the Red Queen in Lewis Carroll's book Through the Looking-Glass, was repeated by Dr. Dave Shook, CTO of Matrikon, at the Matrikon Summit in Chicago this week.

    In today's global market, companies can't continue to "run" at the same pace or they will stay in the same place. In order to compete, companies need to run twice as fast (read as: achieve operational excellence). Hey, there's that recurring theme again! It's like a dream I keep having over and over again.

    No matter what industry you are in; oil and gas, mining, power, refining, chemical, pulp and paper; you all want to achieve the same goals...

    • Reduce Operating Costs
    • Improve Operating Margins
    • Increase Asset Utilization
    • Ensure Safety and Regulatory Compliance

    The process industries rely heavily on instruments, more importantly, the information acquired from instruments. Those instruments primarily provide data on product and process. Timely access of that data can provide complete, reliable information about operations. The challenge is to automatically transfer that data, from multiple systems, into a meaningful, actionable format.

    Dr. Shook used the analogy that the passengers on the first profitable airliner didn't care about the technology behind flight. They just wanted to get from point A to point B in a safe, timely and cost-effective manner. Likewise, some manufacturers simply want to accomplish their goals and don't really care about the underlying technology. Of course, every manufacturer is different and it depends on where they are on the technology adoption curve, i.e. there are innovators, early adopters, pragmatists and laggers.

    One year ago, I wrote about how Matrikon evolved from a local Systems Integrator (and OPC supplier) to global Solutions Provider. Matrikon continues to evolve and change. First, they have shifted their focus from technology to value. Dr. Shook maintains that they will remain a technology leader, but manufacturers want to hear and see the value proposition. Second, Matrikon has made their products easier to understand and use.

    The first step in making their products easier to use is changing the names of products to reflect their function. Rather than coming up with cool acronyms and fancy names, they are sticking with basic, descriptive names. Products will also be organized by operational aspect. For example, Alarm Manager, Operation Logbook, Control Performance Monitor, and Operational InSight are products that are all part of the Operations Optimization aspect of Matrikon Suite for monitoring, reporting, and compliance. The other two aspects of Matrikon Suite are Production Management and Asset Effectiveness.

    As part of the value proposition, Matrikon has also developed products for key vertical applications, that are built on their horizontal product offering. One example is their Production Management solution for Oil Sands.

    According to Amin Rawji, Matrikon President & CEO, they want to be the SAP of the operational layer. "We are a major player in this space," says Rawji. Matrikon, like other companies, has made the conscious decision to run twice as fast. Can you keep up, or are you going to just stay in the same place?

    Enjoy the rest of this eNews!

    Rick Zabel
    Vice President, Publisher

    Featured Application Story

    Nynas Integrates supply chain with Matrikon Resolution
    Nynas was faced with serious business challenges arising from fragmented data sources within their supply chain. Separate, individualized and non-standardized planning bases meant poor visibility into the production plan across the organization, and weak links between corporate planning and refinery planning resulted in suboptimal refinery production schedules.

    Read full story

    More articles and white papers
    More application stories
    Product Announcements
    NI enhances MATRIXx 8.0 Simulation software - 5/8/07
    Enhancements include a revamped user interface and a project-based development environment to help manage large projects.
    TURCK introduces FCMI flow meters TURCK introduces FCMI flow meters - 5/7/07
    FCMI flow meters measure flow rates between 0 and 9.9 gpm, using the magnetic inductive principle to detect flow in electrically conductive fluids.
    MOXA prioritizes MGate MB3000 Modbus gateways MOXA prioritizes MGate MB3000 Modbus gateways - 5/7/07
    A priority control function allows special or critical requests to bypass the strict, first-come-first-serve communication structure of Modbus.
    ASI announces CSG2400C 100A Power Supply ASI announces CSG2400C 100A Power Supply - 5/7/07
    CSG2400C 3-phase input DIN-rail power supply provides 100A at 24Vdc.
    MOXA G2150I modem enables cellular connectivity MOXA G2150I modem enables cellular connectivity - 5/4/07
    OnCell G2150I isolated quad-band modem transmits data and short messages over GSM/GPRS mobile networks. It is suitable for remote telemetry application.
    Emerson announces portable CSI XP32 Machinery analyzer Emerson announces portable CSI XP32 Machinery analyzer - 5/3/07
    The CSI XP32 can be carried into the field and attached to turbo machinery for continuous monitoring on a temporary basis.
    Advantech announces TPC-120H Touch Panel Computer Advantech announces TPC-120H Touch Panel Computer - 5/3/07
    TPC-120H Intel XScale PXA 12.1” SVGA TFT Touch Panel Computer supports two 10/100Base-T Ethernet ports and comes with Windows CE. Price: $1,347.

    Other Product Announcements

    Product & Supplier Search
    Resources & Literature
    On-line Connector Catalog Featured Resource: On-line Connector Catalog
    The Remke Online Master Catalog includes extensive search capabilities such as keyword, part number or attribute-specific parametric search. This 24/7 searchable catalog provides detailed information on the complete line of Tuff-Seal™ Wire Management Products and Tuff-Link™ Industrial Interconnects and Cordsets.
    More information

    Other Resources:

    Events, Seminars & Training

    Automated Test Summit (Online)
    National Instruments is hosting the fourth annual Automated Test Summit, featuring technical sessions focused on identifying trends and overcoming new challenges in automated test. The Automated Test Summit 2007 will be hosted live on the Internet May 8, and will be available on demand for 90 days. At the free full-day event, attendees can view keynote presentations, watch technical sessions, participate in live Q&A forums and interact with vendors in the exhibitor area.
    More information

    Other Upcoming Events & Training

    Go to our Calendar of Events to see other upcoming events. Add an event to our calendar.
    Company & Application News

    Here are the latest company and application 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.

    Company & Organization News:

    Application News:

    New Jobs

    Here's a list of new jobs posted on Automation.com:

    To view other recent job postings, please use our Job Search Function.
    Dilbert of the Week
    Are YOU still waiting for that dark cloud to lift?

     

    I hope you enjoyed this Automation Weekly 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, Publisher
    Automation.com

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