What is OPC UA and how does it affect your world?
Plant Engineering, May 2008
By Simone Massaro, ICONICS
OPC-UA is an important building block that enables users to build the next generation of software automation solutions. With complete backward compatibility ensured, vendors will have much to gain – and nothing to lose – by adopting the new OPC Unified Architecture.

Analysing alarm and trend data: from insight to action
Process On Line, May 2008
By Frost & Sullivan
When analysing the cause of process disturbances or when trying to improve productivity in the process, the comparison of alarm and trend data can be quite revealing. While sophisticated analysis tools are available in data historians, an intuitive visualisation tool that sits in the SCADA system itself could give the operator the immediate ability to modify process conditions for desired results.

M2M: Moving Towards Mainstream
Industrial Automation Asia, May 2008
By Augustine Quek
M2M most commonly refers to Machine-to-Machine but has sometimes been referred to as Man-to-Machine, Machine-to-Man, Machine-to-Mobile and Mobile-to-Machine. M2M also means Mobile-to-Mobile for wireless telemetry or telemetric technologies. M2M technologies continue to find new applications with ever expanding markets.

The Advantages of Small Form Factor HMI
By Hector Lin, Advantech
A modern small form factor HMI can be purchased for about the same cost as a dozen push buttons and indicator lights, providing better control, easier operator interaction, easier maintenance and support, and much greater operational utility for the same cost.

SCADA and Data Collection
Industrial Networking, May 2008
By Joe Roegner, SCADA technician Orange County
Today, we have better computers and better methods to store data. Unfortunately, it hasn’t lived up to the promise of what the Information Age shows us is possible. Many of us are caught up in corrective maintenance of our SCADA systems and have little time to work on developing data-collection systems.

Browse these and more articles and white papers on the HMI, SCADA & Operator Interfaces portal.

Original Software starts web site for software testing
ManualTesting.com is a community site with free resources designed to alleviate the headaches caused by the burden of time-consuming manual testing on QA departments.

OPC Foundation starts Technical Advisory Blog
MatrikonOPC's Eric Muphy was selected by the OPC Foundation to launch the official OPC Foundation Technical Advisory Council (TAC) Blog

Adaptive Micro Systems updates web site
The site describes indoor and outdoor programmable LED electronic display systems. Visitors can navigate by product category, including Indoor, Outdoor, Digital Billboard, and content management.

Wurldtech introduces Delphi Cyber-Security Database
Vulnerability database for industrial control systems provides visibility into the reliability, safety and security of systems and networks.

Browse these and more resources and literature on the HMI, SCADA & Operator Interfaces portal.

Wonderware steels Nucor
South Africa Instrumentation & Control, May 2008
Nucor’s mill in Berkeley, South Carolina, updated the InTouch application already in place with Wonderware’s IndustrialSQL Server historian and Application Server.

System Sweetens Bottom Line for Sugar-Making Company
Chem.Info, May 2008
RRB Sugar Mills, one of India’s largest sugar producers, installed back-pressure turbo-alternators with two high-pressure boilers, a turbine generator, and a back-pressure turbine generator. InduSoft Web Studio HMI/SCADA system was initially installed only to control the boilers; it worked so well that RRB expanded it to control the entire sugar-making and wastewater processes.

Linux to ControlLogix solution uses OPC
Control Engineering Europe, April 2008
At Task Force Tips, product orders are fulfilled by a robotic picker that moves among hundreds of parts bins on a 100-foot-long, multilevel picking line. TFT decided to overhaul the robot, using ControlLogix PACs, servo drives, and TOP Server OPC Server and the Cogent OPC DataHub from Software Toolbox.

Ryvita plant installs MES
Control Engineering Europe, April 2008
Ryvita claims to have cut manual inputs across its production system by 90 per cent, boosting efficiency and accuracy. The food manufacturer is using a Citect AMPLA MES, installed by Silchester Control Systems, at its Poole, UK site, to act as a backbone for its factory-wide reporting system.

Orlando Plant Pioneers HMI Migration Strategy
Control, April 2008
By Todd Stauffer, Siemens Energy & Automation
Air Products and Chemicals replaced three legacy operator consoles dating back to the early 1980s with Siemens PCS 7/90 OS HMI terminals. The plant kept the existing legacy distributed control system intact, including controller hardware, input/output (I/O) modules and field wiring.

Browse these and more application stories on the HMI, SCADA & Operator Interfaces portal.

Emerson Mine seminars cover predictive automation
Smart Mine seminars demonstrate how predictive automation technologies can solve mining application challenges.

FREE Training on Opto 22’s SNAP PAC System
Opto 22 offers FREE SNAP PAC System training classes held at company headquarters in Temecula, California. The four-day, hands-on class provides an overview of Opto 22’s simple answer to complex automation problems.

OPC Training Seminars
The OPC Foundation and its sponsoring members will host a series of eight one-day training seminars. These free seminars are tailored for end-users, systems integrators and OEMs, and are designed to cover the fundamentals of OPC including Servers, Clients, OPC Data Access, OPC Unified Architecture, Best Practices and Compliance.

Browse these and more training and seminar opportunities on the HMI, SCADA & Operator Interfaces portal.

• LGInternational introduces membrane switches
• ReLab introduces IEC-61850 OPC Server for substation automation systems
• Stealth Computer releases SV-2400 24-in. widescreen LCD Monitor
• eWON introduces viewON2 web HMI Editor
• Nematron enhances PowerView 8000 operator interfaces
• iKey introduces rugged membrane keyboards
• InduSoft announces Web Studio driver for Cylon Building EMS
• EDSA introduces Paladin Reports for power problems
• Matrox announces Extio F1240 remote graphics unit
• FastPic adds Photo Database for picking accuracy

Browse these and more Product Announcements on the HMI, SCADA & Operator Interfaces portal.

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Canary Labs selects XLReporter for Trend Historian
Canary Labs selected XLReporter as the reporting component of the Trend Historian Reporter Suite, their latest software package.

Rockwell Automation selects MatrikonOPC for FactoryTalk
Combining MatrikonOPC technology with the FactoryTalk Gateway provides unlimited secure OPC access to plant systems.

Semaphore launches Certified SCADA Integrator Program  
The program provides comprehensive training as well as a technical support program that is tailored to the needs of systems integrators.

OPC Foundation creates program for System Integrators and Distributors
OPC wants system integrators who routinely use OPC to sign up for a program to help raise the overall quality and reliability of OPC products.

Wonderware claims 500,000 software licenses deployed  
Software licenses have been sold to more than 100,000 plants/facilities worldwide, which accounts for 33 percent of the world's 305,544 plants with 20 or more employees.

Browse these and more company and organizational news on the HMI, SCADA & Operator Interfaces portal.

China uses Wonderware to modernize railway stations for Olympics
Wonderware System Platform 3.0, Historian and InTouch 10.0 HMI will be installed at four railway stations and operate the "Passenger Information System."

Emerson to automate two new glass plants in China
Emerson will supply PlantWeb, DeltaV, intelligent field devices, and Foundation Fieldbus at Zhejiang Changxing glass plants in the Zhejiang Province.

ABB to upgrade aluminum smelter in Dubai
ABB will provide control and protection systems, as well two new ABB SCADA systems for the rectiformer station control.

GE Fanuc supplies PLCs and HMI to Macawber Beekay
Equipment includes PLC-based control panels, Proficy HMI/SCADA, CIMPLICITY, and VersaMax I/O to control ash material handling at Macawber Beekay's plant in New Delhi, India.

NIWeek 2008 Graphical System Design Conference  
August 5-8, 2008 Austin, Texas
Interactive technical sessions, targeted summits, hands-on workshops and exhibitions on the latest developments for design, control, automation, manufacturing and test.

ISA Expo
October 14-16, 2008 Houston, Texas
Organized around six core automation and control themes, ISA EXPO 2007 provides attendees a content-rich environment that offers unlimited opportunity for exploration of key technologies, professional growth, and interaction with like minded professionals.

Brazil Automation
November 17-19, 2008 São Paulo, Brazil
Brazil Automation is the largest event of Instrumentation, Systems and Automation in Latin America and one of the most important in the world. Besides presenting technology advances and new products and services, the event provides extensive integration among users, manufacturers, researchers, students, service providers and other professionals in the industry.

SCS Paris
December 2-5, 2008 Paris, France
Covers systems, components and solutions, including electrical, automation and mechatronics.

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I hope you enjoyed this HMI, SCADA & Operator Interfaces 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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