White Paper: Industrial Ethernet Infrastructure - Key Selection Criteria
By: Eddie M. Lee, Application Engineer, Moxa Technologies, Inc.
With the recent growth and popularity of Ethernet in factory and process automation, engineers are struggling to select the optimal yet cost effective infrastructure components from the litany of vendors and models available in the marketplace. The first step should include determining the key goals of your network followed by selecting the proper equipment to facilitate achieving those goals. This article outlines the key criteria for selecting Ethernet components and systems.

High-power PoE strengthens Industrial Ethernet
Industrial Embedded Systems, January 2008
Koen Geirnaert, AMI Semiconductor
In a wired network, wouldn’t it make sense to power Ethernet devices over an Ethernet cable? Here’s background on the Power over Ethernet (PoE) standard.

Ethernet focuses on floor, control
Intech, January 2008
By Robert Lounsbury
By applying component enhancements, isolation, and separation correctly, top performance is possible and at a minimal cost. Here’s how.

Carrying Serial Devices into the Future
By Paul Wacker, Advantech
Asynchronous serial communications connections are still the most commonly used industrial device interfaces. Serial tunneling and device servers make it possible to continue using legacy equipment and integrate it into a modern Ethernet network.

Using MODBUS for Process Control and Automation
MODBUS is the most popular industrial protocol being used today, for good reasons. It is simple, inexpensive, universal and easy to use. Even though MODBUS has been around for nearly 30 years, almost all major industrial instrumentation and automation equipment vendors continue to support it in new products. This white paper discusses how MODBUS works and a few clever ways it can be used in new and legacy plants.

Browse these and more articles and white papers on the Industrial Communications portal.

RF and Communications Fundamentals: Understanding Distortion Measurements
By National Instruments
Webcast describes three measurements used to specify system linearity: 1 dB compression point, third-order intercept (TOI), and intermodulation distortion (IM3).. In this webcast, learn how component nonlinearity causes both harmonic and intermodulation distortion.

Ethernet Shoulders e-Communications
Automation World, December 2007
by C. Kenna Amos
Brief explanation of the seven layers or levels of the International Organization for Standardization’s Open System Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model—application, presentation, session, transport, network, datalink and physical.

NI announces DATEx Module for Teaching Telecommunications
With DATEx and ELVIS, students can visualize telecommunications concepts in a hands-on learning environment.

ODVA publishes CIP network specifications
Specs include updates for EtherNet/IP, DeviceNet, CompoNet, and ControlNet.

ISA publishes 4th Edition of Industrial Data Communications book
The 4th Edition of "Industrial Data Communications" by Lawrence M. Thompson includes a complete description of relevant terminology, standards, and protocols.

Browse these and more resources and literature on the Industrial Communications portal.

Building control system uses LonWorks
By Lonmark International
Floor controls are linked via a LonWorks network, using Siemens LMEC gateways onto a BACnet system which handles the interaction with the central AHU, boilers and chillers.

Adding Ethernet to Railroad System Increases Reliability
By Contemporary Controls
A commuter railroad modernized its 20-year-old automated material handling system in one of its maintenance facilities using PLCs and Ethernet/IP. An Ethernet managed fiber optic switch from Contemporary Controls was part of the solution.

Connecting SmartMotors to Ethernet networks
Industrial Embedded Systems, January 2008
By Rahul Shah, Lantronix
Connecting an embedded device server to an Animatics SmartMotor provided all the networking hardware and software required to connect the motor to an Ethernet network or the Internet.

Baldor PowerLink system controls tube-bending production cell
The Ethernet-compatible Powerlink system controls four axes of motion, plus the I/O needed for the continuous operation of the process.

Westermo Ethernet switches serve water treatment plant in France
At the Seine Grésillons treatment plant, technicians can connect locally at any point of the network by wire or WiFi to the same production management interface to obtain data.

Browse these and more application stories on the Industrial Communications portal.

Ethernet Communications Webinars
By Automation Direct
Six-part series covers everything from the basics of Ethernet to technical demonstrations to application examples.

CANBus Communication
By National Instruments
15-minute on-line slide presentation covers the basics of the ISO 11898 Controller Area Network protocol.

ODVA presents EtherNet/IP seminars
Free, one-day seminars present a technical overview of EtherNet/IP, the underlying Common Industrial Protocol (CIP), an analysis of the value of implementing EtherNet/IP, and a primer on the basics of Industrial Ethernet.

Coastal releases Fieldbus Process Control eLearning Series
Produced in conjunction with The Fieldbus Center at Lee College, the series trains instrumentation operators and technicians on the operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of FOUNDATION fieldbus systems.

Bus Technologies for Test and Measurement Systems
By National Instruments
This tutorial discusses the technical merits of several bus and platform technologies for use in test and measurement, including GPIB, VME, PCI, USB, Ethernet, and LXI, as well as PXI and VXI.

Browse these and more training and seminar opportunities on Industrial Communications portal.

• Ethernet Direct releases HUG-1628 Unmanaged Gigabit Switch
• ADLINK announces ALS-3206 rackmount Internet security platform
• Nubitek releases SMS manager for SIEMENS S7-200 PLC
• Lumberg releases Industrial Ethernet Interfaces and Receptacles
• Yokogawa announces CENTUM VP control system
• Mitsubishi introduces e-F@ctory Solution
• IBM, Mitsubishi and ILS Technology deliver SOA Solution
• Softing releases CAN-bus PC/104 Board for OEMs
• TC Introduces JumboSwitch Gigabit Ethernet switch for SCADA

Browse these and more Product Announcements on the Industrial Communications portal.

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EtherCAT becoming more successful in Asia
The EtherCAT Technology Group sees signs of acceptance in Asia.

ARC says Ethernet moving downward in the control hierarchy
Industrial Ethernet’s migration into the device or I/O level of the automation network hierarchy signals its continued march downward in the enterprise architecture.

SERCOS/IP Protocol Specification Released
The protocol allows standard Ethernet IP communication with a SERCOS III network both during cyclic real-time network operation and during non-real time operation.

EtherCAT accepted as IEC Standard
EtherCAT is now an International Standard communication technology for SERCOS and CANopen drive profiles

Fieldbus Foundation Releases Temperature Transducer Specification
This new release includes features enabling automation equipment suppliers to further improve the diagnostics, interoperability and reliability of FOUNDATION-compliant products.

Browse these and more company and organizational news on the Industrial Communications portal.

Sports drink plant uses Control-See software for plant paging  
System retrieves real-time, event-driven alarms and data from PLCs and broadcasts the alarms and data via email messaging.

Wireless Enables Temperature Profiling and Tank Level Measurement at PPG Plant
Process and Control Today, January 2008
PPG installed an Emerson Smart Wireless solution at its Chemical Division facility in Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA. The production installation follows field trials of Emerson’s self-organising wireless networks conducted by a PPG cross-functional process and corporate IT personnel team.

Binder-USA adapts the Iris Spring for EMI Shielding
Iris spring shielding technology is an effective and simple way to protect equipment from electromagnetic interference.

Invensys to provide cyber security services for Husky Energy
Invensys will provide services based on its lifecycle cyber security approach, which consists of assessment, design, implementation and real-time management of Husky's plant and production networks.

DSPCon Wins Four NASA Contracts for Data Acquisition and Analysis
DSPCon will provide NASA with advanced data acquisition and analysis systems for a variety of satellite, rocket and aviation testing applications.

Fieldbus Foundation General Assembly
February 27-29. 2008 Antwerp, Belgium
Includes overview of current Fieldbus Foundation developments across the globe, and end user presentations focused on process integrity, open scalable integration, business intelligence, asset management, factory site acceptance testing, commissioning and trouble shooting.

ISA Hamilton EXPO 2008
March 18, 2008 Hamilton, Ontario
Free one-day exposition of process control equipment.

ISA International Instrumentation Symposium
May 5-8, 2008 Pensacola Beach, Florida
The 54th annual ISA International Instrumentation Symposium will include paper sessions, short courses, tutorials, and a student presentation competition.

Automatica 2008
June 10-13, 2008 Munich, Germany
Displays the latest in robots, assembly and handling technology, machine vision and associated technologies in five trade fair halls.

Add an event to our calendar.

Rick Zabel
Vice President, Publisher
Automation.com

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