Articles and News

Innovari’s Interactive Energy Platform (IEP) uses artificial intelligence, “big data” analytics, proprietary optimization routines and grid-edge hardware built on NI technology to deliver capacity and address grid demand.

As of now, SoftPLC systems for the device platforms PFC 100 from WAGO and SIMATIC IOT2000 from Siemens are also available. Both systems are based on an open Linux operating system and are designed to work in industrial environments.

This arrangement brings together Mitsubishi Electric’s servo motors and control products with Bimba’s electric mechanical actuators.

Moret, 54, succeeds Keith D. Nosbusch, who has served as chairman since 2005 and remains as a director. The company will continue to have an independent lead director.

By Paul J. Galeski, MAVERICK Technologies Due to open systems and standardization over the past few decades, ease-of-use has increased greatly. As a result, installing or upgrading an automation system today is far simpler from a purely technical standpoint than it was 20 or even 10 years ago.

Visitors to the Beckhoff booth will again be able to “BYOD”, using their own smartphones and tablets to connect with PC-based control demos – including a wall of IoT-enabled devices, plus articulated robot arms from Stäubli – using any mobile device with a web browser.

Strategic collaboration between BitFlow and software developers, like National Instruments, has resulted in a library of third-party drivers. BitFlow plug-and-play drivers integrate its frame grabbers within virtually any application environment, eliminating the need for new coding, while helping to achieve more stable systems.

ControlEdge PLC is the first PLC to be awarded the ISASecure Level 2 certification, which builds on the Level 1 capabilities by providing additional security features such as the confidentiality and integrity of data at rest and in motion, detection of unauthorized changes and additional protection against Denial of Service attacks.

Siemens PLM Software is a provider of software solutions to drive the digital transformation of industry, creating new opportunities for manufacturers to realize innovation.

Initially developed to train Bedrock end users and partners in programming applications to the IEC 61131-3 standard, the software and the IDE can be used to build PLC, DCS, and SCADA RTU applications that are cryptographically authenticated to the Bedrock platform.

Bosch Rexroth has made the Sercos SoftMaster available as free open source software on SourceForge.net. They also offer a free Sercos-on-a-Stick livesystem--a complete stand-alone demo Sercos driver package on a USB thumb drive. This includes the SoftMaster based on Intime Distributed RTOS from TenAsys Corporation, and a test application.

The MAQ20 data acquisition and control system uses a Python API; this employs an object-oriented approach for communicating with MAQ20 systems, thereby providing an interface where the low-level Modbus commands are hidden from normal use.

The control system migration of the mill’s Flakt Dryer machine from a mixture of legacy ABB MOD300 and Allen Bradley PLC’s to PlantPAX was the fifth PlantPAX control system installed by GPA in the Pulp & Paper industry specifically.

By introducing change management and version control software from M.A.C. Solutions for more than 400 of its programmable devices (PLCs and HMIs) at its facility in Oxfordshire, Diamond Light Source intends to minimize the risk of machine downtime caused by PLC back-up or software code errors

This white paper is designed to help small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) recognize their vulnerability to industrial cyberattack and forge an effective cybersecurity plan based on established standards and practices.

By Galina Antova, Claroty We cannot afford to rely on the same (sub)standard we used in IT security over the past 10 years. We have to act ahead of the threat – we have to do something now.

By Bill Lydon, Editor, Automation.com EPLAN's integration with the Siemens TIA portal is intended to enable engineering data to be exchanged bidirectionally between the worlds of electrical engineering and automation engineering.

By Marty Edwards – Managing Director, Automation Federation With the ever-increasing drumbeat of cyber-attack pounding louder and louder in the background, organizations utilizing automation systems of any kind need to take proactive, defensive steps immediately to avoid significant business disruption and lost revenue.

The report highlights a number of challenges and suggests that more technical security testing has a significant role to play in ensuring higher levels of security assurance are met.

By Jonathan Wilkins, EU Automation Most small and medium sized businesses don’t have a robotics programmer on staff. However, by learning the three main methods of programming — teach, lead and offline — they can prepare for the introduction of almost any type of robotics technology. This article explores the three main methods of robot programming.