Articles and News

Version 6.2.1 of OpenPCS IEC 61131-3 automation suite is free of charge and needs no registration.

Catalog covers Ethernet I/O systems, standalone data loggers, Programmable Automation Controllers (PACs), Simulink targets, and Modbus TCP slaves.

Orders decreased across all divisions and regions compared to the second quarter of 2008 on a combination of lower volumes and price decreases resulting from both lower raw material costs and reduced demand.

Accreditation is recognition that the test laboratory is competent to carry out tests in compliance with PLCopen guidelines for the certification of IEC 61131-3 related products.

Site covers PLC on a Chip based PLCs, Application Specific controls and PLC Education tools.

Free RSLogix Micro Starter Lite software streamlines overall development and deployment processes, helping to save time and increase productivity.

While 2009 and 2010 look to be challenging years, the opportunity to drive growth in services remains substantial and will continue to drive growth in the overall DCS market well into the next decade.

In spite of the current gloom and doom in the global economy, the market growth will resume in 2010 and beyond.

Dieter Hess and Manfred Werner founded the independent software company 3S-Smart Software Solutions in July 1994.

The OPC Technical Advisory Council (TAC) has approved a charter for a new joint working group with PLCopen to create an OPC UA information model corresponding to the IEC-61131 standard.

PLCopen launched the Fluid Power Control Function Blocks technical group at a kickoff meeting June 23, 2009 in Frankfurt, Germany. The initiative will extend PLCopen specifications to include fluid power.

PLCopen member Beckhoff is applying PLCopen standards to wind power applications. Beckhoff controls are being used in the new 2 MW converter from DeWind AG, Germany, also known as the D8. The wind power converters use Beckhoff Industrial PCs, TwinCAT automation software, and Bus Terminal technologies. Dewind wind power experts used the Beckhoff TwinCAT software to develop applications in the IEC 61131-3 open standard software.

PLCopen North America has created a Control Applications Support Group on LinkedIn to help engineers with applications.

Nol-Tec’s 24/7 Emergency Service provides around the clock support when a machine, process or production line is down.

ISaGRAF 5 programming software will be used on SIXNET’s IPm2m RTU and Datalogger.

Accreditation is a formal recognition that a test laboratory is competent to carry out specific tests in compliance with the PLCopen guideline “Compliance Testing & Certification.”

Automation expenditures in the process industries reached $45.5 billion dollars in 2007 and are forecast to exceed $61 billion by 2012.

Eaton's Training Services is a PLCopen certified training center for the IEC 61131-3 programming language standard.

Erich Janoschek from TÜV Rheinland was elected chairman of the PLCopen Technical Committee for Safe Software.

ISaGRAF software will be used in CSE-Semaphore’s Kingfisher series of Advanced RTUs, which are now available with Secure DNP3 Authentication.