Articles and News

The PlantPAx system with EtherNet/IP and ControlNet network connectivity passed tests for “61b,” the Fieldbus Foundation’s most demanding host profile.

Automation.com, October 2012 By Bill Lydon, Editor OPC UA technology provides an efficient and secure infrastructure for communications and has the potential to be the standard of choice to complete the vision of IP to the edge, commonly referred to as the "Internet of Things."

Automation.com, October 2012 By Nuris Ismail and Reid Paquin This research explores how industry leaders are taking advantage of industrial networking to enable real-time visibility into data to optimize production, maintenance, and safety - in particular, the adoption rate of industrial Ethernet protocols versus Fieldbus.

The granting of the official certificate confirms COPA-DATA's zenon OPC UA server meets all of the quality criteria defined by the OPC Foundation.

The PROFIBUS market is expected to grow in 2012 by a further 4 million nodes, to reach a total of about 44 million, taking PROFINET along with it.

Automation.com, October 2012 By Patrick Supanich, Contributing Writer Over the past year, a number of PROFINET technology developments and organizational structure changes have occurred. First, the release of specification Version 2.3 that covers applications from standard to high speed processes. Second, called performance upgrade, has dramatically increase the speed of the PROFINET network.

By Peter Seeberg and Jürgen Lange, Softing OPC specifications are created with the aim of permitting interoperability between products from different manufacturers. To ensure that a product actually complies with the specification it must undergo a series of compliance tests. Part 6 in a series of eight articles.

CDx Series of absolute encoders features a Safety Integrity Level of 3 (SIL3), with high system performance and a low probability of failure.

RapID Platform Network Interface has been certified to PROFINET Class B and Net Load Class III.

Upon installation of new controls, the system caused four separate pump stations to compete for water pumping rights at the same time. KEPServerEX solved the problem.

Kepware links PCs and PLCs to help manage the water supply for more than 2,700 acres in Walla Walla Valley, OR.

Automation.com, September 2012 By Marlee Rosen Implementing secure remote maintenance monitoring and real-time diagnostics reporting can contribute to improved device performance and the reduction of maintenance cost.

By Peter Seeberg and Jürgen Lange, Softing An overview of collaborations between different organizations—including ADI, FDI, FDT, ISA-95, MES, MIMOSA, ODVA and PLCopen—and the OPC Foundation, and the resulting OPC UA Companion Standards. Part 5 in a series of eight articles.

Automation.com, August 2012 By Bill Lydon, Editor Cisco's newly-formed Connected Industries Business Unit, recently created to help customers realize the benefits of the transition to Ethernet and IP in manufacturing plants, launched a new switch series and is reaching out to a broad base of potential partners.

Fourteen vendors successfully tested 22 OPC products at the three-day Asian Interoperability (IOP) Workshop, an event sponsored by the OPC Foundation and hosted by the OPC Japan Council this past June in Tokyo, Japan.

By Peter Seeberg and Jürgen Lange, Softing The third part of this series of articles outlines ten key reasons that have led to the development of an entirely new technology generation, the OPC Unified Architecture.

Automation.com, July 2012 By Bill Lydon, Editor In the past, Phoenix Contact's products were typically hidden in control cabinets. Their new vertical market initiative puts them in the mainstream of automation and control solutions, including further expansion in the United States.

EST Enerji, a control system integrator in Turkey, is now a MatrikonOPC Authorized Distributor.

Michael Rothwell, Director of Controls and Industry Solutions (CIS) for Phoenix Contact, has been added to PI's Board of Directors.

T+H provides seamless integration of customer networks through all network levels – from device automation to the ERP system.