Provides seamless interoperability, reduces system set-up costsCOLUMBUS, Ohio (June 24, 2004) - Honeywell (NYSE: HON) smart sensor products and National Instruments (NI) LabVIEW and data acquisition products now operate on a common platform compatible with IEEE 1451.4, the Transducer Electronic Data Sheet (TEDS) standard recently released in final form. Along with other major sensor manufacturers, Honeywell helped develop the common platform, called Sensors Plug&Play, by using NI LabVIEW graphical programming software to program its sensors. As a result, test and measurement customers can now take advantage of seamless interoperability between Honeywell Sensotec smart sensors and signal conditioners and NI data acquisition hardware and software.A smart TEDS sensor contains an integrated EEPROM chip which carries scaling, calibration and user information, facilitating digital interrogation of the sensor's configuration data. The customer's data acquisition system reads both the smart TEDS sensor analog signal as well as the EEPROM configuration information. By automating test and measurement system set-up through a common TEDS platform, engineers and scientists can cut set-up time and costs - while improving reliability - by eliminating manual data entry."We know from customer feedback that system set-up can comprise 25 percent of overall measurement cost-the second highest cost after the purchase price of hardware and software," said Brian Betts, NI data acquisition product manager. "The combined offering of Sensors Plug&Play products from National Instruments and virtually all of the Sensotec sensors from Honeywell significantly reduces set-up time, which saves our customers money by helping themget data faster. The end result is a more affordable and accurate measurement system."Martin Armson, director of Marketing and International Sales for Honeywell Sensotec sensors, notes that smart sensor technology based on the Sensors Plug& Play platform does much more in addition to improving accuracy and productivity. "This technology also eases the logistics of managing test and measurement systems that can comprise hundreds or even thousand of sensors," Armson said. "The automatic interrogation feature reduces 'cabling and labeling' problems and facilitates inventorying and control of expensive sensors." The end result, according to Armson: "You can spend much more time refining your measurement system, and much less time looking for your sensors."Armson noted that customers with legacy sensors that lack TEDS EEPROM chips can still take advantage of the new technology. "We've got a kit that they can use to retrofit any of our sensors by burning an EEPROM and mounting it in the connector, the sensor itself, or a special adaptor attached to the sensor cable." Another option for PC-enabled customers is Virtual TEDS, a library housed at NI's Web site that offers sensor data in the standard TEDS format for direct download to customers' data acquisition and signal conditioning systems. "At the very least," Armson said, "customers can take advantage of the 'paperless calibration' part of plug and play by accessing calibration data from their manufacturer's Web site." He noted that Honeywell already has online calibration data available for all of its Sensotec sensors.Honeywell was particularly well placed to collaborate with NI on the common TEDS platform. For more than eight years, the company had supplied plug-and-play implementations based on the TEDS principle through its SIG CAL technology. "As the issue date for IEEE 1451.4 approached," noted Ken Rastatter, senior design engineer, "we simply changed our proprietary protocol to match the one dictated by the standard. And working with National Instruments to create a common platform based on LabVIEW was a natural." Honeywell Sensotec and National Instruments will hold a joint Webcast on July 28 to discuss the industry impact of TEDS technology and demonstrate NI Sensors Plug&Play hardware working with Honeywell sensors. Event registration is available at www.ni.com/events.Honeywell Sensotec smart sensors compatible with the Sensors Plug&Play platform can be ordered from the company's online catalog at www.honeywell.com/sensotec. The catalog is also available by calling 1-800-848-6564.National Instruments (www.ni.com) is a technology pioneer and leader in virtual instrumentation - a revolutionary concept that has changed the way engineers and scientists approach measurement and automation. Leveraging the PC and its related technologies, virtual instrumentation increases productivity and lowers costs through easy-to-integrate software, such as the NI LabVIEW graphical development environment, and modular hardware, such as PXI modules for data acquisition, instrument control and machine vision. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NI has more than 3,100 employees and direct operations in 40 countries. In 2003, the company sold products to more than 25,000 companies in 90 countries. Readers may obtain investment information from the company's investor relations department by calling (512) 683-5090, by sending e-mail to [email protected] or by visiting www.ni.com/nati.Honeywell International is a $23 billion diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; turbochargers; specialty chemicals; fibers; and electronic and advanced materials. Based in Morris Township, N.J., Honeywells shares are traded on the New York, London, Chicago and Pacific Stock Exchanges. It is one of the 30 stocks that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is also a component of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. For additional information, please visit www.honeywell.com. Honeywell Sensing and Control is part of Honeywell's Automation and Control Solutions group, a global leader in providing product and service solutions that improve efficiency and profitability, support regulatory compliance, and maintain safe, comfortable environments in homes, buildings and industry. For more information about Sensing and Control, access www.honeywell.com/sensing. LabVIEW, National Instruments, NI, ni.com and NI-DAQ are trademarks of National Instruments. Other products and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.Honeywell International and National Instruments are independent companies and are not connected to, affiliated with or associated with each other in any manner.
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