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Evaluation Engineering, January 2010 By David Owen, Pickering Interfaces Article has case histories and gives selection advice on the two most common platforms for switching systems, PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation (PXI) and LAN eXtensions for Instrumentation (LXI).

By Jako Winter, Metacom An automated electrical distribution automation network in Rawsonville, South Africa, proved its worth when a line fault briefly affected power supply to farms and packing houses in the area. Power was restored to 75% of these customers in 90 seconds.

By David Johnson, Applied Measurements This weighing approach is cost effective and quick to install, causes a minimum of production down time and is ideal as a retrofitted system.

By Manny Mandrusiak, OPC Foundation The OPC Foundation has been receiving a lot of email lately regarding the different technologies that are now offered in the OPC portfolio in 2010. It is very easy to see where individuals could become overwhelmed with the number of options that now exist. Here at the OPC Foundation we have taken steps to bring some clarity to the marketplace by simplifying the OPC message regarding the three core OPC technologies: OPC Classic, OPC Xi, and OPC UA.

By Brent Evanger, Banner Engineering Many engineers use machine vision equipment in quality control inspection processes. To attain accurate results from these inspections, however, the user must ensure sufficient lighting.

By Chris Jones, Micro-Epsilon Customers sometimes need to measure to sub-micron or nanometre resolutions, against difficult surfaces or materials that cannot be touched. This article compares four types of non-contact displacement measurement technology, advising on the pros and cons of each.

Automation.com, July 2010 By V. Lakshminarayana, CMC Limited India’s transmission and distribution losses are among the highest in the world--up to 50%. A Smart Grid will help cut losses.

Automation.com, July 2010 By Mark Howard, Zettlex The accuracy, resolution and repeatability of a position transducer are critical selection factors, but often cause confusion amongst engineers.

By Mark Lampert, Banner Engineering Vision provides a valuable snapshot of the full Food and Beverage application in process. Thus, it is able to analyze multiple features of interest at once, such as label presence and placement, and hue variations that could mean the difference between a “good” and “bad” product.

Automation.com, June 2010 By Tony Udelhoven, TURCK Conditions sensors must endure in welding environments remain consistently harsh: temperatures in excess of 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, currents ranging from 15,000 to 35,000 Amps, and frequent weld flash occurrences.

By Jim McMahon, Dematic Capable of building mixed-case pallets from an inventory of over 10,000 SKUs, the latest evolution in Automated Mixed-Case Palletizing represents an advance in case palletizing.

Automation.com, May 2010 By Mark Howard, Zettlex A key step in selecting a suitable position sensor for an application is to be absolutely clear about what is needed, particularly with respect to sensor resolution, repeatability and linearity.

Automation.com, May 2010 By Dr Peter Harrop, IDTechEx Wireless Sensor Networks are machine to machine M2M mesh networks operating like the internet in that they are self organising and self healing.

A RFID Case Study demonstrated the benefits of using a single RFID tag to carry information critical in manufacturing, logistics and retail processes.

Automation.com, June 2010 By Sam Drury, Impress Sensors & Systems The latest silicon pressure sensors have much-improved mechanically-sealed designs, which use only a fraction of the volume of oil compared to previous versions.

Automation.com, June 2010 by Andy Stadheim, President of Barix Technology The flexibility of the smart grid and the many tools and devices available can be used to build a manageable and effective load shedding system.

Are you ready for your e-mail marketing efforts to reach further than your company's own customer database? Read how Automation.com's Custom e-Mail Message and White Paper Alert Message opportunities can play a role in your company's overall marketing strategy.

Automation.com, March 2010 By Sal Austin, DGX With RFID and geospatial technologies, corporations can track and manage their inventory anywhere in the world at real time speed preventing losses and theft.

By Nathan Pocock, Director of Compliance, OPC Foundation The OPC Foundation Compliance and Certification program offers different levels of certification. It is extremely important for individuals who purchase this software to understand the rigors that each level of certification requires, and the benefits of those results.

By Patrick Supanich, Contributor As an end user, you must rely more and more on outside engineering services for your automation needs. Choosing a services partner can be a high-risk decision for your company and, frankly, your career. Not all CSIs are created equal. So how do you pick one?