2 stages are involved in developing an embedded control system: 1) write and debug the code on a PC with the target system simulated in software; and 2) download it to the microcontroller connected to the real target system, according to the Sept. 10 “Ask Charlie” blog. www.controleng.com

3 areas for wireless in manufacturing, according to the Control Engineering Webcast, “Controlling Machines without Wires,” are visualization and monitoring, control, and plant pervasive wireless. Learn more about technologies and applications at www.controleng.com/webcasts

5 advantages to integrated product lifecycle management (PLM) systems are greater productivity, teamwork, control, manageability and product success, according to Siemens PLM Software, the new name for UGS. Teamcenter 2007 launched Oct. 2. www.ugs.com

100th anniversary of engineering licensure in the U.S. is 2007. PE/FE exams are Oct. 26-27. Get help at www.nspe.org

7.3% of system integrators per year leave the industrial automation industry, either through closure or realignment into other businesses, based on the last 15 annual editions of the Control Engineering Automation Integrator Guide, says Vance VanDoren, consulting editor. Of 100 Control System Integrators Association members that have achieved CSIA-certified status since audits began in 2002, 99 continue to serve the industrial automation industry, says CSIA, making certification a good indicator of longevity, VanDoren observes. www.controleng.com/integrators, www.controlsys.org

1st public library live connection with International Space Station (ISS), orbiting at 17,500 mph about 200 miles high, happened on Sept. 5 as part of the NASA “Space: Dare to Dream” exhibit program at Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin, IL. Students talked live with astronaut Clay Anderson on the ISS and lead capcom Hal Getzelman (Elgin native) at NASA in Houston. Watch the archived video. www.gailborden.info/space

61 Mbits/sec is the median download speed in Japan, compared to 2 Mbits/sec for the U.S. Better wiring and more aggressive government regulations contribute to the difference, according to an Aug. 29 Washington Post article, citing information from the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation and the Communications Workers of America. www.washingtonpost.com, www.itif.org, www.speedmatters.org

$176,000 was granted by Massachusetts to Carlo Gavazzi to merge three operations into the original Carlo Gavazzi Computing Solutions’ corporate headquarters in Brockton, MA. The state grant, following about $30,000 a year before, helps the electronics and controls manufacturer improve operations and stay competitive in “a harsh Massachusetts economic climate.” A sister company is Carlo Gavazzi Automation Components. www.carlogavazzi.com