We’re well into 2008. Almost everyone I know is beyond busy. Yet I’m sure it’s worth your time to review this list of most-read articles posted online at controleng.com during 2007. High-ranking topics include: PID, control valve actuators, encoders, stepper motors, control design for clean in place (CIP) applications, industrial Ethernet hardware, and security. The ranking is by number of page views for the year. Go online to see most-read articles by month and other rankings.

1. March cover story: The Three Faces of PID. Proportional-integral-derivative control is among the most consistently read topics over the years, as readers seek understanding of basic control theory. Among top-viewed articles in 2007 posted prior to last year, advanced tuning and PID-related items accounted for six of 20.

2. January Product Research: Control Valve Actuators. Actuators, one-third of the control loop, rank high here and with motors (No. 5).

3. May 2007 Salary Survey: More Challenge, More Income. Subscribers like to compare. Salary information also is available in a customizable database in the Control Engineering Resource Center, free with registration.

4. March online news: Magnetic encoders help break 7-second motorcycle quarter-mile record. Engineering that enables extreme anything remains of interest to many, whose first engineering-related interests may have been with motorcycles or cars.

5. March feature: Stepper Motion Evolution. More actuation helps move things along, with stepper systems providing an alternative to servo motion for some applications.

6. March Inside Process: Control Design for CIP Systems. Clean in place (CIP) systems are considered an important batch process and asset.

7. June cover story: Who Puts the 'Industrial’ in Ethernet? It’s today’s leading means of connectivity; technologies, tips, and links make this especially useful, with a podcast.

8. April cover story: 10 Control System Security Threats. If you’re not protecting your control systems in these areas, you need to reconsider what you’re doing. Five related podcasts offer more advice.

9. March News: ABB users discover new products, each other. This look at an active company focused users group provides insight into what can be gained through participation.

10. March new product: Software optimizes all instruments. The idea of software helping to optimize all instruments raises the prospect of increasing usefulness while reducing complexity.

Your favorite not here? Tell us using the post a comment feature at bottom of this article online, under February 2008, www.controleng.com/archive.

mhoske@reedbusiness.com