Most visited articles at www.controleng.com during April 2011 included articles about award-winning automation, control, and instrumentation products, Stuxnet video, controller selection, wireless advice, Kaizen help, and PID simulation, among other articles.

April 2011’s leading Control Engineering online stories included:

2011 Engineers' Choice Awards, Control Engineering art - 2011 Engineers’ Choice Awards - Spotlight on Innovation - Cover story: Best automation, control, and instrumentation products in 30 categories.

- Video: The lingering effects of Stuxnet - Two cyber security experts discuss what we should learn from the Stuxnet experience, and how companies may want to change their thinking going forward.

- Cover Story: Balancing PLCs, PACs, IPCs - Do you need a PLC, PAC, or IPC for your next control application? Will programmable logic controllers (PLCs) evolve into programmable automation controllers (PACs) or industrial PCs (IPCs)? Whatever the name, get the best features and software for your control applications.

Michael Babb, Control Engineering, Control Engineering Europe editor - Michael Babb, long-time Control Engineering editor, dies - Michael P. Babb passed away April 6, 2011, after a short illness. Babb began his editorial career with Control Engineering in 1985. Babb was recognized globally for 26 years of writing and editing about automation and control systems. Leave a remembrance of Mike, if you'd like, using the link below.

- Overcoming Barriers to Wireless Adoption - Wireless is flexible, versatile, and can be cost effective; however, concerns with security, reliability, and capacity of wireless continue to prevent conservative end users from reaping its benefits. Are these concerns valid?

- Kaizen event: 7 important tips for more efficient manufacturing - Improving efficiency with a Kaizen event requires specific planning, a cross-functional team, operator involvement, and four other important attributes.

Figure 2: Old controller design with a maximum position error of more than four degrees (bottom) when trying to follow reference trajectory (top, red line—commanded load angle; yellow line—measured load angle) corresponding to new speed and acceleration targets. The performance specification is for the error to be less than one degree. - Rapid design, prototyping of PID controllers - Computer models can simulate processes, allowing you to design and refine PID controller action before it is implemented and deployed.