Spring into expansion

Creation reaffirms life, faith, and industry. With the need for hope in human endeavors, we tend to rejoice with rebirth and growth. Now that spring's in full swing, I'm really looking forward to summer. (Maybe I'll reconsider after a few more times cutting the grass, but smells great now.) Here are three other hopeful transitions underway.

By Mark T. Hoske May 1, 2005

Creation reaffirms life, faith, and industry. With the need for hope in human endeavors, we tend to rejoice with rebirth and growth. Now that spring’s in full swing, I’m really looking forward to summer. (Maybe I’ll reconsider after a few more times cutting the grass, but smells great now.) Here are three other hopeful transitions underway.

Ethernet to gigabit Ethernet : Just a few years ago, we were talking about whether or not Ethernet would be appropriate in the manufacturing space. Now, at least seven industrial Ethernet protocols serve the industrial space, gigabit Ethernet products are available, and IEEE recently released a white paper supporting widespread use of gigabit Ethernet networks, in part to aid manufacturing. One of my favorite parts is IEEE quoting the U.S. Telecommunications Act of 1934, which says we need ‘to make available…to all the people of the United States, without discrimination…a rapid, efficient, nationwide…communication service with adequate facilities at reasonable charges….’ Current broadband networks, such as DSL or cable modems, have an asymmetric speed of about 2 Mb/s, IEEE notes, while gigabit networks are capable of digital rates 50 to 5,000 times faster, with equal upstream and downstream speed. Help the rebirth by encouraging government officials to support reforms that will allow more rapid upgrades, so engineering can continue to reap related benefits. These would include, IEEE suggests, regulatory flexibility and encouragement of user-owned networks.

Buyer’s Guide ‘v 5.0’ : Control Engineering, online since 1996, now offers a fifth-generation online buyer’s guide at www.cesuppliersearch.com (and via familiar links at www.controleng.com ). Control Engineering editors worked with the global resources of Kellysearch, a recognized provider of buyer’s guides since 1799 (yes, that’s 17 99), to create a better tool for users. Hundreds of product categories are more specific—for instance, 59 more categories are listed for PLCs, and 137 more categories for flowmeters. The upgrade contains more global companies and tools to narrow searches by region or state.

Poland to Russia : Building on manufacturing’s investments in Eastern Europe, as covered by Control Engineering Poland , we’ve launched Control Engineering Russia . Poland, which joined the European Union last year, continues expansion with an upgraded wireless communications network and additional economic reforms in anticipation of introduction of the Euro in 2009. Similarly, manufacturing’s interest and investment in Russia is growing, for local markets and for exports.

For links on each topic, please read this at www.controleng.com/archive , May 2005.

Mark T. Hoske, Editor-in-Chief

MHoske@cfemedia.com

Additional Links

  • Link to IEEE white paper “U.S. Prosperity at Risk; Gigabit Networks Should be
    National Priority.” ( 16-page PDF ) Click Here
    https://www.ieeeusa.org/volunteers/committees/ccip/docs/Gigabit-WP.pdf

  • Find/contact your U.S. government officials by clicking here .https://www.firstgov.gov

  • Link to the Control Engineering Buyer’s Guide upgrade, CESupplierSearch at www.cesuppliersearch.com , or from the usual links at www.controleng.com .

  • Find out more about Control Engineering international editions at www.controleng.com (top of the page) and at www.controleng.com/mediainfo .


Author Bio: Mark Hoske has been Control Engineering editor/content manager since 1994 and in a leadership role since 1999, covering all major areas: control systems, networking and information systems, control equipment and energy, and system integration, everything that comprises or facilitates the control loop. He has been writing about technology since 1987, writing professionally since 1982, and has a Bachelor of Science in Journalism degree from UW-Madison.

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