Top 5 Control Engineering articles, Feb. 24-March 2, 2014

Were you out last week? Miss something? Here are Control Engineering's five most clicked articles from last week, Feb. 24-March 2, 2014, including articles about process control systems technology, high-voltage fault detection, pressure instrumentation, vendors and the engineering gap, and operator interface standardization.

By Jessica DuBois-Maahs, Jordan Schultz March 3, 2014

1. Are Microsoft technologies still best for process control systems?

Engineering and IT Insight: Process control architects and designers are questioning the 15-year wisdom that you cannot go wrong by picking the Microsoft environment for a process control system. See 6 critical requirements for process controls.

2. Sniffing out an intermittent high-voltage fault

Application Update: Troubleshoot a high-voltage electrical fault and see recommended solutions.

3. Understanding pressure instrumentation

Measuring pressure is one of the most basic instrumentation functions in any industry. Pressure measurement devices are everywhere, and there are countless varieties of options.

4. Can and should vendors fill the engineering gap?

Suffering a technical brain drain? Here are five specific ways customers can get effective help from vendors and distributors.

5. Standardization for the operator interface

Inside Machines: OI standardization helps original equipment manufacturers speed time to market by using or adapting standard human-machine interface (HMI) screens.

The list was developed using CFE Media’s web analytics for stories viewed on www.controleng.com, Feb. 24-March 2, 2014, for articles published within the last two months.

– Jessica DuBois-Maahs and Jordan Schultz, associate content managers, CFE Media, jdmaahs@cfemedia.com and jschultz@cfemedia.com.