Top Control Engineering articles, May 2011

Most visited articles at www.controleng.com during May 2011 included interactive plant performance video, PC versus PLC: Comparing control options, advanced motor design, power plant control system software, industrial wireless coverage, industrial robot control, and award-winning products, among other articles.

By Mark T. Hoske June 7, 2011

Most visited articles at www.controleng.com during May 2011 included interactive plant performance video, PC versus PLC: Comparing control options, advanced motor design, power plant control system software, industrial wireless coverage, industrial robot control, and award-winning products, among other articles.

May 2011’s leading Control Engineering online stories included:

2011 Engineers’ Choice Awards – Spotlight on Innovation – Cover story: Best automation, control, and instrumentation products in 30 categories.

Video: Making your plant performance reporting more interactive – What will tomorrow’s “morning meeting” look like? ABB gives a preview of what’s going on in the lab and what your future HMI may look like.

Inside Machines: PC versus PLC: Comparing control options – To choose between a PLC or PC, analyze and compare characteristics that could differentiate the two technologies, such as operation, robustness, serviceability, hardware integration, security, safety, programming, and cost. Graphics illustrate some key considerations.

Advanced motor design: New Motors Reach New Applications – Permanent magnets, axial, transverse, and radial flux designs optimize torque, power, efficiency, size, weight, and other motor performance parameters, as explained in this February Control Engineering feature article. Reader feedback added below on Feb. 16.

Global Update: Power plant control system software – Performance calculation software packages are new in the power generation business and help with power generation control, electricity grid control, and monitoring via SCADA system.

Control Engineering industrial wireless coverage – Wireless resources: More than four years of wireless industrial technology, tutorials, and case history articles from Control Engineering are gathered in one place for easy reference. Bookmark this page! Updated May 27, 2011, with more articles.

Application Update: Industrial Robot Control – Integrated safety controls are part of Fujitsu motherboards and software for the Kuka KR C4 robot control, based on Microsoft Windows and Ethernet, reducing the robot’s hardware by 35% and plugs and cables by half, and saving energy.

Among popular Control Engineering pages are:

eGuides 

Digital Edition 

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Magazine Archives 

Integrator Guide – Search the online Automation Integrator Guide by selecting from the categories below. Selecting multiple criteria will narrow your search results. Integrators wishing to apply for their own listing can do so. 

– Edited by Mark T. Hoske, CFE Media, Control Engineering, www.controleng.com


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.