Pietrusewicz Krzysztof, Ph.D. and Pawel Dworak, Ph.D.

Programmable automation controllers (PACs)

When ARC Advisory Group analyst, Craig Resnick, proposed a new term for an emerging class of programmable devices for automation in 2001, few expected such growth of related technologies. The market extends beyond the formal name—programmable automation controllers (PACs). Some vendors reject the word, yet satisfy the PAC feature set with newer programmable logic controllers (PLCs).