HMI, OI
Microsoft announces Year 2000 resource center
To help customers find solutions for year 2000 software problems, Microsoft Corp. opened a new web-based resource center Apr. 15 at www.microsoft.com/year2000/. The site contains new material, such as a product guide that outlines Y2K compliance status of specific Microsoft products.
Investment group acquires Xycom
Factory-floor automation manufacturer Xycom Inc. was acquired and recapitalized March 24 by an investment group of factory automation specialists and business development experts. Details of the transaction weren't disclosed.The new entity, Xycom Holdings Inc., was formed by three principals: current Xycom chair Erwin Ziegelman; James McGrath, another Xycom director;...
HMI can be OPC client and server
Milwaukee, Wis.— RSView32, version 6.0, is staking a claim to being the first HMI software to be both a client and server of OPC (OLE for process control) data, providing users with added flexibility for peer-to-peer networking as well as the ability to create a system using control products from multiple vendors.
VMIC picks TA Engineering’s AIMAX
Automation software manufacturer TA Engineering Inc. announced March 5 a resale agreement with VMIC (Huntsville, Ala.). Under the agreement, TA Engineering's AIMAX software will be resold with VMIC's IOWorks Soft Logic control software. AIMAX will give VMIC customers a total control solution for PC-based systems.
Wonderware’s FactorySuite 2000 aids performance
Free of the usual custom interfaces or traditional integration costs, FactorySuite 2000 from Wonderware Corp. (Irvine, Calif.) appeared to be one of National Manufacturing Week's main attractions. FactorySuite 2000 is a more tightly integrated team of simultaneously upgradable automation software components for developing plant-floor automation applications.
Gaining Control with SPC Software
Charting the progress of statistical process and statistical quality control (SPC/SQC) shows a definite trend. It's straight up.However, the latest software promises to tame the charting beast. Vendors are integrating their wares more completely with supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, targeting their products at audiences other than quality engineers, and opening pr...
Active-X/DCOM funtionality
Moraga, Calif. —New enhancements including Microsoft's DCOM (Distributed Component Object Model) and Active-X; Structured Query Language database support, and the latest Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol networking functions of Windows Sockets 2.0 specifications have been added to AIMAX for Enterprise software.
Live Data to Virtual Library
Willoughby Hills, O. —Paragon ShopDoctor Virtual Library can now bring live data to its plant-wide network that includes more than 150 types of document formats. Live data can come from any DDE server application such as RSLinx or Excel. It can also link real-time PLC data and HMI tags to MS Word documents, spreadsheets, flowcharts, drawings, and pictures.
TA Engineering to Unveil AIMAX for Enterprise Enhancements
A new web server, data-logger historian, "alias" database for long tag name support, expanded soft-logic support, and a "keyless" software protection system are among enhancements that TA Engineering Co. recently added to its AIMAX for Enterprise software. These improvements use Microsoft's DCOM (distributed component object model) and ActiveX; SQL (structured query l...
ISA TECH/97 Highlights From Anaheim, Calif., Day Two
Boeing Explores Development of 'Smart' Transducer Bus Lee Eccles of Boeing Commercial Airplane Co. began his presentation in the 'Use of Automation to Enhance Productivity in the Aerospace Industry' by asking the question 'why bother?' In structural sensing and testing of airplane wings and fuselages at Boeing, a lot of effort goes into simply setting up the test. Structures for destructive testing of a wing or testing flight-control actuators require huge setup times.
