View All Data Acquisition, DAQ

Data Acquisition, DAQ January 30, 2024

Choosing data acquisition technology that benefits smart factories

Effective data acquisition technology that can effectively provide data crunching and processing will be critical for future smart factories.

By Thomas Burke
Data Acquisition, DAQ January 24, 2024

Having clear objectives for data-driven change

When considering a data-driven change, the first question that should be asked is what the end goal is for the project.

By Paul Derbyshire
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 10, 2023

Data analysis benefits for better energy management

Data analysis holds the key to effective energy management, but it remains a potential stumbling block for many companies.

By David Bean
Data Acquisition, DAQ July 10, 2023

Top 5 Control Engineering content: July 3-9, 2023

The top 5 articles from the past week include data analytics, IEC 61131-3 and universal I/O.

By David Miller
Data Acquisition, DAQ May 1, 2023

Top 5 Control Engineering content: April 24-30, 2023

The top 5 articles from the past week include time-sensitive networking, Hannover Messe 2023 and big data.

By David Miller
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 2, 2023

Building a traceability 4.0 foundation for automation

Traceability has a large role in the world of automation, and Industry 4.0 concepts and technologies make it possible for companies to glean more insights.

By Eric Henefield
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 15, 2023

Fundamental concepts to maximize data acquisition

Industrial communication protocols are improving, opening up access to new sources of data acquisition for users.

By Thomas Burke
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 14, 2023

Best practices to capture and store system critical data

Collecting critical data is a challenge, but there are several ways companies can overcome them and achieve gains.

By Brian E. Bolton
Data Acquisition, DAQ January 20, 2023

Increased flexibility for safety-critical alarm annunciators

Regulations require data acquisition and sequence of events capabilities for critical alarm systems and many plant managers are struggling to find a cost-effective way of keeping up.

By Gary Bradshaw
Data Acquisition, DAQ August 9, 2022

IIoT solutions for freedom, flexibility and fast access to data

Data is king in today’s digital world, and businesses are turning to Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions to keep up with the demand for data. Three examples are highlighted.

By Jennifer Faylor
Data Acquisition, DAQ June 5, 2022

Advanced sensor networks could help farmers micromanage their fields

In the future, farmers will be able to look at a tablet and see the nutrient, CO2 and moisture levels of every individual acre in their fields in real time.

By Jason Daley
Data Acquisition, DAQ February 12, 2022

Product advice: 4 reasons to consider a multi-hub architecture

Consider these best practices for an industrial data operations (DataOps) deployment, according to a company with a Control Engineering Engineers’ Choice Award product.

By John Harrington
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 15, 2021

Launching rockets securely by converging IT, OT and high-speed DAQ

Converging information technology (IT), operational technology (OT) and high-speed data acquisition (DAQ) helps make an aerospace solid booster test bench safe from cyberattack.

By Grant M. Smith
Data Acquisition, DAQ July 20, 2021

Real-time control and data acquisition system

IOLITEd DAQ devices use RJ45 connectors which allows easy connection of modules with standard low-cost Ethernet/EtherCAT cables.

By Dewesoft
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 1, 2021

How to accelerate data visualization

As the volume of industrial data grows exponentially, human-machine interfaces (HMIs) are providing improved data visualization and storytelling tools to support intelligent automation and strategic decision making

By Leandro Coeli
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 18, 2021

Operational technology: Data acquisition, data architectures, data analytics

Using Big Data for operational technology (OT) automation and control applications is increasingly important and can be a bewildering journey if the right questions aren’t asked. See four elements of data analytics system architecture.

By Nate Kay, P.E.
Data Acquisition, DAQ February 9, 2021

Mission-critical should be the mission

For many applications, the cost of failure is too high not to have mission-critical capabilities in supervisory control and data acquisition systems. See three reasons control systems fail and five ways to build resiliency.

By Chris Little
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 30, 2020

How to use the true value of data

Manufacturers could save $100 billion through data sharing

By Claudia Jarrett
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 28, 2020

How a system integrator developed a data acquisition application

System integrator DMC developed a custom LabVIEW data acquisition application to leverage SystemLink as a central database for storing and serving up data for data analysis and visualization

By Ryan Yu
Data Acquisition, DAQ July 29, 2020

How to put digitalization to work

Digitalization applies software solutions that use data to improve or transform business processes; digital transformation can include many digitalization projects

By Michael McEnery
Data Acquisition, DAQ July 28, 2020

How to enhance data acquisition best practices

As technology evolves and becomes more sophisticated, data acquisition models need to change, as well.

By Brian E. Bolton
Data Acquisition, DAQ July 27, 2020

Top 5 Control Engineering articles July 20-26, 2020

Articles about PLCs, COVID-19 innovations to keep front line workers safe, tips for selecting an industrial valve, data management, and more were Control Engineering’s five most clicked articles from July 20-26, 2020. Miss something? You can catch up here.

By Keagan Gay
Data Acquisition, DAQ July 7, 2020

Better data management for manufacturers during COVID-19

Will COVID-19 compel manufacturing companies to streamline connected data management more than previously?

By Sanjay Barnwal
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 27, 2020

Data visualization applications and trends

There are as many ways organizations can create, store, move and retrieve data as there are ways to see, perceive and interpret it

By Melissa Topp
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 10, 2020

Software readiness for data analytics and Big Data

Expand industrial data access and get more out of it with tools such as message queuing telemetry transport (MQTT), which can help manufacturers realize Industry 4.0’s benefits.

By Travis Cox
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 1, 2020

Intelligence Hub by HighByte

HighByte Intelligence Hub version 1.0 is a DataOps solution that is purpose-built for industrial environments. 

By HighByte
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 1, 2020

TwinCAT Analytics One-Click Dashboard by Beckhoff Automation

Beckhoff’s TwinCAT Analytics One-Click Dashboard is designed to data-driven services to individual customer requirements, machine builders and system integrators.

By Beckhoff Automation
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 9, 2019

Top 5 Control Engineering articles December 2-8

Articles about the Engineers' Choice finalists, data acquisition, cut-to-length cable, IT/OT convergence, and industrial virtualization were Control Engineering’s five most clicked articles from December 2-8. Miss something? You can catch up here.

By Chris Vavra
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 26, 2019

Eight data acquisition best practices

To discover which real-time data adds value to improve operational efficiencies and increase competitive edge in the marketplace, first understand data acquisition systems and consider the eight essential best practices for data acquisition success

By Brian E. Bolton
Data Acquisition, DAQ September 1, 2019

Flow Information Platform by Flow Software, Inc. 

The Flow Information Platform is designed to help users see and understand their industrial data, guiding them along their Digital Transformation journey.

By Flow Software
Data Acquisition, DAQ June 12, 2019

Improve industrial data integration with ETL software

Extract, transform, load (ETL) software can help improve data gathering for operations technology (OT) applications, but there are major challenges with data integration that companies need to overcome.

By John Harrington
Data Acquisition, DAQ June 3, 2019

Improve decisions by optimizing data from mobile devices

Good mobile software promotes efficiency by delivering data on intuitive screens that empower users to integrate information and saves trips back to the control room or to the site.

By Danny Strinden and Mariana Dionisio
Data Acquisition, DAQ May 7, 2019

Apple, SAP to expand enterprise partnership

CEOs Tim Cook, Bill McDermott discuss move to Mac functionality, data security.

By Bob Vavra
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 27, 2019

The data historian’s history told

Momentum around time-series data storage suggests a new chapter for a legacy offering.

By Michael Risse
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 13, 2019

Three data types companies need to prioritize

Not all data is equal and some require greater attention and priority than others. Industrial companies managing networks need to focus on information-based, mission critical and real-time data.

By Jonathan Simpson
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 1, 2019

R21 by Seeq Corporation

Seeq Corporation announces the availability of their latest release, R21, an advanced analytics solution for process manufacturing customers to improve production outcomes.

By Seeq Corporation
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 12, 2019

Connecting quality data to process data

Using advanced analytics can help assure product quality and overall operational efficiencies. See case study example.

By Edwin van Dijk
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 10, 2019

Resolve five Big Data, data acquisition challenges

Demystify the need for Big Data and five related challenges: data structure, scalability, integration, storage, and upgrades.

By Qasim Maqbool and Ahmed Habib
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 7, 2019

Six ways data acquisition strategies can support advanced analytics

Some applications require data acquisition strategies without cloud connectivity, but they can still benefit from advanced analytics technology.

By Daymon Thompson
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 6, 2019

AI isn’t all magic

Software uses real-time data to draw real-world conclusions.

By Kevin McClusky
Data Acquisition, DAQ February 5, 2019

‘Data is the currency of the future’

Embrace digital manufacturing and use data to provide customer value.

By Bob Vavra
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 2, 2018

Ci Technologies launches three software tools

Ci Technologies (Charlotte, N.C.) announced three new software tools in its Plant2Business suite at NMW on Mar. 5. Plant2Net allows users to view plant information over the intranet/Internet with a browser such as Internet Explorer. Plant2Pocket delivers real-time, plant-floor information to mobile phones and personal data assistants.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ October 5, 2018

Five data acquisition strategies for success

Did you just see something extraordinary in the recorded data or was it a data anomaly in measurement, communications, or data aggregation? Data collection should help us learn, not confuse. Heed these five strategies for better industrial data.

By Allen Tubbs and Benjamin Menz, Bosch Rexroth Corp.
Data Acquisition, DAQ October 2, 2017

Distributed controls, smart IO

With processing power increasing, controllers tucked in input/output (I/O) communication blocks make distributed controls easier than ever. With the increased controller capabilities, higher speed/more open communication protocols and more powerful, lower cost microprocessors, more distributed and autonomous systems seems likely.

By Frank Lamb, Automation Consulting LLC
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 21, 2016

Data logger with field removable IO modules

Watlow's D4T with Intuition is a data logger that features field removable input/output (I/O) modules for design flexibility.

By Watlow
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 4, 2016

Discrete and analog IO modules

AutomationDirect’s Productivity2000 programmable controller line includes discrete and analog input and output modules.

By AutomationDirect
Data Acquisition, DAQ October 13, 2016

EC: UC-8112-ME-T-LX Programmable 4G LTE Modbus Data Logger

Hardware — Data acquisition: The UC-8112-ME-T-LX is rugged, programmable 4G LTE Modbus data logger that maximizes flexibility and ease of deployment for Industrial IoT applications. This is a Control Engineering 2017 Engineers’ Choice Awards Winner.

Data Acquisition, DAQ October 13, 2016

EC: AMS Trex Device Communicator

Hardware — Handheld test, measurement, calibration: The AMS Trex Device Communicator is a safety-rated, ruggedized handheld communicator that enables users to work more efficiently in the field without the need for specialized tools. This is a Control Engineering 2017 Engineers’ Choice Awards Finalist.

Data Acquisition, DAQ October 13, 2016

EC: ADAM-3600 Intelligent Remote Terminal Unit

Network Integration — I/O systems: The ADAM-3600 Intelligent Remote Terminal Unit features multiple wireless function capability, multiple I/O selection, wide temperature range and supports flexible communication protocols. This is a Control Engineering 2017 Engineers’ Choice Awards Finalist.

Data Acquisition, DAQ June 26, 2016

Wireless IO modules with cloud connectivity for environmental and machine monitoring

Advantech's Wise-4000 IoT wireless I/O modules include and RS-485 port, analog, and digital signal models.

By Advantech
Data Acquisition, DAQ June 10, 2016

Signal conditioning modules with Bluetooth configuration

Acromag's microBlox uB modules can safely interface a wide variety of voltage, current, temperature, frequency, and other field signals and are designed for embedded or portable applications such as test stands, defense systems, and process control applications.

By Acromag
Data Acquisition, DAQ June 10, 2016

Optical measurement solution for inspection, reverse engineering applications

Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence's Blaze 600M is a non-contact optical measurement solution designed to provide 3-D data acquisition and actionable data for measurement, inspection, product development, line tuning, and reverse engineering applications.

By Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence
Data Acquisition, DAQ June 2, 2016

Data acquisition starter kits for IIoT applications

Advantech's IIoT iAutomation Group has launched four customizable Open DAQ Starter Kits include components and software so users can quickly create a data acquisition (DAQ) system based on their application needs.

By Advantech
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 13, 2016

Wireless Ethernet IO module

Advantech's Wise-4012 wireless Ethernet I/O module is designed to be used without the need for a gateway and has provide a flexible combination of I/Os to acquire different kinds of signals.

By Advantech
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 22, 2016

Ladder logic 401: Data acquisition and analysis

A programmable logic controller (PLC) is designed to not only provide information on signal levels, but it can also capture data, and it can be analyzed. There are a number of challenges the user faces from a software and logistical standpoint.

By Frank Lamb, Automation Primer
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 5, 2016

Data acquisition system for test and measurement applications

Micro-Measurements' System 9000 StrainSmart Data Acquisition System is designed for test and measurement applications in the automotive, aerospace, rail, consumer, and military testing industries.

By Micro-Measurements
Data Acquisition, DAQ January 10, 2016

Metric cameras for aerial mapping and data acquisition applications

Phase One Industrial's iXU 1000 and iXU-R 1000 camera systems are 100-megapixel CMOS-based metric cameras designed for aerial mapping and other demanding data acquisition applications.

By Phase One Industrial
Data Acquisition, DAQ September 9, 2015

All-in-one compact PLC has 7-inch touchscreen

Product Exclusive: Unitronics’ Vision700 is an all-in-one compact programmable logic controller (PLC) with an expansive 7-in. color touchscreen with a variety of input/output (I/O) modules and expansion options and can use both snap-in I/O modules that plug directly into the unit and DIN-rail mounted I/O expansion units.

By Unitronics
Data Acquisition, DAQ August 28, 2015

Data acquisition module with analog and digital input and outputs

Omega's iNET-400 series of USB expandable modular data acquisition module are provides up to 16 slots 4 and is designed for chemical/petrochemical, automotive, water, electronic, laboratory, and research applications.

By Omega Engineering
Data Acquisition, DAQ May 25, 2015

Blurred lines: PLCs and PACs converge

When selecting a PLC or PAC, specify the controller that best fits the applications. The controller specified should be based on controller capabilities and the application requirements, such as machine control, motion control, process control, test and data acquisition, distributed control, enterprise connectivity, or some combination.

By Jeff Payne, AutomationDirect
Data Acquisition, DAQ May 7, 2015

USB interface series of data acquisition modules for monitoring, data logging

Omega's Engineering D8000 series USB interface of data acquisition modules are designed for process monitoring and control and data logging applications and have process signals such as thermocouples, current loops, and discrete contact closures.

By Omega Engineering
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 2, 2015

Multiprotocol Ethernet IO modules

The TBEN-S modules from Turck can be operated automatically in Profinet, Modbus TCP, or EtherNet/IP thanks to the multiprotocol communication.

By Turck
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 10, 2015

Project details: Integrating wireless with wastewater

More project details: Industrial wireless network with new supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system is part of a 5-year, $47 million capital improvement plan formed and approved by the Stamford Water Pollution Control Authority. Project specification criteria include equipment reliability and capabilities, availability, ease of management, and conformance to open standards. Learn more details about the project.

By Daniel E. Capano
Data Acquisition, DAQ February 27, 2015

Miniature data recorder mounts directly, without slip rings

The miniature Slice data recorder from DTS is designed to be mounted directly on the test article so no slip rings and no telemetry are required and can be used in rotating applications like automotive, aerospace, and military.

By DTS
Data Acquisition, DAQ February 16, 2015

Analog input modules for temperature data collection

Wago's I/O 750-450 4-channel and 750-451 8-channel RTD analog input modules are designed for a wide range of temperature data collection tasks in factory automation, motor and process control applications.

By WAGO
Data Acquisition, DAQ February 10, 2015

Integrating wireless with wastewater

Cover story: Industrial wireless network with new supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system is part of a five-year, $47 million capital improvement plan formed and approved by the Stamford Water Pollution Control Authority (SWPCA) of Stamford, Conn. Selection criteria include equipment reliability and capabilities, availability, ease of management, and conformance to open standards. Wireless network installation and setup took fewer than two days. See tables and related webcast on wireless and Ethernet, “Integrating wireless into an industrial Ethernet application.”

By Daniel Capano
Data Acquisition, DAQ January 27, 2015

Software for data acquisition and control system

Yokogawa's GA10 data-logging software for the Smartdac+ data acquisition and control system has been updated and is designed to collect, display, and record data from multiple data acquisition and recording devices and measuring instruments.

By Yokogawa
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 24, 2014

Temperature and power measurement modules

B&R Automation's X20 I/O system series has added a temperature measurement module, the X20ATB312, and a power measurement module, the X20AP3161, to that product line.

By B&R Automation
Data Acquisition, DAQ October 20, 2014

EC: SMARTDAC+ GX R2

Network Integration — I/O Systems: The SMARTDAC+ GX/GP R2 series data acquisition platforms are network-enabled with touch screen operator interfaces. This is a Control Engineering 2015 Engineers’ Choice finalist.

By Control Engineering
Data Acquisition, DAQ September 12, 2014

I/O system for extreme environments receives worldwide certification

The 750 XTR offers a modular, compact solution for automation architecture operating in extreme environments and has earned the United States Standard UL508, the Canadian National Standard C22.2 No. 42, and the Germanischer Lloyd marine GL certification.

Data Acquisition, DAQ September 4, 2014

Compact hardened cellular RTU controller

Moxa's ioPAC 5542-HSPA is a compact hardened cellular RTU controller that provides remote network connectivity and data acquisition to edge device. The device can be deployed in railway and oil and gas industries.

Data Acquisition, DAQ August 22, 2014

Rackmount IO server for flexible configurations in 1U design

Sealevel's Relio R4 industrial computer can be used with applications requiring flexible I/O configurations in a compact 1U rackmount design.

Data Acquisition, DAQ August 5, 2014

Controller designed to reduce measurement system cost

National Instruments' CompactDAQ 4-slot controller integrates an Intel Atom processor and high-accuracy measurements into a single unit and can be used in high shock and vibration environments.

Data Acquisition, DAQ August 1, 2014

USB-powered data acquisition system has 3 channels

Silicon Designs' Model 3340 G-Logger is a three-channel portable data acquisition system that offers FFT analysis and display and can operate either from USB power or as a stand-alone device, depending upon user requirement.

Data Acquisition, DAQ June 6, 2014

Integrating HMIs with PLCs and PACs

Understanding the differences among controllers is essential when designing an automation system.

By Jeff Payne
Data Acquisition, DAQ May 16, 2014

Data acquisition module uses tri-sectional galvanic isolation

Data Translation's DT9844 data acquisition module offers 20-bit resolution and uses tri-sectional galvanic isolation of ±500 V to preserve signal integrity.

Data Acquisition, DAQ August 17, 2013

Software upgrade for data acquisition modules

The TI Code Composer Studio 5.2.1 by Data Translation is designed to develop DSP code for the DT9841 data acquisition modules and can run stand-alone or communicate with a Microsoft Windows application.

Data Acquisition, DAQ August 9, 2013

Integrated control system allows easier, quicker student designs

Students can now design sophisticated systems in one semester with NI myRIO. The National Instruments NI myRIO is an embedded hardware device to help students design real, complex engineering systems more quickly and affordably than previously. The NI myRIO, with controller, wireless communications, I/O module, sensor, was announced the company’s NIWeek conference.

Data Acquisition, DAQ August 8, 2013

Data acquisition platform gets rock solid, nears the speed of sound on the ground

Take measurements in rugged environments with the NI cDAQ-9188XT: National Instruments extends the NI CompactDAQ platform with a chassis that can withstand 50 g shock (breaking out of concrete with a sledgehammer) and 5 g of vibration (in a jet-powered attempt to set a new land speed record). The platform now supports the NI LabVIEW Electrical Power Suite.

Data Acquisition, DAQ May 22, 2013

New data acquisition application software

Data Translation QuickDAQ 2013 offered free with optional FFT analysis packages to add full signal analysis capability.

Data Acquisition, DAQ March 27, 2013

Sound and vibration data acquisition module

Data Translation announces its new DE9839 four-channel USB-powered module.

Data Acquisition, DAQ February 18, 2013

Remote IO modules for hazardous conditions

The Adam-4000 and Adam-6000 remote IO modules by Advantech have been approved for use in hazardous conditions and have a wide operating temperature range.

Data Acquisition, DAQ February 8, 2013

Barcode readers read damaged 1D codes

Cognex DataMan 50L barcode reader is designed for 1-D oriented barcode reading with Hotbars, which can read even scratched or damaged barcodes with a three-position lens and an integrated aimer.

Data Acquisition, DAQ January 2, 2013

Ethernet for sensor networks? Why it makes sense today

Active (or smart) enclosure-less I/O blocks, supporting industrial Ethernet, can be installed close to the sensors to eliminate logistic complexities of running wire back to a central control panel for each sensor and enable two-way communications among the I/O block and programmable logic controllers (PLCs) or remote terminal units (RTUs).

By Mike Miclot
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 7, 2012

A look at the Smart Grid’s demand side

Automation industry exec says this is where users can “do something now” while waiting for the Smart Grid to take shape.

By Control Engineering
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 14, 2012

Pressure gage includes data logger function

Latest Jofra industrial pressure indicator combines analog and digital capabilities for high performance and versatility.

Data Acquisition, DAQ November 12, 2012

EC: DataMan 300 Series ID Readers

Machine and Embedded Control - Machine vision, barcode readers: The DataMan 300 is a fixed-mount, image-based, industrial ID reader designed to handle the most difficult ID code-reading applications including barcodes, 2-D matrix and difficult-to-read DPM (Direct Part Mark) codes. This is a Control Engineering 2013 Engineers' Choice finalist.

By Control Engineering
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 12, 2012

EC: Vision570

Hardware - Integrated HMI controllers: A full PLC with an integrated 5.7-in. flat fascia, color-touchscreen HMI. This is a Control Engineering 2013 Engineers' Choice Award winner.

By Control Engineering
Data Acquisition, DAQ September 26, 2012

Software-based PAC includes PC-based control

SoftPAC by Opto 22 brings PC speed, memory, and advanced file handling to control and data acquisition applications.

Data Acquisition, DAQ September 4, 2012

Industrial gas producer standardizes control strategy for multiple plants

Using a common integrated DCS, SCADA, and asset management platform at its hydrogen plants will help Praxair save on engineering, commissioning, and maintenance.

By Ashish Umbarkar, George Foor
Data Acquisition, DAQ August 23, 2012

Data acquisition, control system captures analog, digital, serial input

The Ethernet Data Acquisition System (EDAS CE) by Intelligent Instrumentation captures analog, digital, and/or serial inputs. It also provides real-time control and storage during network downtimes.

Data Acquisition, DAQ July 20, 2012

Signal conditioning modules, more than 250, for data acquisition, control

The 5B signal conditioning modules by Dataforth include 19 family groups and 250 modules. They are designed for industrial plant environments and are fully encapsulated.

Data Acquisition, DAQ May 7, 2012

Product Exclusive: Industrial data acquisition and control system

The Dataforth MAQ20 Industrial Data Acquisition and Control System is a family of DIN rail-mounted, programmable, multi-channel, industrially rugged signal conditioning input and output modules and communication modules for factory, process, and machine automation; military and aerospace; power and energy; oil and gas; and environmental monitoring applications.

Data Acquisition, DAQ December 28, 2011

Wireless industrial ID barcode reader

The DataMan 8000 is a wireless communication module that can connect to Industrial protocols like EtherNet/IP and Profinet as well as USB and RS-232.

Data Acquisition, DAQ December 18, 2011

Control programming: Write once, run anywhere with open systems

With industrial controls, it is extremely difficult to design sophisticated programs for process and even discrete control that run on multiple devices, often requiring simplification. Open systems help.

By Tom Edwards
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 18, 2011

EC: Process Data Monitor and anomaly detection software

Software – Diagnostics: Process Data Monitor from Aware Technology is a condition monitoring and anomaly detection solution that can automatically adapt to changing operational conditions. This is a Control Engineering 2012 Engineers’ Choice finalist.

Data Acquisition, DAQ October 20, 2011

IO module replacement advice: Consider legacy connections, Ethernet, peer-to-peer

I/O wiring can be among the most challenging (and perhaps feared) of upgrades. When replacing input/output connections, what are key considerations? Daniel Liu, business development manager, data acquisition and control, Moxa Technologies Inc., offered answers to some key questions.

By Daniel Liu
Data Acquisition, DAQ October 17, 2011

IO module replacement advice: Plan ahead on instrumentation, space, design

I/O wiring can be among the most challenging of upgrades. When replacing input/output connections, what are key considerations? Ben Orchard, Opto 22 application engineer, offered answers to some key questions and additional I/O advice.

By Ben Orchard
Data Acquisition, DAQ September 8, 2011

Data acquisition modules, USB-powered, 100 kSamples/sec

Data Translation Inc. introduced three USB-powered data acquisition modules capable of 100 kSamples/second.

Data Acquisition, DAQ March 3, 2011

Wireless sensor network adds gateway, voltage and RTD node

National Instruments (Nasdaq: NATI) extended the communication and measurement capabilities of the NI wireless sensor network (WSN) platform with two new products. NI 9792 is a programmable WSN gateway. NI WSN-3226 is a voltage/resistance temperature detector (RTD).

Data Acquisition, DAQ February 28, 2011

9 tips for better industrial SCADA communications

Tips & Tricks: Wireless technologies can improve supervisory control and data acquisition applications. Match technologies to your needs, reduce costs, consider a hybrid approach, and heed six more pieces of advice. See graphic, table.

By Dan Steele, FreeWave Technologies Inc.
Data Acquisition, DAQ January 4, 2011

Barcode reader said to exceed laser scanner performance

Cognex DataMan 500 is designed to achieve higher read rates, offer improved on-line visualization and have higher reliability than laser scanners currently in use in the logistics, postal, and retail distribution markets, the company said.

Data Acquisition, DAQ December 27, 2010

High-speed analog input modules

New series of RTD and analog input modules from Advantech add advanced functionality.

Data Acquisition, DAQ December 17, 2010

PLC with built-in HMI operator panel

The Vision1040 from Unitronics is a PLC with a built-in HMI Operator Panel with nine programmable function keys.

Data Acquisition, DAQ December 8, 2010

Dual Ethernet expansion card isolate machine level network

Red Lion’s Xcenet dual Ethernet expansion card for the Data Station Plus and Modular Controller series products allows operators to isolate machine level network traffic from the enterprise level network.

Data Acquisition, DAQ December 7, 2010

Multiple flavors of Ethernet

The evolution and proliferation of Ethernet has smoothed the path to integrating the automation space, enabling open protocols such as OPC to function optimally. This is part of a Control Engineering December cover story.

By Jeanine Katzel
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 10, 2010

Upgrading an aging control system brings financial gains

By upgrading obsolete control systems, manufacturers and processing companies are optimizing production flow and enjoying significant gains in productivity and ROI on their control system investments.

Data Acquisition, DAQ November 3, 2010

Site assembles Opto 22 Snap PAC system, bill of materials

New features on Opto22.com simplify product review, selection, and configuration of automation control systems. Interactive website tools provide visual interface for selecting Snap PAC System components and provides wiring diagrams and product details.

Data Acquisition, DAQ November 1, 2010

EC: 8B isoLynx SLX300

Network Integration - data acquisition, integration - Dataforth Corporation - 8B isoLynx SLX300 - The 8B isoLynx SLX300 builds on the proven reliability and outstanding performance of the miniature-sized SensorLex 8B isolated signal conditioning modules to provide a compact, low cost solution for wide ranging rugged industrial applications. This is a Control Engineering 2011 Engineers' Choice (EC) nominee.

Data Acquisition, DAQ November 1, 2010

EC: Foxboro PAC System

Machine and Embedded Control - PACs: Invensys Operations Management, Foxboro PAC System. Combining high-performance integrated hybrid control and data acquisition at PLC pricing, the Foxboro PAC System is a flexible entry-level solution that can provide a foundation for a larger Enterprise Control System (ECS). This is a Control Engineering 2011 Engineers' Choice (EC) Honorable Mention.

Data Acquisition, DAQ October 18, 2010

Product Exclusive: Dataforth 8B isoLynx SLX300 DAQ system

A new data acquisition system from Dataforth, with application software and isolated signal conditioning modules are said to offer superior reliability and isolation. Dataforth ReDAQ Shape DAQ software allows users to easily create, save, and open graphical user interface projects, as well as to test, process, and analyze acquired data, the company says. This is an October 2010 Control Engineering Product Exclusive.

Data Acquisition, DAQ October 12, 2010

Outdoor-rated wireless I/O modules, radio modems

B&B Electronics Zlinx Xtreme outdoor-rated wireless I/O modules and radio modems for industrial wireless replacement applications. The license-free, proprietary RF, the products are available in 900 MHz (long-range) and 2.4 GHz (short-range) wireless communications for serial or sensor data in harsh and remote environments.

Data Acquisition, DAQ August 11, 2010

NIWeek: 8 new USB devices, enhanced digital functions, simultaneous sampling

Multifunction data acquisition platform integrates high-performance analog measurements and control channels, digital I/O and counters and timers in a plug-and-play device.

Data Acquisition, DAQ August 4, 2010

NIWeek: New Ethernet data acquisition platform

New National Instruments CompactDAQ System is said to provide high-speed, distributed sensor measurements. Chassis holds eight I/O modules for 256 channels of electrical, physical, mechanical or acoustic signals in 25 cm by 9 cm by 9 cm, rugged form factor, using standard Gigabit Ethernet infrastructure. More than 50 modules are available.

Data Acquisition, DAQ July 14, 2010

3D Machine Vision Improves Quality Control

Measuring the three-dimensional shape and color of an object, more reliable decisions can be made during the inspection and production of parts, improving quality.

By Jim Anderson, Sick
Data Acquisition, DAQ July 6, 2010

Dataforth compact 6.2 mm signal converters

A new family of compact DSCP signal converters introduced by Dataforth Corp. includes seven models, each in an ultra-slim 6.2 mm case.

Data Acquisition, DAQ April 1, 2010

Panasonic FP-X PLC: 2-channel RTD

Panasonic Electric Works Corporation of America introduces a new addition to the set of analog, digital I/O, and communication cassettes available for the Panasonic FP-X series programmable logic controller (PLC). This is an April 2010 North American edition Product Exclusive.

Data Acquisition, DAQ March 1, 2010

Online Exclusive: Opto 22 introduces PAC Project 9 control programming software suite

Opto 22 PAC Project 9 includes applications for control programming and database integration, an HMI development package, support for controller redundancy, improved trending and alerts, and other high-end features.

Data Acquisition, DAQ February 7, 2010

HMS Anybus Profinet Gateways integrate 2-port switch

HMS extends its Anybus gateway family with 3 new versions enabling easy integration of existing fieldbus networks into new bus type wired Profinet installations.

Data Acquisition, DAQ January 20, 2010

CC-Link IE extends 1 Gigabit industrial Ethernet to field devices, with copper

New CC-Link IE Field network is at least 10 times faster than currently available Industrial Ethernet networks, CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) told Control Engineering. See 5 diagrams and a table.

Data Acquisition, DAQ December 1, 2009

How to stretch wireless I/O throughout manufacturing

Adoption of flexible wireless I/O designs represents one of the simplest and most straightforward ways to stretch a wireless infrastructure investment. Wireless I/O technologies are affordable, secure, and can be implemented without disrupting existing operational processes. See diagrams.

By Brent E. McAdams, FreeWave Technologies Inc.
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 12, 2009

12-month hiring outlook improved over 2Q09, says APICS

APICS The Association for Operations Management and the University of North Carolina Wilmington Release Operations Management Employment Outlook: 12-Month Hiring Outlook Improved Over Second Quarter Outlook. Of survey respondents, 51 percent anticipate hiring staff.

Data Acquisition, DAQ November 1, 2009

Transparent Wireless at Cano Petroleum

Cockrell Ranch Waterflood oil recovery project uses a wireless SCADA system to gather, assemble, transmit information from the wells to produce detailed production models and maximize output.

Data Acquisition, DAQ October 30, 2009

Embedded design for substation automation

Moxa chose Intel CPUs for its monitoring and control solution for power substations, so energy customers get a large number of local area network (LAN) and serial ports, and can run pre-installed operating systems, like Linux, Windows WinCE 6.0, or XP Embedded.

By Renee Robbins
Data Acquisition, DAQ October 1, 2009

Improve system reliability with trip coil, lockout relay monitoring

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc. (SEL) offers the SEL-2652 Trip Coil Monitor, which proactively monitors connections and circuit continuity of the circuit breaker trip coil and lockout relay. The self-powered SEL 2652 indicates circuit breaker status with a clearly visible external LED and a contact output for alarms or supervisory controls or data acquisition (SCADA).

Data Acquisition, DAQ September 16, 2009

By the Numbers: firewall, green certification, encoder errors, fast computing

Engineering related numbers this month include a zero configuration security module, anniversaries, green manufacturing certification, and fast computing.

By Mark T. Hoske
Data Acquisition, DAQ August 10, 2009

16 New data acquisition devices for PCI Express and PXI Express

X Series multifunction data acquisition (DAQ) devices from National Instruments provide enhancements to analog I/O, digital I/O, onboard counters, and multidevice synchronization.

By Renee Robbins
Data Acquisition, DAQ July 2, 2009

Opto 22 Snap IO4AB Learning Center

Learn to expand Rockwell Automation Allen-Bradley Systems using Opto 22 Intelligent Distributed I/O with Opto 22 Snap IO4AB Learning Center. The system provides all hardware, software, and instrumentation required to learn how Opto 22's intelligent distributed I/O can connect to and communicate with Allen-Bradley Logix systems from Rockwell Automation, without programming.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ May 12, 2009

Networking: 8-channel 16-bit Ethernet analog I/O modules

Two I/O modules provide an 8-channel interface for differential analog voltage or current input signals.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 11, 2009

Data logger designed for hot, wet environments

Dickson has armor plated its new family of data loggers, offering a stainless steel case designed for hot and wet environments. See photo.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 3, 2009

Picture this: New SCADA platform supports larger, global networks

Wonderware says the latest release of its supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) platform responds to the growing need to manage production operations across large-scale, distributed global networks.

By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 1, 2009

Wireless on the Factory Floor

For those grounded in wired networks, untangling wireless-related issues for plant-floor applications can be as intimidating as reworking networked I/O connections without documentation. If you haven’t jumped into wireless communications yet on the plant floor, or even if you have, here are some questions and answers to help clear the air about wireless.

By Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering
Data Acquisition, DAQ February 26, 2009

Tutorial: Designing large-tag-count SCADA systems

In tutorial provides best-practice advice for SCADA systems so their tags (data points) are manageable.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ January 30, 2009

China’s Huaneng Dandong Unit 1 power plant completes major control system upgrade

New digital plant networking integrates functions, adds new wireless instrumentation.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 16, 2008

Environmental compliance site launched and free BOM scrub offered

GreenSoft Technology Inc., a provider of environmental compliance content management tools and services for the global electronics industry, has launched GreenData, a searchable database of environmental compliance and component information.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 11, 2008

Block-and-file: Oracle and Emulex form data integrity alliance

In a new partnership with Emulex , Oracle says the resulting data integrity protection code will ensure data integrity is maintained as data moves from application to database, and from Linux operating system to disk storage.It said the code will enable organizations to reduce application and database errors and system down-time, and includes generic support for data integrity at the block-and-file system layers, as well as support for the T10 Protection Information Model and the Data Integrity Extensions.Says Scott McIntyre, VP product marketing at Emulex, "Data integrity is vital to any business that relies on critical records and information to function successfully. Our work with Oracle is designed to help data center administrators quickly identify and remediate corrupted data, thereby protecting their business' assets, while also helping prevent lengthy server downtime and associated costs.".

By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 1, 2008

Energy sectors bolster instrumentation and systems sales

Without above-average performance from the oil & gas, refining, utilities, and pharmaceutical industry sectors, the annual growth rate for the process instrumentation and automation (PI&A) industry would be much lower than the 3.8% average forecasted this month by Global Foresight Group for the Measurement, Control & Automation Association.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 1, 2008

Temperature data logger

OM-EL-USB-TC data logger from Omega Engineering measures and stores more than 32,000 temperature readings from type A, type J, type K, or type T thermocouple, which plugs into a miniature female thermocouple receptacle at the base of the unit. Users can easily set up initial data logging parameters such as thermocouple type, logging rate, start-time, high/low alarm settings, logging mode and de...

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 18, 2008

Will wireless devices interoperate? ISA, NIST want you to know

Do real-world applications differ significantly from the simulation or your assumptions based on product specifications? Has something wireless supposed to interoperate but was not interoperable when applied? Those working on the ISA wireless standard would like to avoid such scenarios. Here's how. See graphic.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 12, 2008

14 new high-performance USB data acquisition devices

More than a dozen new offerings of USB data acquisition devices were released by Measurement Computing recently.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 11, 2008

Modbus RTU master, distributed I/O in compact package: microNCS

The microNCS Modbus RTU master and distributed I/O system from Moore Industries can be used to send a few, or hundreds of, process signals between the field or factory floor and a control system.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ October 9, 2008

Centralization first: For Coca-Cola Enterprises, standardized printing bubbles up with Lean opportunity

In a time when companies are seeking to leverage every opportunity to reduce costs, Lean's core tenets are delivering big benefits in unexpected places. For Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), printing touches business-critical processes in plenty of places: pick lists in the warehouse, interbranch transfers, and shipping documents. A centralized printing management initiative reaped millions in savings for CCE's green-minded managers.

By Frank O Smith, senior contributing editor
Data Acquisition, DAQ October 1, 2008

For Coca-Cola Enterprises, standardized printing bubbles up with lean opportunity

With deep roots in manufacturing production, Lean's key premise—the reduction or elimination of waste—has broad applicability across business processes. It entails taking a fresh look at entrenched work patterns and sharply questioning assumptions. In a time when companies are seeking to leverage every opportunity to reduce costs, lean's core tenets are delivering big benefits in un...

By Frank O Smith (fosmith@thewritinggroup.com)
Data Acquisition, DAQ July 1, 2008

Redundant data acquisition

Dataforth Corp.’s isoLynx SLX200 industrial data acquisition system can be applied across all types of redundant configurations. The dual-Ethernet model of the isoLynx SLX200 family offers two independent, 10Base-T Ethernet ports to implement Modbus TCP protocol. Simultaneous communication with both Ethernet ports is supported, and each supports up to four socket connections at TCP port 502.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ May 9, 2008

Protect intellectual property: Encrypt firmware, control code

Original equipment manufacturers and machine builders can be more secure with encryption, user authentication features, says Opto 22.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 1, 2008

Temperature/humidity monitoring tools

Control engineers tracking temperature or humidity conditions can access real-time data and download data for further analysis with redesigned Dickson Graph-at-a-Glance flat panel temperature and humidity data loggers. The paperless chart recorders provide a digital graph enabling users to immediately visualize environmental trends.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 1, 2008

RTD instrument claims instant results

Data Translation’s DT9872, an RTD version of the TEMPpoint Temperature Measurement Instrument product line, is a PC-based instrument that allows direct RTD measurements. It features virtually no warm-up time, according to the company. New and evolving eco-friendly applications for WIMAX, semiconductor testing, and bio-analytical products have requested such capability.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 19, 2007

Back-up blight: Kroll Ontrack reveals major weaknesses in enterprise compliance policies

Despite the fact that most companies believe data recovery is the most important component of a compliance plan, only 50 percent surveyed say it's part of their organization's compliance policy. Regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, PCI, and FACTA make it clear that companies have a responsibility to protect data and make significant attempts to retrieve data that is compromised or lost.

By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 19, 2007

Growth expected: 3.6% a year, most in electronic flow, pressure, remote I/O, electronic level, MCAA says

Williamsburg, VA—Measurement, Control & Automation Association has published the inaugural MCAA Annual Market Forecast for Process Instrumentation and Automation in the United States and Canada. In the U.S., the annual growth rate is forecast at 3.6% per year, 4.2% per year in Canada, over the three-year forecast period. Four products are predicted to grow faster than the average: electronic flow, pressure, remote I/O devices, and electronic level.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ October 24, 2007

GE Fanuc conference: Customer awards, wireless, ActiveX controls, new model, motion, HMI

St. Louis, MO—Industry-leading companies joined GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, a unit of GE Enterprise Solutions, at its third annual GE Fanuc Discover 2007 Users Conference, Oct. 23-25, in St. Louis, MO. Customers were honored at the event with the Discovery Awards, said to be symbols of GE’s corporate philosophy, “imagination at work.” The company posted has more about the following technology announcements in Adobe PDFs:

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ October 16, 2007

Business as usual: Users shouldn’t sweat an Oracle takeover of BEA

Oracle has shown a knack for keeping customers happy following high-profile acquisitions. Its strategy for staying in customers’ good graces has been to simply continue supporting the solutions they had been using, and it has pledged to do the same for current BEA customers.

By Sidney Hill, Jr., executive editor
Data Acquisition, DAQ October 11, 2007

A strong denial: SAP refutes claims that Oracle pushed it toward Business Objects

SAP CEO Henning Kagermann says the decision to buy business intelligence is in line with a previously announced SAP strategy to double its customer base by 2010.

By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ August 28, 2007

Small form factor PC fits in hand

Stealth Computer Corp. has introduced a small form factor or mini PC that is so small if fits in the palm of a hand. LPC-350PCI Little PC uses Intel Pentium and Celeron M Series processors, with optimum power efficiency with no compromise in performance.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ May 21, 2007

Sensor signal conditioning

Sensor signal conditioning packages from Microstar Laboratories Inc. feature data acquisition systems that eliminate all aliasing from sampling and scale up to acquire data for applications with hundreds of inputs.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ May 10, 2007

Performance management: .Net-based platform collaboration

Activplant , a provider of performance management solutions, has released a new version of its ActivEssentials solution: ActivEssentials 5. The technology suite incorporates powerful, scalable, and flexible components that work together to increase functionality and identify waste and operational inefficiencies that directly affect a company’s bottom line. Aimed at high-volume, high-automation plants, it consolidates plant floor data into relevant real-time and historical information, enabling productivity gains by optimizing product, people, equipment, and processes.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ May 3, 2007

Research: Industrial network trends

A sampling of Control Engineering subscribers involved in buying and specifying industrial network devices often include IT on cross-functional teams, according to research published in April 2007. April issue article by “Product Research: Industrial Networking” cites subscriber survey results and lists related new products from leading vendors.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 1, 2007

Active Ethernet I/O ioLogik E2210

Moxa Technologies Inc. The Active Ethernet I/O server enhances the flexibility of PC-based data acquisition and control systems with proactive condition-based reporting and control of I/O device status. I/O servers are traditionally passive and must be polled for data, but this server reports and controls I/O status based on user-specified conditions.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 1, 2007

Snap PAC R2 for DAQ, remote uses

Opto 22 The Snap PAC R-2 from Opto 22 is an “on-the-I/O-rack” controller ideal for cell control, data acquisition, and remote monitoring applications where the I/O needs are geographically contained. It supports up to 512 points of Snap analog, digital, and serial I/O modules, providing more flexibility than its predecessor, the Snap-PAC-R1.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 1, 2007

Industrial Networking

Networking infrastructure continues to operate as a collection of old and new; digital and analog; connected and isolated; throughout U.S. plants. So say the findings from a new Control Engineering and Reed Corporate Research study on CE subscribers’ use of and plans for industrial networks and communications. Link to research study.

By Peter Welander, Control Engineering
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 15, 2007

Controllers: Software is difference between PACs, PLCs

LabView SignalExpress from National Instruments is an out-of-the-box, ready-to-run data logging tool with easy-to-use, drag-and-drop capabilities for controlling hundreds of measurement devices. Programmable Automation Controllers (PACs)—devices that combine the functionality of a PC with the reliability of a PLC—are increasingly incorporated into control systems. Software is a key difference between PACs and PLCs, and a recent white paper from National Instruments (NI) explores this topic, as well as the direction NI sees industrial control taking with PACs. The acronym PAC, coined by ARC (Automation Research Corp.), is typically used by traditional PLC vendors to describe their high-end systems and by PC control companies to describe their industrial control platforms.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 8, 2007

Ethernet I/O: Instant data acquisition with LabView 8

In a move seen as strengthening remote data acquisition and supporting Modbus/TCP, ioLogik E2000 Active Ethernet I/O servers from Moxa are compatible with National Instruments LabView 8 . Moxa calls Active Ethernet I/O "a powerful new concept in remote data acquisition where I/O events trigger customized messages that are instantly sent to host computers." "NI LabView is very popular in the fields of monitoring, testing, and measurement," said Andy Cheng, Moxa division manager of Active Ethernet I/O products. "Active Ethernet I/O is an opportunity to extend LabView's remote monitoring capability." LabView's built-in Modbus library can easily be used to connect to an Active Ethernet I/O server.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 5, 2007

Hardware, software system simplifies control, DAQ applications

Snap Pac System from Opto 22 includes several new hardware and software products said to be expressly designed to be easy to use.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ February 26, 2007

USB DAQ products for multiple uses

OMB-DAQ series of USB-based products from Omega Engineering is designed for high accuracy and resolution.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ February 5, 2007

Expanded Ethernet line adds server, switch

Expanded 100 Series family of industrial Ethernet products from N-Tron now includes the 102RAS server, 104TX four-port copper switch, and 105TX five-port copper switch.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ February 1, 2007

Bottler: Better information integration, power monitoring

PepsiAmericas Inc. bottles a wide range of beverages, including Pepsi. Data integration retrofit at PepsiAmericas' Munster, IN, facility, was among recent projects undertaken by automation system integrator Opto-Solutions .

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ January 22, 2007

Eight New C Series Modules for MotionControl, Strain Measurements, HigherChannel Density and More by National Instruments

Now you can take advantage of eight new plug-in I/O modules for CompactRIO and NI CompactDAQ that deliver FPGA-based motion control, more analog input channel density, high-performance strain measurements, high-speed current inputs, high-accuracy RTD temperature measurements, isolated fuel cell measurements, channel-to-channel isolation industrial digital inputs and high-speed/high-current industrial digital outputs.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 26, 2006

Library of capabilities: QNX RTOS support for DAQ

Library of QNX RTOS drivers supporting UEI's PowerDNA series of data acquisition and control cubes is said to help developers generate data acquisition and control programs more quickly and easily. Canton, MA —QNX real-time operating system (RTOS) support is now available for United Electronics Industries ' (UEI) PowerDNA series of data acquisition and control cubes. The library is said to give QNX developers the functionality and ease of use of UEI's standard Microsoft Windows and Linux interfaces while taking advantage of QNX's deterministic timing.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 4, 2006

Pentium M slot-0 controller

V155 VXI slot-0 controller from KineticSystems features an Intel Pentium M embedded processor. Single-width C-size module with 1.1 GHz, 1.6 GHz, and 1.8 GHz clocking options has dual Ethernet controllers that support 10BaseT, 100BaseTX, and 1000BaseT interfaces, up to 2 GB of bootable flash on a secondary IDE, up to 1.5 GB of PC1600 DDR SDRAM, and one PMC expansion site for user expandability.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 13, 2006

High-performance FPGA board

ZestSC2 high-performance FPGA board from Orange Tree Technologies can be used stand-alone or connected by USB to a host computer.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 2, 2006

DAQ: Board, interface help with data acquisition

United Electronic Industries (UEI) released DNA-SL-501 serial I/O layer/board. The new board offers 4 independent, isolated RS-232, -422, or -485 ports with maximum data transfer rates up to 1 megabit/s in RS-422/485 mode. Ports are fully configured with software, and different ports may have different configurations.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ October 16, 2006

Isolated multifunction devices

Twelve new isolated M and S Series multifunction data acquisition devices from National Instruments are said to combine the safety of isolation with the high-performance timing, amplification, and calibration technologies of existing M Series DAQ devices for increased accuracy.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ October 9, 2006

USB interface for data transmission to PCs

MarConnect USB hub system from Mahr Federal is said to make connecting gages with computers a plug-and-play matter.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ October 3, 2006

Pepsi-Americas by Opto 22

PepsiAmericas Enlists OptoSolutions for Bottling FacilitiesWater and Power Monitoring, Ammonia Detection

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ October 1, 2006

RF Monolithics adds wireless capabilities with 2 acquisitions

RF Monolithics Inc. (RFM) made two wireless company acquisitions—Cirronet Inc., a wireless data communications and networking company, and Caver-Morehead Systems Inc., a computerized maintenance management systems vendor. Both are privately held companies. The move is said to give RFM a suite of hardware, protocols, software, and related services to allow users to implement and deploy val...

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ September 1, 2006

Embedded system design: NI’s next frontier

Noting that “programming languages have a lifespan of about 50 years,” National Instruments president and CEO Dr. James Truchard laid out a new vision for the next 30 years of innovation at his company during the NI Week conference and exhibition, in Austin, TX. Truchard was marking the 20th anniversary of NI's LabView software, which has evolved from a desktop instrument control an...

By Renee Robbins, Control Engineering editorial director
Data Acquisition, DAQ May 11, 2006

Scientific Web controls deliver data

Engineers can create Web pages for remote monitoring and control of their test and measurement applications, viewable with any browser or operating system, with Measurement Studio 8 from National Instruments.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ May 1, 2006

DAQ combines measurement, connectivity

NI CompactDAQ USB-based modular data acquisition system is a new platform for sensor and electrical measurements on the benchtop, in the field, and on the production line.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ May 1, 2006

Embedded motherboard saves space

Nano I/O Server, among products shown at Embedded Systems Conference 2006, is reported to be one of the smallest embedded motherboard systems on the market. Designed to support Acces I/O's line of USB and PC/104 I/O modules and provide the high-performance benefits of ETX, the unit features a motherboard/baseboard 120 mm across.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 18, 2006

ESC 2006: Embedded motherboard for space-sensitive applications

San Diego, CA—Nano I/O Server from Acces I/O Products Inc. is reported to be one of the smallest embedded motherboard systems on the market.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 10, 2006

USB analog input module

USB-1408FS analog input module features 14 bits of resolution, factory calibration, and 10 times the accuracy of the USB-1208FS 12-bit model.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 1, 2006

Venezuelan chemical plant upgrades

Invensys Process Systems has been selected by Tripoliven C.A. of Venezuela to implement upgraded replacement controls for all four plants in its manufacturing complex. Tripoliven manufactures phosphoric acid, sodium tripolyphosphate, and related products at the Moron Industrial Area in Carabobo Estate, Venezuela.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 1, 2006

Chemical plant upgrades in Venezuela

Foxboro, MA — Invensys Process Systems has been selected by Tripoliven C.A. of Venezuela to implement upgraded replacement controls for all four plants in their manufacturing complex. Tripoliven manufactures phosphoric acid, sodium tripolyphosphate and related products at the Moron Industrial Area in Carabobo Estate, Venezuela. The first phase of the Tripoliven modernization is in the phosphoric acid plant, to achieve more accurate control and maintain the company's stringent product quality specifications.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ February 13, 2006

Matlab support for USB module

DT9836 Series simultaneous analog-input multifunction data-acquisition modules for USB 2.0 now feature Matlab support.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ February 1, 2006

Project: Biopharmaceutical filtration automation (February 1, 2005)

February 1, 2006 Project Status Summary: 1. Control software development code complete 100%2. HMI software code complete 100%3.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ January 2, 2006

Paperless data recorders

6000 Series data-recording devices consists of two advanced graphical (paperless) recorder models supported by a range of hardware and software options.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ January 2, 2006

DeviceNet to serial, Ethernet gateway

DRL-DVN-SRE Direct-Link gateway for DeviceNet is designed to connect a DeviceNet network to a serial or Ethernet network or device.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 19, 2005

Ethernet-based distributed I/O system

PowerDNA cubes have been upgraded to include a 4,000-MHz PowerPC processor.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 1, 2005

Miniature data logger/DAQ system

isoLynx SLX718 data logger/data acquisition system is composed of compact SLX718 units and the company's miniature SensorLex 8B isolated analog signal conditioners. Family of instruments offers stand-alone or PC-tethered data logging and the flexibility to change I/O devices on a per channel basis for each of eight signal conditioner locations.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 18, 2005

New A/D converter packs performance, precision into ‘industry’s smallest’ 18-bit device

Norwood, MA—Analog Devices Inc. (ADI) recently introduced what it calls industry’s first 18-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to deliver 400-kSPS (kilo-samples-per-second) data rates in two chip formats: 3 × 5 mm MSOP (mini-small-outline package) and 3 x 3 mm LFCSP (lead frame, chip scale package). The LFCSP format is said to be the world’s smallest leadless package.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 3, 2005

Hoffman Enclosures plans to buy thermal management assets

Pentair Inc. says it intends to purchase certain assets of APW Ltd., including McLean Midwest, Electronic Solutions, and Aspen Motion Technologies Inc. The announcement is expected to strengthen Pentair’s Enclosures Group, Hoffman Enclosures , by adding critical thermal management solutions for manufacturing, packaging, material handling, processing, data communications, networking, and electrical industries.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 1, 2005

IEEE 1588 PCI interface for distributed synchronization

Engineers now can use the new, National Instruments PCI-1588 interface to synchronize clocks and events on multiple distributed devices with sub-microsecond precision using the IEEE 1588 precision time protocol (PTP), the company says. The new interface can be used to develop synchronized data acquisition systems and to synchronize IEEE 1588-capable industrial control and t...

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 1, 2005

Software suites for control, monitoring, DAQ

Temecula, CA —Two automation software suites from Opto 22 include control programming, HMI development, and connectivity tools for designing, developing, and maintaining industrial control, monitoring, and data acquisition applications. ioProject Basic and ioProject Professional are designed for use with the company’s Ethernet-based programmable automation controllers (PAC), including the recently introduced Snap PACs. ioProject Basic software suite includes ioControl Basic, ioDisplay Basic, ioManager, and various other tools and utilities. IoProject Professional includes the same components, but with added features and functionality, and OptoOPCServer.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ October 21, 2005

NI: 1st IEEE 1588 PCI interface for distributed synchronization

Engineers now can use the new National Instruments PCI-1588 interface to synchronize clocks and events on multiple distributed devices with submicrosecond precision using the IEEE 1588 precision time protocol (PTP), the company says. The new interface can be used to develop synchronized data acquisition systems and to synchronize IEEE 1588-capable industrial control and test and measurement devices, including future Class A and B LXI devices, the company says. The NI PCI-1588 interface is part of the NI family of synchronization technologies that includes subnanosecond PXI backplane synchronization, multichassis timing interfaces, and standardized software libraries. Engineers can use the interface’s PTP timestamps to correlate events distributed across an Ethernet network with greater precision and accuracy than available with previous industry standards, NI says. The interface uses RJ-45 Ethernet cabling and can operate as a master or slave clock module.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ October 1, 2005

PACs for machine, process control

Programmable automation controllers (PACs) fill an increasing need for devices that can perform continuous machine or process control while offering data acquisition capabilities, multiple communication options, and integration with enterprise applications and databases. Opto 22 introduces its SNAP PAC family of controllers in two series intended for different applications.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ September 19, 2005

Pin connector USB modules

Two USB digital I/O modules now come in pin-connector versions.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ September 8, 2005

Free .Net-compliant data acquisition, math, graphing software

Data Translation has released Microsoft .Net-compliant tools that allow engineers to control data acquisition board functions and provides math and graphing functions for use with Microsoft’s Visual Studio. DTx-EZ works with Data Translation’s DT-Open Layers driver architecture so programs created with DTx-EZ can run on any DT-Open Layers driver compliant PCI or USB data acquisition board. In addition to .Net support, DTx-EZ 2.5 provides new features such as: DTx-EZ 2.5 is available free of charge here . David Greenfield, editorial director , Control Engineering dgreenfield@reedbusiness.com.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ September 1, 2005

High-drive digital I/O capability

DT9817-H data acquisition digital I/O mini-instrument for USB 2.0 provides high-drive digital I/O capability. Suited for applications requiring a large number of high current outputs, the module provides 28 programmable digital I/O lines, is based on TTL emulations, and will sink 64 mA or source 15 mA at standard logic levels.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ July 5, 2005

New Dataforth isoLynx SLX200 Data Aquisition System Supports Modbus Protocols

Dataforth Corporation of Tucson, Arizona, has just introduced the isoLynxÆÊSLX200 dataacquisition system, which implements industry standard Modbus RTU and TCP protocols,thereby enabling communication with a wide variety of existing third-party software drivers andHMI/SCADA packages. Fully certified by the Modbus IDA organization, the SLX200 is a fast,intelligent, modular, fully isolated data acquisition system that provides superior reliability,accuracy, and isolation for a wide ran

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ July 1, 2005

Interface simplifies data integration

Joint interface lets SimSci-Esscor's PRO/II users integrate Haverly System's H/CAMS crude assay information into their process simulations. Using the interface, data from Crude Assay Management Systems' (H/CAMS) databases can be imported directly into PRO/II process simulations. Seamless access to the data for use in planning, scheduling, and simulations is said to be key to profitable refinery...

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ June 14, 2005

Exclusive: Opto 22’s new brain boards enable serial-to-Ethernet migration

Temecula, CA—Opto 22 has introduced new I/O and communication processors, E1 and E2 brain boards, which are Ethernet versions of its Optomux brain boards.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ June 9, 2005

CAM software market grew in 2004

CIMdata reports that the worldwide CAM software and related services market turned around in 2004 after having declined or been flat for the four previous years.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ June 1, 2005

Interoperable plant infrastructure built with Foundation fieldbus architecture

The Fieldbus Foundation (FF) and International Specialty Products (ISP) demonstrated the full implementation of FF's open, integrated FOUNDATION fieldbus architecture on May 19 at ISP's 1, 4-butanediol (BDO) plant. The event showed how fieldbus H1, high-speed Ethernet (HSE) and flexible function blocks (FFB), integrated with OPC, form an open, interoperable plant infrastructure t...

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ May 16, 2005

USB-based thermocouple input device

USB-TC Measurement Advantage thermocouple input device provides eight temperature inputs, 8 bits of digital I/O, 500 V of isolation, and built-in ambient temperature sens-ing.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 27, 2005

Interphex 2005: Elpro introduces data logger with RFID

New York, NY—Elpro Services is exhibiting its Hamster-R datalogger, which combines radio frequency identification (RFID) technology with a temperature datalogger, during Interphex 2005, April 26-28, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 18, 2005

Trend notification software

LabSoft LIMS version 7.14 enhances data management with representative averaging and automatic trend notification features.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 4, 2005

Web-based connections for plant operations

DataNet OPC Professional Web-based data presentation and logging application makes industrial information accessible to those who make executive decisions.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 15, 2005

NMW 2005: Images from the show floor, events

Chicago, IL—Thousands of innovations from hundreds of exhibitors were featured at National Manufacturing Week 2005, March 7-10 at McCormick Place. Here’s brief look at some of the most interesting exhibits and solutions.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 1, 2005

Is Turnkey HMI Right For You?

The cheese stands alone, the cheese stands alone." The phrase may have made sense in a childhood nursery rhyme, but when it comes to human-machine interfaces and visualization systems, the concept just doesn't apply. Once simple, self-contained entities of switches and push buttons, HMIs no longer stand alone in the manufacturing environment.

By Jeanine Katzel
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 1, 2005

TrafficWerks by Opto 22

Original Equipment Manufacturer TrafficWerksUses Opto 22 SNAP Ultimate I/O™ in Toll BoothMonitoring and Data Acquisition Systems

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ February 14, 2005

Plant performance management solution

Resolution Plant Performance Management solution aggregates shop-floor production and control data collected at the task or line level and brings it to the cost center and the plant, and across multiple plants.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ January 20, 2005

Measurement Computing joins LXI consortium

Measurement Computing Corp. has added its name to the list of companies helping to direct the development of a standard for LAN-based test and measurement.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ January 17, 2005

EXCLUSIVE: Isolated analog signal conditioner

SensorLex 8B isolated analog signal conditioner provides instrument-class performance in a package 20% the size of competing modular products, according to the manufacturer.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 20, 2004

Enterprise test data management

Arendar 2005 enterprise test data management software has added several enhancements.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 7, 2004

Next Generation Data Aquistions – The New Technologes Powering M Series DAQ

The new National Instruments M Series data acquisition (DAQ) devices set a new standard for DAQ hardware capabilities with a revolutionary architecture designed from the ground up.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 7, 2004

Exclusive: Dataforth introduces 1/5th-size, isolated analog signal conditioner

Tucson, AZ—Dataforth Corp. recently introduced its new SensorLex 8B miniature, isolated analog signal conditioners, which reportedly provide its Instrument Class performance in a package that is 20% of the size of competing modular products.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 1, 2004

Lean initiative highlights validation gap

Torque measuring and handling of related information are key to a robot process at one the world's largest and most diversified suppliers of automotive parts, Delphi-Delco (Troy, MI). The company designs, engineers, and manufactures a variety of components, integrated systems, and modules. It has pioneered many automotive interior design innovations, such as incorporating radios and tape and CD...

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 4, 2004

Beckhoff releases distributed I/O for control processes

To expand its bus terminal I/O system measurement capabilities, Beckhoff has introduced its new KL3356 analog input bus terminal with a measurement accuracy of 0.01%.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ October 14, 2004

Next generation data mining algorithms

NAG’s Data Mining and Cleaning Components (DMC) 2.0 is a data mining application development toolkit that uses results from a three-year European Union funded project—EUREDIT—as well as other advances in data mining techniques developed by the Numerical Algorithms Group, a global collaborative network of 300+ computer scientists and mathematical experts who work together to solve complex mathematical problems.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ October 11, 2004

Intelligent, embedded DAQ

Model IE-DAS data acquisition system is designed for PC/104 and PC/104-Plus configurations. Integrated system is packaged in a rugged steel enclosure and has threaded inserts for panel, DIN rail, and rack-mount installations.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ October 1, 2004

Weighing Technology

Weight is an often measured and controlled variable. Checkout stations at supermarkets weigh produce to determine price. Roads and bridges set vehicle weight limits. Industrial feedstock and most raw materials are sold by weight. So are precious metals and gemstones. Body weight has become a serious health issue, spawning many products and services to help control it.

By Dick Johnson
Data Acquisition, DAQ September 9, 2004

Embedded CPU adds data acquisition in smaller, more rugged format

Diamond Systems Corp., a leading supplier of embeddable computer and I/O boards, announced the availability of its Athena high-performance embedded CPU with data acquisition features in a footprint measuring less than 4.2 x 4.5 in.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ September 2, 2004

NI’s LabView supports Millennial Net’s wireless sensor networking

Millennial Net Inc. has released its virtual instruments (VIs) for National Instruments' (NI) LabView software that are now designed to work with Millennial Net's i-Bean wireless sensor networking platform.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ September 1, 2004

NI Week 2004: 20 multi-function DAQ devices introduced

National Instruments (NI) released its next generation of multifunction data acquisition (DAQ) products on the first day of its annual NI Week event, Aug. 17. Based on the newly designed NI-STC 2 system controller chip and NI-PGIA 2 amplifier technology, the new NI M Series multifunction DAQ devices are said to offer breakthroughs in accuracy, as well as faster sampling rates...

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ August 10, 2004

NI’s five USB devices offers portable data acquisition

Austin, TX—National Instruments (NI) has launched five new USB DAQ products, which reportedly deliver easy connectivity, portability, and decreased system setup time.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ August 1, 2004

Test, measurement software

TestPoint version 5.1 test and measurement development software now supports hardware functions on Keithley A/D converter boards, National Instruments USB modules, and NIDAQ version 7.0. Available with a USB security key, the product also has drivers for Dataforth isoLynx data acquisition system and supports New ActiveX user-interface controls.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ June 29, 2004

Wilcoxon releases cables for data collectors

Gaithersburg, MD—Wilcoxon Research has released its new MaxFlex cables that are compatible with data collectors made by SKF, Emerson’s CSI, and Rockwell Automation’s Entek IRD.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ June 17, 2004

Data Translation DAQ modules offer high-speed measurement, control

DT9834 Series of 500 Hz USB data acquisition modules from Data Translation Inc. provides simultaneous analog input, analog output, digital I/O, and counter/timer subsystem operation at rates of 500 kSamples/sec.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ May 13, 2004

ESC 2004: WinSystems’ PC/104 DAC system module

A new PC/104 industrial data acquisition (DAC) module introduced by WinSystems combines a 32 channel, 16-bit analog-to-digital (A/D) converter; 4-channel, 12-bit D/A converter; 16 digital I/O lines; and event trigger control on a single board.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 5, 2004

Living It: Opto 22 Factory Deploys SNAP-IT for Data Acquisition from Manufacturing Processes

As a manufacturer of hardware and software for remote monitoring, enterprise data acquisition, and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, Opto 22’s goal is to help organizations connect to and communicate with their physical line of business assets.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 1, 2004

Highest Reliability Digital I/O at the Lowest Cost by National Instruments

The new industrial digital I/O devices from NI offer a host of new features to extend the reach of PC-based data acquistion to mission-critical industrial applications, and are powered by NI-DAQmx software technology for dramitic improvements in I/O perfomrance and ease of use.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 31, 2004

Opto 22, Kyocera Wireless integrate M2M technologies

Temecula, CA—Opto 22 recently integrated San Diego-based Kyocera Wireless Corp.'s 200 telemetry module with Opto 22’s Snap I/O hardware, resulting in a comprehensive machine-to-machine (M2M) communications system for remote asset monitoring, management, and data acquisition over Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 29, 2004

Data Acquisition Product Focus Study January 2004

Among those specifying, recommending, and/or buying data acquisition (DAQ) hardware or software, 82% do so for in-plant requirements, while 34% buy for OEM needs. One-fifth of respondents said 1% to 3% of their data acquisition applications use wireless technology.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 29, 2004

DAQ software

InstruNet World Plus data acquisition software program for Microsoft Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP lets a user digitize, plot, control, analyze and save to disk A/D, D/A, and digi-tal I/O data from instruNet hardware.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ February 1, 2004

PCI bus migration

PCIM-DAS16JR/16 lets users of CIO-DAS16JR and CIO-DAS16JR migrate applications to the PCI bus. PCIM board offers connector compatibility with CIO versions, provides the same input ranges and maintains identical digital I/O capabilities. ISA-based applications that use the company's Universal Library driver routines can also be migrated to the PCI bus without requiring new software.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ January 1, 2004

Simplifies creation of measurement, automation applications

To give users accelerated virtual instruments (VIs) that encapsulate measurement functions and run on PDAs and FPGAs, LabView 7 Express from National Instruments Inc. (NI) simplifies creation of measurement and automation applications. This extends LabView to more settings, including embedded field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and Palm OS and Microsoft Pocket PC personal digital assistants ...

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ January 1, 2004

Terminal interacts with Ethernet-based I/O systems

OptoTerminal-G75 from Opto 22 is a new graphics-based operator interface to be used with the company's Ethernet-based I/O systems. This mountable, color display terminal is used to monitor, send commands to, and receive real-time data from plant-floor equipment and other devices and systems connected to Opto 22's hardware for automation, data acquisition, remote monitoring, and control.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ January 1, 2004

Wireless data communication

GD-01 modem provides a reliable data communication link over GSM networks. Designed for industrial applications, the device is DIN-rail mounted with RS-232 interface in either a 9-pin D-sub or 5-pin screw connector. All configuration is made by AT-commands. Wireless data communication over a GSM network can be used in several industrial applications, and offers low-cost installation and data tr...

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 1, 2003

Report generation software

XLReporter Professional 5.0 automatically interfaces to any data source, creates a report in Excel, turns the report into actionable information, and sends it to printers, e-mail, fileservers, and Web servers. Latest version extends supported data sources with customized historical interfaces to GE Fanuc Intellution's iHistorian 2.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ August 28, 2003

Education, software scale appropriately

Kindergarten to rocket science: Scalability has been a buzzword of most software or system-based product descriptions over the past few years. Technology originators often express surprise at the range of resulting applications.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ August 1, 2003

DAQ control, access

DT Measure Foundry 4.0 integrates the live measurement capabilities of DT Measure Foundry with access to MatLab from The MathWorks and Microsoft Excel for a math processing and post-analysis solution. Users can create complex test and measurement applications that access and control data acquisition functions by arranging the desired instrument functions on the desktop using panels that receive...

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ July 1, 2003

Data acquisition – 2003-07-01

Transaction Express from Entivity is a global data port that allows controls engineers and IT professionals to gather and modify data within Entivity data tables. VLC (Visual Logic Controller) 6.1 will be the first Entivity product to include the new tool. Transaction Express contains: OPC to SQL Functionality—connected to any number of third-party OPC Servers to the Entivity VLC OPC Serv...

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ July 1, 2003

HART protocol I/O modules

Four 8-channel analog I/O modules with HART protocol are specifically designed for seamless compatibility with Rockwell Automation's Allen Bradley ControlLogix and Honeywell's Experion PKS. Modules maximize I/O performance by combining real-time HART data acquisition in conjunction with standard analog acquisition and control.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ June 1, 2003

NI launches LabView 7 Express

To give users accelerated virtual instruments (VIs) that encapsulate measurement functions and run on PDAs and work with FPGAs, National Instruments Inc. (NI) has launched its LabView 7 Express. Billed as a major upgrade to its LabView graphical development environment following a four-year engineering effort, NI adds that LabView 7 Express simplifies creation of measurement ...

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ May 21, 2003

Opto 22 introduces modular I/O rack with wireless, M-to-M communications

Temecula, CA—Opto 22 introduced May 19 its new OptoGSM I/O rack, which is the latest addition to its line of machine-to-machine (M2M) systems for providing wireless connectivity to physical business assets.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ May 1, 2003

Dual RS-232 port wireless LAN

New SeriaLan, a dual RS-232 port Wireless LAN, transmits/receives RS-232 serial data to/from any 802.11b wireless LAN networks, PCs, laptops, and PDAs, or worldwide via the Internet.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ May 1, 2003

I/O Modules Get Smaller, Smarter

Just as all roads were said to lead to Rome, much of control engineering connects with I/O modules. People have strong views about their highways, and especially any crossroads. This crossroad is seeing traction in smaller footprints, embedded and distributed intelligence, greater communications capabilities, and easier installation, as well as scalability and flexibility.

By Mark T. Hoske
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 1, 2003

Exclusive: Dual RS-232 port wireless LAN

Huntington Beach, CA—New SeriaLan, a dual RS-232 port Wireless LAN, transmits/receives RS-232 serial data to/from any 802.11b wireless LAN network, PC, laptop, and PDA, or worldwide via the Internet. Reportedly, it's the only device of its type in the world. SeriaLan works without software drivers, and is upgradeable to 802.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 1, 2003

Machine Vision Sensors, Systems Penetrate New Realms

Seeing usually means believing, but it less often means perceiving. Though this remains all too true for human eyes, their mechanical counterparts are becoming increasingly sophisticated, efficient, intelligent, network-enabled and, yes, affordable. These and other improvements are fueling the advance of machine vision solutions into settings where they were previously thought to be unusable or...

By Jim Montague
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 17, 2003

Opto 22 launches learning package for Snap Ultimate I/O

Temecula, CA—To help users implement its Snap Ultimate I/O remote monitoring, control and data acquisition system at their own pace, Opto 22 recently developed and released March 4 its Snap Ultimate I/O Learning Center.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ February 18, 2003

Data Translation likes growth in real-time data acquisition

Marlboro, MA—'In the 1990s, we were always known for data acquisition, imaging, including machine vision,' says Fred Molinari, president, founder and ceo of Data Translation, based here. The company still offers all of those technologies, but now is seeking to emphasize 'greater opportunities in real-time.'

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ January 1, 2003

Software boosts plant productivity

ABB's (Wickliffe, OH) OptimizeIT Real-Time Production Intelligence (Real-TPI) software is designed to automate data collection and analysis, and provide customized, detailed reports of production performance improvement opportunities. OptimizeIT Real-TPI software combines the analytical power of three standard production evaluation processes: Additionally, OptimizeIT Real-TPI provides re...

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ January 1, 2003

Package supports test and evaluation applications

Industrial control projects are not always large with hundreds of data points with extensive control action and display requirements. Many applications exist where the number of input and output (I/O) signals is small and only few display graphics are required. These smaller applications can be standalone systems or be part of a larger process that needs to be isolated from the primary control ...

By Tracy J. Coates
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 13, 2002

Geotest unveils instrumentation products

Irvine, CA - Geotest-Marvin Test Systems has added two digital input/output modules to its award-winning digital board family and upgraded its PCI/cPCI/ ISA instrumentation chassis.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 10, 2002

GSE Systems ships D/3 version 11.0 process automation system

Columbia, MD—GSE Systems Inc. began shipping Dec. 3 a new version of its D/3 process automation system.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 20, 2002

Data acquisition included free

WinWedge Pro RS-232 data acquisition software now includes five additional software applications free.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 14, 2002

Sixnet releases open-source RTU

Sixnet recently released the VersaTRAK IPm Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) on an embedded Linux platform. Designed for datalogging, supervisory control, and data acquisition (SCADA), VersaTRAK IPm is said to provide users power and flexibility of open-source software and the reliability of industrial grade hardware.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 4, 2002

New Data Translation DAQ board provides power, programmability, precision

Marlboro, MA - Data Translation has announced the DT9841 Fulcrum II Series. By combining the accuracy of Texas Instruments' (TI) floating-point TMS3206711 digital signal processor (DSP) with the speed of two 24-bit sigma-delta A/D and D/A converters on a standard 6U card that communicates to the host via USB 2.0, the DT9841 is an intelligent data acquisition system for processing measurements that require high performance in real-time.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ September 18, 2002

Large turnout greeted NI Week presenters, exhibitors

Austin, TX - At a time when many trade shows struggle to entice attendees, a near record number of engineers and technicians numbering over 1,400 greeted National Instruments president and ceo, James Truchard, as he kicked off the 2002 edition of NI Week August 14 in Austin. Dr. Truchard outlined the company's long-standing commitment toward leveraging PC technology for instrumentation and control. Noting the abundance of processing power on that platform today, he noted, ''Like a tree sows millions of seeds for only a few to fall on fertile ground, we want to find fertile ground for all those MIPs available now.'' ''The original concept of 'virtual instrumentation' has expanded beyond what many would have imagined at the company's founding,'' he continued.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ July 18, 2002

Control Engineering HMI eNews for July 2002

In this issue: What do you want from HMI? Memo to CEOs Reader feedback User training Intellution introduces iFix 3.0 Future of HMI? Harsh environment touch screen monitor Intermec supports RSS codes Class 1 Division 2 Flat Panel Monitors Control Engineering Buyer's Guide What do you want from HMI? Many technology writers have been discussing 'software bloat' over the past year as the size of programs grows to immense proportions. Software developers continually add new features in response to new user needs or demands and, perhaps, to keep up with or stay ahead of competition. Certainly HMI/SCADA software has grown significantly from its roots of visualization and alarm notification. In a recent conversation, Wonderware vp, Kevin Tock, mentioned that many new products came out almost as services, but customers explained what functions they wanted and that they wanted them as 'shrink-wrapped' products.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ July 1, 2002

Ethernet-ready measurement/control system

Cleveland, O.— Model 2701 Ethernet-Ready DMM/Data Acquisition System is reportedly the measurement industry's first multipoint measurement and control system that fully integrates instrument-quality, 22-bit (61/2 digit) resolution, and sensitivity with Ethernet long-distance networking. With Model 2710, precision instrumentation can now be distributed over long distances using a de fact...

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ July 1, 2002

Exclusive: Data acquisition system targets high performance applications

The isoLynx SLX100 data acquisition system is comprised of a 12-channel base system that includes an I/O controller module and optional 8- or 16-channel expansion backplanes, all of which can be panel- or DIN rail-mounted.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ July 1, 2002

DAQ system targets high performance applications

Tucson, Ariz. — The isoLynx SLX100 data acquisition system is comprised of a 12-channel base system that includes an I/O controller module and optional 8- or 16-channel expansion backplanes, all of which can be panel- or DIN-rail-mounted. The system accepts single-channel digital or analog I/O modules, and all I/O modules are channel-to-channel isolated.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ June 1, 2002

Modular, scalable hybrid controller

Fort Washington, Pa.— The HC900 is an advanced process and logic controller with data acquisition capability. The device offers a modular, scalable design said to be sized to meet the automation needs of process industries. HC900 has a large screen operator interface that provides users with local trending and data archiving capabilities.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 2, 2002

Web-based Tutorials from CTC are online

Hopkinton, Mass. - Control Technology Corp. has posted web-based tutorials for three products on its web site.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 1, 2002

Intelligent distributed I/O modules

San Diego, Calif.—I/O Pak family consists of three product series. The C-Series is broadly classified as 100 Hz, 16-bit analog measurement devices with Modbus-RTU, Profibus-DP, and simple ASCII communications options. They are solutions for distributed data acquisition systems, SCADA projects, and standalone applications that go beyond the capabilities of Action's signal conditioner...

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 19, 2002

NMW 2002: Opto 22 and Axeda Systems partner for remote asset monitoring and device management

Temecula, Calif. and Mansfield, Mass. - Opto 22 and Axeda Systems announced March 18 that they have entered into a strategic alliance to promote a remote monitoring, service, and management solution for devices and equipment across a variety of industries.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ February 1, 2002

Use Microsoft Excel as a report writer

Despite the many integration investments, a significant number of production reporting still occurs using spreadsheets printed on paper. Why?People will cite lots of reasons, but they all boil down to trust. Spreadsheets have been around so long that people have evolved their "favorite" spreadsheet-based reports.

By Dave Harrold
Data Acquisition, DAQ January 14, 2002

Opto 22, Interlog expand presence in South America

Temecula, Calif. - To provide automation hardware, integration and training in Argentina, Bolivia and Peru, Opto 22 announced Jan. 1 that it has agreed with Interlog Electronica Ltda. (Santiago, Chile) to expand their partnership and market Opto 22's products in the three nations.

By Jim Montague, news editor
Data Acquisition, DAQ January 1, 2002

Modules extend system range

Three new modules and three mass termination kits for two-slot Model 2700 Multmeter/Data Acquisition system and five-slot Model 2750 Multimeter/Switch system extend the range of available plug in cards.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ January 1, 2002

Software Standards Propel Information Exchange

Engineers needed a better way to move data from I/O devices through controller data tables to their HMI/SCADA (human-machine interface/supervisory control and data acquisition) software. Traditional methods were limited to moving blocks of bits from Remote I/O or other devices over a proprietary network or a slow serial network.

By Gary A. Mintchell, CONTROL ENGINEERING
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 1, 2001

iHistorian provides plant wide data repository

Foxborough, Mass. - Built on Intellution's iCore technology, iHistorian accommodates up to 100,000 distinct points per server and can collect data as fast as 20,000 samples per second. iHistorian data can include analog and discrete values, strings, and binary large objects with each time-stamped value synchronized to accommodate multiple time zones and daylight savings time.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 1, 2001

iHistorian provides data repository

Foxborough, Mass.— Built on Intellution's iCore technology, iHistorian accommodates up to 100,000 distinct points per server and can collect data as fast as 20,000 samples per second. iHistorian data can include analog and discrete values, strings and binary large objects with each time-stamped value synchronized to accommodate multiple time zones and daylight savings time.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ October 24, 2001

National Instruments offers software for offline analysis

Austin, Tex. - Researchers and design engineers interested in analyzing and in-depth reporting of measurement data can save time and boost their productivity using National Instruments DIAdem software.

By Gary A. Mintchell, senior editor
Data Acquisition, DAQ August 1, 2001

WinWedge 32 data acquisition

Philadelphia, Pa.— WinWedge is designed for interfacing RS-232 devices to any Microsoft Windows application. WinWedge 32 updates the 1991 release. This version includes keys that allows control of many serial I/O functions, support for 6 serial ports, a pre-input character translation table, additional data parsing and filtering capabilities, timed automatic serial output function, and a...

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ May 1, 2001

Hazardous-area operator interface

York Haven, Pa. —Exploiting inherent advantages of flat-panel displays over CRTs, Daisy Data's Factory Mutual approved displays enable a lower cost for hazardous location displays. Flat-panel displays use less power and generate less heat, so they can be designed as "non-incendive." This opens the door to simplified hazardous area operation.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ May 1, 2001

Integrated multimeter/switching system

Cleveland, O.— Model 2750 multimeter/switching system is designed for production and product development testing where high throughput, high channel count, and high accuracy are needed for a variety of electrical signals. The mainframe combines five expansion slots and nine plug-in modules with a 14-function, 6 1/2-digit DMM with NIST traceable accuracy.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 8, 2001

Ci Technologies introduces three new software tools, partners with IOTech

Ci Technologies

By Vance VanDoren, consulting editor
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 7, 2001

Opto 22 introduces wireless LAN

Temecula, Calif. -SNAP Wireless LAN I/O extends SNAP Ethernet I/O network to areas where it is impossible or too expensive to run network wiring. This compact, flexible processor connects analog, digital, and serial devices with wireless LANs for monitoring, control, and data acquisition.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 1, 2000

Data acquisition system

Stamford, Conn.— InstruNet is a high accuracy, distributed data acquisition system for Microsoft Windows 95/NT and Apple Macintosh computers. The Series has a completely different topology that uses a controller board plugged into the computer and external A/D boxes for direct connection to thermocouple, RTD, thermistor, voltage, bridge, and strain sensors.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 1, 2000

Palm-sized datalogger

Thompson Ridge, N.Y. -A new family of dataloggers designed for a wide range of applications have been developed in a small package, a 79-in. dia.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ October 1, 2000

CompactPCI cards with K6 power

Dallas, Tex. -Two CompactPCI cards with AMD 500 MHz K6-2+ and K6-III+ processors bring improved price/performance to embedded industrial applications. Super Socket 7 processors consume less power than other processors with comparable performance.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ September 1, 2000

Advantech spins off automation business

K.C. Liu, Advantech Computers Ltd.'s founder and ceo, recently announced its automation business will be established as a separate company—Advantech Automation Corp. (AAC). AAC will prepare for NASDAQ listing and an IPO expected in 2003. Its goal will be to achieve $150 million sales and $500 million market capitalization value by 2003.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ September 1, 2000

4-channel sensor-to-computer interface

Stamford, Conn.— D500 Four Channel Sensor to Computer Modules are intended as complete solutions for data acquisition systems based on PCs and related equipment with RS-232/485 serial I/O ports. The modules connect to various sensors to measure temperature, voltage, and current. They convert the four analog input signals to engineering units, then transmit them in ASCII format to the host.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ August 1, 2000

Failsafe SCADA monitors natural gas, water distribution

Metropolitan Utilities District (MUD, Omaha, Neb.) can't tolerate a failure in its supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system because it provides water and natural gas throughout Omaha. Not only could a failure threaten the water supply of more than 400,000 residents, it might cost the district hundreds of thousands of dollars in natural gas pipeline penalties.

By Gary A. Mintchell
Data Acquisition, DAQ July 1, 2000

Web Technologies Power Automation Interface Software

Commercial technologies and business needs continue to propel human-machine interface (HMI) software. Only a few years ago, HMI software provided graphical representations of PLC data to enhance operator information. Software development has meshed with corporate needs to enable greater functions that assist made-to-order manufacturing with ever-shrinking inventories and lead times.

By Gary A. Mintchell, CONTROL ENGINEERING
Data Acquisition, DAQ June 1, 2000

Changing sounds of DAC hardware

Since its inception during the 1500's, the violin has undergone very little change. Strings and bow still work together to perform vital functions that allow a musician to keep the instrument strumming in tune. Like the strings of a violin, data acquisition (DAC) hardware devices perform vital functions in many industries.

By Antonia E. McBride, assistant editor
Data Acquisition, DAQ June 1, 2000

Real-time measurement, control aids clutch, converter manufacturing

Testing requirements that include control of multiple test stands and real-time data acquisition are integral to manufacturing clutches and torque converters for the automotive and trucking industries at LuK Inc. (Wooster, O.). Clutch materials and designs are evaluated during product research, development, and production, where speed and torque readings are used to calculate friction coe...

By Jeff Johnson, LuK Inc.
Data Acquisition, DAQ February 1, 2000

Choose the right computer form factor

Boards, boards, boards. Why use a larger Single Board Computer (EBX for example) instead of a smaller PC/104 CPU? Are there reasons to choose a mature bus such as STD 32 or a more expensive one such as CompactPCI? These questions illustrate the fact that form factor selection is not always simple.

By Kristin Allen, VersaLogic Corp.
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 1, 1999

PCI boards for data acquisition

Cleveland, O.— Keithley Instruments' new line of data acquisition products for PCs with the PCI data bus features ana- log and digital I/O, 12-bit A/D resolution, four cascadable counter/ timers, and high-speed burst data transfer. To help users get up and running quickly, Keithley bundles free software with each board, including a start-up program, LabView VIs, TestPoint drivers, and Dr...

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ November 1, 1999

Single-channel thermocouple datalogger

A single-channel data logger, the Mitec SatelLite50-TK, is designed specifically for temperature measurements with type K thermocouple sensors. Two models offer measuring ranges from -100 to 400°C or -100 to 1,200°C. Both devices' nonvolatile memory stores up to 16,000 values.

By Control Engineering Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ July 1, 1999

Unique architecture enables enterprise productivity

Rochester, N.Y. -Advant Enterprise Historian's distributed client/server architecture provides a global repository that enables manufacturers to store and view data from multiple systems, processes, and plants. Process and production information can be accessed over a company's intranet and saved in HTML or PDF formats.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ May 1, 1999

One data acquisition module does work of many

Cleveland, O.— Model 5201 data acquisition system has four isolated, high-speed channels with one that multiplexes to eight additional inputs. Channels have 16-bit resolution, speeds up to 100 kHz, and full scale accuracy of 0.03%. Each channel has independent gain configurable on-the-fly via USB and independent measuring rates.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ April 1, 1999

I/O system includes built-in web server

Opto 22 unveiled on March 15 one of the world's first industrial I/O systems with a built-in web server. Designed to work with Opto 22's new Snap Ethernet I/O, Snap-B3000-Enet allows any browser to connect directly to analog and digital I/O in real time. Because users only need a browser, no special software is required to read and write data using Snap-B3000-Enet.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 1, 1999

Programmable temperature data logging

San Diego, Calif. —Doric 5000 digital temperature indicator/data logger features built-in programmability, RS-232 serial communications, four-digit alphanumeric display, six thermocouple and two RTD types, selectable resolution, and scalable analog output. Users can configure calibration of sensor type, sampling rate, limit settings, and resolution directly from the front panel.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ March 1, 1999

HMI Software Blasting the Boundaries

Opportunities for manufacturing process improvement now come from beyond the boundaries of the machine line. Human-machine interface (HMI) packages that provide only a look inside the controller are quickly becoming inadequate. With Information Technology (IT) programmers and analysts looking for real-time information, HMI vendors are providing controls engineers with solutions.

By Gary A. Mintchell, CONTROL ENGINEERING
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 15, 1998

Glass Maker Sees Clear Advantages of an Automated Laboratory

In order to keep pace with value-added demands of the automotive and architectural glass markets, PPG Industries uses computer modeling and experimental design techniques to engineer high performance coated glass products. Costly production trials were a means of obtaining test samples to verify quality and performance characteristics before a coated product is commercialized.

By Jay E. Grassel, Sr., and Richard M. Brueggman
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 1, 1998

Ci Technologies launches Citect 5.20

Incorporating essential technologies, such as ActiveX and COM/DCOM, Ci Technologies recently introduced Citect for Windows Version 5.20, the latest incarnation of its supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) software. Showed at the recent ISA Expo/98 in Houston, Citect 5.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ December 1, 1998

Thousands of innovations showcased

Elsag Bailey Process Automation (Wickliffe, O.) launched its new Bailey Hartman&Braun Symphony Solo compact control system, which provides a migration path from compact control applications to enterprise management. Symphony Solo combines Elsag Bailey's Freelance 2000 control system architecture with the Maestro/Conductor NT Human Interface System of the Symphony Enterprise Management and Control System. For more information, visit www.controleng.com/info . As part of its Uniformance software suite, Honeywell Industrial Automation and Control (Phoenix, Ariz.) introduced its Batch Information Manager, which is integrated with its Total Plant Batch solution.The company also debuted OpenField, its FOUNDATION Fieldbus solution that is integrated with Total Plant.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ October 1, 1998

Ethernet data acquisition system

Tucson, Ariz. —Industrially hardened in a NEMA 12 enclosure, the EDAS-1027E offers 16 channels of remote digital I/O, programmable as inputs or outputs in two 8-bit ports. All digital inputs can be configured for state detection, latching, or general-purpose counting up to 100 Hz. Eight of the digital output channels can be individually configured for predetermined output states at power...

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ August 1, 1998

Latest WinWedge software

Philadelphia, Pa.— Winwedge has added serial data acquisition and instrument control to Excel, Access, VB, math and statistical software, Microsoft Windows, Windows 95, or NT applications. Automatically collects data from gages, scales, sensors, flowmeters, densitometers, bar-code scanners, PLCs, data loggers, modems, measuring devices, and laboratory instruments, or serial device.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ July 1, 1998

Software simulates automation on world’s largest dredger

The biggest applications—like the biggest shows—need the best rehearsals. Building the largest dredger on earth is a titanic event, but automating the vessel until it needs only a 40-person crew compounds the challenge. Using software to simulate and test crucial control systems can help such enormous projects succeed and cut costs.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ June 1, 1998

Intelligent I/O subsystem

San Diego, Calif. —Software addressing, optical isolation, RS-485 communications over twisted pairs, and 1.2 to 28.2 kb/sec rates are a few of the features of the remote intelligent data acquisition and control system (RDICS) I/O pods. Each RDICS pod uses ASCII string functions and is remotely programmed from applications such as Basic, C[++], or TurboPascal.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ May 1, 1998

OPC Solves the I/O Driver Problem

In factory automation there are many different devices, protocols, and industrial network standards. As a result, each software vendor is responsible for connectivity from automation applications to other vendors' hardware products. An additional complication is that these devices and protocols are always evolving.

By Al Chisholm, OPC Foundation
Data Acquisition, DAQ May 1, 1998

PC-based control software moves to VBA, NT, OPC

PC-based control software demonstrated its migration toward Microsoft Windows NT, OPC (OLE for Process Control), and Visual Basic, during NMW.Microsoft (Redmond, Wa.) representatives explain more industrial automation software is using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) scripting, with about 30 companies shipping applications and about 100 companies signed on.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ February 1, 1998

Entry-Level Data Acquisition System

Miamisburg, O. —Model 10KU-EL is a low-cost, preconfigured system solution for high-speed front-end data acquisition and logging of relatively small numbers of analog inputs in applications where optimum portability is desired. The system can accept up to 24 inputs from virtually any type of transducer.

By Staff
Data Acquisition, DAQ February 1, 1998

Graphical User Interface for Web

Northampton, Mass. — DataViews 9.8 now includes a new web-enabled version of its dynamic data visualization development tool. The new version features WebDataViews, an add-on component which allows developers to animate and display real-time graphical applications on a web browser using Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer.

By Staff

A letter from the editor

At Control Engineering we strive to connect the global industrial engineering audience through online and print media and in-person events. Control Engineering covers and educates about automation, control and instrumentation technologies in a regionally focused, actionable manner. Established in 1954, Control Engineering provides information for automation engineers to do their jobs better. We want to connect engineers who design, implement, integrate, maintain and manage control, automation and instrumentation systems, components and equipment. This active and engaged audience regularly accesses free premium content from Control Engineering due to comprehensive coverage of automation technologies and applications.

Mark Hoske - Control Engineering