Research: Hot topics in Control Engineering for 2024

Think Again about the top industrial automation, controls and instrumentation article topics of 2024, the most-viewed industrial automation-related webcasts and videos and the top Control Engineering magazine covers of 2024, part of Control Engineering’s 2025 look at the State of Automation.

In the Control Engineering annual tally of hot topics in industrial automation, controls and instrumentation for articles posted during 2024, the following topics ranked highest

based on Google Analytics for www.controleng.com. Also see top 3 covers below from 2024 and the top 10 Control Engineering articles posted before 2024. Also see the most-viewed industrial automation webcasts and videos. 2024 was Control Engineering’s 70th year of publication.

Top 5 article topics posted during 2024 were: Selection of variable frequency drives, industrial networking, robotic safety, good and bad controller tuning tutorial, career and salary survey.

Top 5 article topics posted during 2023 were: PLC programming, robotic trends, VFD optimization, automation salary and career information and 6G wireless.

These automation and control topics help Control Engineering subscribers do their jobs better. There’s a lot of value in the researched ranking of the links below: Think again about bookmarking this article and reviewing what you may have missed. For future areas of automation coverage based on subscriber research and to contribute articles, see the Control Engineering article topic list for 2025.

Top 10 Control Engineering articles posted during 2024

Analytics count the number of visits to articles posting during 2024, so articles posted earlier in the year naturally have an advantage; only one article among the following 10 were posted after midyear. Below these top 10, see links to articles popular in second-half 2024, July through December 2024:

1. How to choose a VFD for medium-voltage motors – April 1, 2024

Understand the advantages of multi-level output drive topology in medium voltage (MV) motor applications. Motor insulation reliability and reflected waves: What to consider when selecting a variable frequency drive (VFD). (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1: The article, “How to choose a VFD for medium-voltage motors,” posted April 1 was the most-viewed article of 2024 at Control Engineering. Author Lucas Paruch is a product manager of medium voltage drives at Yaskawa America Inc., seen here with Figure 1 from the article showing the most common low-voltage drive topology. Courtesy: Yaskawa America, Control Engineering
Figure 1: The article, “How to choose a VFD for medium-voltage motors,” posted April 1 was the most-viewed article of 2024 at Control Engineering. Author Lucas Paruch is a product manager of medium voltage drives at Yaskawa America Inc., seen here with Figure 1 from the article showing the most common low-voltage drive topology. Courtesy: Yaskawa America, Control Engineering

2. Industrial networking 101: Everything you need to know – Feb. 8, 2024

Industrial networking is vital to today’s manufacturing landscape. From different types of networks to key components and best practices, this guide will help you navigate the intricacies of industrial Ethernet networking. See video.

3. Industrial robot safety considerations, standards and best practices to consider – June 6, 2024

As industrial robots become more integral to manufacturing processes, ensuring their safe operation is crucial as well as making sure workers are protected.

4. PID spotlight, part 5: What does good and bad controller tuning look like? – June 3, 2024

PID controllers have visual cues that you can use to identify performance problems. Improperly set controller gain, integral, and derivative offer unique patterns that you can use to guide your efforts to improve controller performance. See seven takeaways for better PID tuning.

5. Results are in: Control Engineering Career and Salary Survey, 2024 – June 25, 2024

Benefits and salaries increased. Leading automation technologies help resolve economic challenges and workforce shortages.

6. PID spotlight, part 2: Know these 13 terms, interactions – March 12, 2024

Learning proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller tuning begins with the basics: Definition of terms, the PID equation (multiple forms) and seeing how each of the PID terms functions independently from each other and separated from a process.

7. Back to the future of the PLC – May 2, 2024

Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) are not going away any time soon, and improving technologies combined with user demands will continue their evolution as a foundational automation platform.

8. Generative AI benefits for asset lifecycle management – Aug. 27, 2024

Generative AI is driving rapid improvements in asset lifecycle management, building on previous AI enhancements and unlocking new possibilities for operational efficiency.

9. Improving underground mining safety with millimeter wave technology – June 19, 2024

A professor began a project to design and deploy an emerging imaging and networking technology to improve safety and overcome hazardous conditions of underground mines.

10. Three reasons to tune control loops: Safety, profit, energy efficiency – Jan. 29, 2024

PID Spotlight, part 1: PID controller tuning is a keystone skill for control practitioners that is often given short shrift. What is the justification for investing in this critical skill? Why tune control loops?

What was trending in Control Engineering July through December 2024?

One article above, on generative AI for asset lifecycle management, was posted after midyear. Because the list above favors article posted earlier in the year, please see the leading articles per month below that are not among those listed above or in a prior month below.

July 2024 – PID spotlight, part 6: Deadtime? How to boost controller performance anyway

August 2024 – Industry 4.0 is the springboard to a holistic automation future

September 2024 – Rising to the challenge: Engineering Leaders Under 40, Class of 2024

October 2024 – Gain critical advice on automation, SCADA from system integrators

November 2024 – More answers: Tips and tricks for next-generation automation programming

December 2024 – Why it’s critical to integrate distributed control systems

Top Control Engineering covers of 2024

Top three covers of 2024: Michael Smith, Control Engineering creative director, selected these three favorite covers of the year (Figure 2). January/February cover photo, from CC-Link Partner Association (SPLA) Americas, highlights synchronized networks benefits for machine controls. July/August cover photo, from CDM Smith, points to challenges of operational technology cybersecurity. September/October cover provides a sampling of eight faces among the 2024 Engineering Leaders Under 40 winners, arranged by Smith on the cover. Review these and other print/digital editions on the 2024 digital edition page.

Figure 2: Top three covers of 2024: Michael Smith, Control Engineering creative director, selected these three favorite covers of the year (Figure 2). January/February cover photo from CC-Link Partner Association (SPLA) Americas, July/August cover photo from CDM Smith and September/October cover about the 2024 Engineering Leaders Under 40 winners were Smith’s favorite covers of 2024.
Figure 2: Top three covers of 2024: Michael Smith, Control Engineering creative director, selected these three favorite covers of the year (Figure 2). January/February cover photo from CC-Link Partner Association (SPLA) Americas, July/August cover photo from CDM Smith and September/October cover about the 2024 Engineering Leaders Under 40 winners were Smith’s favorite covers of 2024.

Top 10 articles posted in Control Engineering posted before 2024

Many articles with the most traffic during 2024 posted before 2024 began and cover tutorial topics such as version control for programmable logic controllers, VFD parameter changes, permanent magnet motors, PID control and loop tuning, and PWM effects for brushless dc motors.

1. PLC programming language fundamentals for improved operations, maintenance – July 18, 2023

Programmable logic controller (PLC) programming languages help keep manufacturing operations running smoothly. Learn about the five types of PLC programming languages and how they’re used. (See Figure 3.)

Figure 3: The article, “PLC programming language fundamentals for improved operations, maintenance,” posted July 18, 2023, was the most-viewed article posted on the Control Engineering website among articles posted before 2024. Author Frank Lamb, the founder and owner of Automation Consulting LLC and a member of the Control Engineering editorial advisory board is shown with the function block diagram (FBD) PLC programming Figure 3 from the article.
Figure 3: The article, “PLC programming language fundamentals for improved operations, maintenance,” posted July 18, 2023, was the most-viewed article posted on the Control Engineering website among articles posted before 2024. Author Frank Lamb, the founder and owner of Automation Consulting LLC and a member of the Control Engineering editorial advisory board is shown with the function block diagram (FBD) PLC programming Figure 3 from the article.

2. Top 5 VFD parameter changes explained – July 1, 2020

Programming variable frequency drives (VFDs) to fit most industrial applications require only the most basic settings to operate the motor. Understand these 5 VFD parameter changes to optimize VFD programming to fit most motor-drive applications.

3. Understanding permanent magnet motors – Jan. 26, 2022

Motion system designers can be challenged when selecting or developing electronics using pulse-width modulation (PWM) to drive brushless dc motors. Heed some basic physical phenomena to avoid unexpected performance issues, along with general guidelines for using a PWM driver with a brushless DC motor. See diagrams, equations.

4. Understanding PID control and loop tuning fundamentals – July 26, 2016

PID loop tuning may not be a hard science, but it’s not magic either. Here are some tuning tips that work.

5. Understanding the effect of PWM when controlling a brushless dc motor – Jan. 26, 2022

Motion system designers can be challenged when selecting or developing electronics using pulse-width modulation (PWM) to drive brushless dc motors. Heed some basic physical phenomena to avoid unexpected performance issues, along with general guidelines for using a PWM driver with a brushless DC motor. See diagrams, equations.

6. Understanding Derivative in PID Control – Feb. 1, 2010

The third factor in PID is the least understood. Derivative action can do good things, but when used improperly, it causes headaches.

7. VFDs from the inside out – Feb. 1, 2022

Variable frequency drive (VFD) vocabulary words: These 50 terms can help properly apply VFDs.

8. Free PLC programming software for education – Jan. 26, 2021

Available programmable logic controller (PLC) software that is free for users is crucial for users and students who can’t currently access a lab. See table with a breakdown.

9. PID loop tuning parameters and control fundamentals – March 28, 2023

It is important to understand what proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control is and the parameters for closed-loop, open-loop and cascading loops and the parameters involved.

10. Evolution of control systems with artificial intelligence – Feb. 17, 2021

Cover Story: Can artificial intelligence (AI) prove to be the next evolution of control systems? See three AI controller characteristics and three applications.

Leading Control Engineering 2024 webcasts based on registrants

See the top Control Engineering webcasts below, based on the number of registrants, with links to the description pages below. Caution: Webcasts are posted for one year, so to view or review any of the following, do so before the following dates in 2025. Top three Control Engineering 2024 webcasts eligible for one RCEP PDH credit for those listening live on the broadcast date were:

PLCs: Programming tips and tricks appropriate for next-generation applications – Sept. 10, 2024

Back to basics: What you need to know about today’s PLCs – Nov. 6, 2024

How to Automate: The Mechanics of Loop Tuning – Aug. 1, 2024

Honorable mention: Research Review: Control Systems: HMI, SCADA and PLCs – April 22, 2024

Top three 2024 webcasts created by suppliers of industrial automation and controls were:

How to Achieve Operational Excellence in Modern Monitor and Control with Edge Computing – May 16, 2024

Revolutionizing Manufacturing: The Power of Smart Factories – Aug. 13, 2024

Beyond ProcessBook & PI Vision: Exploring Today’s Industrial Analytics Tools – March 14, 2024

Webcasts also are available here using the pulldown menu for webcasts, near the top of the page.

Most viewed 2024 Control Engineering videos

Based on views on the Control Engineering YouTube channel, the following were the three most-popular videos posted during 2024. Video topics cover programmable logic controllers, industrial networking and robotics.

• Improving PLC Version Control and Device Backup Using Modern Git Workflows

• Expert Interview Series: Nick Roe, Matrix Technologies: Industrial networking fundamentals

• Automate 2024 Demo: Doosan Robotics’ Mixmaster Moodie

Based on views on the Control Engineering YouTube channel, the following YouTube shorts were the three most-popular videos posted during 2024. These topics include robotic bartending, welding and parcel induction.

• Robot serving Modelo beer at Yaskawa booth at Automate 2024

• Automate 2024 Demo: ArcWorld HC Collaborative Welding workcell

• Automate 2024 Demo: Robotic parcel induction workcell uses high-speed GP12 robot

Top three videos (YouTube stats) posted before 2024 are:

• VTW: Fundamentals of three-phase induction motors, variable frequency drives

• Tutorial: Measuring liquid level using a bubbler

• Thermocouple Tutorial

Control Engineering also recognizes top articles weekly and monthly. Think Again about how to deliver hot Control Engineering topics to your peers in 2025, appreciated whether recognized among the leading contributions or now, to help expand Control Engineering knowledge.

Traffic ranking and compilation based on www.controleng.com Google Analytics and Control Engineering’s YouTube channel were performed by Anna Steingruber, [email protected]. Emily Guenther provided webcast measurements. Cover analysis was by Michael Smith, all with WTWH Media.

CONSIDER THIS

Bookmark this Control Engineering article so you can refer back to and catch up on the hot topic articles, webcasts, videos and covers you might have missed.

ONLINE

See what was on the 2023 Control Engineering hot topics list.

Written by

Mark T. Hoske

Mark Hoske has been Control Engineering editor/content manager since 1994 and in a leadership role since 1999, covering all major areas: control systems, networking and information systems, control equipment and energy, and system integration, everything that comprises or facilitates the control loop. He has been writing about technology since 1987, writing professionally since 1982, and has a Bachelor of Science in Journalism degree from UW-Madison.