Control Engineering hot topics, August 2018

Control Engineering's most clicked articles in August 2018 included stories about IIoT equipment integration, autotuning control, choosing an industrial automation controller, and motion controllers. Miss something? You can catch up here.

By Chris Vavra September 4, 2018

Hot topics in Control Engineering, for August 2018, included IIoT equipment integration, autotuning control, choosing an industrial automation controller, and motion controllers. These are based on the top 10 most read articles online in Control Engineering July. Links to each article below.

1. Integrating IIoT equipment into manufacturing systems

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) equipment should be integrated even into older manufacturing systems to optimize facility and system operations. Think you’re using IIoT technologies? Are you adding sensors in 12 steps or 6 steps?

2. Pros and cons of autotuning control: Part 2

Proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers that can automatically select their own tuning parameters sound good, but face challenges.

3. How to choose an industrial automation controller

Choosing the most effective controller requires careful evaluation of multiple requirements.

4. A standard reference point for motion controllers

A coordinate frame is a point of reference that defines the six degrees of freedom (DoF) in a PLCopen controller. A programmer needs to know how the different coordinate frames interact and which ones are important to understand.

5. Implementing a cybersecurity strategy for cloud-based SCADA

It’s critical to have the proper framework and cybersecurity measures in place to help prevent cyber attacks for cloud-based deployments of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems.

6. Training provides tips on power, VFDs, standards

Engineering education can help with motors, drives, and lightning control in industrial and commercial applications in retrofit and with new designs. See five misconceptions in applying motor controls. 

7. Ladder logic’s future role in automation

Cover story: Nine considerations when selecting a programming language. Ladder logic is favored by manufacturers in discrete industries, but as technology and automation evolve, its usefulness compared to other IEC 61131-3 programming languages and PC programming depends on application complexity and other factors. 

8. Motion control standards drive IIoT

Among the most important standards for industrial motion control are open networking standards for interoperable communications, but don’t overlook the importance of standard naming conventions to ease system integration and promote Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and similar initiatives.

9. Training younger generations with immersive technologies

Adopting new technology such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) will help train younger employees faster without comprising safety on the plant floor.

10. Pros and cons of autotuning control: Part 1

Proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers that can automatically select their own tuning parameters sound good but face challenges.

On Mondays, see the top 5 articles of the prior week. In January, see the hot topics for the prior year.

Chris Vavra, production editor, CFE Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com.


Author Bio: Chris Vavra is web content manager for CFE Media and Technology.