Control Engineering hot topics, October 2018

Control Engineering's most clicked articles in October 2018 included stories about the Engineers' Choice Finalists, matching motors and drives, designing a wireless IIoT gateway, complex upgrades, and more. Miss something? You can catch up here.

By Chris Vavra, CFE Media November 1, 2018

Hot topics in Control Engineering, for October 2018, included the Engineers’ Choice Finalists, matching motors and drives, designing a wireless IIoT gateway, and complex upgrades. These are based on the top 10 most read articles online in Control Engineering October. Links to each article below.

1. Vote now for 2019 Engineers’ Choice Finalists

The official ballot is open for voting for Control Engineering North American print and digital edition subscribers, for a limited time. Review finalists and vote by using CFE Media’s New Products for Engineers platform.

2. Matching motors and drives: Common problems and best practices

While it’s common to use the same manufacturer for a motor or drive, when something breaks down, the choice might not be so straightforward. Knowing what kind of problem and how severe the issue is can help determine what to do next.

3. Design a wireless IIoT gateway with open-source tools

Wireless: Software-defined radio (SDR) hardware and open-source programming software provides an alternative to proprietary wireless communications systems, helping improve Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) networks.

4. Complex upgrades demand advanced expertise

Partial upgrades to existing automation systems can be difficult, requiring close cooperation between the system integrator and plant personnel.

5. Five machine design challenges and how motion controls help

Commercial challenges for machine designers are being address by the motion control industry. See how these five advances can help with motion control designs.  

6. Use process analytics effectively

Pattern recognition software leverages historian data to automate information gathering and make process analytics more efficient and accurate.

7. Women in Engineering: The journey to a career in engineering

"Growing up, I always enjoyed math and science. I loved seeing my work on paper turn into something real as well." 

8. Standardizing multi-touch HMI hardware 

Cover Story: Implementing cost-effective multi-touch panel technology now can future-proof system architectures.

9. Matrix drive benefits for managing drive harmonics

Trap filters are a common solution for managing drive harmonics, but matrix drives can provide additional benefits for the user without the need for peripheral equipment and costs.

10. How to use multi-factor authentication to protect a network

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a technique that, when implemented properly, can be an efficient deterrent from cyberattacks, but heed these additional precautions to prevent information from being compromised.

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.