A modern SCADA system communicates directly with an OPC server which itself communicates with PLCs, RTUs, and/or remote I/O units to pass sensor readings and control signals back and forth between the OPC server and devices. Whereas the more traditional OPC DA server uses a polling method, which can use quite a bit of […]
Ethernet technology was invented over 30 years ago as a robust way to interconnect computers in an office environment. The scale and performance of Ethernet has made it the go-to technology for industrial applications as well. However, the application of inappropriate media product raises considerable safety and conformance issues that have not been traditionally […]
Automation technology functions are determined more and more with software. In addition to pure PLC applications, tasks from the areas of motion and safety control, robotics and measurement technology are increasingly integrated into the application. More software also requires increased CPU power. With the new C6670, Beckhoff has unveiled the ultimate many-core industrial server, able […]
As the oil and gas industry moves toward the digital age, control and asset management is becoming more safe and efficient. However, to ensure that your oil and gas operation will run continuously, mission-critical panel computing systems cannot be delicate and hard to repair. Searing heat causes display blackouts and LCD motion blur, and […]
Radar technology was initially used only in special applications in the field of defence technology and road traffic applications. However, modern radar sensors are mastering an increasing number of application fields in industry, from position detection to collision avoidance. In 1886, Heinrich Hertz discovered that electromagnetic waves are reflected on metallic objects. His discovery […]
Choosing the best cable for an industrial application is one of the most critical design decisions of any complex automated system. That said, cable selection is often an afterthought and not given the time or respect it deserves. As the lifeblood of the system, cables and wires are vital to transmitting power and sending […]
For more than six years, mills have been installing non-contact laser velocimeters to replace existing contact length measurement systems with continuous casters. Installations exist on billet, bloom, beam blank and slab casters and have proven to measure length and speed with high precision, reliability and long term consistency, improving throughput and yield at the […]
Argo floats are autonomous “robots” of the ocean, collecting valuable upper-ocean physical oceanographic information – notably pressure, temperature and salinity data. The floats are deployed from research vessels or vessels of opportunity globally and collect profiles of the upper 2000 m of water column every ten days, resting at a park depth of 1000 […]
A summary of an in-depth article by Theresa Houck, executive editor of Rockwell Automation’s The Journal. The connected enterprise can bring greater productivity, better asset utilisation, faster problem solving, and improved decision-making to industrial companies. It offers ease of use, lower total cost of ownership and improved operations Internet-enabled technology, industrial Ethernet, the cloud, […]
Today, in every aspect of our lives but more particularly in the industrial IT world, big data is all the rage. The old “KB” has been turned into the new “GB” – Microsoft’s original and (now) laughable limit of 640 k memory has now been turned into the run-of-the-mill 640 Gigabyte hard drive. And […]
