Instrumentation and Control News

Please send items of Interest by e-mail to Readout. We will only put a limited amount of information on here however we will also put links in where appropriate.

Date of last update 28/2/96

  • Electronic Journals - Institute of Physics Journals will be going on line in Spring 1996. Contact Customer Service for further information. (28/2/96.
  • Oceanography Web Page - Chelsea Instruments have put up a Web site showing their range of oceanographic products. Have a look at http://www.chelsea.co.uk.(26/2/96)
  • PC Soft boosts Wizcon in Great Britain- Wizcon SCADA users, distributers and VARs are now being supported in Britain by a new company PC Soft International. More details from PC Soft.(26/2/96)
  • RS232 Isolator is line powered - Amplicon now provide the Model 232i plug-in, line powered unit which provides a transparant electrical break in th RS232 serial link.
    Isolating an RS232 line in this way ensures proper operation in a communication environment suffering from severe electrical noise and ground offsets. Talk to Andrew Shephard o +44 1273 608331. (26/2/96)
  • Angle Sensors help to Orient Crash Dummies - Endevco UK has announced the availability of new electronic angle sensors from Vector Resesard=ch that help to achieve proper dummy orientation when setting up crash test applications. Paul Marchant on +44 1763 261311 has the details. (26/2/96)
  • New Catalogue - The new IMS 260 Page 1996 Engineering and Scientific Catalogue is now available, covering an extensive range pf PC based products for Industrial, Engineering and Scientific Applications, including 50 new products. Contact Max Toti on +44 703 771143 fo your copy. (26/2/96)
  • Wonderware in Middle East - Abdulkarim Trading has been appointed in Saudi Arabia and Technortrade in Qatar as Wonderware representatives working closely with Michel Lefebvre, European Development Manager in Amsterdam. (26/2/96)
  • New Web Page - Data Edge Ltd, the Irish T&M company has just put up a web page giving details of the products and services they offer. The are two or three interesting links there. (26/2/96)
  • Modular Pressure Transducers - Lucas NovaSensor(R) is pleased to announce the release of the P4100 series of digitally compensated pressure transducers. Designed using a modular "building block" concept incorporating a wide variety of input pressure ports, pressure ranges and outputs signal formats and connections, these devices provide the user with exceptional design flexibility. The addition of a universal internal digital signal conditioning module to the silicon piezo-resistive pressure sensing chip results in instrument grade performance while maintaining a low-cost pressure solution to a wide variety of industrial pressure measurement applications. For more information on this product please contact their Customer Service Department. (23/2/96)
  • INDUSCREEN 2.5 - is an easy to engineer PC-based SCADA software package running on Windows or OS/2. From the LITE version well suited to MMI to the unlimited PRO version dedicated to large plant supervision or building automation, it provides the user with a wide range of protocols, realtime graphic animations, alarming functions including events logging, state and statistical data display, and a recipe module for batch process. For more information contact ORDINAL Technologies(23/2/96)
  • Mobile Phone Users - GSM Phase 2 offers increased facilities to the user and new revenue generating opportunities to the network operator, but activation can be tedious. Schlumberger's OTAC, 'over-the-air-customization', brings new facilities on-line immediately, making life easier for the user and enabling network operators to conceive new sales strategies.(23/2/96)
  • ARC - Limerick University's Automation Research Centre is busy scheduling work for both final year and postgraduate research students. People interested in having research and development conducted in Ireland's leading technological third level education institute should contact Colm Piercy for further details. Colm tells us that funding to a level of 50% is often available through National and European grant schemes. (23/2/96)
  • GE Multilin - In late 1995, General Electric acquired Multilin. They have just issued a new Product Directory highlighting the new digital relays and systems available.
  • Fieldbus Page - the Signpost has just created a Fieldbus Page which can be reached through the Standards Page.
  • Temperature Control Brochure - FGH has issued a new colour brochure describing the Proteus 200 Series of 1/8th DIN, Auto Tuning, communicating temperature controllers and batch process profilers. The brochure and the accompanying specification sheets give comprehensive details of 4 models. Contact Hazel Herovitsch at +44 1462 686677 (Fax: +44 1462 480633) for a copy. (22/2/96)
  • A first for Waterford - Waterford RTC will host the first annual convention of the Irish Federation of Computer Societies on March 8th - 10th. More information can be obtained by faxing + 353 58 56581 or e-mailing Waterford RTC (put IFCS Convention as subject).(22/2/96)
  • New Links - have been put up in the last few days. They are all listed in the New Section (17/2/96)
  • SCADA Positions - Datac specialises in telemetry and custom designed SCADA Systems for alarm monitoring and remote control functions. It has offices in Brunei, Dublin, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur. At present they have vacencies for Senior Software Engineers, Senior Project Engineers and a Technical Sales Engineer. Contact Datac for more details. (17/2/96)
  • Advanced SCADA chart recorder tools - provide powerful analytical facilities to optimize plant/process efficiency.
    Hexatec Systems has released a new version of its SCAN1000 Windows-based SCADA package which enhances the operation of computerized chart recorder functions to help users analyze and diagnose problems more rapidly. A new toolset provides powerful on-line display facilities with flexible X-axis scaling to optimize the view of any process activity under investigation. Users may also 'replay' historic data or crop data segments and export them dynamically to further programs for analysis - to help identify trends or problems. Called SCAN1000 v4.0, the new package offers an ideal foundation for enhancing the management of any process or plant required to maintain historical records or comply with emission standards, and provides a comprehensive growth path to integrated supervisory control. More information from Dr Dick Haycock, or Colin Nixon of Hexatec. (17/2/96)
  • Java is hot - It's one of the most significant and rapidly evolving software innovations in years. Time magazine has ranked as one of the 10 best products of 1995. Java Report is a new magazine "filled with how-to articles and mind-expanding columns" being published from the US. E-mal to Java Report, PO Box 5049, Brentwood, TN37024-9737.(17/2/96)
  • Industrial Pressure Transmitters - Bourdan Sedeme has extended its 700 series of high stability ceramic pressure transmitters with the introduction of low pressure versions down to 250mbar and extended the 800 range taht are comlplete with chemical seals. Also included in the line up are IP68 rated transmitters covering submersible applications down to 100 metres. David Price on +44 1895 432832 (Fax +44 1895 432834) has the details. (17/2/96)
  • MF Exhibition Homepage - for the UK has been launched showing details of their exhibitions including C&I. Readout already publishes minimal details of Exhibitions throughout the world.(17/2/96)
  • Lifting of restrictions on some discharges proposed - In a streamlining action designed to provide more flexibility for certain sewage treatment plants that discharge into marine waters, EPA (USA) is proposing to lift some restrictions on how these facilities meet Clean Water Act waste removal requirements. Under the Clean Water Act (section 301(h)), municipal facilities discharging to marine waters can obtain a waiver from secondary treatment requirements if they remove at least 30 percent of the oxygen-depleting waste. Currently, the 30 percent requirement must be based on a monthly average. Last year, the city of Anchorage, Alaska, and other Alaskan municipalities filed a lawsuit challenging the existing provision on eligibility of facilities to apply for a longer averaging period for meeting the 30 percent requirement. In response, EPA is proposing to lift the restriction and allow the 45 municipalities that operate under the 301(h) program to apply for a longer averaging period. This change would provide the affected municipalities with additional flexibility and, in some cases, cost-savings without compromising environmental quality. (16/2/96)
  • London Bomb - While the political implications of last Friday's London bombing has been the major story in recent days, attention is also being paid to the potential damage to the North's economy of an end to the ceasefire. In the last seventeen months the Industrial Development Board (IDB), which is responsible for promoting inward investment, has experienced a phenomenal increase in inquiries. From these, the board has assisted in establishing 20 new investment projects which are expected to create 4,500 new jobs. Just last week, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) reported growing optimism among manufacturers in the North, with most planning increases in output and employee numbers over the next four months. The only tangible repercussions so far were felt by a number of publicly-quoted companies when the London stock market opened on Monday. The share prices of both Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) and Ulster Television (UTV) fell sharply, while others like Mackie and Powerscreen were unaffected. Market analysts felt investors would be reluctant to invest in companies who traded mainly in the domestic market, like NIE and UTV, and also those involved in tourism and retailing, should circumstances change in the North.(15/2/96)
  • 4 Million Pressure Transmitters - have been produced by Rosemount who produced their first Model 1151 (absolute, gauge, DP and liquid level) in 1969.(12/2/96)
  • Their Winter Publications Catalogue - is included with the January issue of the ISA monthly journal INTECH.(12/2/96)
  • Ultra-Slim DINrail IS Interfaces - Elcon Instruments has launched a new sub-miniature galvanic isolator range, offering dual digital or analog channels in the form of ultra-slim 16mm wide DIN rail-mounting modules. This approach offers a capacity of 120 channels for every metre of rail, allowing automation equipment designers to build intrinsic safety systems of exceptional density, withg up to twice the functionality previously possible. Certified to CENELEC, CSA, FM, SAA and other world standards, and is fully EMC complient. Further details from Elcon Instruments.(9/2/96)
  • US Robotics - one of the world's leading suppliers of high performance data communication products, plans to open a customer support centre in Dublin to cater for its European customers. The total investment involved will be £1.8m and the American company expects to employ 100 people over three years.(8/2/95)
  • New float switch provides ideal solution for critical applications in hazardous areas - KDG-Mobrey is extending its popular range of Mobrey float switches with a pneumatic version of the ANV Series vertical magnetic level switch - aimed at harsh industrial applications and hazardous areas, where electrical devices cannot operate, or present a potential fire hazard. The new switch features the unique Mobrey switch mechanism for 'fit-and-forget' reliability, even in the most severe conditions. (5/2/96)
  • Innovative materials and valves optimize integrity of project - The instrumentation system for the new Liverpool Bay development is one of the most unusual and demanding designs that valve and fittings supplier Parker Hannifin has ever worked on. The aggressive nature of the sour gas produced from the offshore fields necessitated the use of advanced materials to combat corrosion. For the most critical instrument lines, BHP metallurgists recommended alloy 625. (5/2/96)
  • ICI Global - Imperial Chemical Industries and Fisher-Rosemount have concluded an International Purchasing Agreement which establishes them as one of ICI's preferred international suppliers for field instrumentation and control valve products. (5/2/96)
  • UK Utilities in one place - Gas, Water, Electricity and Telecoms are all undergoing tremendous changes in their management in the UK. This Directory is the first to cover the entire scope of the UK Utility industry. It is published by Reed Business Publishing and may be ordered by e-mail through Compuserve or through their Internet Adress.(5/2/96)
  • ISA England support InControl - Heralded as the Biggest Process/industrial Instrumentation and Control Exhibition inb England this year. This, the first such show in London for a very long time allready have places reserved for over 300 companies. The show is scheduled for 18th and 19th September. For more details phone Hazel Jeffrey or Larry Spieler on +44 1799 528292. (5/2/96)
  • Industrial Networking News - the second edition of IO Ltd's newsletter, devoted to the application of advanced fieldbus and embedded control technology, includes articles on the development of LonWorks-based control and data acquisition nodes, and embedded control using new-generation modules interconnected via a serial highway - with example. Free copies available from Jeremy Bentham.(5/2/96)
  • New edition of Access EPA1995/96 - EPA is releasing a new edition of "ACCESS EPA," a convenient directory of EPA's major information resources and services. Containing over 400 pages, the main sections are color-coded for easy reference. Each entry contains a description of the resource and ordering and contact information. Copies will be available through Government Printing Offices(GPO) across the country, and the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) in Springfield, Va. In addition, a limited number of copies will be available free through the federal depository libraries and public libraries across the country. Internationally, "ACCESS EPA" will be available through EPA's INFOTERRA program. Electronic versions will soon be available on both the GPO and NTIS Bulletin Board Systems and on the EPA OnLine Library System (OLS) via Internet: Telnet path=Public Access/OLS/A). For more information contact, EPA's Public Information Center at 202-260-2464.(5/2/96)
  • Rosemount get TUpH - Rosemount, the world's leader in Instrumentation announce the world's most rugged pH sensor takes on the worst analytical applications and survives; eliminates maintenance; cuts costs; provides remote diagnostics too. (1/2/96)
  • Reduced Cost for Updated Calibrated - FGH Controls has announced re-engineered versions of the Ezecal 2,3,and 4 hand held precision temperature calibrators at prices reduced by over 30%. More details from Colin Green on +44 1462 686677. (1/2/96)