See Archive Page for earlier news.

On-line turbidity measurement system - Emerson Process Management is introducing a new turbidity measurement system, further extending the Rosemount Analytical instrumentation capability for water quality monitoring. The Clarity II Turbidimeter is a dual channel on-line device complete with a unique sensor chamber that helps eliminate the erroneous readings caused by bubbles, and provides a suitable sample flow. Operating over a wide measurement range, it is used to measure low level turbidity in drinking water treatment systems, and also for monitoring the higher turbidity levels normally associated with wastewater discharges, clarifier control and condensate return applications.

Comprehensive document assists both device developers and end users - The Fieldbus Foundation today announced the release of the new Foundation fieldbus Application Guide for 31.25 kbit/s Intrinsically Safe Systems (AG-163, Revision 2.0). This comprehensive, updated document is intended to improve the understanding of application con-side-rations for todayÕs fieldbus systems, and contains useful information for both device developers and end users. More iformation on our Fieldbus News Page

New GNU remote protocol for high-speed debugging tool - Macraigor Systems, leader in on-chip debug (OCD) technology, today introduced the latest version of mpDemon, a high-speed debugging tool built on their proprietary On-Chip Debug Technology (OCDemon). mpDemon's newest features include applications programming interfaces (APIs) and the standard GNU Debugger (GDB) remote protocol allowing instant "plug and play." Concurrently, mpDemon supports multiple CPUs on a single scan chain, allowing the user to debug any and all devices. Designed for price-sensitive customers, mpDemon also includes 10BaseT Ethernet, parallel and serial interfaces to the host system. Having three connection types provides developers maximum flexibility when debugging their target board and applications.

Now with ModBus communication capabilities - Moore Industries' NET Concentrator System (NCS) Process Control and Distributed I/O Network is now available with MODBUS RTU (RS-485) communication capabilities.
ModBus RTU is one of the most widely used network protocols in the industrial manufacturing and factory automation environments. It is implemented by dozens of vendors to transfer multiple monitoring and control signals between the field and control room on one economical digital communications link.

Strategic co-operation - Summit Microelectronics and Artesyn Technologies, have entered into a Strategic Cooperation Agreement to develop comprehensive power system control and conversion solutions. The agreement combines the strengths of both companies to define and provide the next generation of semiconductors and modules for DPA (Distributed Power Architecture) designs targeted at telecommunications and data-communications systems.

New developments in hydrogen leak detection - Sensistor Technologies, an established leader in leak detection and leak testing, is at Inspex (28-30/09/2004) for the first time with its range of instruments based on the hydrogen method. Leak detection using hydrogen - in a safe mixture of 5% hydrogen in nitrogen - offers many benefits: hydrogen is the cheapest tracer gas available, and is the lightest and least viscous of all gases. It spreads very quickly throughout the test object and seeps quickly through the smallest leak. Background interference is easily minimised because of the speed with which it dissipates. The method requires no pumps or vacuum and thus needs a minimum of maintenance. A major new product in the Sensistor range is the H2000 hydrogen leak detector: a compact, robust instrument that is sensitive enough to detect leaks as small as 5 x 10-7 mbarl/s. It is also insensitive to other gases and has a unique capability of handling background levels of hydrogen gas. Advanced digital electronics makes the H2000 easy to use and highly versatile.

MRI medical imaging troubleshooting made easy - During the development and adjustment of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) equipment, a proper representation of the RF stimuli bursts is vital. A handheld Fluke ScopeMeterÒ oscilloscope with LCD display technology is the ideal solution, especially because of the large local magnetic fields. A downloadable Application Note from the Fluke web site explains how special in-built functionality of the ScopeMeter can be used to display such short duration bursts. Their 190 Series of handheld, two-channel oscilloscopes include 196 and 199 models, available with either monochrome or colour screens. Special Medical versions offer additional measurement capabilities which are optimised for servicing medical imaging equipment and video systems, including X-ray, MRI, nuclear medicine and ultrasound machines.

Systems integration, automation and control specialist attains membership of elite CSI programme - Pantek has awarded membership of its highly esteemed Certified System Integrator (CSI) Programme to MacDonald Humfrey (Automation) Limited, a leading provider of system integration, automation, control services and solutions to the manufacturing sector.

Control system gas production platform reduces costs and increases efficiency - Transmitton, supplier of integrated system control and asset management solutions, has installed an innovative new control system for Shell's new NUI (normally unattended installation) Carrack QA gas production platform. In a project worth around £400,000, Transmitton provided a fully duplicated fastflex remote terminal unit (RTU), using the companyâs latest powerful FF014 processor and including a local display panel based on Transmitton's cromosOptima masterstation package, communicating with the RTU over an OPC connection. A novel feature of the solution was the use of the MTL8000 hazardous area Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). Initially three remote terminal units were provided, based upon this equipment, one to monitor and control each well head.

Comprehensive line of ball valves, check valves & filters provides design freedom - Parker Instrumentation has secured ECE R110 approval for its range of ball valves, check valves and filters. In conjunction with Parker's existing R110-approved tube fittings, compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle builders can now obtain all the components for fuel filling and routing from a single source - reducing procurement time and costs. "Clean air legislation and incentives are stimulating a rapid growth in the use of alternative fuels, and especially CNG which is proving highly popular as a means of powering public transport," says Parker's Product Support Engineer Graham Johnson. "This new component range provides vehicle OEMs with a single source of supply delivering real design freedom for fuel delivery systems - which has been confirmed by a number of coach and truck builders who have already approached us."

Comprehensive alarm management system optimises and enhances process alarms - AAASuite from Yokogawa, improves operator performance by providing timely notification of only necessary alarms, thereby preventing alarm 'flooding' and allowing safe, stable, and cost-effective plant operations. it automatically detects typical nuisance alarms and notifies both the alarm causes and the required corrective measures to operators. Typical nuisance alarms such as repeating high/low alarms caused by improper alarm settings and chattering high/low alarms caused by improper PID parameter settings can be detected.

Worldwide seminars for 2005 - CAN in Automation (CiA) offers classes for CAN newcomers, design and sales engineers, device and system designers. CiA also provides customer-tailored CAN technology seminars and in-house seminars. CANschools introduce product- and vendor-independent CAN technology. They are held worldwide in English or German and interpreting is available in some countries. The seminars are arranged with strong support and close co-operation of the CiA members in these countries. They are organized with a partner company and include a product neutral part and a product-oriented part presented by the partner companies. In-house seminars are offered for customers with dedicated training requirements. The agenda of an In-house seminar is tailored to the customer's needs. CiA's in-house seminars may include topics such as CAN application fields, physical-layer options, CAN data link layer, higher-layer protocols, device and application profiles. Other topics may be arranged with customers. They are scheduling trainings for 2005 in China, in the tiger states, and Russia. Further seminars are planned for Japan, Australia, the United States, Switzerland and Germany.

Refrigerant manufacturing plant in China - Honeywell has just announced plans to build a manufacturing plant for non-ozone depleting refrigerant products in Qingpu, Shanghai, (CN). The new facility, expected to be operational in November 2004, was announced during a groundbreaking ceremony in Qingpu attended by Honeywell officials, key customers and Chinese dignitaries.

New intelligent Ethernet n Ethernet/Serial Gateway - Pantek, the Britain and Ireland distributor for Woodhead Software & Electronics, designer and manufacturer of industrial communication products for the automation sector, has announced the availability of GATEway, Woodheads new intelligent gateway for Ethernet to Ethernet/Serial networks. This product is more than a standard tunneling gateway, it is the first solution that allows connection of devices to up to 14 different Ethernet and Serial protocols using a single hardware platform.

Could this breakthrough pave the way to the three-and-a-half minute mile? - On the day the Athens' Olympics starts a monitoring and display breakthrough from Cambridge Consultants could give athletes the means to truly optimise their training and performance - without the need for the conventional armoury of sensors and awkward wrist displays. Instead, the athlete of tomorrow will just need to wear a pair of glasses, which incorporate everything needed to monitor and display key biomedical parameters in real time. For today's athletes and their coaches, performance improvement depends increasingly on access to detailed biomedical data. The essence of the new technology - working title Technospecs - is that it incorporates both data capture, and highly effective information delivery. Sophisticated sensors measure factors such as heart rate and blood oxygen levels, and that information is delivered in real-time in the form of a head-up display, the never-bettered information feedback technique originally developed for jet fighter pilots.

Release of digital waveform generator/analysers for flexible digital interfacing - National Instruments has announced two new PXI digital waveform generator/analysers for common logic families. The new PXI modules are ideal for interfacing to high-pin-count digital ICs and electronics in a variety of industries including semiconductor, military/aerospace and manufacturing test. The new NI PXI-6542 and PXI-6541 digital waveform generator/analysers offer 100 MHz and 50 MHz maximum clock rates and 32 channels with per-channel direction control. Design and test engineers can software-configure the modules to interface with a broad set of common logic families of 5.0 V, 3.3 V, 2.5 V and 1.8 V.

Medical and pharmaceutical publication to be launched - Black Dot Publishing, the Publishers of AMT Magazine are pleased to announce the planned launch of a new publication, "Medical Device & Pharmaceutical Technology" or MPT. As its name implies, the new magazine will be focused on both the Medical Device and the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing sectors within the Irish Market.

More support for batch manufacturing - Automsoft, leading global provider of advanced manufacturing intelligence systems to process industries, announced today the release of RAPID version 3.0. This product, the latest version of the company's award-winning database software, is designed to collect, store and report on data sourced from multiple batch execution systems. It integrates real-time batch information with other data from the enterprise to help improve batch and other event-driven operations. With RAPID 3.0 users have powerful reporting tools with access to recipes, equipment, process cells, procedures and operations, coupled with batch-to-batch comparisons, golden batch reporting and batch exception reporting, enabling the production of more efficient and consistent batches.

5.5 digit Digital-Multimeter supports PDAs, Tablet-PCs and all CF or PCMCIA equiped systems - The Graphic-DMM is a new concept in test equipment that allows a PDA, Notebook, Tablet-PC and all Systems equiped with a CF or PCMCIA slot to be turned into a dual channel Graphic Digital Multimeter with sophisticated analysis capabilities. Smart Analysis software facilitates step-by-step fault investigation with instant display of results and an interactive diagnostic guide. With the Graphic-DMM it is possible to integrate multiple measurement functions into a single hardware and software platform, providing high-level analysis features and a small, lightweight and portable unit. The unit is available thyrough PEMA.

Latest advertiser with signpost - Blue and White Industries are the latest company to advertise on the Signpost. They are manufacturers of flow meters in cluding variable area meters of varying sizes and accuracies. Their advert is to be found on the Home Page left hand column. Advertiser are also listed on our advertisers page. If you wish to advertise on the signpost the rates are very reasonable - even if we do say so ourselves!

Micro-ohmmeter can resolve down to one microhm - The BS407 from Thurlby Thandar Instruments(TTI) is a precision ohmmeter with resistance ranges from 2 milliohms up to 20 kilohms and with an accuracy of 0.1%. The resolution on the lowest range is 1 microhms. Most digital multimeters offer a best resolution which is at least 1000 times poorer than that of the BS407. A very high-resolution multimeter may attempt to resolve fairly low resistances, but it does so by resolving extremely low voltages (typically 1 nV per microhm), making it subject to severe errors from thermal EMF effects and noise. In contrast, the BS407 generates sufficient test voltage across the unknown resistance to combat noise and reduce thermal EMF effects to manageable levels. Current reversal can then be used to eliminate any remaining thermal offset.

Outstanding analysis capabilities on field emission variable pressure scanning electron microscope - The S-4300SE/N from Hitachi High-Technologies provides a unique combination of a field emission source and variable pressure in a truly analytical instrument. The use of a Schottky thermal FE source gives excellent resolution yet also provides sufficient beam current for both EDX and WDX analysis. The flexibility of variable pressure operation means that difficult wet, oily and non-conductive specimens can be examined without sample preparation. The S-4300SE/N offers an unusually large operating pressure range of 10 to 1000 Pa. For secondary electron images at high pressure, the instrument can be fitted with Hitachi's "Environmental Secondary Electron Detector".

Chief architect appointed - Wonderware, has announced that Chief Technology Officer Rashesh Mody has been appointed chief architect for the OPC Foundation. In making the appointment, OPC Foundation President Thomas J. Burke said that Mody is "a technological visionary with a commanding knowledge base who can significantly contribute to the direction of OPC's technical roadmap."
The OPC Foundation is dedicated to ensuring interoperability in automation by creating and maintaining open communication of acquired process data, alarm and event records, historical data, and batch data to multi-vendor production devices.
Wnoderware is represented in Ireland and England by Pantek

Software manages production changes to help achieve 21 CFR Part 11 and GMP compliance - GE Fanuc has introduced a new Change Management solution which helps life sciences companies track changes and control versions of automation software, devices and equipment used on the factory floor. This provides a framework to achieve 21 CFR Part 11 and GMP compliance. Based on CIMPLICITY Manager software, the new GE Fanuc Proficy Change Management System provides electronic record keeping, electronic signature, complete audit trails, and record security. The solution is designed for 21 CFR Part 11 and cGMP regulations and, with an open architecture, can connect to an installed base of disparate plant floor systems.
One of the most challenging issues for manufacturers in the life sciences is the FDA's requirements for electronic records as defined in regulation 21 CFR Part 11 and its impact on controllers and other production device programs. In addition to helping companies achieve compliance, this proven solution can also help users protect against plant downtime due to device failures and operator errors.
• See our 21 CFR Part 11 Page

Secure alliance! - Betrusted, the premier global provider of security and trust services, and Verano, provider of security solutions for mission-critical industrial operations, has just announced a partnership to provide the first end-to-end security solution for the industrial market. Verano's Industrial Defender, the first cybersecurity management system designed specifically for industrial operations, can now be managed and monitored by Betrusted, providing clients the ultimate visibility and protection against any potential cybersecurity threat. They will jointly market and sell Industrial Defender professional and managed security services to organizations such as power, energy, water, process and mass transportation.

New pages launched on signpost - Instrumentation and Control News Safety is one of the fundamentals of correct practise and becoming more and more the object of examination in all industrial fields. In Instrumentation this is inclined to mean Intrinsic Safety and more recently aspects of Cyber Security have become important. In the past a process with risks in this area used pneumatic instrumentation or put everything into a large explosion proof box and hoped for the best. There are other areas of safety however - personnal safety and safety for the surrounding environment Now however the industry has become sophisticated with recognised standards in the area of safety. The Read-out signpost has now added a new Safety Page as a resource to various standards and articles as well as to some specialist companies in the field of safety.
In addition a new page has been launched to review the next ISA EXPO, the largest I. C. & A. show in North America which is scheduled for early October.

Dew-point seminar in China - As part of an on-going programme of co-operation with Humidity Standards laboratories World-wide, Michell Instruments has just contributed to the first ever Humidity Training Event in Jangsu Province, China. This inaugural seminar, organised by Mrs Che Ren Xia , the head of the Jiangsu Metrology Institute's Humidity Laboratory, covered all aspects of humidity, dew-point and moisture measurement, along with practical sessions on humidity calibration. 33 people attended, coming from many industry sectors within Jiangsu Province. The course ran for two days and included presentations on humidity and dew point, how it is calculated and how it is measured; demonstrations of Michell Instruments' dew-point measurement products; practical operating advice; instruction on checking humidity measurement instruments against known standards.
Jiangsu Province is a rapidly developing area lying North of Shanghai, and generates China's third greatest GDP.

Online Registration commences for trade show - The rush to attend electronica 2004 - "the world's leading trade show for components, systems and high-growth applications in electronics" - will continue unabated again this year. The event organizer expects 75,000 attendees from the electronics field to make their way through the halls at the New Munich Trade Fair Center (D). Effective immediately, attendees can pre-register via the Internet at the www.electronica.de website. In this way, participants save time, especially during the peak arrival hours in the morning on the first days of the trade show. Furthermore, they can save 20% on the ticket price by pre-purchasing their tickets online by November 8th.

Radar revamped - The Eclipse Guided Wave Radar from Magnetrol International, with 7EK probe, revamps "Top-Bottom mounted displacer transmitters" in a simple and therefore cost effective way. The 7EK is a combined probe and cage assembly that can replace any previously installed top/bottom mounted displacer transmitter. The entire revamp procedure can be performed in a minimum of time with little or no modifications to the existing installation.

One-watt 900MHz modems simplify long-range WLAN connectivity - Now available with one full watt of output power, AeroComm's ConnexLinkú packaged transceivers can talk over distances of 20 miles line-of-sight. Units can be set up in minutes for cable-free communication between industrial RS232/422/485 devices, providing reliable data transmissions of up to 115.2Kbps.

Hamilton Year in 2005 - The Irish Government has announced that 2005 will be designated Hamilton Year after William Rowan Hamilton, Ireland's most eminent scientist who was born in Dublin on August 4, 1805. The decision was announced in front of Hamilton's statue at the entrance to Government Buildings by Tánaiste Mary Harney, who spoke of the country's dependence on establishing a culture of scientific and technological innovation. Hamilton is best remembered for his discovery in 1843 of quaternions, and today Hamilton mechanics is used to determine orbital trajectories of satellites.

Two-wire wheel-speed and direction sensor for ABS applications - The new Allegro MicroSystems ATS650LSH is a two-wire sensor module designed for wheel-speed and direction sensing in automotive ABS applications. The module incorporates an integrated magnet and a single-chip IC containing three highly sensitive Hall-effect sensing elements and a sophisticated digital circuit to provide accurate speed and direction information.

Global partnership agreement made - Yokogawa has concluded an agreement with Degussa, a major chemical manufacturer in Germany, to be a global supplier of process-control systems for plant automation. The products and services covered by this new agreement include the company's Centum CS 3000 integrated production control system hardware and software.

Push/pull RJ-45 connector is industry's smallest - The Harting RJ Industrial Push/Pull is the industry's smallest RJ-45 connector with IDC termination technology and IP-67 protection against moisture ingress. The new connector incorporates all the benefits of the established their Industrial family, including the ability to use 22 AWG cables to ensure the transmission of data signals over long distances. The compact design includes Harting's patented HARAX(r) insulation displacement termination technology, which reduces handling and minimises labour costs during installation. The waterproof connector is suitable for use in harsh industrial environments. The Profibus User Organisation (PUG) has specified it to be the industrial standard connector for RJ-45 based ProfiNet systems.

Still making money! - National Instruments has reported second quarter revenue of $127 million, an increase of 27 percent compared to the second quarter of 2003. Operating income was up 70 percent from Q2 2003 and fully diluted earnings per share (EPS) for Q2 were 14 cents with net income of $11.4 million, up 53 percent from Q2 2003. The company had strong growth in all regions with sales growth of 23 percent in Asia, 27 percent in the Americas and 30 percent in Europe. This represents the company's third consecutive quarter of record revenues.

A networking opportunity for flow metering suppliers and industrial users - This successful annual event is being re-launched for 2004 to address the need to bring together companies from throughout the flow measurement supply chain. Flowday is a comprehensive programme of independent presentations and networking sessions where everyone in the industry can meet to discuss current and future technological and regulatory issues. In addition to a series of technical presentations by leading industry experts, there will be a significant number of exhibition booths where suppliers will be available to discuss their product ranges. The event is preceded by a networking dinner on the evening of 6 October.

Demand For high performance equipment sustains growth in mature industrial weighing machinery markets - Even as the increasingly mature European industrial weighing equipment market struggles with competitive pressures, untapped end-user sectors and emerging opportunities in Eastern Europe are poised to create new revenue streams. At the same time, higher productivity needs across a range of key industrial sectors are expected to boost demand for advanced weighing machinery according to a new study by Frost & Sullivan. In 2003, the total European industrial weighing machinery market was estimated at $1.06 billion, having fallen from $1.11 billion in 2000. This decline was attributed to the general economic slowdown, the shift of manufacturing activities to China and other low-cost regions and overall price pressures. From 2004, the market is expected to stage a recovery with overall revenues forecast to reach $1.27 billion in 2010. The focus during this period is likely to be on offering improved weighing equipment at ever more competitive prices.

Sensorship? - The Latest Newsletter from Jim Pinto talks about the future exciting life for sensors. If you don't get this stimulating commentary in your mailbox every so often then you are missing an unique viewpoint informed by someone with our background.
A compendium of Jim Pinto's thought may be found in his book, an ISA best seller, "Automation Unplugged", which may be purchased through this site.