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Iúl - 2004 - July

31/8/04

    Secure 1-watt wireless - The 9XTend wireless transceiver from Max Stream provides OEMs the highest encryption standard available (256-bit AES encryption), the highest power output allowed by the FCC (1 mW - 1 W, software selectable), the longest low-cost transmission range (up to 3000 ft. indoor/urban environments, up to 40 mi. line-of-sight), the highest 900MHz data throughput (up to 115 kbps sustainable RF data rate, up to 230 kbps interface data rate), and the industryÕs smallest full 1-Watt form factor. The 9XTend is ideal for secure, critical and long-range applications including homeland security, remote monitoring, building automation systems, automated teller machines, point-of-sale terminals, and keyless/remote access systems, among others. Development kits and production units are available now. Also available in an enclosed, plug-and-play RS-232/485 radio modem.
30/8/04
    New director to international body - Fieldbus Foundation has announced that Hirozumi Sone, executive director of engineering for Yamatake Corporation, has been named to its board of directors. Mr. Sone replaces board member Seiji Onoki, who was recently appointed president and Yamatake's CEO.
    Mr. Sone joins other automation industry leaders serving on the foundation board. In addition to Chairman John Berra of Emerson Process Management, current members include: Steve Eisenbrown, Rockwell Automation; David Eisner, Honeywell; Motofumi Matsumura, Fuji; Akira Nagashima, Yokogawa; Jim Porter, DuPont; Claude Ricaud, Schneider Electric; Ron Szanyi, ExxonMobil; and Mark Taft, ABB.
27/8/04 26/8/04
    Brushed DC motors provide thrust for underwater ROV - I know its not an instrument but I like the sea! Underwater robots for video transmission are being used on an increasing scale for such diverse applications as fish farm inspection, security and forensics and many other exploratory uses such as wreck surveys and scientific studies. VideoRay LLC, the USA based manufacturer of underwater ROV's (remotely operated vehicles) are taking full advantage of camera system miniaturisation and produce the worlds smallest and most cost effective range available today. Weighing less than 4Kg, VideoRayÕs remotely operated ROVÕs provides a highly manoeuvrable and compact Òset of eyesÓ allowing exploration possibilities previously considered as being too expensive. These ROVÕs can even be used in hazardous or confined areaÕs where it would be very dangerous for human divers to venture.

    I & C exhibition in Scotland - This biennial event (Instrumentation Scotland & Offshore Systems 2004), located in the heart of Aberdeen, is Scotland's only sensors, measurement, test and control event incorporating Offshore Systems. It will take place at the AECC in Aberdeen, 8th & 9th September 2004. It brings together over 65 companies who supply products and services to not only to the offshore industry but also to those involved in processing, power generation, paper, distilling, water, waste, and marine engineering. The event includes the JW Fairbairn workshops supported by the ABB Instrumentation Alliance.
    Pre-event press releases from Exhibitors.

    Arbitrary/function generator samples to 100 MS/s - The TGA12101, new from TTi (Thurlby Thandar Instruments), is a high-speed arbitrary waveform generator and function generator which uses a sample clock speed of up to 100 MHz. It has a universal signal-source architecture and provides the functionality of several different generators within a single instrument. This unit can operate as a DDS (direct digital synthesis) function generator producing high-quality sine, cosine, haversine and havercosine waveforms at frequencies from 1 mHz to 40 MHz, with square waves available up to 50 MHz. Triangle, ramp and sine(x)/x waveforms are also available.

    High-performance embedded CPU with data acquisition offers increased ruggedness with reduced size - Diamond Systems Corporation, a leading supplier of embeddable computer and I/O boards, today announced the availability of the Athena high-performance embedded CPU with data acquisition. Athena utilizes the VIA Eden processor family to deliver Pentium-III performance in a small, low-power embedded CPU measuring less than 4.2" x 4.5". It offers the key attributes of integration, high performance, and ruggedness required for todayâs demanding military, aerospace, and mobile embedded computing applications.

    Does your deicer kill the fish? - Glycol is commonly used as a deicer in airports. When discharged into the ground, glycol can cause an increase in biological oxygen demand (BOD). The quantity of glycol allowed to be released into the sewer has been regulated since 1995. The effluent water containing high levels of glycol needs to be monitored and diverted into recycling facilities or storage when the levels of glycol exceed a certain limit. Monitoring the glycol concentration in water is critical at different stages of this process; due to limited amounts of storage only water containing a predetermined amount of glycols is diverted into storage and at the recycling stage various concentrations of glycol are required for a range of by-products. The OMA-300, an industrial UV/VIS/SWNIR diode array spectrophotometer from ,a href="http://www.a-a-inc.com" target="blank">Applied Analytics, is utilized to measure the absorbance spectra of the stream. Fiber optics transmits the light to and from the sample to the detector. The glycol concentration is continuously sent to a central control location via a 4-20mA signal proportional to the glycol concentrations. The glycol concentration may vary from few PPM to high percentage. When measuring a full spectrum there is no need to use different analyzers for different concentration ranges, the wavelength range automatically adjusts according to concentration levels. For opaque samples the exposure time, or the time the diode array collects light automatically adjust to allow for low light levels measurements. It also allows for correction of signals coming from scattering of particles that were not filtered out prior to measurement.

25/8/04
    Proven real-time information portal to improve life sciences plant profitability, efficiency and compliance - GE Fanuc has introduced a new Real-Time Information Portal solution for life sciences manufacturers, which helps companies capture, analyse and act on plant production data to dramatically improve profitability, efficiency and compliance. The Real-Time Information Portal solution provides web-based batch reporting, captures and maintains proof of compliance, facilitates real-time quality analysis, and decreases product manufacturing cycle times. Designed for 21 CFR Part 11 and cGMP regulations, the GE Fanuc Proficy Real-Time Information Portal solution features a powerful suite of plant intelligence software applications that are active and proven in pharmaceutical companies today. (See also item 10th August 2004 below)
    See also our Electronic Document Management (Part11) page

    Customers to exchange automation-driven strategies during annual conference - Many of our readers have attended the useful Manufacturing Excelence conferences, organised through Emerson Process management, over the last few years in Europe. Now the idea has caught on and the Emerson Global Users Exchange Conference will be held on October 25-29 2004 in Dallas, Texas (US). Process manufacturers will share ideas, practices and proven solutions with fellow users and Emerson experts in an intensive programme of business forums, workshops, short courses, and exhibits. Organised by a Management Board consisting mainly of end-user companies, the event will attract about 1,500 delegates from across all continents.

24/8/04
    Control networks to be highlighted! - Carlo Gavazzi will feature their Dupline and controls product ranges including panel build timers, relays, monitoring relays and energy management components products at the forthcoming Drives & Controls Exhibition Included on their stand will be interactive display boards.
    This show returns to its ~"spiritual home" in Telford in October

    Multi-Core debug support - Ashling Microsystems announces has added multi-core debugging support to the Ashling Opella-ARCtangent debugging platform for ARCtangent core applications. The Opella-ARCtangent JTAG probe operates with ARC's SeeCode Debugger, ARCangel boards and ARCtangent customer boards to provide a comprehensive debugging platform for ARCtangent applications.

23/8/04 21/8/04
    Oxygen monitoring technology to help power plant improve efficiency of steam boilers - Emerson Process Management tells us that Generation UK has ordered further Rosemount Analytical Oxymitter 4000 oxygen analysers after installing 16 units in a previous refurbishment of the 2400MW power station at Longannet. This Power Station on the Firth of Forth (Scotland) is the second largest coal fired power station in Britain, having four 600MW units. Generation UK relies on continuous oxygen monitoring using the Oxymitter transmitters to maintain the optimal efficiency and good operation of their steam boilers. It is also important for their Continuous Emission Monitoring system. The original sixteen transmitters were installed to measure the flue gas oxygen levels in two of their four coal-fired boilers. The Rosemount Analytical Oxymitter 4000 was chosen because of the fast response of the zirconia sensor, together with excellent accuracy and repeatability. The ease of installation of the Oxymitter 4000 transmitter design and minimum maintenance requirement provide additional benefits.

    New transceiver gains frequency-hopping option for longer range US links - The latest addition to the highly acclaimed Easy-Radio family of modules from Low Power Radio Solutions answers demands for long-range secure bi-directional data communications in products destined for US markets. The ER900FHTRS transceiver combines the company's revolutionary Easy-Radio software with frequency-hopping techniques to provide an easy-to-apply radio module capable of reliable operation at ranges up to 500m (line of sight). The UK designed and manufactured device houses a complete transmitter and receiver system with all communications protocols embedded in onboard memory to allow OEMs to add wireless capabilities to their products without the need to understand radio technology. The software embedded in the modules effectively means that the customer does not have to amend or alter their current product whether it is "wired" or "unwired" for it to work with the new modules.

20/8/04
    New antenna broadens range - Schaffner, has just announced the introduction of the BHA 9220 horn antenna for EMC immunity and emission testing. The BHA 9220 is a linearly polarised broadband antenna for EMC and RF measurements over the frequency range 200MHz to 2GHz and may be used both as a transmitter and receiver. It complements the existing BHA 9118 model, which covers the frequency range 1 to 18GHz. This latest introduction adds to the very extensive range of antennas available from Schaffner, allowing measurements to be across frequency ranges from 30MHz to 18GHz.

    New software aids in keeping instruments working - Laboratories throughout industry will find it easier to keep all instruments in prime working order and to avoid expensive down-time, thanks to a new software module for managing calibration and maintenance routines. This is a standalone package or a module for the MATRIX LIMS package, developed by Autoscribe. The same module also provides for keeping a full inventory of all equipment, including warranty details and lists of consumables, along with calibration limits and other performance criteria.

    Compact, versatile spectrometer - The Optical Spectroscopy Division of Jobin Yvon has introduced the new MicroHR, a short focal length Czerny-Turner spectrometer that can be used as an imaging spectrograph (with a CCD) for Fluorescence and Photoluminescence measurements or scanning monochromator as a tunable light source for detector characterisation.

    Handy quick guide summarizes managed Ethernet systems on a single sheet of paper - To help users take full advantage of Managed Ethernet technology, Contemporary Controls has published a one-page guide that explains the terminology and concept of managed switches. Managed switches offer vastly more capability and flexibility than ordinary switches - the barrier is helping users understanding how powerful they really are. According to Bennet Levine of Contemporary Controls, "ABCs of Managed Switches is a handy, one-page Fact Sheet that covers just the things users most need to know: - it's a handy reference tool that engineers can bookmark in their web browser or keep in their desk drawer." According to Levine, the Achilles heel of ordinary switches is that they prevent users from intercepting faulty messages and quickly trouble shooting problems. Managed switches have a powerful feature called Port Mirroring that circumvents this problem.
    More on this and other communications news on our Fieldbus Pages

    First transmitter with logic capability to integrate discrete devices with process devices over FF - Emerson Process Management has introduced the Rosemount 848L Logic Transmitter for cost-effective integration of logic and discrete I/O capability on a Foundation fieldbus (FF) H1 segment, without the need for a separate discrete I/O bus. The 848L adds to the broad family of intelligent field devices that deliver the project and operational savings and efficiency from PlantWeb¨ digital plant architecture. It accepts up to eight direct-wired, discrete inputs, plus inputs sent over FF; within the logic processing capability in the unit these interact to drive up to four discrete outputs. By executing logic in this field device, the application can be supported in the absence of any central controller, and even in the absence of fieldbus communications, providing a high level of independent availability. It can be used in a variety of applications including motor starters, solenoid valves, limit switches, interlocks, proximity switches, push buttons, annunciators, and burner flame management systems.

19/8/04
    280nm and 340nm LEDs produce sub-nanosecond pulses - Jobin Yvon IBH have demonstrated for the first time sub-nanosecond pulsed operation of LEDs at 280nm and 340nm. These new NanoLED wavelengths are important for biosensor and protein research, drug discovery and a range of analytical applications based on time resolved fluorescence.

    Advanced energy storage technologies offer economic and energy-efficient back-up power options - Back-up power users such as manufacturers and utility providers are reluctant to move to advanced energy storage technologies from traditional lead-acid batteries, according to Frost & Sullivan. Unfamiliarity with new technologies and higher initial costs hold them back in spite of the significant advantages - including greater reliability and efficiency - that the emerging technologies can offer in the long run. Nevertheless, with the rapid increase in the use of notebook computers, cell phones, and other small, portable wireless devices, advanced energy storage options, especially lithium technologies, are taking over in the small devices markets that can afford them. "Environmental issues are now coming into play in the selection of advanced energy storage technologies," says Technical Insights Analyst Miriam Nagel. "Environmentally friendly technologies such as flywheels and ultracapacitors - also called supercapacitors - may soon get a lot more consideration in the energy storage markets."

18/8/04
    Field-programmable logic and applications conference to stimulate research on reconfigurable systems - IMEC, EuropeÕs leading independent nanoelectronics and nanotechnology research center, takes a turn organizing the international conference on Field-Programmable Logic and its Applications (FPL). The annual conference takes place from August 30 until September 01, 2004, at the Hilton in the heart of Antwerp, Belgium. FPL, which is the oldest and largest event focusing on all aspects of field-programmable logic, gathers top-level scientists, researchers and industry experts from all over the world for wide-ranging discussions on all forms of reconfigurability and its many applications. By organizing this year's conference, IMEC aims to stimulate further global research in this field. According to Wim Roelandts, chairman and CEO at Xilinx, "Programmable logic devices have rapidly become the technology of choice for a myriad of end products, ranging from cell phones, plasma displays and set top boxes to wireless base stations, even the Mars Rover. Thanks to Moore's Law, today's platform FPGAs are closing the gap with ASICs on perform-ance and price with the extra competitive advantage of fast time-to-market, field program-mability and much lower development costs. By all accounts, this trajectory will continue based on a positive outlook for PLDs through 2008. Gartner Dataquest forecasts the PLD market to grow to $6.3 billion by this time."

    First devices of new USB line releasing in 2004 deliver easy connectivity for measurement systems - Engineers and scientists can now access the high-quality measurement capabilities of National Instruments data acquisition (DAQ) hardware as easily as plugging a USB cable into a computer. Five new USB DAQ products Ð the first in a series of devices scheduled to release during this year Ð deliver easy connectivity, portability and decreased system setup time.

    High-performance digital phosphor oscilloscopes with intuitive interface - The TDS5000B Series of digital phosphor oscilloscopes (DPO), now available from TTi (Thurlby Thandar Instruments), deliver up to 1 GHz bandwidth, 5 GS/s real-time sample rate, 16 M record length, and a suite of advanced triggers, enabling users to capture and characterise even the most demanding signals. These DPOs provide unmatched insight into signal behaviour by displaying, storing and analysing complex signals in real-time using three dimensions of signal information: amplitude, time and distribution of amplitude over time. The TDS5000B Series DPOs also use a proprietary Tektronix acquisition technology known as DPX(r) to provide a capture rate of more than 100,000 waveforms per second.

17/8/04
    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.

16/8/04
    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.
14/8/04
    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.

13/8/04
    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.

12/8/04
    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!

11/8/04
    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

10/8/04
    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
9/8/04
    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.
7/8/04
    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.
6/8/04
    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.

5/8/04
    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.
4/8/04
    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.

3/8/04
    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.
2/8/04
    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.

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