30/11/04

New Approval for paperless recorder - The Federal Research Institute for Nutrition and Food in Kiel (Germany) has given its approval to the entire family of JUMO Logoscreen paperless recorders for use in heat treatment plants for milk. The approval mark KI-M17/03 was granted after the technical documentation had been evaluated and laboratory tests successfully completed. This mark certifies that the instruments meet the requirements of the milk regulations and the guideline of the heating committee for measurement, control, checking and safety systems for milk-heating plant. The legally required recording of the heating temperature and additional important process variables during the heating of milk can be comfortably and reliably implemented with any of the four paperless recorders.

Co-operation results! - The Joint Development Project (JDP) between Silterra Malaysia and IMEC, Europe's leading independent nanoelectronics research center, has already resulted in functional SRAM chips at Silterra's wafer fabrication facility in Malaysia. The device, an 8-megabit SRAM, was fabricated in the all-copper, foundry compatible 0.13-micron CMOS process technology jointly developed by both companies.

Interface modules for glass fibre lines with single-mode technology - The new Factory Line FL IF 2FX SM SC-D two-port interface modules from Phoenix Contact, which can be used with the Modular Managed Switch, enable single-mode glass fiber lines up to 36 km. Single-mode fibers are generally used in traffic engineering, such as railway and airport technology, but can be used for many other long distance applications. The Modular Managed Switch (MMS) eliminates the need for separate media converters in these applications through the use of pluggable, single-mode glass fiber interfaces. This saves both space and money: A glass-fiber port costs 30% less than the combination of a switch with a TX port and media converters.

New product manager - Carlo Gavazzi has strengthened its focus on Dupline and Sensor product groups by promoting Kevin Sheldrake to Product Marketing Manager. Bringing a strong background in mechanical and production engineering, Kevin joined Carlo Gavazzi in 2003 as a Technical Support Engineer and progressed to Product Manager for the Dupline field bus system. Prior to that, Kevin worked for seven years at Red Lion Controls as a Regional Manager responsible for panel mounted products and 10 years at Ralcom Automation as a Salesman and Technical Manager, where he built up an extensive knowledge of sensing and automation products.

New water quality system for automated distribution monitoring, to ensure drinking water quality and safety - The new Rosemount Analytical Water Quality System from Emerson Process Management is a flexible, easy to install packaged analyser that enables monitoring of water distribution systems, to ensure water safety and quality. Unlike purely laboratory-orientated systems that require substantial amounts of integration by plant staff, the Emerson Water Quality System comes as a complete "plug and plumb" panel-mounted system designed to withstand the rigours of a real-world distribution environment. The Water Quality System enables plants to establish a baseline for critical measurements, and a customised package might include a choice of their sensors for turbidity, conductivity, pH, ORP, free chlorine, monochloramine, ammonia, dissolved oxygen, ozone, temperature and particle counting. When changes in these measurements are detected in the water distribution system, operators are alerted and can respond accordingly.

Brushed DC motors feature neodymium magnet technology for high performance and competitive price - Pittman Lo-Co 6000 and 8600 series brushed DC motors feature resin bonded, neodymium iron boron magnets, skewed armatures and innovative cartridge brush assemblies for precise control, low magnetic cogging and long life for a wide range of motion control applications.

In-situ laser ellipsometer for high speed monitoring of thin film processes - Horiba Jobin Yvon introduces the second generation of the DIGISEL: the high precision, high-speed laser ellipsometer specifically designed for real-time, in-situ monitoring and control of thin film deposition or etch processes.

Heading straight for the most demanding production and inspection positioning systems - Aerotech's ABG10000 air bearing, X-Y gantry positioning stages combine a large work area 'H' frame design with high performance linear motors, rugged optical encoders and magnetically preloaded air bearings to provide high-speed and high-precision positioning with smooth motion for demanding high-accuracy production and inspection system applications. With a wide range of customisation options available, including granite or composite machine bases, z and rotary axes, vibration isolation systems and control enclosures, these zero friction stages provide low maintenance and extremely long life for demanding applications such as high accuracy pick and place, automated assembly machines, and flat panel / semiconductor inspection systems.

Just Published - IEC 60044-SER Ed. 1.0 (2004-04) Instrument transformers - ALL PARTS This pack contains all parts to IEC 60044 ICS codes: 17.220.20, 29.180. TC 38 740 pages. Other items are also available in the following areas: - Electrical engineering - 5 publication(s), Electroacoustics - 2 publication(s), Electromagnetic compatibility - 2 publication(s), Electronics - 2 publication(s), Fibre optic communications - 1 publication(s), Fluid systems & components use for general purpose - 1 publication(s), Household - 11 publication(s), Information technology - 2 publication(s), Metrology & measurement - 1 publication(s), Multimedia - 2 publication(s), Safety - 1 publication(s), Testing - 1 publication(s), ISO/IEC publications - 4 publication(s) All standards available from the IEC Webstore

New power analyser offers widest range of measurements for analysing efficiency and voltage quality - LEM's new Analyst 3P energy and disturbance analyser offers the widest range of measurements with the clearest display and analysis capabilities in its class. The use of a central rotary selector for measurement tasks makes instrument operation very simple. Display of measurement information in a clear, understandable format is achieved with a bright colour display. The new analyser offers ten days of recording with ten minute averages. Measurement functions include voltage, current, power and harmonics with associated values. Additionally, the ANALYST 3P can monitor voltage events down to 10ms; helping to track down the voltage dips and surges that are believed to be the largest single contributor to equipment failure and process disruption. This feature, combined with the instrument's capability of measuring up to the 40th harmonic for voltage and current, make it an all-round unit for energy and power quality testing.

Foundation Fieldbus Pocket Guide book launched in Spanish - The pocket book "Foundation Fieldbus", from the authors Augusto Pereira - Manager of Marketing of Yokogawa South America, and Ian Verhappen - Director, ICE-Pros, Inc. an independent Fieldbus consulting firm of Canada that was launched by ISA in English in 2002. This was followed by a Portuguese version in 2003 and now in 2004 in Spanish as well.
Fuller information on our Fieldbus News page

Leading motion control vendor previews its 2005 Ethernet Powerlink-compatible range - At SPS, Baldor is demonstrating an innovative solution for Ethernet-controlled motion that supports advances in the efficiency and ease of control system building, without forcing OEMs to completely re-engineer their automation architectures. Based on the real-time and deterministic Ethernet Powerlink protocol, Baldor's Ethernet-compatible motion controller and servo motor drives also connect with cost-effective CANopen devices such as I/O and HMIs, and with conventional analogue motion axes. The new product range will start production in early 2005.

Trade fair booked to capacity - Nehru Center booked to capacity - Analytica-Anacon opened its gates at the Nehru Center in Mumbai on November 25, 2004 with a phenomenal increase in the number of exhibitors and the amount of exhibition space. A total of 87 exhibitors from 11 countries present the latest solutions for the Indian market at the 2nd International Trade Fair and Conference for Analytical Instrumentation, Biotechnology, Laboratory Technology and Services. That is 27 companies more than at Analytica-Anacon 2003, which is a 45% increase in the number of exhibitors. The fair will occupy approximately 2,000 square meters of exhibition space (Analytica-Anacon 2003: 1,200 square meters), which means that the Nehru Center is booked to capacity. "We are pleased that Analytica-Anacon 2004 is not only following in the successful footsteps of the premiere, but is an even greater success. For us as organizer, this is an important indication that Analytica-Anacon is accepted by domestic and international exhibitors alike", explains Kurt Schraudy, Head of the Business Unit for New Technologies at Munich the Trade

2005 Test and measurement catalogue published - Keithley Instruments, a leader in solutions for emerging measurement needs, announces the availability of its 2005 Test and Measurement Products Catalogue. This desktop reference guide offers details and specifications on Keithley's general-purpose and sensitive sourcing and measurement products, DC switching, RF switching and measurement, data acquisition solutions, semiconductor test systems, and optoelectronics test hardware. Tutorials simplify choosing solutions for specific applications.

Platform extended to control design and simulation - National Instruments has announced a suite of control design and simulation tools that extends the LabVIEW graphical development environment to the design, implementation and test of control systems. This suite of tools includes the new NI LabVIEW System Identification Toolkit 2.0 and NI LabVIEW Control Design Toolkit 2.0, which feature interactive assistants that give control design and simulation engineers a drag-and-drop, configuration-based environment for plant modeling and control system design.

Conference program available - CAN in Automation (CiA) has released the program for the 10th international CAN Conference. More than 30 white papers are scheduled at the conference of cutting edge CAN-developments; topics are for example the CAN system architecture and CANopen in combination with other networks. A number of papers covers vehicle applications, others discuss time-triggered CAN communication. Also introduced will be gateway technologies, tools for CAN networks, and scientific research. Furthermore the conference features papers on the physical CAN layer, on network topologies and solutions from the semiconductor industries.

Surface mounted DC/DC converters are low profile and support cost sensitive applications - Artesyn Technologies has added eight surface-mounted versions to its C-class family of non-isolated point-of-load (POL) DC/DC converters optimised for cost-sensitive applications such as workstations, servers and storage systems. Offering single programmable output voltages from 0.9 to 5.0V, the converters are ideal for OEMs employing automated PCB assembly methods, and designing for compact size. Moreover, the range includes options delivering output currents to 40A, providing power densities that are believed to be unmatched in this market segment.

Challenge for the power quality analysis industry - LEM has thrown down the gauntlet to manufacturers and users of power quality analysers - and is offering a prize of a case of champagne to the first person or company to meet the challenge. The target for entrants is to deliver the industry's first power quality analyser to be truly compliant with the IEC 61000-4-30 Class A standard. Although some companies claim that their analysers meet the standard, LEM believes that no unit has yet done so. All entries will be analysed - free - at LEM's in-house laboratory. Entry is open to users who believe that they have bought an IEC standard compatible power quality analyser, or instrument suppliers.
IEC 61000-4-30 serves as a mode of comparison of measurement results from different power quality analysers. These are used for quality safeguarding of electrical current in utilities, as well as in industry and trade.
For more information about the challenge, please contact hjo@lem.com with the Subject "Class A".

New PWM Brushed DC motor amplifier dramatically reduces equipment size and cost - Newly released onto the market by Mark Roberts Motion Control is the MicroDriver, a miniature PWM Brushed DC motor amplifier designed specifically to dramatically reduce equipment size and cost. The MicroDriver measures just 60mm x 100mm x 25mm and yet it can deliver 15 Amps peak and 10 Amps nominal with no cooling or heat-sinking required. This keeps it compact and lightweight, at only 60 grams. It is a direct plug-in replacement of some full size Eurocard amplifiers but with only 30% of the mechanical footprint.

High-accuracy addition to current-sensor family - The ACS754/5 Series from Allegro Microsystems Europe is a new, high-accuracy addition to the company's family of Hall-effect current sensors. These devices provide a smaller, lower-cost alternative to toroid-based sensors, and offer economical and precise current sensing in industrial, consumer, communications and automotive systems. The ACS754 devices are bi-directional sensors, while the ACS755 versions offer single-direction sensing with approximately twice the resolution of the bi-directional ACS754s.

Precision linear positioning made easy - Engineered to simplify the integration and operation of linear servo drives, new ServoMove systems from SKF Engineering Products Ltd, the Linear Motion Division of SKF, offer industrial automation specialists an elegant, modular and cost effective solution to precision positioning tasks. They also address industry's current trend in the move away from hydraulic solutions to those of an electromechanical nature.

Record attendance at users exchange - The 2004 Emerson Global Users Exchange Conference took place last month, from October 25th - 29th, in Texas (USA). Manufacturing engineers and managers from process industries worldwide, including over 40 customers from Europe, joined Emerson Process Management personnel in this exchange of experience developed around the 2004 theme "Bringing the Best Together." The Users Exchange has the goals of improving efficiency using enabling technologies, and providing open communications among the worldwide membership group: these goals were achieved through panels and presentations, assisted by an exhibition area covering 40,000 square feet. Here, a fully functioning demonstration of PlantWeb digital plant architecture provided networked stations for hands-on experience of the newest technologies for improving quality, throughput and availability, while reducing costs.
They also organise similar events in Europe some of which have been reported on by the Signpost.

Factory extension opens on time - ProMinent Fluid Controls is delighted to announce that a two-storey extension at its headquarters in Ashby de la Zouch (GB), Leicestershire has been completed on time and opened for business at the beginning of October 2004. The extension has added 680 square metres of space, doubling the size of the facility.

Mobile phone tester for W-CDMA/UMTS and GSM - a world first - The new Yokogawa VC200 W-CDMA (3G) mobile phone tester has been specifically developed for use in mobile phone service and repair centres, and is the world's first 'go/no-go' tester for UMTS. Operation is simple, with an 'autotest' mode that any service technician or unskilled operator can use. With a large 'one touch' start button, the VC200 automatically tests the essential functions and performance of the mobile phone in less than one minute, and then displays 'pass' or 'fail'.

Innovative products and active networking give new impetus to biotech industry - The next central gathering for the European bioanalysis, biotech and life-sciences sector will be in Munich in April: BioAnalytica, the International Trade Fair and the BioAnalytica Business Conference will be held in Munich (D) from April 5 - 7, 2005. This year the exhibition and marketplace for the bioindustry and its suppliers has adapted its profile to the latest market conditions, the goal being to once again increase the efficiency and utility of the fair for the partners who make up this dynamic industrial sector.

Partnership to monitor Ethernet networks - SixNet and COI Software have created a partnership to bring together pieces of the industrial Ethernet puzzle. COI Software's iSNMP Suite works jointly with SixNet's SNMP-enabled Ethernet Managed Switches to gather and deliver real-time data to existing HMI or SCADA software. Now automation and control engineers can easily monitor and analyze their network communications using the software tools they already have and are familiar with.

Legionella monitoring system at port of Dover - A sophisticated large scale hot water temperature monitoring and data storage system at the Port of Dover (GB), designed to protect both the travelling public and harbour staff from the risk of Legionella, is claimed to be the most advanced of its kind in Europe. The electronic system, based on a number of Eurotherm 5000B data recorders, monitors water temperatures at around 1000 taps and shower fittings and hot water storage tanks throughout the 330 hectare Eastern and Western Dock sites. While 'real-time' temperature values can be monitored on line, the collected data can be stored in a tamper proof format for up to 6 years, far exceeding the requirements of current British and international Health & Safety guidelines.

Latest innovations mean faster development, faster deployment of HMI and SCADA applications - Tecnomatix Technologies, the driving force in Manufacturing Process Management has announced FactoryLink 7.5 - a flexible software solution for industrial human machine interfaces (HMI) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA).

Cybersecurity solutions for mission-critical applications addressed at international shows - Verano security experts Al Cooley and Ron Derynck will address best practices for securing systems that control the management, transmission, distribution and generation of utilities, such as water, energy and electricity, from cyberattacks at IEE Water (Nov. 24 and 25 - UK), PowerGen 2004 (Nov. 30 until Dec. 2 - US) and DistribuTech (Jan. 25 until Jan. 27 - US). "Across critical infrastructure industries, executives and system operators realize the importance of protecting their systems from the potentially crippling and widespread effects of a cyberattack," said Brian Ahern, president and CEO of Verano (right). "Drawing on their expertise in both mission-critical industrial operations and cybersecurity, Al and Ron will outline cybersecurity best practices for utilities - from the technologies available for mitigation, to the departmental responsibilities for managing these solutions. This information will help operations personnel secure their environments more efficiently and effectively."

GSM/GPRS & GPS intelligent M2M (machine to machine) rugged box modem family launched - Comtech Holdings, leading Machine to Machine ( M2M ) Solution Provider, today announced the release of two products as an extension to the microWEB Lite family of intelligent wireless M2M modems. These new products mark the release of Comtech's first rugged box M2M communication products to complement a family of OEM Machine to Machine modules.

New analyser offers more-affordable measuring for energy efficiency and voltage quality - LEM has introduced the ANALYST 3Q power analyser to offer the full range of power quality measurements required for professional testing in accordance with EN50160. The new analyser uses a central rotary selector to simplify complex measurements. Clear, understandable measurement information is achieved with a bright colour display with a two level backlight. The display offers a quick and easy-to-understand presentation of digital and graphical parameters; an oscilloscope view shows three phases of voltage and current waveforms simultaneously.

New program provides valuable benefits - The HART Communication Foundation (HCF) has announced a new and extended membership program for users of HART Communication technology. Their user associate membership programme provides a wide array of support services and benefits for users of HART-enabled instrumentation products including vendor-neutral technical support resources and the large HCF Library of registered device descriptions.

First VME Board Combining VXS I/O with Dual 215-MHz ADCs and FPGAs for On-Board Signal Processing - Pentek, industry pioneer of VME board-level technology, today launched a new dual-channel 6U VMEbus signal acquisition and processing board with sampling rates to 215 MHz. Featuring some of the fastest 12-bit analog-to-digital (A/D) converters in the market, the Pentek Model 6822 supports these data rates with several high-speed interface options. Up to four Front Panel Data Port (FPDP II) connectors deliver output data at up to 320 Mbytes/sec each. A VXS interface provides two 1.25-Gbytes/sec switched serial fabric ports to the VME backplane.

Stand space bookings going well at chemical industries "Greatest Show on Earth" - 'The Greatest Show on Earth' for the chemical processing and associated industries has so far attracted 1800 exhibitors, more than half of them International companies. Several halls, particularly in the Engineering related sectors, are already almost fully subscribed.
Only a couple of months into its booking period, and still more than 18 months before ACHEMA 2006 - Frankfurt (D) - exhibition, stand space reservations have reached almost 60% of the final level of the last show. With about 4,000 exhibitors from all five continents and approximately 200,000 visitors from 100 different countries, ACHEMA is the definitive meeting point for the chemical engineering community worldwide. Nowhere else do decision-makers from the process industries find a comparable display of solutions to problems they encounter in their professions.

High integrity ball valve range extended - Parker Instrumentation is adding a 25mm version to its high-performance Hi Pro instrumentation ball valve family. Featuring a novel two-piece construction that reduces potential leak paths to a minimum, and a design optimized for reliability, the new valve is ideal for long-lifecycle applications in offshore environments.

Finger-safe module for industrial connector system - Harting has added a new finger-safe module to its Han-Modular industrial connector system. The new Han E protected module features both finger-protected male and female contacts, ensuring safe connection in applications such as frequency converters, power ring circuits or battery chargers where high voltages could be present on the male or female side.

Trade show boosts the industry's optimism, boast organisers! - The final report from electronica 2004, organised by Munich Trade fairs, makes the following points:
Future market trend assessed as "excellent to good" by 85 % of exhibitors and attendees.
International mix among attendees strengthens significantly (42 %); high quality of contacts.
Exhibitors and attendees highly satisfied with the way that the trade show went.
Trade show focal points and user forums with accompanying conferences were very well received.
Applications demonstrate the industry’s ability to innovate.
Targets met: 3,017 exhibitors and 75,000 attendees from the trade.

Refinery installation to deliver installation savings and integration - Rosemount transmitters display level and volume locally, plus communicate over FFto DeltaVsystem and plant network. Emerson Process Management has replaced independent level measurement equipment for seven spherical propane and butane storage tanks at the ESSO refinery at Slagen in Norway, achieving installation savings and integration of the measurement solutions with the refinery network at no extra cost. Emerson supplied PlantWeb digital plant architecture with Rosemount 3051S pressure transmitters communicating over FF networks to a DeltaV digital automation system. The existing independent level measurement solution, consisting of differential pressure manometers with oil filled capillaries, had been installed in the 1960's and required replacement. Because of the site requirement that the independent level measurement system has a local indicator and is separate from the main level measurement system, ESSO evaluated replacement using similar manometer technology, as well as alternatives.

Mini Joystick Is New Choice For Menu Selections - Knitter-Switch introduced two new "mini joystick" switches at this year's Electronica. These new switches are primarily designed for industrial applications where a more rugged construction will be required. Both models feature up-down and side-to-side switching actions with a "push to select" function in the centre position. This multi-function action makes it possible for a designer to replace five conventional switches with just one Knitter-Switch mini joystick.

Load cells now available for next day delivery i Britain - Applied Measurements Ltd is now able to supply their core range 'S' Beam the DBBSE from stock. The DBBSE covers capacities from0 - 20kg to 0 - 20T, ranges from 20kg to 5T are available from stock with the 10T and 20T available within 7 days. Fully welded stainless steel construction provides good environmental protection and harsh media compatibility. With an overall accuracy of 0.03% the DBBSE offers excellent performance over a broad temperature range. To accompany the DBBSE they also offer from stock Digital Indicators (battery powered hand held or mains powered panel/bench mounted) and Analogue amplifiers.

High power AC motor range expanded to 1100KW - Baldor continues to extend its high-power AC motor line, and now offers IEC frame versions rated up to 1100kW (1500HP). These motors, designed to meet the demanding specifications of process industry users, are available in low and medium voltages.

New, autoclave thermocouple entry gland offers double feedthrough capacity - The validation of Pharmaceutical Autoclaves can be a time consuming process, as it is often difficult to feed a large number of thermocouple wires through a single entry point into the chamber. The problem can be further compounded by the difficulty in ensuring that chamber leakage is within acceptable regulatory requirements. The new TCEG gland from Thermal Detection has been designed to overcome these specific problems and offers, for the first time, a faster and more reliable method of installing multiple validation thermocouples.

New TDS system promises major improvement in boiler water quality and energy saving - Demonstrating new levels of accuracy and reliability, Solartron Mobrey's new Total Dissolved Solids Control System, the TDS 880, offers a significant advance in boiler blowdown management. Benefits to steam boiler operators include more efficient use of fuel, savings in water treatment chemicals, and less water carryover in steam. Key to the superior performance of the TDS 880 is an innovative design for the self-contained probe, which functions independently of any boiler components and eliminates a major cause of measurement drift. Integral temperature compensation further improves measurement accuracy and stability.

Wireless partnership - Shockwatch, manufacturer of the world-leading Shockswitch lift truck monitoring and safety systems, announced they have partnered with Ekahau, leader in location-enabling wireless networks. Ekahau's patented Ekahau Positioning Engine (EPE) is a software based solution that enables location tracking via any standard WiFi network (802.11a/b/g). EPE can locate an item with up to 1 meter accuracy, and works where ever there is WiFi coverage indoors or outdoors.

Precision power analyser combines high accuracy and wide frequency range - The new Yokogawa WT3000 is a precision power analyser which combines an exceptionally high accuracy (±0.02% of reading +0.04% of range) with a wide frequency range (DC, 0.1 Hz to 1 MHz), even for power measurements. The WT3000 can carry out up to four power measurements simultaneously, is easy to operate with direct keys, offers a variety of display formats on 8.4-inch colour TFT, and includes powerful integrator functions as standard plus a wide range of options to enhance application-specific measurements.

New digital lever probe offers small size, low tip force and networking capability - Solartron's new digital lever probe offers an accuracy of +/-1 micron, a measurement range of 500 microns, and better than 0.15 micron repeatability. The measurement resolution is user selectable to less than 0.1 micron. The digital lever probe is housed in a cylindrical steel enclosure, which facilitates mounting in any attitude relative to the intended target. Clamping can be performed through the use of an 8mm peg or industry standard dovetail mounting blocks, or directly into a 9.52mm mounting hole.

New products demonstrate VME's momentum - The members of VITA (VMEbus International Trade Association) have released a comprehensive new roadmap positioning key VMEbus technologies for the future. Embedded computing's most successful bus standard, VMEbus, shows no signs of slowing down as it maintains its position as the industry's de facto standard into the 21st century. The foundation of VME's longevity, namely its steady rate of technological evolution combined with a commitment to backward compatibility with legacy hardware and software, has been the linchpin of its popularity for nearly twenty-five years. Today, innovative enhancements to the standard, through the VME Standards Organization (VSO), continue to improve VMEbus' speed, performance and reliability, strengthening its position as the ideal solution for today's increasingly stringent commercial, industrial and military system requirements.

New life sciences automation order - ABB has secured a major Life Sciences contract with Janssen Pharmaceutical in Cork (IRL) for its Industrial IT Extended Automation System 800xA. Janssen (part of Johnson & Johnson) will use ABB's System 800xA to control a new Greenfield active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing facility.
The scope of supply comprises a complete 21 CFR Part 11 compliant System 800xA solution including redundant AC 800M controllers with multi product/multi train batch, full EBR, fieldbus foundation instruments, and intelligent MCC's. The order also includes engineering services for the design, build, test, commissioning and start-up support along with validation and training support.
ABB are an advertiser on the Signpost

Lowest-cost strain modules for measurement-class structural test - National Instruments has announced the new SCXI-1521 and SCXI-1521B strain measurement modules, two devices that set a new price point for measurement-class structural test. The se modules are the lowest-cost (less the €160.00), measurement-class strain modules available on the market for high-channel-count structural test.

New member of sales & marketing team - Autoscribe, a world-leading provider of enterprise Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) solutions, today announced that Keith Huxford formerly of CSols, Beckman Coulter and Perkin Elmer has joined their Sales & Marketing team.

Enhanced enclosures - Advantech announces an enhanced 2U CompactPCI enclosure - MIC-3036-S2. The new MIC-3036-S2 is not only compatible with 6U CompactPCI Intel Pentium III processor boards supported by MIC-3036-A and MIC-3036-S chassis, but also with the new 6U CompactPCI Pentium 4-M/ Pentium M processor boards, including MIC-3358 and MIC-3369. This powerful 2U CompactPCI enclosure is flexible enough for customers to implement Computer Telephony (CT) and networking applications.

New range of converters - Calex Electronics has announced the new HEW series of DC/DC converters featuring an ultra wide, 4:1 input voltage range with up to 150 W of power. The 9-36 V and 18-75 V input ranges enable customers to use one converter to operate from multiple bus voltages, such as 12 V and 24 V. These converters are also ideal for applications powered by 24 V or 48 V batteries. Six standard output voltages ranging from 3.3 V up to 24 V are available, as are power levels of 75 W, 100 W, and 150 W. All thirty models boast tight regulation, and each provides output trim of b1 10%, remote sense, and remote on/off capability. The new series utilizes an industry standard half brick package with an aluminum baseplate to delivery excellent thermal performance over a -400C to +1000C temperature range.

ISA seeking nominations of top engineers, scientists, educators, and members - ISA is requesting nominations for the Society's annual honors and awards. The deadline to submit either Society service or technical award nominations is 31 January 2005. Through its Honors & Awards Program ISA recognizes leading professionals and practitioners of automation and control technology throughout the world. Honorees will be feted at the Honors and Awards banquet on Monday, 24 October, in Chicago, Illinois. This gala affair is held in conjunction with ISA EXPO 2005, North America's leading automation and control event, taking place 25-27 October 2005, at McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois.
The Society's Honors & Awards and Admissions Committees are dedicated to recognizing individual and group endeavors toward advancing the arts and sciences of automation and control. Honorees may be noted for specific research projects, educational pursuits, or general advancement of the automation industry. ISA also pays tribute to members who have contributed significant and sustained time and energy to supporting the many activities of the Society.

Ireland is still buzzing in pharma! - The irrepressible ProcessingTalk has been inundated with Pharma Stories of late so much so that they dedicated an issue of their weekly e-newsletter to the topic at the end of October.

New intrinsically-safe pressure modules introduced - Fluke has introduced a range of intrinsically-safe pressure modules for use with its latest, rugged Pressure Calibrator. Meeting the requirements of the latest European ATEX directive(EX 1G EEx ia IIC T4), the pressure modules further extend Fluke's range of intrinsically safe test tools designed specifically for measurements and calibrations in hazardous environments such as petrochemical plants, oil platforms and refineries, and other locations subject to risk of explosion.

British Distributor of the year - Schaffner Ltd has recognised Anglia Components as its distributor of the year for 2004. The award recognises Anglia’s rapid sales growth of almost 70% over 2003 as well as having registered the highest number of original design-in projects out of all Schaffner's distributors. The distributor of the year is decided by performance in a number of key area’s; sales percentage of agreed annual target, percentage increase in sales year on year, total spend, punctuality and quality of reporting and quantity of design projects registered. Points are awarded for the distributor’s position in the table and the points are also weighted depending on the importance of the category.

New combined oxygen/nitrogen/hydrogen analyser - To address the needs of laboratories measuring a variety of samples, especially new materials, as well as steel and metals, HORIBA Jobin Yvon introduces a unique combined analyser to measure Oxygen, Nitrogen and Hydrogen with the same instrument. The EMGA 620W/SP is the combination of an O/N analyser and an H analyser using the same extraction furnace, balance and computer system. Software controls all operating and analysis modes for O/N/H analysis.

New mezzanine board - Advantech, the leading industrial computer manufacturer and automation innovator, has released its PICMG-3.1-compliant PCI Mezzanine Card (PMC), the MIC-3665. This most powerful PCI-X 1.0a PMC features high-performance dual 1000Base-T Gigabit Ethernet interface controller ports. The Ethernet network interface complies with IEEE 802.3 specifications for 1000Base-T, 100Base-TX, and 10Base-T. Full-duplex and half-duplex modes are supported for 10Base-T and 100Base-TX. 1000Base-T supports full-duplex mode only.

Ireland's I&C supermarket come to the web! - The synonym for instrumentation in Ireland has been Manotherm for the past half century. They have now launched their website which is a simple exposituion of what they do. Manotherm Limited provide a broad range of competitively priced precision instruments for measuring, transmitting and controlling pressure, temperature, level and flow. In addition to providing quality precision instruments, Manotherm are committed to an exceptional level of customer service, including knowledgeable, courteous technical support that generates and maintains long-term relations.

A first in safety - Abhisam Software's CD based e-learning course on "Hazardous Area Instrumentation" is now available for download through the Share-It! network on their website. This course covers all aspects of Hazardous Area Instrumentation such as Area classification, step by step guides to classify your plant areas, methods of explosion protection like Explosionproofing and Intrinsic Safety, as well as contemporary topics such as implementing Fieldbus (FISCO, FNICO, etc) in hazardous areas. It also covers certification, introduction to ATEX guidelines and maintenance. The entire course is composed of 150 pages of rich graphics, animation and text with real plant photos and videos to ensure easy grasp of this sometimes difficult to understand subject. This course is the first of it's kind on the subject and has been acclaimed by industry professionals.
Visit our Safety page

Networking Guru talks on industrial security, organized crime, and the battle between automation and IT - Eric Byres of the British Columbia Institute of Technology Internet Engineering Lab reports dramatic changes in security issues that now face control engineers. In a recent interview, Byres said, "We have not started to take security seriously in this industry at all. There are a lot of reasons hackers might target industrial operations. Some of it is just because they could. People can do things like cause difficulties with your environmental procedures and operations, so they can sell your stocks short." The interview is available for free download the Contemporary Controls Extension Newsletter site.

Annual, worldwide fieldbus event to focus on "Plant-wide Integration" - The Fieldbus Foundation today announced that its 2005 General Assembly will be held in Vienna, Austria, on Wednesday, February 23, and Thursday, February 24. This year 's event, themed "Plant-wide Integration: HSE + H1," will follow a comprehensive, end user-oriented agenda that includes user case study presentations, technical training workshops and tabletop exhibitions.
More on our Fieldbus News page

Collaboration to provide integrated protein purification systems for biotech industry - Emerson Process Management and GE Healthcare, a combination of the former Amersham and GE Medical Systems, today announced a global sales and marketing collaboration agreement to provide faster, simpler and more cost-efficient solutions for protein purification - the most critical operation in manufacturing of biotech medicines.

Glass-free electrodes - Honeywell's latest Durafet III pH electrode is glass-free, so eliminates problems commonly associated with traditional glass electrodes such as fragility, poor response and frequent replacement. Being practically unbreakable, it reduces replacement and inventory costs. They are ideal for accurate, in-line and immersion pH measurement in industrial processes, food processing, power utilities and waste water treatment.

Tipple for site visitors and 10% discount - Computer Solutions Ltd is celebrating 25 years of supplying embedded systems development tools, and is doing it by giving away one thousand pounds' worth of wine as well as launching a number of special offers on selected product ranges.
The wine will be given away in the form of Pdstg30 vouchers as prizes in a draw based on visits to the company's web site. In addition, Computer Solutions, in conjunction with a number of key suppliers, will offer a price reduction of 10% on products brought through the company's web shop, including USB analysers, CAN Bus interfaces, BDM development packages, real-time executives, TCP/IP stacks, embedded file systems, Windows driver generators and C compilers. This offer is valid up to the 10th December 2004.

High sensitivity EDXRF microanalysis without LN2 cooling - The new Horiba XGT-5100 micro-EDXRF system with liquid nitrogen free detector cooling builds on the past success of the XGT-5000, offering high sensitivity micro-EDXRF elemental analysis and mapping.

Updated & comprehensive ISA catalogues released - The ISA Training Institute and ISA Press have released their latest catalogues detailing more than 300 continuing education courses and 400 reference publications and standards. These reflect the technical interests and information needs facing automation and control professionals, and cover topics including Security, Batch Manufacturing, Networks, Safety, Instruments, and Systems Integration.

Joint virtual instrumentation laboratory established in English university - National Instruments today announced it has established with The University of the West of England (UWE) a virtual instrumentation facility in the faculty of Applied Sciences at the UWE Frenchay Campus in Bristol (GB). Together they have established two laboratories and eight project rooms all using NI hardware and software.
More information about National Instruments academic initiatives

UV vuisible fibre optics light source - Applied Analytics has introduced the D2W-100, a unique fibre optics light source that uses a high efficiency optical setup to collect the combined flux of Deuterium and Tungsten sources into a fibre. Control over the D2W-100 output is achieved by varying the intensity of the tungsten source, turning the individual sources on/off and by introducing up to four different filters into the optical path. The D2W-100 can be controlled locally via a 7 keys keypad and an LCD or remotely via a RS-232 connection to a PC or Palm - software included. Filters can be provided to eliminate some of the deuterium-source features, allowing for a balanced output. Also available are filters to reduce the stray light in the spectrometer's output. The D2W-100 light throughput exceeds that of any other 35 watts source in the market. The D2W has the longest life deuterium source on the market.

Time domain fluorescence lifetimes on spectrofluorometer - Now you can add a new dimension in molecular dynamics to your Fluorolog with Time-Correlated Single-Photon Counting from Horiba Jobin Yvon. With the unification of IBH and SPEX products, you can now add the versatility and ultimate sensitivity of TCSPC to the most sensitive spectrofluorometer in the world, the Fluorolog-3. Choose the broad wavelength range of a flashlamp for excitation, or the speed and power of a laser diode or LED from a NanoLED source. No matter what you select, you always have the modular flexibility and years of experience built into the Fluorolog-3 as well as the TCSPC expertise that has made IBH the leader in time-domain acquisition.

Weatherproof Ethernet connectors for outdoor wireless or broadband terminals - Harting has introduced a new range of rugged weatherproof IP67 RJ45 Ethernet connectors which are ideally suited to the requirements of outdoor terminals in wireless or broadband applications.

New premises opened - Flow control specialist FCX has unveiled modern new premises in Cergy Pontoise in France, the latest stage of its planned merger of Flowserve, Copmat Voglin and SARMEF to form FCX France. They acquired Flowserve France, the French ¤14 million sales distribution business of the Flowserve Corporation earlier this year and decided to combine it with the FCX Group's existing French distribution businesses, Copmat Voglin and SARMEF. Operations at Cergy, Nanterre and Andilly have now all been relocated to the brand new facility as part of the firm's medium-term plan to merge the three companies.

USB version of eight-channel thermocouple data logger - Pico Technology, the PC-based test and measurement company, has introduced a USB (v1.1) version of its popular TC-08 eight-channel thermocouple data logger. The new unit samples at up to 10 readings per second (more than twice the speed of the serial port version), features built-in cold junction compensation (CJC) and covers the temperature range -270 to 1820 degrees C.

Out of Control - The publication Control is one of the most useful publications in our field. Usually available only in the United Ststes but now thanks to the wonder of cyber-technology it is available on the world wide web to anyone who wishes to read it. The October issue give us a hint of the secret of its success. Walt Boyes, Editor, mantains that it is unigue in that it is a readers magazine rather than a marketers medium. Judge for yourself.

One watt rf modem transmits wireless data up to 40 miles - Capable of sending wireless information as far as 40-miles away, MaxStream's new 9XTend-PKG-R offers instant long-range communications for wireless data applications. One Watt of conducted power transmitted to the antenna allows for an output from the RF modem up to 4 Watts EIRP with a 6 dBi antenna. Features like AES 256-bit encryption and frequency hopping on 50 channels ensure data remains secure, while an RS-232/485 interface allows users to instantly connect to a variety of electronic devices.

Exhibition shows growth - ISA's annual event packed the show floor and technical conference sessions again in 2004. Held in October in Houston, Texas, ISA EXPO 2004 hosted 14,569 automation and control professionals from over 70 countries and 562 companies showcasing their latest technologies, products, and services in nearly 110,000 net square feet of exhibit space. This represents an overall increase of nearly 4% over ISA EXPO 2003.
See our ISA Expo Review.

Algorithm accelerator and high-performance FPGA-based platform create a perfect match for desktop high performance computing - Nallatech has announced that Mitrionics AB of Sweden has selected the Nallatech BenNUEY family of FPGA-based processing systems as the development platform for its Mitrion design environment for High Performance Computing systems.