Cost conscious recorder launched - Companies that will not compromise on specification but want a low cost data recorder will be interested in the launch of Eurotherm's new 6100E model. The design brief was straight forward; create an easy to use, secure and adaptable recorder that will meet the needs of industry at a competitive price.

19-inch rack-mount versions of industrial Ethernet switches - Harting has introduced 19-inch rack-mount versions of its eCon and mCon 9000 family of managed and unmanaged industrial Ethernet switches. The new units allow up to 10 Ethernet clients to be connected via RJ45 or M12 sockets (D-coding) at the front of the device.

Smallest ZigBee™ ready communication modules - Panasonic Industrial Company has announced the appointment of Digi-Key as an authorized distributor for its latest in a line of RF modules, the PAN4555. Supporting the 802.15.4 radio standard and the ZigBee™ specification, the Panasonic module is designed for various sensing, monitoring and control applications.

Pioneering nanomaterials R&D is recognised with 'Start Up' award - Surrey NanoSystems which has developed a tool and processes for manufacturing carbon nanotubes,has triumphed in the 'Start-up and University Collaboration' category, at The Engineer Technology and Innovation Awards, organized by The Engineer magazine.

Budget LCD oscilloscope has advanced features - The PDS5022S bench Digital Storage Oscilloscope from Audon Electronics has been specifically designed as an entry level instrument for educational, hobby and budget-driven applications. Although low-cost, the PDS5022S is packed with a wide range of useful functions usually only seen on higher-end DSO's, such as video trigger and auto-measurement. The large full colour LCD display makes for a clear unambiguous waveform display.

Serving Norway - Yokogawa Europe has established Yokogawa Norge, a branch office in Norway, that will support the company's activities in the North West European offshore oil and gas sector.

The Industry's Broadest Line of Data Acquisition Devices Now Addresses High-Channel-Count, Portable and Benchtop Applications - National Instruments has announced the industry's first 80-channel USB data acquisition devices, new BNC USB M Series devices and a new USB-9237 C Series module. The complete NI USB data acquisition offering now spans more than 45 devices with single-channel sampling rates of up to 1.25 MS/s, analogue generation of up to 2.86 MHz and correlated digital I/O of more than 1 MHz for low-, mid- and high-channel-count applications.

Newsleter treats of wireless data - This month the Windmill newsletter (Monitor No 110) has a brief but useful guide to the different types of wireless networks used for data acquisition. It gives several useful definitions.

A simple solution to multi-position measurements and control - Control systems designers will find that the MTS Temposonics R Series Profibus magnetostrictive position sensor, available from RDP Electronics, offers "the perfect solution for accurate, absolute position measurement." Typical applications include slitting lines, paper making machines and cut to length lines.

An integrated calibration solution to the World's largest straw fired power station - Beamex have recently been contracted by EPR (Energy Power Resources) to supply their world-class integrated calibration solution for Ely Power Station - the world's largest straw burning power station creating 38MW from burning 200,000 Tons of cereal straw every year. "Beamex are proud to be part of this fantastic project helping create power for Britain from a renewable source."

New meter provides accurate measurement in low flow rate applications - Flow Technology (FTI) has announced the introduction of the Extended Linearity (EL) 500 Series of electromagnetic flow meters. Available in line sizes from 1/8 to 3/4 inch, these meters represent the state-of-the-art for accurate low flow rate measurement in a wide range of applications.

Harsh conditions suit versitile accelerometer family - The 8766A series from Kistler Instruments is a family of triaxial accelerometers offering versatile performance in demanding industrial, automotive and aerospace environments. Based on Kistler's unique PiezoStar shear element design, the Type 8766A accelerometers feature a wide frequency range, extremely low sensitivity to temperature changes and high immunity to base strain errors.

It's great to be back! - Erik Udstuen will be rejoining GE Fanuc Automation to lead their software business moving forward. Udstuen came to GE in 2003 through the acquisition of Mountain Systems a company he founded to deliver innovative Manufacturing Execution System (MES) software products to essential industries worldwide.

Sub-microvolt drift 3.5MHz CMOS amplifiers feature 1pA bias current and low noise - Linear Technology Corporation has introduced the LTC6081 and the LTC6082: CMOS Op-Amps that push the limits of precision with 3.5MHz gain-bandwidth and less than 90uV offset over the entire -40°C to +125°C temperature range. Featuring rail-to-rail input and output stages, the dual LTC6081 and quad LTC6082 achieve low frequency noise of just 1.3uVp-p and low input bias current of 1pA max at 25°C, making these amplifiers ideal for precision instrumentation.

Level switch for precise measurement - Baumer Process Instrumentation offers a new Level Switch for level detection and dry run protection. The three models available (LSM 020, LSM 025, LSM 030) are ideal for CIP and SIP measurements due to their wetted parts in acid-proof stainless steel or PEEK thermoplastic respectively.

The wild, wacky, wireless wars - As we reported on the 11th September the Hart Communication Foundation (HCF) has announced official release of the Hart 7 Specification - which includes WirelessHart, the first open wireless communication standard specifically designed for process measurement and control, developed through the combined, cooperative efforts of HCF member companies, which includes all industry leaders. Jim Pinto's commentary in this weeks isssue of Connections for Growth & Success™ is worth reading. Is it another "fieldbus war?" And irrepressible as ever the Poet Lauriate of Automation has produced another poem "The Industrial Wireless Quadrille.". For some other poems see our Poetry Page

Collaboration on Wireless Standards - Hardly had Jim Pinto's newsletter arrived than we learned that The HART Communication Foundation (HCF) and ISA have entered into an agreement to collaborate and investigate opportunities to incorporate WirelessHARTÔ into the work of the SP100 Committee. The HCF has granted a copyright license to the ISA allowing the ISA100 committee access to the HART Protocol Specification including WirelessHART for the purpose of evaluation and consideration for adoption. Likewise, a copyright license has been granted by ISA to the HCF allowing access to all ISA100 documents at all stages of development.

Safety fieldbus - A new safety fieldbus is been launched by CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) to enable secure communication of critical safety-related data over open networks, as used in industrial plant and machinery control.
See our Fieldbus Pages

Connecting to hundreds of PLCs - Kepware Technologies has announced that it has been selected as a provider of communications technology to National Instruments (NI), allowing engineers and scientists using LabVIEW to easily incorporate advanced measurements, analysis, and control into their existing industrial The latest generation of Kepware's OPC server technology, KEPServerEX, was designed to allow users to quickly setup communications from equipment to control systems via a wide range of available "plug-in" device drivers and components. NI used KEPServerEX technology to create the new NI OPC Server. Automation users can now use the NI OPC Server to incorporate LabVIEW into their automation systems with concurrent connections to multiple PLCs.

New spectrometer online demonstration capability - Thermo Fisher Scientific provides a new online demonstration designed to allow current and prospective customers to discover the features, benefits and mode of operation of the Thermo Scientific S Series Atomic Absorption (AA) spectrometers. The online demonstration serves as a fast and convenient evaluation tool targeted at busy, high throughput elemental analysis laboratories in a variety of application areas including environmental, food and beverage, petrochemical and metallurgy industries.

Testing WiMAX! - LitePoint Corporation, the wireless test system solutions provider, described and demonstrated its testing capabilities for WiMAX Wave 2, WiMedia, and LTE, recently. With a room full of engineers from local Silicon Valley companies on hand at the FAZ Restaurant, here, LitePoint discussed the challenges in testing WiMAX Wave 2 and WiMedia, then proceeded to show the crowd how it is done. As a surprise, LitePoint's new vice president of engineering, Karsten Vandrup, talked about LTE, an emerging cellular-infrastructure wireless broadband technology with many similarities to WiMAX Wave 2. Early LTE testing capability was also demonstrated.

Awards industrial automation company - Yokogawa Electric Corporation received two academic awards from the Society of Instrument and Control Engineers (SICE). The Technology Award was given to Yokogawa for its Enemap Energy Management Package and the Award for New Products was given for its ProSafe-RS Safety Instrumented System.

Power Quality DVD focuses on best practice Fluke now offers a free educational Power Quality DVD which can be requested via the Fluke web site. It focuses on the best use of power quality tools to prevent equipment failure and downtime in industrial applications. The free Fluke DVD, 'Power Quality in Industrial Applications' contains an introduction to power quality, an overview of common power disturbances, as well as useful troubleshooting techniques. It covers: -The types of problems caused by poor power quality -Tips about carrying out inspections, and which tools to use -Case studies and diagnosis -An overview of Fluke power quality and electrical test tools.

Industrial Ethernet infrastructure market to grow to nearly $1billion by 2011 - The market for hardened industrial Ethernet switches and other types of industrial Ethernet network infrastructure will grow to nearly a $1 billion market during the next 5 years, according to a new ARC Advisory Group study, "Industrial Ethernet Infrastructure Worldwide Outlook"

New flat-panel monitors - Nematron Europe has launched the new M-Series of Industrial Flat Panel Monitors. The M-Series offers unparalleled value and superb quality at a competitive price. There are currently three sizes, 15" (M1500), 17" (M1700), and 19" (M1900) in the series with more additions to follow. Their compact profile results in a panel mounted depth of less than 70mm (2.75"), making them ideal for installation in harsh environments for factory automation and demanding commercial applications. 

Water and waste event - The organisers of WWEM 2008 say that it will be even bigger and better than the 2006 water testing and monitoring event, with more exhibitors, more international visitors, and an even more comprehensive programme of Conferences and Workshops. This show will take place at the Telford International Centre (GB) on 5th and 6th November 2008 and organiser Marcus Pattison warns that even though the event is a year away, many of the exhibition stands have already been sold.

New power supply test system packs the features of a large-scale tester in a single bay - Intepro Systems has produced its first LXI-based power supply test system which packs all the features commercial OEM’s need in one single-bay cabinet. The I-9500LXI is a fully featured automated test system that specifically addresses the growing market for AC-DC and DC-DC power converters under 1000 Watts, including those for mobile phones, digital music and video players and most computer accessories.

Collaboration to promote rapid commercialization of discoveries in nanosystems - Keithley Instruments has announced a new partnership with The California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA. The partnership is designed to support research collaboration in the pursuit of nanotechnology and nanoscience solutions for the semiconductor industry's next generation instrumentation and measurement requirements. They will share research information to further the understanding of nanotechnology and nanoelectronic technologies.

Fast delivery service - for customers who can't wait to get their hands on high precision motion products - Aerotech have launched a Fast Delivery Service (FDS) for a selected range of positioning stages, motors and motion controllers. Combined systems are pre-configured with a generic parameter set-up and a factory run-in test, guaranteeing straightforward integration into the customer's application. The FDS programme does not incur additional costs and is available throughout Europe from Aerotech's UK and German sales offices or through appointed distributors.

Alliance agreement signed - MooreHawke, a division of Moore Industries-International, and Emerson Process Management have signed an Alliance Agreement to co-market MooreHawke fieldbus interface solutions through Emerson's worldwide sales network. They are now Emerson's Approved Product List for Foundation fieldbus™ device couplers. MooreHawke fieldbus interface devices integrate distributed fieldbus devices with Emerson's DeltaV™ automation system, which is part of the PlantWeb® digital plant architecture.

New sales engineer for switches - Lorlin Electronics has appointed a new sales engineer. Dan Jackson has joined the company to provide additional sales and customer support as Lorlin enjoys increased sales worldwide. He will be responsible for processing sample requests, quotations, pro-forma invoices and will liase with Lorlin's design department for technical enquiries and custom or added value products. He will also manage the provision of product drawings to customers and technical support.

10 Gbit/s XFP interface module added to bit error rate tester - An XFP interface module has been added to the range of modules available for the Yokogawa AQ2200 Series modular optical instrumentation system. The new AQ2200-641 expands the flexibility of their existing 10 Gbit/s BERT (bit error rate tester), which integrates a pulse pattern generator, an error detector and a signal generator - all the essential elements in bit-error-rate measurements - in a compact module.
The XFP interface is an industry standard for next-generation optical transceivers derived from the wording '10 gigabit small form factor pluggable'.

New software packages add new deployment targets, increase code performance and offer statechart compatibility - National Instruments has announced the extension of the NI LabVIEW 8.5 graphical system design platform to new embedded targets with the release of the NI LabVIEW Embedded Module for ADI Blackfin® Processors 2.5 and the LabVIEW Microprocessor SDK (Software Development Kit) 2.5. With a graphical system design approach, engineers and scientists can use LabVIEW to rapidly design and prototype their embedded systems and easily deploy them to targets such as 32-bit processors and FPGAs. The latest versions of the LabVIEW Embedded Module for Blackfin Processors and the LabVIEW Microprocessor SDK expand the available deployment options for engineers and scientists by adding support for new, high-performance convergent multimedia Blackfin processors as well as introducing support for the Freescale ColdFire processor. The software packages also deliver 18 percent increased efficiency in code generation.

Marketing and sales summit attracts senior executives - Sponsored by the ISA Management Division, ISA's Marketing and Sales Summit, held earlier this month in Chicago (US), attracted over 80 key executives. The conference focused on helping marketing and sales executives in the automation markets meet the strategic and tactical challenges of the 21st century.

The radar solution for accurate measurement of low dielectric, highly viscous media - Magnetrol's Enhanced Eclipse Model 705 liquid level transmitter is now available with the first coaxial GWR probe suitable for measuring liquids with a viscosity up to 1500 cP. This enlarged coaxial probe with a 45 mm inner diameter offers the same measurement efficiency as the traditional 22 mm diameter standard coaxial probe. As with any GWR probe, changing specific gravity and shifting dielectric constant have no effect on its performance. The optional replacement of all spacers by one single spacer at the bottom of the probe is a significant advantage of this more rugged construction. The enlarged Eclipse coaxial GWR probe will resist high viscosity and this "special" version is beneficial for applications with extreme build-up.

1 Instrument... 2 Parameters... Special offer - Hach Lange has launched of its latest Pocket Colorimeter, which is now able to measure both Ammonium and Phosphate on one meter, with their cuvettes. Marketing Manager in Britain, Sarah Blayds says, "The Pocket Colorimeter II is incredibly popular because it provides high levels of performance at a modest price and we are expecting an enormous response to this (special British marketing) offer."

Record and play back More than 5 hours of RF spectrum with PXI - National Instruments has announced the release of the NI PXIe-5672, an RF vector signal generator that delivers signal generation from 250 kHz to 2.7 GHz, 20 MHz of instantaneous bandwidth and real-time data streaming at up to 25 MS/s. The NI PXIe-5672 also features a PXI Express interface that makes it possible to stream data from hard disk or PC memory at the full output rate of the instrument.

New distributor in Poland - Digitaltest GmbH is improving its service in Eastern Europe with the appointment of a local distribution partner. Aimed at serving both existing electronics manufacturing sites Eastern Europe as well as existing companies who are moving into the region, C.H. Erbslöh will provide sales and service representation for their range of In-Circuit, Flying Prober and Functional test equipment and software solutions.

Open standard celebrates a decade of solving complex instrumentation challenges - The PXI Systems Alliance today announced the 10th anniversary of the PXI (PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation) specification, the PC-based modular I/O platform for test, measurement and control systems. The PXI standard was introduced in 1997 as a modular instrumentation platform for measurement and automation applications that require high performance and a rugged industrial form factor. With PXI, engineers and scientists can select chassis, controllers and modules from multiple vendors and integrate them into a single PXI system. Today there are more than 1,500 PXI products available from over 70 companies, including Agilent Technologies, Geotest, Keithley, National Instruments and Pickering.

Following on the extraordinary success of the

Varoooom! FIA approved level sensors for F1 - Gill Sensors' liquid level sensors have been homologated by the FIA and approved for use with the 2008 FIA standard ECU in Formula 1. Gill is currently the leading liquid level sensor supplier to Formula 1 and has supplied teams for over six years. The homologation follows the announcement by the FIA that "All control sensors, actuators and FIA monitoring sensors will be specified and homologated by the FIA in 2008".

Sensors for Power Generation and Reciprocating Equipment Monitoring - PCB Piezotronics (PCB®) has announced the release of a 4-page, full-color brochure, entitled, "Sensors for Power Generation and Reciprocating Equipment Monitoring", which provides an overview of sensors to address the demanding requirements of the power generation, reciprocating equipment, and oil, gas and petrochemical equipment industries. These products include high temperature pressure sensors for turbine engine monitoring; engine combustion measurement; natural gas supply & petrochemical industry intrinsically safe pressure sensors; diesel & gas engine monitoring of locomotive, marine & back-up generators; accelerometers for wind turbine vibration monitoring; and reciprocating machinery protectors, for vibration monitoring on reciprocating compressors.

Benchmarking workshop - ARC Advisory Group and General Motors (GM) will host a benchmarking workshop for discrete manufacturers on Tuesday, November 6, 2007 at the GM Technical Center in Warren, Michigan (US). This workshop will focus on controls, plant floor systems, and PLM/Digital Manufacturing (DM) strategies.

Upgrade to ndustry-leading visualization product - GE Fanuc Automation has announced the availability of Proficy® HMI/SCADA - iFIX 4.5, providing comprehensive monitoring, control and data management for companies worldwide. This new version of the industry-leading visualization product addresses a wide range of customer-identified needs including advanced reliability to improved ease of use, while adding more power and flexibility. Proficy Change Management version 5.7, also announced, in combination with iFIX allows users to gain control over changes to their iFIX systems, enhances security, helps manage the application development Life Cycle and provides the ability to recover quickly from disasters. Enhancements in this latest release provide even more detailed reporting capabilities to ensure the system integrity is maintained.

New IR thermometer optimises continuous temperature monitoring - Raytek has introduced the Raytek XR infrared (IR) thermometer. Designed to optimize continuous temperature monitoring in a broad range of manufacturing processes, this advanced sensor is a rugged, IP65 sealed single-piece system with the flexibility to handle almost any application.

New System Switch Platform Offers High Throughput Signal Switching, LXI Class B, and Optional High-Performance Integrated DMM - Keithley Instruments has released the Series 3700 System Switch/Multimeter and Plug-in Card Family, their next-generation platform of switching and integrated digital multimeter (DMM) test solutions. It offers high quality, instrument grade switching for a wide variety of applications, including the performance demands of high channel count applications, with its ability to control up to 576 multiplexer channels in an industry-leading six-slot, 2U form factor. A high-performance integrated DMM option provides fast, low-noise measurements with resolutions up to 71Ž2-digits at a price lower than typical 61Ž2-digit DMMs.

Walt Boyes' reports - Walt Boyes has attended the Emerson User Group meetings in Texas and these are his reports:
Monday 10th Sept
Tuesday 11th Sept
Wednesday 12th Sept

Temperature calibrator range receives DNV Marine certification - The JOFRA ATC Series of dry block temperature calibrators is now certified to comply with the Det Norske Veritas' (DNV) Rules for Classification of Ships, High Speed & Light Craft and Det Norske Veritas' Offshore Standards. The ATC Series joins the their MTC, CTC and ETC series of temperature calibrators and the FP-1800 Series of marine sensors which already have DNV certification. 13/9/2007

First webinar will be on industrial Ethernet - On September 25th The Industrioal Eternet Book will host its first webinar entitled 'Balancing demands of corporate IT with the reality of Industrial Ethernet', featuring Schneider Electric explaining how IT departments and the plant floor can indeed be integrated successfully using Industrial Ethernet, providing some key issues are carefully addressed. Their related 'webin-article' outlines the main theme and identifies the key discussion points which will be given detailed attention online.

Working together to secure Canadian critical infrastructure - Wurldtech Security Technologies, provider of cyber-security solutions to SCADA, process-control and mission-critical industries and Bell Canada, the nations largest communications company today announced an agreement to co-develop, market, and deliver security assessment services to operators of Canadian critical infrastructure. Working together, Wurldtech and Bell will provide a comprehensive security assessment solution that leverages the experience and expertise of both companies to protect the nation's critical infrastructure from cyber attack.

Elephantine acceptance! - Who says Men can't multi-task? Dr Gareth Pearson recently accepted a job offer from Quantitech whilst riding an elephant in Thailand! As a result, they have made yet another new appointment announcement; Dr Pearson has recently completed a PhD in ICP Mass Spectrometry and will join Quantitech in September 2007 in order to expand the company's analytical resources. Working as Product Specialist - Elemental Analysers, Gareth's work will focus primarily on analysis in the laboratory.

Simulator self calibrates at every turn on - Teseq has introduced the new NSG 437 handheld ESD Simulator. The NSG 437 generates pulses from 200 V to 30 kV, in both air and contact discharge operation modes. Automatic self calibration of the NSG 437 is performed at every start up, taking the unit to maximum voltage in both polarities to ensure that all test levels are maintained within specification.

Ethernet based environmental monitor sends email alarms - The Poseidon 3268 is a simple Ethernet based stand-alone device which can send an email alarm when up to 4 monitored temperature or humidity sensors exceeds their defined range. The Poseidon 3266 also has 4 contact-closure inputs which can be used to trigger alarms on state change and there are 2 relay outputs which can be used to reset servers, or switch on a fan, etc.

Fieldbus end user podcast - The Fieldbus Foundation today announced the release of a podcast describing fieldbus end user experiences in the process industries. Titled "Changing the Playing Field with FOUNDATION™ Technology," the podcast is hosted by Control Engineering magazine.
More on this and other bus news on our Fieldbus News Page

Wireless standard approved and released - The HART® Communication Foundation (HCF) has announced the official release of the HART 7 Specification. The HART 7 Specification enables many new capabilities for communication with intelligent field devices including WirelessHART™, the first open wireless communication standard specifically designed for process measurement and control applications. The HCF membership approved the HART 7 Specifications in June 2007, following an extensive review and approval process.

Digital oscilloscope offers 8 Mword memory at no extra cost - The Test & Measurement Business Unit of Yokogawa Europe is now offering an 8 Mword version of its DL1640 digital oscilloscope at the same price as the standard 100 kword model: less than €4500 for a 4-channel instrument. The long memory and overall measurement and analysis capabilities, coupled with built-in real-time digital filtering, offer significant benefits to customers, particular in challenging areas like serial bus analysis.

New videographic recorder - With the "Graphic Data Manager" Memograph M Endress+Hauser presents its new video graphic recorder. This innovative device is impressive due to its high functionality, modular construction and its intuitive operating system and perpetuates the success history of the Memograph product line.
The ideal application areas for the Memograph M can be found in process measurement and control areas of the water/wastewater, power and food as well as the pharmaceutical industry. The functionality, flexibility, secure data recording, informative measured value analysis and the superb measurement display have no limits in application creativity. The Memograph M is the "window to the process"!

New European new MD will continue integration of the three major industrial power and automation brands - Gavin Johnson has been appointed to the new position of Managing Director of Baldor's European operations. He will provide strategic direction for the continuing integration of Baldor with the Reliance electric motor and Dodge power transmission brands across Europe -now one of the largest and most influential operations worldwide in this automation sector.
Baldor acquired the Reliance and Dodge brands in February 2007, and the new combined operation now has four locations, in Britain, Switzerland and two in Germany.

Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR compatible high-speed UART core added to library - Underscoring its commitment to the mobile electronics market, QuickLogic has just a new UART (universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter) proven system block for use with its innovative Customer Specific Standard Product (CSSP) platforms. The high-performance core supports the full 3Mbits/second data rates required for compatiblity with the Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) specification, and may be configured rapidly with other proven functions to provide a low-power, single-chip connectivity solution.

Scalable solutions from sensors to systems in the lifesciences industry - Eurotherm offers the most comprehensive range of solutions available from one supplier for use by the pharmaceutical and bio-pharma industries. These include DCS solutions, data management systems, data recorders, discrete controllers, indicators and signal conditioning. For over 30 years, Eurotherm has been involved in all aspects of these industries, including hydrogenation, water purification, mixing and blending, sterilisation, spraying, fermentation, freeze drying, tablet formation and time synchronisation.

Global distribution agreement announced - Electronic component distributor Digi-Key Corporation and Nearson have signed a global distribution agreement.
Nearson antenna products are used in many segments of the wireless communication industry, including VHF, UHF mobile radios, cellular, PCS equipment as well as ISM band wireless data WLAN applications. Its broad line of antennas is available with standard connectors or with reverse polarization connectors for compliance with FCC part 15 regulations.

AD converter delivers high performance communications systems & instrumentation - Linear Technology Corporation has released the LTC2209, a 16-bit 160Msps high performance high-speed Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) for leading edge communications equipment and instrumentation applications. The LTC2209 extends the sampling frequency of the LTC2208 family, offering a pin-compatible upgrade path for existing designs. The LTC2209 has excellent signal to noise ratio (SNR) performance of 77.1dB and spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) of 100dB at baseband, consuming only 1450mW from a 3.3V supply.

Compact DMOS microstepping motor driver IC with built-in translator - The new A4983 from Allegro MicroSystems Europe is a compact DMOS microstepping motor driver IC with built-in translator circuitry for easy operation.

Quality control - For the ProfiBus Nutzerorganisation e.V. (PNO), certification is a proven measure for quality control ensuring interoperability in automation systems. An initial version of the certification of ProfiNet IO devices has already been established for quite some time. For Conformance Class A full certification of ProfiNet IO devices is now available. The certificate for one of these device provides evidence of the quality of the implemented ProfiNet interface. These devices require certification.

More power, flexibility and valuable technology enhancements - GE Fanuc Automation has announced the availability of Proficy® HMI/SCADA - iFIX 4.5, providing comprehensive monitoring, control and data management for companies worldwide. This new version of the industry - leading visualization product addresses a wide range of customer-identified needs including advanced reliability to improved ease of use, while adding more power and flexibility.

Leading device manufacturers continue to select Wurldtech's Achilles™ Certification as their industry standard of choice - Wurldtech Labs, an independent division of Wurldtech Security Technologies, provider of cyber-security solutions to SCADA, process-control and mission-critical industries worldwide, today announced that the ABB AC800M industrial controller has been awarded the Achilles™ Level 1 Security Certification. Already a global leader in power and automation technologies,this Certification achievement enables the company to further differentiate their product from their competitors. By demonstrating AC800M's compliance, ABB is effectively aligning their brand with one that places security as a corporate priority; while taking a proactive step towards security regulations and standards that are being set in today's industrial automation industry.

Dual display PMC graphics adaptor, commercial or rugged - Concurrent Technologies announces a cost-effective dual display video/graphics PMC based adaptor. The IO PMC/722 is a high-quality, low-power embedded PMC graphics adaptor supporting a variety of Digital Flat Panel (DFP) or analog CRT devices in single or dual display configurations; where the DFP and CRT can be driven simultaneously with the same image or different image sources. The graphic controller's rich feature set includes a complete 3D rendering suite, hardware support for MPEG/DVD playback, a 2D drawing engine that supports bit block transfers, transparent block transfers, color expansion, and line draw.

Module offers new edge-detection algorithms and added support for popular machine vision applications - National Instruments has announced the newest version of the NI Vision Development Module, a comprehensive library of image processing and machine vision functions for multiple programming languages, including NI LabVIEW and LabWindows™/CVI as well as Microsoft C, C++, Visual Basic and .NET. With features including an improved edge-detection algorithm and support for new 2-D codes, machine designers can more efficiently enhance images, check for presence, locate features, identify objects and measure parts.

Solid-state relay - Vishay Intertechnology has released a new 1 Form A solid-state relay offering designers fast switching speeds and low on-resistance for a variety of test and measurement and industrial applications. The VO14642AT features a fast typical switching speed of 800ohms that provides higher throughput in test equipment, as well as low on-resistance of 0.25‡ that permits the use of multiple relays in applications needing low power consumption and heat dissipation. The relay is rated for a high 2-A DC maximum load current, and a load voltage of 60V.

Major new software and hardware offerings to help customers achieve breakthrough performance - Wonderware has announced four major new offerings that are designed to help customers break down barriers to achieving operational excellence across their manufacturing and industrial businesses. These new offerings coexist and interoperate with existing systems and software from Wonderware and other vendors. Wonderware also is launching the new Internet-based "Wonderware Breakthrough Experience" to provide operations, engineering and IT personnel with first-hand experience of the capabilities of these new offerings.
Once you complete at least two of the Breakthrough Experience modules, you will be entered into a weekly sweepstakes to win a digital camera (or cash equivalent). See the sweepstakes rules link below for details.
SolutionsPT is distributor for Wonderware UK and Wonderware Ireland which supports the Signpost by advertising with us on our Home Page.

Pioneering EP-NIR analyser achieves precise identification and quantification of edible oils without false positive response - Aspectrics has introduced a new application note to demonstrate the ability of its innovative MultiComponent 2750 EP-NIR analyzer to achieve unequivocal identification of three different types of edible vegetal oils, without false positive response. Coupled to an external Aspectrics halogen NIR source and a Specac 2mm pathlength process transmission multimode fiber probe, the groundbreaking analyzer allows access to impressive spectral information in the 2000-2600nm range. This new Aspectrics application note is available to download free-of-charge on their website.

Compact energy meter is a power analyser too - Carlo Gavazzi has created a new benchmark in energy meters, with the introduction of a compact 1DIN module that adds MID-compliant power measurement and control functions to active energy metering. The EM11-DIN is a single-phase energy analyser with built-in configuration push-button and LCD data display, providing both active and reactive energy metering, together with cost allocation functions.

Flameproof process gas analyser - Emerson Process Management has recently unveiled the Rosemount Analytical X-STREAM flameproof process gas analyser, which can be installed in Class I, Zone 1, Group IIB + H2 hazardous areas requiring ATEX or CSA-C/US certifications. This is the newest edition to the X-STREAM Series, which also includes general purpose and NEMA 4X field housing process gas analysers. These Gas Analysers help users improve product quality and increase efficiency, throughput and safety. By enabling customers to fine-tune their processes, the analysers support increased productivity and profitability.

Attractively priced new thermal imager for industrial maintenance - Fluke has introduced a very attractively priced Thermal Imager offering an unbeatable solution for capturing high quality images in industrial maintenance applications. The easy-to-use Fluke Ti35 is fully radiometric and features an innovative 180° articulating lens for viewing and capturing images in areas with poor accessibility.

High sensitivity low pressure sensors for foam moulding - The increasing popularity of foam moulding technology to reduce component weight and the incidence of voids has created a requirement for highly sensitive pressure sensors for monitoring cavity pressure. Typically, cavity pressure for compact injection moulding processes can be around 400 bar, while the pressure for foam moulding can be as low as 40 bar. Conventional pressure sensors are unsuited to low cavity pressure monitoring and Kistler have introduced a range of mould cavity sensors using HighSens technology to measure cavity pressures with sensitivity four times higher than standard sensors.

Automation profession honours & awards winners announced for presentation next month - The ISA's annual honorees for 2007 have been announced. The society extends congratulations and thanks to these extraordinary individuals. The annual Honors and Awards Gala will be held in conjunction with ISA EXPO at the Hyatt Regency Houston, Houston, Texas (US), on 1 October 2007. This prestigious black-tie event will honor the recipiants for their contributions to and advancement of the automation industry.
Oh heck! To hell with modesty - one of this years crop is the founder and editor of Read-out and the Signpost, Eoin Ó Riain, who is to recieve the Golden Achievement Award - for service to the Society.
The Signpost review of ISA EXPO 2007

High-pressure 'push-fit' fluid connections extended to larger bore sizes - Parker Instrumentation has extended the applications potential of its unique 'push-fit' fluid connectors for high-pressure industrial applications. Eight new variants allow the 20,000 PSI (1,379 bar) rated connector to be used on larger metric and imperial tubing sizes of 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 25 mm, and 3/4 and 1 inch. This extends the cost savings potential of this innovation from current small bore applications into many new areas such as high pressure hydraulic systems, steam and gas services and supply lines in factories, plants, power stations and ships, and high performance test equipment.

New ABL1500 linear air bearing stage has active preload for excellent positioning performance - Aerotech's new ABL1500 air bearing linear positioning stage features active air preload, direct drive zero-cogging servomotors and sub-micron linear encoders for high throughput scanning and inspection applications in semiconductor, data storage, MEMS and other industries dealing with high resolution microstructures.

Expanding industrial computing business - Nematron Europe is expanding its industrial computing business into the Embedded PC Platform sector, with components from board level up to and including integrated systems. The Acrosser Technology Co Partnership is the first relationship in a new Partners Strategy to deliver Embedded PC, Vehicle Computing Platforms and Network Appliance Solutions to the British market.

Innovative electronic transformer reduces energy costs in industrial applications - Europe's largest manufacturer of high efficiency DIN-rail power supplies, PULS, has introduced a new and innovative concept to generate a DC voltage from a 3-phase source. The XT40 family of electronic transformers deliver up to 960W from a lightweight, compact package and is an attractive new method to supply DC motors and other non-critical loads in industrial systems.