New daily for automation professionals! - ISA has a new benefit for ISA members and other readers of their journal InTech -- a daily news service in collaboration with Custom Briefings, called InSide Automation Daily. It is a digest of the most important news reported on automation during the preceding 24 hours selected from thousands of sources by the editors of Custom Briefings. This publication will be delivered via e-mail Monday to Friday mornings. Topics covered will include industry news, product news, economic and technology news, important legislative news, and news about ISA.

Downloadable 2D/3D CAD sensor drawings - Gefran's British site now features downloadable 2D and 3D CAD files for a wide range of its sensors. Users can preview 3D images online with full rotate, zoom and pan controls and select 2D or 3D downloadable files in a wide selection of formats including Edrawings (3D), Iges (3D), Solidworks 2007 (3D), Step (3D), and Autocad (2D).

Free on-site multiparameter gas analysis - Quantitech has launched the world's first truly portable FTIR multicomponent workplace gas analyser and in order to enable prospective users to see the technology for themselves, the company's Dr Andrew Hobson is offering to visit sites and run tests completely free of charge.

Nano tensile testing 0f human hair - Researchers in India have been investigating the nano tensile properties of human hair using an LFPlus single column materials testing machine and NEXYGENPlus control and analysis software from Lloyd Instruments. Using a specially designed winding grip to secure the sample, individual hairs undergo 'pull to break' tests to determine Young's modulus, yield stress and tensile strength.

Torque motors replace gearboxes to cut costs and boost efficiency - The latest range of torque motors from Parker Hannifin, the world's largest manufacturer of motion and control technologies, has been designed to help end users of heavy duty industrial machinery replace traditional motor and gearbox mechanisms with a highly efficient direct drive system. Used in conjunction with their variable speed drives, the new torque motors are intended primarily for use with plastics and rubber extrusion machines, and with injection moulding, mixing, crushing and winding equipment; in each case, the new motors can help to reduce energy and maintenance costs, thereby improving productivity and profitability, and provide greater reliability and overall levels of performance.

IR over IP - The Keene IR anywhere modules are designed to make use of TCP/IP networks to pass remote control information. Typically they enable a PC or operator to control a remote Set Top Box or DVD. They do this by receiving the IR control signals and relaying them via the LAN to the Set Top Box where the network signal is converted back to IR. They can operate across local networks, and also across the internet assuming firewalls and routers are correctly configured.

All you ever needed to ask about flow and were afraid to ask! - See the October issue of Flow Times from Jesse Yoder of Flow Research and keep up to date with latest developments. And for comment on current automation and world affairs look at Jim Pinto's end of Sept commentary!.

Programmable Controllers, 4th Edition by Thomas A. Hughes, teaches the fundamental principles of programmable controllers for process and machine control in a clear and concise manner. ISBN: 978-1-55617-899-3 The Road to Integration: A Guide to Applying the ISA-95 Standard in Manufacturing by Bianca Scholten, covers the applications for ISA95 in manufacturing enterprise systems (MES) and vertical integration projects, as well as reveals the most important ISA95 models and terminology. ISBN: 978-09792343-8-5 Publisher:ISA

Major user conference at Alton Towers - Wonderware Ireland and Wonderware UK, both part of SolutionsPT Ltd, who market and support the world's leading range of industrial automation and manufacturing execution and technology products in Ireland and Britain, have just announced an impressive line up of keynote and general session speakers for Xchange 2008 - a major residential user conference and industry networking event to be held at the Alton Towers Conference Centre 4th and 5th November 2008.
Wonderware support the Signpost with a banner on our Home Page

What's going on in the Engineering mind? - If you thought that engineers have a warped sense of humour maybe you're right! An Engineering Mind from Todd who tells us he works on LabVIEW graphical programing software at National Instruments - and who are we to doubt him! It features many items including videos which poke fun at CERN, give dating advice for engineers, and sometimes have a few rants...smile and enjoy!
See our News Groups and Blogs page for more blogs - some of which are serious!.

Web site offers new capabilities to check distributor stock and request quotes - Vishay Intertechnology has announced today that its web site has new capabilities for checking product inventory and generating quotes. These capabilities are available via the "Check Distributor Stock" function located directly on the home page.

Rodless pneumatic cylinder with accurate mid stroke positioning - Hoerbiger-Origa has introduced a range of intermediate stop modules to compliment its heavy duty, precision guided rodless pneumatic cylinder. Designated the ZSM the module enables precise intermediate positioning of the guide carriage at any desired point along the stroke of the cylinder, using simple pneumatic technology.

Wide range of capabilities for temperature control or weighing applications - GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, a unit of GE Enterprise Solutions, has introduced a new module for its popular VersaMax Micro controller that offers productivity and flexibility in a cost effective solution. The new VersaMax Micro Thermocouple (Type K, J, E, S, T, B or N)/Millivolt (-/+ 50mV or 100mV) Expansion module can be used in a wide range of temperature monitoring and controlling, as well as weighing applications.

Collaboration on WiMAX toolkit - National Instruments has announced its collaboration with WisyTech, a wireless systems specialty spin-off of Italy's National Research Council and Politecnico di Milano and partnership with ATE integrator Alfautomazione, on a forthcoming WiMAX toolkit for the NI LabVIEW graphical system design platform. The plug-in toolkit extends the ease-of-use of LabVIEW graphical programming to engineers and scientists developing WiMAX RF compliant devices, semiconductors, base stations and customer premises equipment.
See our Wireless Page

Triaxial accelerometer is tough and sensitive - TRIAXIAL ACCELEROMETER IS TOUGH & SENSITIVE The Type 8765A miniature triaxial accelerometer from Kistler Instruments is designed for industrial environments at temperatures from -55°C to 165°C and acceleration of +/-250g with minimal sensitivity variation due to temperature. The triaxial design allows shock and vibration measurements in three orthogonal axis using the PiezoStar sensing element and integrated high-gain hybrid electronics in a hermetically sealed titanium case. Suitable for applications requiring a combination of rugged construction, high temperature capability and long-term reliability, it is only 15 mm square and 8.6 mm high and weighs only 6.4 grams.

Integrated cyber security solutions enhance functionality - Kepware Technologies has partnered with Industrial Defender to deliver comprehensive, integrated cyber security technology for use with KEPServerEX. In joining the Industrial Defender Enabled Partner Program, Kepware will strengthen the cyber security posture of its automation control system technology by delivering functionality to monitor, alert and defend automation systems from compromise due to cyber security vulnerabilities and attacks.
See our Cyber Safe Page.

Right-First-Time' acetylene bottle filling - PlantWeb® digital plant architecture with Foundation™ fieldbus reduces annual cost by €300,000 and improves production efficiency by 30 per cent at SABIC Europe B.V. Emerson Process Management's digital plant architecture has enabled SABIC Europe B.V, part of the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), to gain tighter control of acetylene production at its Geleen (NL) plant thereby reducing annual costs by €300,000, increasing throughput and plant availability, and improving efficiency by 30%.

Instrument Platform that Provides Industry,s Fastest, Easiest I-V Characterization - Keithley Instruments has announced its Series 2600A System SourceMeter® Instrument family. They provide unmatched ease-of-use, measurement performance, and flexibility in order to speed time-to-market for its users, lower cost of test, and simplify the process of making high performance measurements.
For more information on the Series 2600A System SourceMeter Instruments, visit their audio/visual presentation.

Temperature Measurement in Insulated Pipes - With the TB-Fix, Baumer's product segment Process Instrumentation offers a clamp-on bimetal thermometer suitable for temperature measurements of liquids and gases in insulated pipes with maximal 2 inches diameter. The thermometer is especially suitable for heating, ventilation and air-condition. It is able to measure a temperature range from -20°C to up to 160°C.

Remote-control power supplies are web enabled - The New PL-P series of high performance DC power supplies from TTi offers a wide range of remote-control interfaces as standard.

Security key products for RJ45 connector modules - A new range of security key accessories for RJ45 modular jack connectors has been introduced by the AMP NETCONNECT. The new products, which include plugs, jacks and patch cords (with locks at both ends), are designed to physically prevent the use of all RJ45 module jacks without the correct key. This solution has high impact as a form of visual security and contributes to increased security awareness among staff.

First obsolescence-proof GPU in a PCI express mezzanine card (XMC) - Quantum3D has announced the availability of Sentiris AV1. The Sentiris AV1 PCI Express Mezzanine Card (XMC) was conceived to address the ongoing needs of high safety- and security-critical applications such as primary flight instrumentation and multi-level security (MLS) systems.

High voltage battery stack monitor supports hybrid/electric vehicles & battery backup systems - Linear Technology has announced the LTC6802, a highly integrated multicell battery monitoring IC capable of measuring up to 12 individual battery cells. The device's proprietary design allows multiple LTC6802s to be stacked in series without optocouplers or isolators, for precision voltage monitoring of every cell in long strings of series-connected batteries. Long battery strings enable high power, rechargeable applications, such as electric and hybrid electric vehicles, scooters, motorcycles, golf carts, wheelchairs, boats, forklifts, robotics, portable medical equipment, and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems.

Where's PAT? A Control Marketing Intelligence Report on Process Analyser Technology.

SCADA systems for the oil & gas industry to reach $1.3B - The far-reaching impact of new technologies and quantum change in the way companies are restructuring and streamlining business processes are transforming the global Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) market. The world-wide market for SCADA Systems for the Oil & Gas industry is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.3% over the next five years. The market was nearly $850 million in 2007 and is forecasted to be over $1.3 billion in 2012, according to a new ARC Advisory Group study: SCADA Systems Worldwide Outlook for the Oil & Gas Industry.

Globalisation and emerging economies drives GMC market growth - Robust investments in manufacturing industries pushed General Motion Control (GMC) market growth worldwide in 2007. While economic expansion is expected to continue, future growth will be at a slower pace. The worldwide market for GMCs is expected to grow at a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.7% over the next five years. The GMC market reached nearly $6.0 billion in 2007 and is forecasted to grow to over $8.2 billion in 2012, according to another ARC Advisory Group study: General Motion Control Worldwide Outlook.

24-port Gigabit Ethernet Switch Board for VMEbus based systems - Concurrent Technologies have announced their latest Gigabit Ethernet switch board, the FP 210/024, to operate alongside their range of VMEbus based single board computers. The FP 210/024 is an "unmanaged" embedded Ethernet switching platform that provides a low cost, low power, switching solution for integrators. Typically consuming less than 20 Watts, it offers twenty-four 10/100/1000Mbps auto-negotiating Ethernet ports, twelve accessible via the VMEbus P2 I/O connector and up to twelve via the front panel with the option for two being optical.

Reliable biodiesel analysis - Thermo Fisher Scientific has incorporated unique capabilities in the iCAP 6000 Series of ICP emission spectrometers to achieve dependable monitoring of elemental contaminants in biodiesel. The dedicated radial plasma view configuration of the system provides enhanced analytical capabilities for important elements such as sulfur and phosphorus while the enhanced matrix tolerance (EMT) torch and swing frequency RF generator easily handle organic matrix samples and ensures improved stability.

More memory, more power, more freedom - COPA-DATA has long recognized the potential of Windows CE - and supported the operating system since version 2.0 in 1998. zenon users profit today from COPA-DATA's years of experience. zenon is a hardware independent product that can be embedded in a device and can also be part of a network. zenon uses a single common editor for all applications. Users make savings, particularly for engineering and maintenance tasks.
The new power of Windows CE 6.0 enables COPA-DATA to include features for CE devices that engineers and zenon users have long wished for. To make sure the users can fully use the power of CE 6.0 COPA-DATA has doubled the maximum number of variables when using Windows CE 6.0 to 4096 tags.

4-wire intelligent analysers with advanced digital communications capability - Emerson Process Management has two new versions of its Rosemount® Analytical Model 1056 analyser. The new Model 1056-HT and 1056-DP 4-wire, dual-input analysers include complete HART® and Profibus® DP digital communications capability for full operations and maintenance advantages in plants using these digital protocols.

Direct drive positioning stages provide ultra-low speed scanning solution - Aerotech's new ALS130H series linear motor driven positioning stages have been designed for ultra high precision scanning and positioning applications where sub-nanometre level resolution needs to be combined with exceptional smoothness, high traversing speeds and fast acceleration over travel ranges up to 150 mm. The classic two-part stage design outperforms leadscrew driven alternatives with their inherent friction related stick-slip problems and offers a far higher load acceleration force than piezo based positioners.

Streamlined multi-residue pesticide analysis by GC/MS - Thermo Fisher Scientific has a new application note that demonstrates its comprehensive range of offerings for the food safety industry and details its unprecedented performance capabilities in the determination of low concentrations of pesticide residues. The application note details sample preparation methodology and instrumentation guidelines to achieve superior pesticide determination with increased accuracy using the Thermo Scientific ITQ 700 ion-trap mass spectrometer.
The Thermo Scientific application note entitled "Quick Start-Up for a Modified QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) Multi-residue Pesticide Analysis in Lettuce by GC/MSn" is available HERE...

Hold up modules for DC/DC converters - Calex Electronics has announced the availability of a series of hold up modules designed for use with Calex DC/DC converters to protect against brown out and temporary power loss conditions and provide a clean uninterrupted source of power for downstream circuitry. Two models are available: the HU-28, provides a complete turnkey solution for easy design integration, the hold up light HUL-28, requires the use of an external capacitor bank in addition to the HUL module.

Drive technology helps produce 90% energy saving in tube bending applications - The latest servo drives from Parker Hannifin form a vital element in groundbreaking all-electric tube bending machines from Unison. Parker's servo drives are enabling users of these innovative tube bending machines to achieve savings of up to 90% in energy costs in comparison with conventional hydraulic equipment. The all-electric machines are also providing a more accurate, user friendly and cost effective solution, in addition to minimising the environmental impact of tube bending operations.

High speed oscilloscope at low speed price! - The PDS7102 from Audon Electronics is a full-featured 100MHz two-channel bench-top oscilloscope with 8bit resolution, perfect for any Engineer's or Technicians desk. With a large 7.8" 640 x 480 colour LCD, the PDS7102 is small enough and light enough to carry anywhere. With a buffer size of 6K samples, PDS7102 sampling range is 500MSPS with synchronous 8-bit sampling on both channels. Sensitivity range is 5mV/div~5V/div. The USB connection makes printing stored results easy.

ISA95 Manufacturing Enterprise Systems Standards and User Resources 2nd Edition - This is a phenomenal resource, indeed one could be forgiven for calling it a library on disc! With a wealth of information on a single CD, the new ISA95 Manufacturing Enterprise Systems Standards and User Resources, 2nd Edition compiles the essential ISA manufacturing enterprise systems standards, notable technical publications, chapters on "Automation Benefits and Project Justifications," "Project Management and Execution," and "Manufacturing Execution Systems & Business Integration" from the book, A Guide to the Automation Body of Knowledge, 2nd Edition. Also included on the CD are WBF and ISA technical papers on manufacturing execution systems and three complete reference books.
Publisher: ISA ISBN 978193439-4687

Innovative passively cooled enclosure can slash costs of instrumentation and electronics for remote environments -

World First!

Intertec have launched a passively cooled enclosure that exploits a novel phase-change material to maintain the temperature of electronics equipment at 10 degrees lower than peak ambient temperatures. Requiring no power supply to operate, Intertec has produced a standard cooling enclosure with enough internal space to meet common application requirements, such as the pressure transmitters and process analyzers used on oil and gas pipelines running through desert environments. Intertec believes this to be the first application of phase change materials to process instrumentation.

New version SCADA system - Yokogawa Electric Corporation announces the release of version R9.01 of the FAST/TOOLS SCADA system. Preferred by innovative industrial automation users worldwide, this next-generation, platform-independent process management software sets the standard for Operational Excellence and consistently combines great technology with exceptional quality, performance, and ease of use. Thirty years of innovation and project experience in the oil & gas, petrochemical, and power industries have resulted in the most advanced SCADA solution yet one that is designed to meet the latest engineering, visualisation, and ergonomic needs.

Compact MID-compliant energy meter offers fieldbus system for building automation - Carlo Gavazzi's MID-certified and compliant family of energy meters has been enhanced by adding Dupline® Fieldbus capability to the smallest and most powerful MID instrument that enables three-phase direct connection up to 65A and external CT connection up to 10A. This makes the EM24 the only such device on the market fully compatible with a complete and flexible Fieldbus system.

New Technology Innovation Centre and other expansion in Europe - Omron Electronic Components Business Europe (OCB-EU) set out its strategy for sustainable growth in Europe with the opening of a Technical Innovation Centre, with a team of 15 specialists engineers. At the same time, it announced the formation of a new European CSR division and an expansion of its Switch Engineering Centre in Munich (D) as well as its European customer support resources in general.

Baggage traced down under! - Melbourne International airport (AUS) has chosen U.C.ME-OPC as their alarm notification software for better baggage handling. Baggage handling operators are made aware of a stray bag via Citect SCADA and collect the bag themselves or by a click of a button, send a message to the airlines. The prompt message to the appropriate airline enabled the airline to collect the baggage immediately and place it on its designated flight. End result, a happy traveler that collects his/her bag at the other end.

Collaboration on OPC training offerings - ICONICS has announced its collaboration with OPC Training Institute (OPCTI), headquartered in Alberta (CDN) in its OPC training courses as well as ICONICS' selection as a preferred vendor of OPC servers and toolkits.

Discrete Manufacturers Keep Close Eye on Wireless Developments in Process Industries, but Market Growth Prospects Are Farther Out - Manufacturers in the automotive, aerospace, electrical, electronics, machinery, and other discrete industries are closely watching recent wireless developments in the process industries in hope that at least some of the outcome will address their own requirements. Recent process industry developments such as introduction of a wireless version of the HART protocol for process sensors, plus the ISA 100 initiative for wireless process sensing, are of significant interest to discrete manufacturers, but numerous differences between discrete versus process requirements will limit their applicability to discrete manufacturers.
The worldwide market for wireless devices in discrete manufacturing is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.2% over the next five years. The discrete wireless market for ISA SP50 levels 0 through 2 totaled $368.0 million in 2007 and is forecasted to grow to over $780 million in 2012, according to a new ARC Advisory Group study, "Wireless Devices in Discrete Manufacturing Worldwide Outlook".

David W Spitzer's Industrial Flow Measurement presents a rational procedure for flowmeter selection that is based on factual information. Effective flowmeter selection requires a thorough understanding of flowmeter technology in addition to a practical knowledge of the process and the fluid. This book will help experienced engineers, technicians and others evaluate the appropriate criteria rationally to arrive at the proper flowmeter selection. ISBN: 978-1-55617-871-9 Publisher: ISA

Stainless Steel Ultrasonic Sensor with Digital Display - With the level sensor UFAR, Baumer's product segment Process Instrumentation offers a measuring device that precisely and safely detects the level of granulates, pastes and liquids independent of their colour or consistency. It is based on an integrated ultrasonic sensor in a polished stainless steel housing 1.4435 with a G1/2" mounting thread. Additionally, the sensor's sonic transducer is protected by an extremely media-resistant parylene coating.

Third generation radio modules - Low Power Radio Solutions (LPRS) has chosen Electronica as the venue to launch their third generation easy-Radio, ER-03 modules. As well as being back compatible with existing devices, they offer all round increased performance including additional range, frequency selection and higher data rates. Integration into applications has been made even easier. A new USB evaluation kit is also now available. "easy-Radio" to simplify design verification. LPRS's revolutionary "easy-Radio" complete wireless solution includes simple to use software enabling busy design engineers to get wireless products to market in minimal time. No RF experience is required for this "out of the box" wireless communications solution.

Low profile, customer configurable modular power supply range - Also at Electronica, Excelsys Technologies will be showing their high efficiency, low profile, customer configurable modular power supply range at Electronica. Excelsys is a progressive world-class power supply manufacturer providing quality products to OEM equipment manufacturers around the world. Excelsys has achieved this by combining the latest technology, management methods and total customer service philosophy with a 20 year tradition of reliable and innovative switch mode power supply design, manufacture and sales.
Electronica 2008 (11-14/11/2008 - München {D})

Head of the pack! - The 2008 roster of Control Designer's Readers' Choice Award-winning fast companies has grown. Service scores indicate a tune-up might be needed. See whos in the running!

New generation rugged and configurable rotary position sensor - Penny + Giles, designer and manufacturer of high precision position sensors, has launched its most configurable rotary sensor, the SRH500P. The factory programmable sensor, for use in extreme environments, gives OEMs a wide selection of parameters so the sensor can be configured to suit their individual needs.

ISA-88 Batch Standards and User Resources - A wealth of information on one CD-ROM, the new ISA-88 Batch Standards and User Resources compiles the essential ISA batch systems standards, reference books, and other important information (e.g., technical papers) for the industrial automation and control systems professional.

Rack-mount managed Ethernet switches - Sixnet has introduced the new EK Series of rack-mount industrial Ethernet managed switches offered in 26 port (EK26) and 32 port (EK32) models. These switches are truly industrial rated and designed to meet the requirements of power substations (IEC 61850 / IEEE 1613), traffic control (NEMA TS2), railway applications (EN 50121-4), maritime (ABS/DNV/GL) and more. The rugged and compact 1U rack-mount packaging fits into standard EIA, WECO and ETSI racks from 19" to 24".

1. Video Process Monitoring A white paper by Steve Rubin, president of Longwatch, which discusses the newest trend in HMI/SCADA: Embedding video into an HMI screen. Download here. 2. Controlling the Post-Oil Energy Economy! Bélla Lipták in Control. 3. David Spitzer's e-zine (Sept 2008) 4. Connections for Growth & Success (10/9/2008) Jim Pinto's inimitable e-letter. 5. ARC's Monthly Magazine (Sept'08) - Events, research and industry trends!

Data Acquisition Software - Available from Audon Electronics is a new cut-down version of the popular DAQFactory data acquisition and control package called DAQFactory Starter. It offers all the basic features of an HMI / SCADA software tool including data acquisition from a wide range of devices (limited to 16 I/O points), data logging to ASCII and binary files, three user definable screens with 44 screen components, powerful graphing and trending, plus Email and FTP out.

26.5 GHz PXI synthetic instruments - National Instruments and Phase Matrix have announced the availability of a next-generation, 26.5 GHz synthetic instrument based on the PXI platform for military and commercial RF and microwave applications. Synthetic instrumentation is a subset of virtual instrumentation that combines modular hardware with a software platform to create user-defined test and measurement systems. The new synthetic instrument developed by the companies is based on five new 3U PXI Express-compatible RF/microwave downconverter modules that can operate over a frequency range of 100 kHz to 26.5 GHz.

Best-in-class solution further enhanced with new important machine tool features - GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, a unit of GE Enterprise Solutions, today announced a significant upgrade to Proficy® Machine Tool Efficiency (MTE), its best-in-class solution for connectivity and OEE for machine tools. Proficy MTE is a unique turnkey solution incorporating the most powerful machine tool connectivity solutions available to provide the most comprehensive, actionable root cause analysis. It also provides a suite of remote diagnostic tools to maximize mean-time between failures and minimize mean-time to repair.

Connector for InfiniBand and Ethernet CX-4 copper cabling applications - Meritec and Cinch have announced the release of NX+, their new PCB SMT receptacle connector offering 20Gbps per lane performance (80Gbps for entire 4x connector), which meets the footprint and associated performance requirements of the newly released SFF-8473 specification and its originating SFF-8470 specification. Electrical system performance is enhanced by having less than 2% total crosstalk through-out the entire connector/cabling interconnect. This receptacle is backward compatible with the widely used SFF-8470 cable assemblies and its mechanical mating interfaces.
SFF specs.

Safety and automation system for major Norwegian LNG project - Yokogawa has received an order worth NOK 8M to supply an integrated control, safety and analyser system for the new natural gas liquefaction plant at Risavika, near Stavanger (N).

Australia joins in campaign to help companies around the world save money on utilities - Jekyll Electronic Technology, the Briotish designer and manufacturer of modems for a host of M2M industrial applications has appointed the Australian company, APQP, as a distributor for its product range of industrial modems and the new ELMO-IT energy monitoring and targeting solution.

12-Bit, 1-/2-Channel I2C SAR ADCs Guaranteed up to +125°C - Linear Technology Corporation has introduced a pair of 1-/2-channel 12-bit analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) that communicate via an I2C-compatible 2-wire interface and dissipate just 1.5mW at a 1ksps output rate. Offered in pin-compatible 4mm x 3mm DFN and MSOP packages, the LTC2301 measures a single differential input while the LTC2305 digitizes two single-ended inputs. Both ADCs offer guaranteed specifications over the automotive/H-grade temperature range of -40°C to +125°C in the MSOP package. The LTC2301/LTC2305 are ideal for automotive sensing, power and temperature measurements, as well as space-constrained designs that require I2C communication.

Portable recovery device for reimaging computers in harsh environments - Glacier Computer has developed a portable, easy-to-use thumb-drive USB recovery system for reimageing its GX-Series line of industrial computers. Glacier customers are now able to re-image any forklift or wall-mounted GX-Series computer at its current location in as little as eight minutes.

Eliminating transport damage - TiltWatch, the active damage deterrent system from Lamerholm Electronics has been successfully used by Souters Transport to virtually eliminate damage when shipping expensive diagnostics equipment across the country via United Pallet Network (UPN). TiltWatch is an innovative system that helps to ensure sensitive products are kept in an upright position while being shipped. Souters Transport is a member UPN, one of the leading networks for palletised freight distribution.

Join in celebration! Celebrate the selection of Teledyne Hastings Instruments as a 2008 Innovation Awards Winner for 'Big Ideas in Fluid Handling' by Flow Control Network.

Waterproof panel PCs platform offer wide application options - Trident has strengthened its industrial panel computer portfolio, with the introduction of a new family of waterproof PCs. The FOX-120 and FOX-150 multi-purpose computers from AAEON feature Intel® Celeron® M processors and touch-screen SVGA displays, housed in a waterproof casing that is rated to IP65 on all sides.

Next Generation plug-and-play power source - Excelsys Technologies introduced the XCE 1450W modular power supply. This latest addition to their market leading Xgen family of 1U power supplies measures just 268mm x 127mm and has a peak power output of 1450w at efficiencies up to 90%. Providing power density of 16W/cubic inch the XCE family employs Excelsys innovative Xgen plug &play architecture that allows users to instantly configure a custom power solution in less than 5 minutes.

Novel linear motor X-Y base lowers the cost of building higher-throughput positioning systems - Baldor Electric Company has just launched a ready-engineered linear stepper X-Y positioning base that is capable of dramatically increasing productivity in a wide range of machinery applications. A novel honeycomb-structured composite material used on the base greatly reduces the cost of applying advanced linear motor technology providing machinery builders with a highly competitive alternative to traditional solutions such as rotary motors and ballscrews or belts.

Is this a world record? One hundred and twelve is the number of Kistler pressure sensors fitted to the moulds for the injection moulding of insulin pen components; one each to the 96 cavities and 16 manifolds. The aim is to use cavity pressure monitoring to achieve zero defect production automatically and reliably. With a front diameter of only 1 mm, these pressure sensors (Type 6183A) are the smallest ever used for cavity pressure monitoring. The mould maker adapts the front ends of the sensors to the contours of the cavity wall, using erosion technology to fit both the sensors and the mould inserts. The fitting of such a large number of sensors to a single, complex mould was made possible by using their single-wire technology. This cut-and-grip technique permits the sensor cables to be fitted and removed quickly and easily without any additional tooling. Specially developed high channel, charge amplifiers transmit the measurement data digitally to the Dataflow process analysis system, which offers functions for the visualization, monitoring and documentation of injection moulding processes based on the cavity pressure curve. As with other Kistler systems, Dataflow monitors changes in cavity pressure in all cavities cycle by cycle. Parts that are identified as defective or non-conforming are automatically rejected.

CANopen drives boost CNC platform flexibility and economy - CNC vendor NUM has added a family of single- and dual-axis CANopen drives to its range. The new drives provide economic solutions for positioning requirements on machine tools, extending NUM's high performance CNC control range in a way that helps customers to build machinery with highly optimised and cost-effective units of hardware.

Revolutionary two-wire Coriolis meter - Emerson Process Management has announced the first two-wire Micro Motion® Coriolis meter, expanding the value of Coriolis to the wide range of applications that require loop-powered flow devices. The new Coriolis meters are especially valuable for upgrading older loop-powered technologies to world-leading ELITE® Coriolis meters without adding more power or installing new cabling.

Nuclear power station upgrade - Prosig have been awarded the contract to upgrade the Online Vibration Monitoring System at Wylfa nuclear power station.
Wylfa is located on the north coast of Anglesey (Wales GB) and has two Magnox design nuclear reactors and four turbine generators. The station supplies 23 million kilowatt hours of electricity, enough to meet the needs of two cities the size of Liverpool and Manchester put together.

Budget Ethernet to Serial converters released - The eNET range of Ethernet to Serial converts, available from Audon Electronics, are a simple way of connecting any serial device, whether RS232 or RS485 to a Ethernet network. They feature a simple setup procedure, ease of operation and automatic network recovery. Supplied with Programming examples and Virtual Serial Port software, to seamlessly add serial ports to your Network.

Toolbar Provides Quick Access to Inventory, Information and More - Designed with engineers, purchasing agents and electronic enthusiasts in mind, the new Digi-Key Toolbar provides quick access to Digi-Key's vast inventory, product information, training and more - all just a click away and conveniently available in the user's favorite browser.

2 renowned European business professionals will deliver keynotes at this year's European WBF Conference - The opening keynote address on Tuesday, November 10, will be delivered by Kurt Werckx, Manager of the Business Export Group at Janssen Pharmaceutica in Belgium. In his keynote address, "Approach to a single MES strategy within a global environment," Werckx will discuss the major steps and deliverables for a single MES strategy within a global environment.
Wednesday's keynote speaker is Arne Svendsen, Head of Manufacturing Services & Automation at Arla Foods Global IT (GBSIT). Svendsen will present his case study, "Bringing Business and Manufacturing-IT Together," and show attendees how Arla Foods Global managed to successfully integrate the best IT-tools to optimize their world.
The Forum for Automation and Manufacturing Professionals, Barcelona (ES), 10-12 Nov, 2008.

Smart camera family - National Instruments has announced

Networking Technologies Ken Larson of ControlGlobal, discusses this topic in another Control Futures netcast!

the extension of its NI Smart Camera product line with the introduction of three new products. The NI 1744, NI 1762 and NI 1764 Smart Cameras deliver faster processing speed and higher image resolution to offer more powerful options for engineers requiring an embedded machine vision solution.

Single test system for entire life cycles - Setcom wireless announced its S-CORE conformance and research test environment for LTE (Long Term Evolution) protocol testing and monitoring. S-CORE is an innovative protocol tester for LTE signaling designed from the ground up to be easy to use, provide clearer diagnostic information, and leverage off-the-shelf hardware to reduce capital expense. Unlike other LTE solutions, S-CORE encompasses both R&D and conformance testing of all LTE signalling layers in one complete test system.

Check valves and more - MeasureIT have information and application examples in their latest e-newsletter.
MeasureIT support the Instrumentation Signpost by advertising on our Home Page

Range of HPLC columns expanded for increased productivity and faster analyses - Thermo Fisher Scientific has launched two new additions to its flagship range of Hypersil GOLD HPLC columns. Further extending its already extensive range, the Thermo Scientific Hypersil GOLD columns, packed with 1.9μm particles, are now available in two new dimensions. Designed to increase productivity for users in HPLC and Fast LC analyses, these new additions are ideal for rapid quantitative separations.

Are You Gambling with Your Sightglass? Andrew Obertanec of LJ Star, discusses selection strategies for when failure is not an option. Sightglasses are sometimes called "the weakest link" in a processing system because of the fragility of the glass. Actually, that's not necessarily true. A sightglass need not be a weak link in a processing system because glass, when uniquely designed, is not necessarily fragile. (Flow Control Magazine)

New videographic recorder - With the "Graphic Data Manager" Memograph M Endress+Hauser presents its new videographic 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.

RTD and Thermocouple modules deliver advanced diagnostics to process industries - GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, a unit of GE Enterprise Solutions, has announced the availability of two new modules for its popular PACSystems RX3i that reduce downtime, provide high resolution for improved process control and high performance sampling of data to improve throughput.

Solid state relays now offer a clear plastic cover accepting larger size wire terminals while reducing the overall height of the relay - Crouzet Solid State Relays have launched the improved GN series of solid state relays. Complying with the IEC IP20 touch safe regulation, the GN series now offer a clear plastic cover accepting larger size wire terminals suitable for up to #6 AWG wire and featuring an unrestricted view of wire installation. The overall height of the relay has also been reduced by 2 mm. Crouzet GN series solid state relays complying with the IEC IP00 regulation feature the same improvements as the IP20 versions, but without the clear IP20 protective cover.

TOC demo CD Available at show! - Analytik Jena will have a firm focus on TOC analysis at the WWEM show (5/6 Nov'08). The Multi N/C 2100 catalytic combustion analyser is on show for fully automatic determination of bound carbon (TIC/TOC, TC, NPOC, POC) and/or total nitrogen (TNb) from liquid or solid samples.
Visitors to the stand can collect a demonstration disk which covers the full capabilities of the Analytik Jena TOC instrument range, details of TOC application notes and other publications as well as a video of the Multi N/C in action. This disk is only available to visitors to the stand.

System for atomic spectrometry launched - Lambda Advanced Technology has a the new 'speedwave four' microwave digestion system from Berghof. Featuring Berghof's unique contact-free temperature measurement system and patented contact-free pressure measurement system for all of the sample vessels, the speedwave four also has a new controller which includes network compatibility via an Ethernet interface.

Key part of total cross-factory standardization of equipment, processes, and information management - Aegis Software tells us that Catalyst Manufacturing Services (NY US), has standardized on the entire Aegis Operations Planning, Execution, and Analysis system across their multi-factory enterprise.

High sensitivity dual line scan cameras line expanded - Firstsight Vision has extended its portfolio of high sensitivity dual linescan cameras with the addition of a 4096 pixel resolution version of the popular DALSA Spyder camera. The Camera Link configuration of the 4K Spyder 3 CL allows easy integration into existing systems and it can be used for industrial metrology, print, food, web and material inspection and container inspection applications.