PID Automation symbols on disk -

ISA 5.1-1984 (R1992) Instrumentation Symbols and Identification ISA 5.2-1976 (R1992) Binary Logic Diagrams for Process Operations

ISA 5.3-1983 Graphic Symbols for Distributed Control/Shared Display Instrumentation, Logic and Computer Systems ISA 5.4-1991 Instrument Loop Diagrams

If you work with these ISA standards then this CD-ROM is an incredibly helpful resource! Symbols are converted to clip art format and furnished in .DWG, .WMP, and .DXF file formats, allowing them to be easily employed with Visio, AutoCAD, and most other CAD software platforms, plus many other software applications including word processing and spreadsheet programs.

New low flow-rate sensor in FDA-approved materials - Gems Sensors & Controls has launched the new TurboFlow FT-330 series of low-cost, highly accurate turbine flow rate sensors for drinking water dispensing applications. The FT-330 is an OEM flow sensor featuring proven Hall-effect turbine technology in a small package for years of dependable, worry-free service. All wetted parts are made from FDA-approved materials including Noryl, polyamide or nylon composite, Delrin (Polyoxymethylene (POM)) and 316 stainless steel.

Framework agreement improves efficiency and reduces monitoring costs - Yorkshire Water Services and Hach Lange signed a Framework Agreement in August 2007 and now that this has been in place for over a year, both companies are reporting significant benefits from the collaboration.
The agreement is for the design, supply, installation, training, testing and commissioning of water monitoring instrumentation for the environmental business unit, including the Solitax suspended solids sensor, the LDO dissolved oxygen probe, the Sonatax sludge level detector and associated controllers.

New generation of Modbus data gateways - Advantech's advanced EKI-1220 Modbus data gateway series, featuring fast 1, 2 or 4 RS-232/422/485 serial ports with 2 x Ethernet ports. EKI-1221, EKI-1222 and EKI-1224 Modbus data gateways support Modbus RTU/ASCII master and slave modes simultaneously, with high speed data transfer rates and dual LAN redundancy, providing the most modern and reliable Modbus Data gateways available.

Primary standard for pressure testing - The PK II Pneumatic Deadweight Tester from AMETEK Calibration Instruments is a primary standard that is one of the most accurate portable pressure testers in the world. Suitable for use in the laboratory or the field, the PK II can be used in batch production of pressure transducers, fiscal metering in the oil and gas industry. Using no electricity, water or oil in the measurement process, it is particularly well suited to applications in hazardous areas.

Test specs provide compliance verification - The HART® Communication Protocol Slave Test Specifications updated to the HART 7 standard provide standardized test plans to verify the compliance of HART products, to assist developers in producing a quality product and to ensure that the product will meet HCF compliance registration requirements. Developed by member company experts and the HART Communication Foundation staff, the HART 7 Test Specifications have been approved by HCF member companies.

Wireless Technology in factory automation - Frost & & Sullivan will host a free telephone and web briefing on Thursday, 6 November 2008 at 15.00 GMT (16:00pm CET/10:00am EST/9:00am CST) to provide industry participants with an overview of Wireless Technology entitled Is Wireless Technology Robust for Factory Automation?.

Tiny drive punches above its weight - The new D700 inverter range will bring new confidence to buyers, installers and operators of variable speed drives. Developed by the world's largest inverter manufacturer, Mitsubishi Electric, the new drive was developed from the highly successful 500 series range and incorporates many features of the innovative 700 series inverters.

Digital v Analogue! David Spitzer is an acknowledged expert in the field of flow measurement. In this article from FlowControl Newsletter, he discusses Digital vs. Analog Signal Transmission looking at Key considerations for flow measurement systems design!

17% growth in revenue at automation company - It is nice to have some positive financial news in these bearish times. National Instruments has just reported record quarterly revenue of $215 million, up 17 percent year-over-year, in the third quarter of 2008. This was above the midpoint of NI's guidance of between $208 million and $218 million.

Back to the future? - Shari L.S. Worthington of Telesian Technology in their ever-interesting News and Notes has written an interesting critique on a book she read recently. It might be useful to read it in these times when the whole basis of modern financial existance seems to be crumbling about our ears. Most strategy books require you to, at some point, make assumptions about how the future will unfold. The Strategy Paradox breaks from the pack by admitting, "Most strategies are built on specific beliefs about the future. Unfortunately, the future is deeply unpredictable. Worse, the requirements of breakthrough success demand implementing strategy in ways that make it impossible to adapt should the future not turn out as expected."
And if you didn't believe all this take a look into one possible future America and plan for that!

The first 3D thermal imaging software plus an in-depth training package FREE - Fluke now includes free with all Thermal Imagers a new, easier-to-use, version of its SmartView™ software, featuring the first 3D imaging capability in the industry and new options for optimising and organising thermal images and creating professional reports, as well as a valuable, in-depth training programme. The latest Fluke thermal imagers, including the Fluke Ti25, Fluke Ti10, Fluke TiR1 and Fluke TiR, deliver more durability and performance at a lower price than ever before, bringing the benefits of thermography to the toolboxes of everyday technicians and contractors across a wide range of industries.

Industrial routers offer remote connectivity to Ethernet and RS-232 networks/devices - Westermo Data Communications has released two industrial routers that enable secure high speed connectivity to Ethernet and RS-232 systems and devices that are either mobile or remote from the control room. Remote access removes the need for visits to remote sites to take manual readings, diagnose problems or recalibrate instruments. This reduces operational costs associated with the cost of travel and time spent away from the main site, as well as reducing the associated environmental impact.

Gas analysis co-operation - Servomex is supporting Air Liquide, a global manufacturer of industrial and medical gases. They are to supply to analyser plants for Air Liquide's operations worldwide, with the Servomex team applying its products and expertise to ensure the air separation production processes run to their optimum capabilities across a large number of sites.

Exceptional optical performance in a compact form factor - Hitachi Europe Displays Group has announced the introduction of a new high performance 5.0" VGA TFT display module the TX13D03VM1CAA. The transmissive display module provides VGA (640 x 480 pixels) resolution, exceptional optical performance and many integrated features. A long life, high brightness LED backlight yields a brightness of 600cd/m", excellent display uniformity and a contrast ratio of 400:1.

SIF bus paper now available - The Fieldbus Foundation has a new white paper on FOUNDATION™ Safety Instrumented Functions (SIF) available from its website. Authored by the ARC Advisory Group, this paper describes the implications of FOUNDATION SIF (FF-SIF) technology for the global plant safety system market and end users.
It may also be found on the ARC site (Site search for "SIF")

New demo and support centre in Munich - Seica SpA has opened a new customer demo and support centre in Munich, (D). ATE equipment is installed for demos, education and support for their German, Austrian and Swiss clients.

Mixed-signal oscilloscope family offers exceptional price/performance specification plus ease of use - The new Yokogawa DLM2000 Series is a new family of mixed-signal oscilloscopes (MSOs) that represent a major step forward in terms of price/performance specification and ease of use.

Expanding high-speed digitiser product line - National Instruments has announced the expansion of its digitiser product line with the introduction of three new digitisers/PC-based oscilloscopes. The 500 MHz NI PXI-5153 and NI PCI-5153 and the 1 GHz NI PCI-5154 modules round out the NI 515x series of digitisers, following the introduction of the NI PXI-5154 in July. With the NI 515x series, engineers can take advantage of a complete line of high-speed digitisers - with 300 MHz, 500 MHz and 1 GHz bandwidths - for demanding automated test and streaming applications where high-bandwidth measurements are required.

Extended range antenna that expands the reach of smart wireless networks - Emerson Process Management has expanded its Smart Wireless solutions with the release of the Extended Range Antenna, available on Rosemount® 3051S, 648, and 702 transmitters with WirelessHART™ output. Nodes on self-organizing network can be up to one-half mile apart.
See our Wireless Page.

Push-pull connector for harsh industrial environments - The new Han® PushPull SCRJ connector is designed to ease the integration of SCRJ fibre-optic cabling with standard push-pull connector configurations in harsh industrial environments.

RF Communications toolkit software to provide both signal generation and analysis - Keithley Instruments has expanded its powerful SignalMeister™ software platform to now include RF signal analysis along with RF signal generation. First introduced in 2007, SignalMeister software is now the only software package on the market that integrates signal generation and analysis into one package for unmatched speed and simplicity. Furthermore, SignalMeister now has the capability of generating and analyzing both single-input single-output (SISO) and multiple-input multiple-output MIMO signals in the same environment.

Torque motors cut energy costs and eliminate vibration in new generation of extruders - The latest high performance torque motors and variable speed drives, from Parker Hannifin, the global leader in motion and control technologies, are playing an important role in a new and innovative range of extruders. Manufactured by Italian plastics machinery company, Ghioldi, the new extruders use Parker direct drive technology to offer significant reductions in energy consumption and also to minimise vibrations that can affect the quality of finished parts.

Dramatic improvements to static-analysis engine - GrammaTech has announced that CodeSonar 3.3 Enterprise is dramatically faster than its predecessor. In addition to improved performance, a richer API makes it easier for users to add a wide variety of custom checkers. It is also easier to visualize trends in software quality-management-level reports and custom charting features have been refined.

New software radio PMC module features industry's latest 16-bit 200 MHz A/Ds - Pentek has introduced its Model 7153 digital down converter (DDC), a four-channel, high-speed digitizer PMC module designed for processing baseband RF or IF signals from a communications receiver. This is the only available product of its kind that employs the new ADS5485 A/D Converter just released by Texas Instruments.

Drivers and OPC servers expanded - - Kepware Technologies tells us that GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, based in Charlottesville (VA US), has entered into a resale agreement with Kepware, to expand their drivers and OPC servers offering for the Proficy HMI/SCADA - iFIX and Proficy HMI/SCADA - CIMPLICITY products. The agreement allows GE Fanuc's customers an added option of using all of Kepware's protocols for their HMI/SCADA solutions. In addition, GE Fanuc is "Connected with Kepware" as a VEP (Vendor Endorsed Protocol) Partner, working with Kepware to ensure Kepware offers the best GE Fanuc connectivity in the industry.

Wireless products prevent breakdowns and lost production on rotating reactor down under! - Emerson Process Management's Smart Wireless instruments mounted on a rotating reactor at Coogee Chemical Company, Kwinana (AUS), are credited with delivering reliable pressure and temperature measurements to prevent frequent reactor breakdowns and lost production time. Control of the process and product quality are greatly improved as a result, and productivity has increased substantially since the wireless instruments were installed in late 2007, according to Noel Shrubsall, electrical project officer at the plant.

control system contract for large coal-fired power plant in India - Yokogawa India Limited has received a contract from Aravali Power Company ( APCPL) to supply an automation and control system for the Indira Gandhi Super Thermal Power Plant Project in Haryana state, northern India. When completed, this thermal power plant will generate 1500 MW, making it the largest power station in Haryana state. The first of its three 500 MW units is planned to start operation in October 2010.

Intelligent step motors suited for multi-axis applications - Technosoft's IS23x-MA Intelligent Step Motors, based on the MotionChip™ DSP Control Technology, is specially adapted to distributed motion control applications with integrated intelligence.

Manual optical mounts - Aerotech has now added manual optical mounts to its Fast Delivery Service guaranteeing a 5-day turnaround for urgent orders with no extra costs incurred.

Practical Thermocouple Thermometry by T.W. Kerlin, Published by ISA Though millions of thermocouples are used by process industries throughout the world, the basic principles of thermocouple thermometry are often not well understood by the people who install and operate them. Using a hands-on approach, readers of this volume, in just a few days, will learn to effectively select, install, and utilise thermocouple devices.

New graphical configuration tool to reduce development time for embedded systems - Nohau UK has announced the availability of an advanced editor and table generator for configuring the ARM® memory management unit (MMU). The MMU Table Editor and Generator (MTEG) from Quadros, allows the developer to specify the properties of the process spaces in an easy-to-use, graphical interface and eliminates the need for the embedded developer to master the underlying technology of the ARM MMU in order to use it.

Significant expansion of control valve factory - Emerson Process Management has completed a significant expansion of the manufacturing capabilities at its control valve manufacturing plant located at Cernay (F). The investment will enable Emerson to meet increasing demand for its Fisher® control valve ranges, in particular for the larger sizes and for special valves such as those used on turbine bypass or anti surge applications. The European market for valves has increased consistently over the last three years and the output of the Cernay factory has doubled over the same period.

Torque about improving handling accuracy - Dry bulk handling is en route to becoming a precision science with a level of control previously undreamt of, thanks to 20 years of research and development into digital non-contact torque monitoring. It is following many other industrial processes that have been redeveloped from a 'black art' to a highly accurate and controlled procedure.

Motion control network provides simple system-building platform for unique winding machine - The Ethernet-compatible Powerlink motion control network is helping Carbo-Link (CH) to create carbon fibre components for challenging applications such as rigging for racing yachts. The company has used a compatible controller and drives from Baldor to build a machine that winds carbon fibres to form lightweight yet ultra-strong tubes or rods of up to 14 metres in length. The machine has proved so successful that the company is now building a 50 metre long version to support a much broader range of applications.

Real world interfaces for distributeted data systems at an "unbeatable price!" - SixNet tells us that the IPm2m® RTU and Datalogger giving a competitive edge with real-time information anytime and anywhere allowing fast, cost-effect decisions at an unbeatable price. This is an innovative combination of RTU (Remote Terminal Unit), datalogger, and telemetry interface in a compact installation-ready package. They have bundled 30 years of I/O technology innovation into this upscale, highly capable product.

Water quality panel for continuous online monitoring of drinking water applications in network monitoring and protection of supply - Analytical Technology (ATi) has an innovative Q45WQ Water Quality Panel. This flexible system allows constant on-line monitoring of any remaining disinfectant and up to 6 other parameters in water distribution systems and moveable water treatment facilities. Without the need for expensive chemicals, reagents or buffers, the Q45WQ Water Quality Panel can be used to identify possible contaminants in the water supply, providing reliable measurements of finished water quality.

Cooperation on environmental legislation - At an official ceremony in Brussels recently, EU healthcare trade association COCIR and environmental consultancy ENVIRON signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on environmental policy. Building on previous initiatives on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) Directives, ENVIRON and COCIR are now expanding their partnership to the Energy Using Products Directive (EuP) and the REACH and RoHS compliance. In particular, REACH substance declaration requirements are placing increasing pressure on the electronics supply chain to disclose information on hazardous substance.
BomCheckis a highly important online resource that has been created to radically simplify compliance with REACH requirements for component suppliers and equipment manufacturers.

Self-organizing wireless network proves easy to install and highly reliable in crowded metal wellhead environment of onshore oil field - Emerson Process Management has successfully applied its Smart Wireless self-organizing field network to monitor wellhead annular pressure at BP's Wytch Farm onshore oilfield. Wytch Farm is Western Europe's largest onshore oilfield, comprising three separate oil reservoirs that lie under Poole Harbour and Poole Bay in Dorset (GB).

RF test systems helps ramp femtocell production - Keithley Instruments' award-winning RF test solutions, including the Series 2800 RF Vector Signal Analyzers and Series 2900 RF Vector Generators, are established in production with Ubiquisys, Ltd., a leading developer of 3G femtocells. Ubiquisys has been using Keithley,s RF test solutions as it ramps its femtocell production at Sony UK Tech.
Wikipedia tells us what femtocells are!

Increased functionality to help manufacturers achieve prrocess understanding and improve operations - GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms has announced the launch of Proficy® RX 2.0, a component of the company,s Proficy software suite for production management. Proficy RX 2.0 is a key application for Process Analytical Technology (PAT) deployments that can help Life Sciences companies gain a better understanding of their processes and the variability that affects them.

Robust safety pressure gauges for the oil industry - For the use under difficult conditions on oil fields and in refineries, Baumer's Process Instrumentation unit has developed a range of special safety pressure gauges. Sensing elements made of stainless steel or Monel as well as polypropylene or phenolic cases reliably protect the devices against aggressive substances.

Show successes bode well for organisers - Trade show organiser Canon Communications reports an unprecedented level of success in increased visitor numbers to its series of advanced manufacturing exhibitions organised this year throughout Europe and the Far East. "Audience figures at our events this year have bucked the falling attendance trend that has affected some business-to-business trade shows," said Mark Temple-Smith, Canon's Event Director for Europe and Asia. See our annual review of mtec and associated exhibitions.

30% increase in visitors to its Advanced Manufacturing UK event 2008 in Birmingham (GB) - which included mtec 9% increase in visitors to its MEDTEC Ireland show for medical device manufacturers - Galway (IRL) 10% increase in visitors to the equivalent show - MEDTEC China - Shanghai (CN) 6% increase in visitors to the flagship MEDTEC event - MEDTEC Europe - Stuttgart (D)

New 3-way valve to improve temperature control - Emerson Process Management has released the Fisher® GX 3-way control valve and actuator system. The new GX 3-way has the ability to accurately control the temperature of water, oils, steam, and other industrial fluids. Applications include heat exchangers and lubricating skids

Wireless network monitors eye wash and safety shower stations to improve safety - Boise has enhanced safety response capability at its paper mill in St. Helens, (OR US), by implementing Smart Wireless products from Emerson Process Management to monitor its eye wash and safety shower stations.
When one of the eight eye wash or safety shower stations at the mill is turned on, Emerson's Rosemount® wireless discrete transmitters in the self-organizing Smart Wireless field network immediately communicate with the mill's operating system to activate an alarm in the facility's control room. This allows operators to quickly dispatch assistance to the station and investigate for possible injuries.

Reading a P&ID A self-study workbook offering a concise course on how to read and understand Piping and Instrumentation Drawings (P&IDs). These drawings, also known as Process and Instrumentation Diagrams, or Process and Control Diagrams, are essential to many industrial operations. Reading a P&ID will enable you to: identify symbols and function labels commonly found on P&IDs describe how system components are related trace process stream flow and control loop functions. Lightwave FTTX Direct newsletter Process Control And Instrumentation News IndustrialNetworking e-news

Strategic alliance -

Emerson Process Management and Beamex have formed a strategic alliance that will deliver integrated asset management and calibration in regulated industries. Combining Emerson's industry-leading predictive maintenance application, AMS® Suite: Intelligent Device Manager, with Beamex® CMX Calibration Software will provide users with an enhanced calibration management solution that enables manufactures to comply with industry regulations such as ISO 9001:2000, 21 CFR Part 11, and IEC 61511.

Process analytical technology under scrutiny - The ISA's PAT Conference and Exhibition offers conference topics designed to help those working in the manufacturing environment understand systems for designing, analyzing, and controlling manufacturing through the timely measurement of critical performance attributes of materials and processes to ensure final product quality. The symposium also includes an educational ISA tutorial for those looking to locate and utilise online options to assist them with PAT.

Global distribution agreement - Digi-Key Corporation and RFM announced have entered into a worldwide distribution agreement.Among the broad range of wireless products offered by RFM are OEM RF modules and network devices, including 802.15.4, proprietary and non-proprietary mesh, FHSS, 802.11 b/g; chip-level RFIC and SAW-based short-range radios; and ultra low power RF components, including SAW RF/IF filters, resonators, and frequency control.

Highest specification IR thermal imager available in its price range - Testo has added additional features to its Testo 880 range of infrared thermal imagers. The Testo 880-1 now offers an integrated digital camera and it is now the highest specification thermal imager available within its price range. In addition, all 3 models in the range now offers Automatic Hot/Cold Spot Recognition immediately highlights hot and cold spots in the IR image directly in the display, making on site diagnoses quick and simple and facilitates comprehensive analysis and evaluation of thermograms.

Colorimeter for online colour applications - Ocean Optics has announced its partnership with Admesy to provide the Brontes Colorimeter for colour measurement in online applications.
The Brontes features 5,500 colour measurements per second and 18,000 luminance measurements per second in burst mode. Colour is measured using photodiode sensors and an XYZ interference filter. It has 8 selectable luminance ranges with a lowest luminance level of 0.05cd/m&i78;. Supported colour spaces include XYZ, Yxy, L*a*b*, Y,u'v,, LCH. Also supported are colour temperature and dominant wavelength measurements. The Brontes is especially useful in situations where speed and stability are key demands.

Processing news site redesigned - James Hancock, Sales Director of Processingtalk.com advises us the site has been updated. "I'm sure you'll agree that the new look site is a great improvement," he says. We have been using the site since its inception and there are over 100 links on the Read-out Signpost to it and to various stories published on it over the years.
Editor Nick Denbow says in his informative weekly newsletter, "I hope that you get an idea of one of the most important factors in our thinking: to show off the depth of relevant information content we have available, and to give our readers much clearer signposts to the rest of the site. We hope that this will encourage ever-larger numbers of readers to consult the site stories and enhance our already healthy reader numbers."

Now available in US - For the first time, Toellner's Series 8950 single/dual output arbitrary power supplies are available in the U.S. via Global Test Solutions.

Data analysers - SDA 7 Zi Serial Data Analyzers from La Croy are based on the WavePro 7 Zi Series oscilloscope and are equipped with double the standard memory to capture more unit intervals in the eye diagram. They include an enhanced high-speed serial pattern trigger that operates on up to 80 bit patterns and at speeds up to 2.7 Gb/s. Whether debugging eye pattern failures, or other compliance test failures, the SDA Series has easily accessible tools that rapidly isolate the source of the problem in your design.

Converting LIDAR scans - CG2 Inc part of Quantum3D, has announced that Phase II of its Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) Database Generation Process is nearly complete. The initiative converts LIDAR scans into visual database terrain and models, an activity that includes placement of natural and manmade features, with little or no human interaction.

Development tool - Macraigor Systems and Viosoft Corporation have jointly announced the availability of an integrated development toolkit for the embedded Linux environment on ARM processors. The toolkit consists of Macraigor hardware debug probes and a full-featured version of Viosoft's Arriba Embedded Linux Edition, to enable end-to-end cross-platform development and debug of Linux applications on ARM.

Compact and efficient R&D testing for wireless devices - As wireless services and applications explode worldwide using an ever-increasing range of wireless standards, device developers are desperate to keep up with new and complex testing requirements. Paced by relentless consumer demand, designers continue to pile on more features onto a single platform. Setcom's S-CAT 6010 wireless protocol test system is a revolutionary design approach for wireless device protocol testing.

Scanning head laser systems - Based upon Aerotech's advanced A3200 software-based motion control system with its fully deterministic FireWire® network , the SSaM provides coordinated control of the galvo scanning head, the laser functions and servo-driven linear or rotary positioning stages - effectively extending the scanners field of view for large work areas by removing the need to stitch or join several exposures together and achieving higher throughput speeds plus improved overall accuracy for high speed laser marking, cutting, welding, sealing and ablation applications.

Brass fittings line expanded - Brennan Industries recently introduced its newly expanded line of brass fittings for pneumatic, hydraulic and instrumentation applications. The new line of brass fittings includes over 500 products and continues to grow.

Temperature measurement solutions for use in hazardous locations - Special models of the Raytek Thermalert® TX have been certified by PTB as intrinsically safe according to hazard class EEx ib IIC T4. The TX series of two-wire fixed online infrared sensors is designed for online temperature monitoring of machinery and plant processes.
The Ircon Modline® 5 with Explosion Proof XP Housing has been designed for special Modline 5R sensors and is certified AEx d IIB + H2. The rugged, compact XP housing ensures reliability in severe industrial environments and includes remote interface via the DPM, MSI or Modline 5 Modview software to access sensor settings.
Visit our Safety Page.

Good news! "These may be perilous times for some companies, but good automation companies are looking pretty solid!" So says Michael Babb, editor of Control Engineering Europe decries the media's love affair with gloom and doom in his September editorial and he lists six automation concerns who have reported good news in this period of "recession." Our own Read-out, Ireland's journals of instrumentation, control and automation, headlines good news in the current issue. Today we learn that in the north-west of England following a successful management buy-in last year, Hima-Sella has steadily increased its workforce, from 80 to 101. And Dr. Jeff Dietrich at the ISAEXPO in Houston (TX US) mantained "This is no great depression!." He mantains that "We can make up words that describe anything and not know what anyone is talking about." Let's enjoy the good news, understand that times may be hard but life has not stopped, especially in our discipline!

Servo research points the way to improved dynamics - Research at the University of Manchester (GB) has demonstrated servo systems with vastly improved dynamics with the most challenging of loads. The key to the increased performance is a torque transducer from Sensor Technology employing Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) techniques to deliver high-bandwidth, non-contact solution

Process systems targeted for smaller applications and OEMS - GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms has announced that it has released Proficy® Process Systems in a new 250 I/O size, single-computer offering targeted at smaller applications and OEMs. Proficy Process Systems is a fully-integrated process control system that will provide customers with improved quality and reliability, increased throughput, performance and efficiency, and reduced total cost of ownership.

IC industry new system award - HORIBA Jobin Yvon's unique Auto SE is the winner of the 2008 IC Industry New System Award at Semicon Europa in Dresden (D) earlier this month.
The IC Industry Awards are a recognised platform that allows the semiconductor industry to judge the products and practices serving the industry.

Extended range of cables and assemblies - HARTING has extended its range of interconnection solutions with the introduction of several new standard and customer-specific cables and cable assemblies.

Newsletter - MeasurIT's latest newsletter highlights the backflow protection for a surface water reservoir given by a Waterflex® Check valve.
MeasureIT supports the Signpost with an advert on our Home Page

Former cyber-security director for US Department Of Homeland Security moves - Wurldtech™ Security Technologies has announced that Mr. Perry A. Pederson, former Director for the Control Systems Security Program at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) - National Cyber Security Division (NCSD), has joined the management team as Vice-President of Wurldtech™ Labs, the applied research and cyber threat intelligence division of the company.
See our Cyber-Safe Page

Smart wireless network delivers maintenance savings and prevents unscheduled shut downs in Brazillian plant - Emerson's Smart Wireless network is being used to protect valuable plant assets and avoid unscheduled stoppages at the heavy plate mill in Ipatinga, Brazil, of Usiminas (Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais S.A.), one of the world's top steel producers. Self-organising network of Rosemount® wireless temperature transmitters and a Smart Wireless gateway works reliably to protect assets despite harsh plant conditions

New models feature industrial bus health test - Fluke has added two new models to its range of Colour ScopeMeter®s. As well as an Industrial Bus Health Test capability, the Fluke 225C (200 MHz, 2.5 GS/s) and Fluke 215C (100 MHz, 1 GS/s) include all the features of Fluke's market-leading 199C and 199C Colour ScopeMeters, making these instruments the signal analysis tool of choice for engineers working on electronic and electrical systems.

Power meter range purchased - TTi has extended its range of RF test & measurement products with the purchase of the RF power meter range from Satori Technology.

PID - the terrible secret! The PID Control Loop is one of the fundamental workhorses of the process industries. Day in and day out, millions of PID loops strive to keep processes safe, stable, and profitable. But there is a "secret", known only to control engineers and technicians. Many of these control loops are not properly configured, and the consequences could be devastating. A newly published white paper from ExperTune identifies the most common PID configuration issues, and provides techniques to help plant-based personnel find and fix these issues. Download "The Six Most Common PID Configuration Errors: How to Find and Fix Them", from Expertune

Flexible, high performance 50MHz arbitrary waveform/function generator - Keithley Instruments has introduced the Model 3390 50MHz Arbitrary Waveform/Function Generator, featuring the highest waveform resolution and best price-to-performance value in its class. The Model 3390 is a flexible, easy-to-use programmable signal generator with advanced function, pulse, and arbitrary waveform capabilities. Superior signal integrity, faster rise and fall times, lower noise, and greater waveform memory combine to provide high quality output signals. High resolution waveforms are supported by four times the waveform memory of any competitive waveform generator on the market. Keithley is offering the Model 3390 for a special introductory price.
Nice one! Clicking on the instrument link (Model 3390) above opens a short presentation on the unit!

SIL Safety-related controllers for SUB-SEA use - HIMA has introduced its latest HIMatrix F35 controller for Subsea applications. Together with its Norwegian representative Bjørge Saas System AS, they have developed a HIPPS (High Integrity Pressure Protection System) that monitors excess wellhead pressure and partially isolates pipe pressure by closing off effected pipeline segments. The HIMatrix F35 Subsea controller meets the rigorous demands of the growing subsea market and is one of the first safety-related programmable logic controllers for use at up to SIL 3.

New 15" industrial panel PC with robust design and vibrant colour scheme - HardwarePT has announced the availability of Advantech's versatile new Industrial Panel PC, the IPPC-7157A.

Family of industrial PCs - New Industrial PCs from Pro-face America feature high speed Intel Core Duo CPU, hot swappable drives, integrated Factory Alert System, RAID-enabled backup, and easy-to-use HMI software.

High-performance, deterministic Ethernet hardware - National Instruments has announced a high-performance 8-slot chassis that delivers deterministic expansion I/O to the NI LabVIEW graphical development platform. The new chassis provides high-speed, jitter-free communication for applications such as distributed control, machine building and hardware in the loop.

CANopen book in German language - Die zweite Ausgabe des CANopen-Buches ist beim VDE Verlag (ISBN 978-3-8007-2845-9) erschienen. Das von Holger Zeltwanger herausgebene Buch wurde von den Autoren komplett überarbeitet und vor allem um weitere CANopen-Profil-Beschreibungen erweitert. Das 258-seitige Buch enthält auf einer CD-ROM die derzeit öffentlich verfügbaren CANopen-Spezifikationen. Es kostet €37 einschließlich Mehrwertsteuer.
The 2nd edition of the CANopen book written by several authors and published by the VDE Verlag has been completely revised and enhanced by additional CANopen profile descriptions. The editor, Holger Zeltwanger is the managing director of the CAN in Automation (CiA) international users and manufacturers group. The 258-pages book comes with CD-ROM containing the public available CANopen specifications.

Controller serves needs of complex motion applications - GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms has announced the introduction of its breakthrough motion solution, PACMotion#a. PACMotion is a completely new motion controller designed to serve the high-end needs of complex motion applications. It is part of an integrated motion and machine logic solution with the performance, flexibility and scalability required for advanced machine automation. PACMotion modules control up to four axes plus a master axis, and up to 10 modules can be placed in a PACSystems RX3i rack for simultaneous control of up to 40 axes. Paired with world-class FANUC Servos, it provides an unmatched solution for machine automation.

A first time security solution - For the first time in the history of industrial automation, a security module designed specifically for managing the leading SCADA protocol, Modbus TCP, is commercially available. Byres Security Inc. and MTL Instruments,have just introduced the Tofino™ Modbus TCP Enforcer™ Loadable Security Module (LSM), which performs detailed analysis and filtering of all Modbus TCP messages, and is certified by Modbus-IDA. It allows owners of control and SCADA systems to regulate Modbus network traffic to a level of detail that has never before been possible, thereby increasing network security, reliability and performance of critical systems.
See also our ISA EXPO'08 Review and our Cyber Security page.

New range of chambers for external mounting of process level instrumentation on process vessels - New from Emerson Process Management is a range of high quality chambers which allows external mounting of level measurement and control instrumentation on process vessels.

The original 2-wire guided wave radar concept - It has been 10 years since Magnetrol released the Eclipse Model 705, the first 2-Wire Guided Wave Radar (GWR) level transmitter that measured liquid level, independent of liquid characteristics. No need for calibration, a broad application coverage, ease of configuration and commissioning, integration without piping changes, and enhanced reliability are a few of the reasons for its rapid acceptance in the very conservative oil and gas industries.

Packages allow users to capture event data for quicker time to solution - GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, a unit of GE Enterprise Solutions, has announced the availability of its applied solutions Sequence of Events Recording for PACSystems™. These packages allow users to gain a sustainable advantage by minimising plant downtime and delivering a powerful diagnostic tool that is built on the PACSystems control engine, is easy to deploy, and leverages the enterprise connectivity of Proficy™ Historian.

Laser diffraction particle size analyser - The Partica LA-950V2 Laser Diffraction Particle Size Analyser is the second generation of the revolutionary LA-950 system, retaining the unparalleled measurement performance of the previous version with a number of usability and sampling system upgrades.

High-torque industrial gearboxes come in high-integrity single-piece housings - Nord Drivesystems has extended its family of high-integrity industrial gearbox units, adding a family of high-power models with maximum torque ratings up to 200000 Nm. The new gearboxes employ their proven Unicase concept. The gearbox case is a single piece casting, with all bearing seats integrated and machined in a single process. This optimises strength and eliminates sealing surfaces that could deflect under the effect of torque or radial forces -- minimising the possibility of oil leakage. The resulting high-integrity gearboxes deliver smooth, low noise operation with a long product life.

Water industry solution pack - GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms has announced the release of its vertical solution pack for the Water Industry. The Water Solution Pack 2008 delivers new tools and functionality that drives a sustainable advantage for Proficy® HMI/SCADA AO iFIX customers with the addition of an extensive industry-specific dynamo library, NERC-recommended security features, and tighter integration with OPS Systems, Water/Wastewater reporting software.

Acquisition adds OEM solenoid design and manufacturing capabilities - Curtiss-Wright Controls has acquired Mechetronics Ltd for $2.8 million. Mechetronics develops and supplies solenoids and solenoid valves to industrial markets. The business will be organized under Curtiss-Wright Controls' Integrated Sensing group.

Mass-market femtocell production testing - Keithley Instruments has announced that ip.access, a developer of femtocell and picocell solutions, has purchased Keithley,s award-winning Radio Frequency (RF) test solutions. ip.access has selected Keithley's Series 2800 RF Vector Signal Analyzers and Series 2900 RF Vector Generators as the solution for its production testing of WCDMA femtocell base stations.

ISA100.11a: Half Baked to a Schedule - When you are baking bread, and it isn't done when the timer goes off, you leave it in the oven 'til it is. The same thing happens with standards, through the comment and review process. For example, ISA99 just released for ballot Part 2 of the ISA99 standard, nearly a year after the last set of comments was provided for review. See Walt Boyes's opinion!

Better identifying and analysing design behaviour - s National Instruments (Nasdaq: NATI) has announced further integration of the NI Multisim and LabVIEWplatforms. By integrating the recently released Multisim 10.1 and LabVIEW, engineers can better identify and analyse design behaviour and detect errors at the earliest stages of design. Additionally, with the beta version of the NI LabVIEW Multisim Connectivity Toolkit, engineers can now enhance circuit design.

Point-and-shoot professional-grade laser distance meters - Fluke has introduced two new pocket-size professional-grade laser distance measuring tools that are fast and easy to use. While offering the most advanced measuring technology with buttons positioned for one-handed measurements, addition, subtraction, area, volume and other calculations can all be simply computed on the large displays.

Pressure transmitter with Parylene coating for extreme environments - For the use in seawater or with aggressive media, Baumer's product segment Process Instrumentation offers pressure transmitters with Parylene coating protecting against corrosion and increasing the life cycle of the measuring devices. Especially in applications of over- and underwater shipbuilding, the sensors have to be resistant against seawater.

Cost savings with multi-position measurement displacement sensor - Non-contact MTS Temposonics® position sensors from RDP Electronics now have the capability to measure up to 30 positions along a common axis using a single sensor. By using simultaneous detection of several positions and a single sensor savings in both costs and space can be achieved compared to conventional displacement sensors and rotary encoders.

Effective use of CCTV and thermal IR cameras for perimeter surveillance - A combination of thermal infrared and CCTV cameras can provide a cost-effective solution for perimeter intruder detection and surveillance. Experts from Firstsight Vision can offer advice on the most appropriate configuration for the particular application. Key to optimizing the system is the use of thermal infrared technology for detecting intruders and then using CCTV for identification purposes, as an alternative to the more expensive option of using many CCTV cameras equipped with motion detectors.

Next generation DC drives platform increases performance and flexibility - Parker SSD Drives has announced the launch of the next generation of its highly successful DC590+ family of DC drives. The DC590+ Integrator Series 2 is the latest in an impressive line of DC drives products from Parker SSD spanning the last 30 years and offers unprecedented levels of control over a wide range of DC motor applications, improving both performance and profitability.

New PXI resistive strain gauge simulator - Pickering Interfaces is expanding its range of sensor simulators in PXI with the introduction of the 40-265 Strain Gauge Simulator.

Intelligent solutions for plant management - Yokogawa Europe and Rovsing Dynamics have announced a collaboration to assist upstream and downstream oil and gas producers to achieve operational excellence through automated, intelligent operation and asset management solutions. As a result of the new partnership, the unique Rovsing Dynamics OPENpredictor™ solution for machinery health prediction will now be offered as an integrated part of Yokogawa's VigilantPlant(R) solution for complete industrial automation. The co-operation covers solutions for offshore oil and gas production, FPSOs (floating production, storage and offloading vessels), downstream LNG production facilities, refineries and onshore gas compression stations.

The next sensor! -

The next sensor!

Steve Rubin, President of Longwatch, will host a free webinar, Video, the Next Sensor for Factory Automation! on October 22, 2008, from 9-10 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time in the U.S. (2-3 pm local time in the Britain and 3-4 West European Mainland). The webinar is interactive, so participants can ask questions over the phone via GoToMeeting. Featured will be the emergence of new video technology, how it can impact your manufacturing or utility environment, the value of integrating video with your HMI/SCADA system, and how video can be integrated with process historians, alarms and other event information. It also covers ways to optimize surveillance video, how to acquire remote video (radios, phone lines, etc.), and applications in oil/gas, manufacturing, power, water and other industries.

First H1 fieldbus cable - The Fieldbus Foundation today announced that it has registered the first FOUNDATION(tm) fieldbus H1 cable. The new cable registration process provides greater assurance to automation end users that their wiring systems are suitable for fieldbus system operation.
See more on this story and other communications news on our Fieldbus News Page.

Free printer to mark launch industrial scales! - Sartorius is offering a FREE Printer worth £430.00 (€616 euros) with the launch of its new high resolution Combics CH series of industrial scales. Designed specifically for the pharmaceutical industry, the new CH series is the latest addition to the highly popular Combics family of industrial scales. Thanks to its short stabilization times, low sensitivity to vibration and electronically compensated preload without reduction of the weighing capacity, the CH series guarantees fast weighing results under almost any installation conditions. (Offer ends 31st December 2008).

First battery charger to enable true universal USB charging while minimizing solution footprint - Summit Microelectronics has introduced its third-generation programmable battery charger integrated circuit (IC) for single-cell Li-Ion and Li-Polymer powered systems. The SMB339 integrates the largest feature set in the industry, including compatibility with all relevant industry standards: USB 2.0 Specification, USB "On-The-Go" Supplement, USB Battery Charging Specification 1.0, IEEE1725 Standard, Chinese USB Charging Specification, and others.

Data-centre products and systems at show! - At DatacenterDynamics London 2008 (11/12 Nov), the AMP NETCONNECT business unit of Tyco Electronics is featuring its range of data-centre products and systems which encompasses a combination of high-density optical fibre and copper solutions with intelligent management capabilities that meet the specific needs of data centres and storage area networks (SANs)

Bulkhead mount connector housings with hinged covers - A new hinged element in the Harting Han® HPR series of industrial connector hoods and housings is designed to be screwed onto existing bulkhead mounting housings and protection covers to create a configuration with an integral hinged protection cover, eliminating the need for a separate cover.

Data entry station to launch - Digitaltest is launching the brand new, versatile QMAN data entry station IRWS which is suitable for various tasks at this year's Electronica (Munich (D) 11/14/11/2008). One of the main applications is the use for data entry at visual inspection workstations. A checklist can be provided which must be completed by the operatorto confirm that the visual inspection has been carried out. The same would apply at functional test stations where it is often quite difficult to interface functional test results into quality management systems.

Advanced new industrial Ethernet module - Nohau has announced an advanced new Industrial Ethernet Module, which allows a wide range of devices to be quickly and cost-efficiently adapted to various Industrial Ethernet technologies. The module, the latest offering from specialist manufacturer Ixxat, can handle Powerlink, Profinet, EtherCAT and EtherNet/IP protocols. This new IEM is more powerful than previous types, as it is based on the Altera Cyclone III FPGA, and it is optimized for multi-protocol applications. In addition, it is smaller and less expensive than previous models, and will be available with a Switch IP.

New managing director appointed - The AdoptSMT Group has announced the appointment of Barry Clark as Managing Director for its London based AlternativeSMT group. With this appointment the European specialist and market leader for used SMT equipment has filled a key role in the business as the AdoptSMT Group looks forward to growth in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Quality management system icertified to meet AS9100 and ISO 9001:2000 standards - Acromag recently announced that their Quality Management System has been certified as compliant with the International Standard ISO 9001:2000 and the additional regulations of the aerospace industry's AS9100 standard.

Central and eastern European marketing committee established - The Fieldbus Foundation has established their Central and Eastern European Marketing Committee (FFCEEMC) to promote an increased awareness and adoption of Foundation technology throughout the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region through a range of end user focused activities including training, technical support, trade show participation and end user seminars.
For other fieldbus news see our Fieldbus News Page

DCS for Chilean power station - Invensys Process Systems (IPS) has announced that it has signed a multi-million dollar contract with Maire Tecnimont Group to supply distributed control systems (DCS) and solutions for two coal-fired power stations currently under construction in Chile.

Vrooom - Formula 1 sensors - Gill Sensors, who currently supply a wide range of lightweight sensors to all leading F1, LMS and ALMS race teams, will launch a number of new and innovative products at the end of 2008. They have developed super-lightweight Carbon-Fibre Liquid Level Sensors for oil, fuel, bio-fuels and water. The addition of a carbon-fibre option for 2009 is anticipated to be popular, weighing as little as 45g with no other conditioning electronics required. The range-topping carbon-fibre sensors are available in full-custom configurations, maximising the potential to save weight on the installation. They will also be showcasing their new Ultrasonic Flow Sensor, intended for on-car oil flow correlation with engine dynamometer performance.

Record-breaking results at show - The fourth analytica China closed its gates on September 25, 2008 having set new records in the number of visitors and exhibitors. There were 342 exhibitors from 19 countries, which is nearly one-fourth more companies than at analytica China 2006. The analytica China Conference and the technical conferences and symposia that accompany the exhibition featured prominent speakers from around the world.

Industrial Maintenance Kits offer savings of up to 27% - Continuing with its 60th Anniversary celebrations, Fluke is offering 4 money-saving Industrial Maintenance Kits suitable for engineers, electricians and technicians tasked with everyday troubleshooting tasks within an industrial environment. Offering savings up to 27% over individual product purchases until 31st December 2008, each kit comprises a set of rugged and reliable handheld tools ideal for carrying out a range of electrical and thermal measurement functions, all stowed in a rugged tool bag.

Advanced sales, support and integrator network expanded in the USA - GreenPeak Technologies has announced that it has signed up a network of leading sales representatives and system integrators for its quickly growing United States customer base. GreenPeak's chips and modules are based on the IEEE 802.15.4/ZigBee wireless networking standard, and can utilize energy harvesting to facilitate battery-free operation in a totally wireless environment, without the need for either communication or power cables.
An overview of the territories covered by GreenPeak's sales partners

Final Diagnostic Profiles Specification released - The Fieldbus Foundation has announced the release of the final FOUNDATION™ fieldbus (FF) Diagnostic Profiles Specification. Based on guidelines established by the NAMUR Working Group 2.6, this specification builds upon the robust diagnostic features already provided by FF devices.
More on this and other fieldbus news on our Fieldbus News Page

Industrial Communications The annual Pharmatex Conference held in Cork this year had a half day seminar on Industrial Communications. The four presentations are available to download HERE...

First office in Canada - HIMA has announced the opening of its second subsidiary operation in North America in Calgary, (CDN). The opening of the Calgary office in 2008 extends their service, support and proven safety-system technology deeper into the North American market, following theirs move into the Americas in 2005 with the opening of its regional headquarters in Houston.

Economical MODBUS RTU master and distributed I/O in a compact package - The microNCS MODBUS RTU Master and Distributed I/O System from Moore Industries can be used to send just a few, or hundreds of, process signals between the field or factory floor and a control system. Part of their NCS NET Concentrator System® family of intelligent distributed I/O, the microNCS provides MODBUS RTU (RS-485) master capabilities, cost-effective distributed data acquisition and, with expansion I/O, control capabilities.

Monitoring energy is the first step to effective management - For companies looking to reduce their energy costs, Jekyll Electronic Technology provides its new ELMO-IT energy monitoring and targeting solution. By wirelessly monitoring and logging energy usage over time, this innovative new product allows statistical analysis of the kilowatts consumed and can quickly identify areas of excess usage. By simply modifying usage, significant savings can be achieved within weeks of initial installation and ongoing data can be collected to ensure there is sustained energy reduction over time.