• New flowmeter interface - Flow Technology Inc has introduced the Linear Link Temperature compensated interface, a new sophisticated electronics platform for flowmeter linearization and viscosity correction. It is intended to meet demanding requirements in the process, automotive and aerospace sectors providing significant improvements in accuracy, even under extreme temperature conditions.

• Another takeover! - Valmet Automation is to purchase all the assets of GSE Systems' Oil & Gas business, including GSE's S/3 SCADA software and hardware business for oil & gas pipeline automation. Valmet is already a leader in the SCADA market through its SAGE Systems division. The acquisition of the S/3 business will increase Valmet's presence in North America and will provide increased opportunities for Valmet to sell its full range of solutions to an expanded base of customers. Source: ARC.
• Millenium Bug - We are indebted to Dick Morley, Father of the PLC for this URL and timely warning of the disaster before us on1st January 2000. Argggggggghhhhhhhh!
• Applications workshops - The newly created ProfiBus Competency Centre at Manchester, England, has announced the date of the first of its planned Applications Workshops for December 9th. This is to take place at the Metropolitan University of Manchester, where the demonstration includes over 20 configured ProfiBus installed products. More Fieldbus News.

• Fibre-optic interface - Harting has developed a fibre-optic interface for use in industrial automation systems based on the ARCNET local-area-network standard. The inteface converts electrical signals into optical signals and vice-versa for point-to-point links. Talk to Howards Forryan on +44 1604 766686.
• More FF units coming on line - In an almost daily influx of information from Fieldbus, announcements of new registrations of field devices Are coming from Fieldbus Foundation. There are now 15 devices available including fibre-optic devices from Fuji. These products are coming from the leading instrument suppliers. More details on their informative Web Site.
  Fieldbus information on our award-winning Fieldbus Page.
• Greater demand for advanced flow sensors - In recent decades, flow metering in the process industries has changed dramatically. In Europe an extensive range of different products is now on offer. Ultimatly, according to a recent study from Frost & Sullivan, it is the technological advancements that have instigated both change and growth in this market.
• Monitoring relays - Crouzet has announced the new FWA series of three phase monitoring relays that protect 3phase motors by checking for correct power supplies. Write Richard Oakey for more details.

• Temp control module for PLCs - A new cost effective, stand-alone, high-performance Temp Control Module has been developed for GE Fanuc's Series 90-30 PLCs is ideal for temperature control applications such as plastic extruders, ovens, injection moulding and other applications having multiple heating zones. It provides the equivelent of eight loop controllers with auto-tuning in one module.
• Bus analyser - VMETRO has announced a new member of its popular Bus Analyser family: the PBTC-415 CompactPCI Bus Analyser and Exerciser. With its sampling speed up to 66.7MHz, (option 400MHz), built in Exerciser and optional Anomaly Trigger, it is the fastest and most comprehensive CompactPCI Bus Analyser it is claimed. Details from Thomas Nygaard. US Enquiries from Arne K. Maeland.
• New recorder family - Moore Products' new recorders complement the company's panel and field mounting instruments. The series 36 Recorder family comprises a paperless model, circular, continuous trace and multi-point (dotting).
• Flight data recorder compatible - New position transducers from SpaceAge Control Inc are compatible with commercial flight data recorders.

• Artyhritic drugs from Ireland - An Italian pharmaceutical company, the Rotta Research Group, is to invest IR18m in a plant near Dublin, Ireland. Employment levels are predicted to reach 100. The family-owned company was founded in 1961 and is now a market leader in the production of drugs for osteoarthritis. From The Irish Professional

• Bringing it all together - MTEC is Britain's exhibition and conference for sensors, measurement and control. It is scheduled for the NEC in Birmingham, England on 17th and 18th February 1999. The associated conference, which by now has earned a reputation as a forum for industry and academia, will be chaired by Robert Bogue, one of the most authoritative figures in the world of sensor technology.
• Soft Process Controller - PC Soft International has announced the introduction of WizDCS, and innovative new 'soft process controller' that enables a PC running Windows NT to perform real-time industrial control functions. It offers a graphical configuration environment that easily accomplishes continuous, batch and discrete control applications.
• Help for software developers - Embedded Systems Products has introduced a complete internet and networking portfolio for software developers who are constantly faced with the challenge of integrating their real-time applications with a diverse set of protocols. RTXCnet is a homogenous set of scalable resources based on industry standards that offers powerful, flexible and fast network components for quick-turn networking.
• Which fieldbus systems should we use? - Is the question that FieldComms'98 claims to answer. Running from 28th and 29th October in Telford in England this by now well established event also has an incomparable conference with all the latest developments in this controversial area discussed and studied.
  See our own FieldComms'98 Review.

• Lawyers to make killing on Fieldbus? - Fieldbus Foundation has been communicating with Profibus International through lawers demanding that they "cease and desist" making certain statements in the course of its campaign to have the vote on Final Draft International Standard (DLL and AL) voted down at the end of the month. See our Fieldbus Page for the gory details.
• Ready-to-run software for gas operators - Solartron has further extended its portfolio of targeted software solutions for gas distributors and operators with the launch of a dual stream package for its advanced 895x flow computer family.
• FF appoint marketing director for North America - Fieldbus Foundation have appointed David Hobart as Director of marketing for the North American Region.
• Twiggy comes to I&C! - Matsushita Automation Controls (NAIS) has introduced its thinnist ever switch which is ideal for use in space critical locations. (For those less than a certain age Twiggy was the name of one of the first ultra-thin models who appeared in Swinging-Sixties Britain!)

• New show attracting favour - ISA tell us that industry leaders are rallying behind IMS EXPO/1999, the International Manufacturing Software exposition and conference debuting April 26-29, 1999, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. IMS EXPO/1999, organized and managed by ISA, the international society for measurement and control, will address automation in process and discrete manufacturing systems integration.
• Browse on your shop floor! - Certainly, the plant floor isn't being left out of the browser interface race. CIMx Company has released ShopBrowser, a Web-based system for viewing product and process data on the shop floor, and for collecting data for quality measurements. Built on the Oracle Web Application Server within the Oracle Network Computing Architecture, ShopBrowser provides a multimedia PC or NC (network computer) interface on the factory floor, providing machine operators with pictures, text, video, graphics, and audio instructions. (From SENN - the leading authority on things scientific on the net!.)

• Rockwell positioning! - Rockwell Automation are to acquire Anorad Corporation. Anorad is a leader in precision positioning equipment incorporating linear motion technology used in semiconductor and electronics manufacturing. Anorad will join Rockwell Automation's Motion and Information Group and continue to sell systems through its current distribution channel.

• Signal splitter is safe - London Electronics has developed a new signal splitter to provide a simple but secure solution to the problem of multi-device loop corruption. Contact Graham Larning for more details on this ex-stock item.

Readout is on Holidays until 16th September 1998
We'll be thinking about you as we loll in the sunshine!

3/9/98

• Danfoss acquires Irish representative - Danfoss, the leading Danish manufacturer of automatic controls for refrigeration, air conditioning components, heating and energy management systems, process controls and mobile hydraulic equipment has acquired their long-time agent and distributor in Ireland, J J Sampson and Son. "The acquisition of Sampson is a natural extension of the long co-operation between our two companies," according to a spokesman. "It allows us to extend our direct customer relationships through our new subsidiary organisation."
• EMU web site - - With European Monetary Union drawing inexorably closer Forfás (The Irish development board) has expanded its EMU Business Awareness Campaign with the launch of a Web site. Companies and individuals concerned about the changeover to the Euro can now access the full range of information material from http://www.emuaware.forfas.ie.
  (from the The IE Professional)
• One-piece process instrument connectors - Parker Hannifin' Instrumentation Products Division has released two new-piece flanged components providing fast and reliable connections from either process piping to fluid instrumentation tubing, or from impulse line to fluid measurement instrument or manifolds.

• Strong backing for IEC 61158 fieldbus standard - Fieldbus Foundation has voiced strong support for approval of the Data Link Layerr and Application Layer final draft by all the IEC National comittees.
  See also our Fieldbus Page.
• Mass flowmeter installation facilitated - Sierra Instrument's Model 241 Innova-Mass Multiparameter vortex mass flow meter is now available with a hot-tap retracter that facilitates flowmeter installation. This allows users to install, service or replace meters without shutting down their process.

• 3 new PXI data acquisition (DAQ) modules - National Instruments has announced three PXI data acquisition (DAQ) modules featuring E series technology and bus mastering for high throughput across PXI and CompactPCI systems. They have also announced a new PXI digital I/O interface.
• PLC starter pack - The FP0 Starter Kit from Matsushita Automation Controls (NAIS), is aimed at individuals who want to try their hands at PLC programming without jumping in at the deep end with more complex and expensive systems.
• Encouraging widespread adoption of OPC - - Intellution a world leader in the development of tye use of OLE in Process Control (OPC), is making its FIX OPC Toolkit for Windows NT available to customers and their business partners free of charge. This kit is available immediately from a Special Page on their site or from the local representative or distributor.
• Director search - ISA, the international society for measurement and control, has appointed JDG Associates, a Washington DC executive search firm to assist in the for a successor to Glen Harvey, retiring Executive Director.
  See also our Jobs Page.

The Instrumentation Signpost has interesting pointers for the I&C Professional.