New Additions to the Signpost Site. Dates when these were added are included.

• The Exhibitions Page is being constantly updated, as is the News page.

• December 2001
• Arcnet Mail List
  This is a good one, still going strong, despite - or should that be, because of - its 'maturity'!, the address is arcnet@cola.elemental.org. It is operated by Joanne Schmitz. Here is the ARCnet web site.
• EGT localises software into Irish.

• November 2001
• British exhibition review - We've opened a page reviewing mtec 2002 - Sensors, Measurement and Instrumentation which is now the only national UK event in the field.

• October 2001 News
• AS-Interface(ASi) is a cost effective networking solution for the lowest level in the automation hierarchy. This site is being deeveloped to meet market needs and support user group activity in Europe and North America.
• IDC Technologies is a premier provider of practical, technical training and training publications for engineers and technicians. These publications cover various areas from industrial data communications and networking; instrumentation, automation and process control, to information technology and project and financial management. Publications may be ordered through their Web Order Form.
• The ISA 2002 Review will review progress and happenings for this annual show which visits Chicago in October 2002.
• automtechies.com.
• TRautomation.com part of TRhubnet.com an "international business place" or hub, which gathers facts and information on the world of automation.
• Another large publisher who publishes in the are of automation, but mostly in the German language, is Springer who publish the VDI range of books. (Mess- und Automatisierungstechnik der VDI vom Springer.)

Ireland's joins US in mourning - President McAleese's address on the occasion of the National Day of Mourning Friday 14th September 2001 for those killed in New York, Pennsylvania nd New York on the 11th September 2001. Text of the address.

• September 2001 News
• In keeping with the day of mourning the Instrumentation Signpost was removed from the server during the 24 hour period of the 14th September 2001 and replaced with a Page of Mourning.

• August 2001 News

  Converter

• Concepts for Automation and Control is a network for the pursuit and advancement of readers' of professional activities and ambitions and is part of IEE's Professional Networks
• M&T Newsletter the Bullitin of Information of the Measurements and Testing Generic Activity in the Competitive and Sustainable Growth Programme of the European Community.
• Ernst & Young's Personal Tax Guide
• LAWE - Local Authority Waste & Environment - "The independent voice of the waste sector!" (GB)
• The Wreck of the Mike Bonsignore - though not a Jim Pinto poem it does appear on his web site and marks the end of an era in Honeywell.
• Or maybe you like older Art Nouveau or Art Deco products available from Mitofsky Antiques.

• Elektro Automation - "Fachzeitschrift - Online-Medium - Automation Award" - a german language periodical.
• Giles Norman produces the most beautiful evocative photographs of Ireland.
• The Manufacturing Execution Systems Association - MESA - to serve the manufacturing operations and management community and to provide thought leadership on the application of Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) in order to contribute toward the improvement of production companies' competitive capabilities.
• Industrie Net.de Die Portal-site der deutschen Industrie. (Gateway to German industry)
• HART. The present analogue signal standard in the process industry is 4-20mA. This has been supplemented by HART which allows the transfer of digital data to the device over the analogue wires. Though this is not strictly speaking a true Fieldbus standard is is used in many applications. The Virtual HART Book contains contacts products and sources in addition to technology information.

  Engineeringtalk: the web's largest new product information resource

• News during July 2001
• The AMA - American Management Association is the world's leading membership-based management development organization. AMA offers a full range of business education and management development programs for individuals and organizations in Europe, the Americas and Asia. MCE - Management Centre Europe is the European headquarters

• Read-Out.net is hosting two preview pages for the most important I&C shows being run this autumn. ISA 2001 (10/13 September 2001 Houston Texas, USA) and Interkama 2001 (24/28 September 2001 Duesseldorf, Germany.)
• AFE - The Association for Facilities Engineering (AFE) is a professional organization of 9,000 members, bringing together professionals who ensure the optimal operation of plants, grounds and offices at Fortune 500 manufacturers, universities, medical centers, government agencies and innovative small firms from around the world. And, they all look to AFE as the leading technical resource on engineering issues. Their St Louis Chapter has a very good website too.
• News during June 2001

• Process Industry Practices (PIP) is a consortium of process industry owners and engineering construction contractors who serve the industry.
• Validation Associates specialize in providing their clients in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries with Computer System Validation Project Consulting and Training Services.
• AMT Advanced Manufacturing Technology is Ireland's longest-serving manufacturing technology magazine.
• International Frequency Sensor Association (IFSA) - The main aim of IFSA is to provide a forum for academicians, researchers and engineers from industry to present and discuss the latest research results, experiences and future trends in the area of design and application of different sensors with digital, frequency (period), time interval or duty-cycle output. Very fast advances in IC technologies brought new challenges in the physical design of integrated sensors and microsensors. This development is essential for developing measurement science and technology in the next Millennium.
• News during May 2001

Conversion links Confusing Imperial, metric and other standards for measuring variables have lead to some spectacular failures. Here are some resourses which may help. Constants, Units and Uncertainty at NIST (USA) Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (France) On-line Converter On-Line Converter

• Electronic Business - "The management magazine for the electronics industry!"
• Bluetooth is a standard for low-cost, short-range (10 meters) wireless technology.
• Industrial Networking and Open Control (INOC) Factory Automation & Process Control. Fieldbus, PC-based control technology, internet and intranet, CIM etc etc. A UK based publication and possibly a world first - now relaunched.
• e-inSITE - "The electronics industry knowledge network."
• SMTnet.com - "SMTnet is your gateway to the Electronics Manufacturing industry!"
• April 2001

Confused by the Euro? Press this button for more information

• Automation Job Centre "The ONLY Job Search Website Designed Specifically for Automation/Controls Professionals!"
• Visit Smiley Land
• Sensorland.com is described as "The world of sensors and data sensors." This is a useful site to source sensors and answer problems or learn about applications.
• Nixers.com for short term and part-time jobs "If it isn't nine to five, Monday to Friday, for ever and ever amen, then it's a nixer."
• EDTN Network Europe "First stop for the European Electronics Industry!"
• Electronic Times - "News from the UK". Elektronik in Nordern is a Scandanavian publication from the same stable.
• What's new in Electronics.
• Microwave Engineering.
• Song of the Year 2000 is another poem on the Millennium writtem by Martyn Thomas.
• If! some soothing words for the control engineer from the pen of John Pietila.
• Jim Pinto's new website now that he's retired!

• ISUG - Impact of Standards User Group - This body examines standards and their general effect examining the number of standards, do they hinder innovation, are they only for the "big players" etc. They are contracted to the European Union Enterprise Directive for an Impact of Standards. The mission statement of this study group says that they "will determine the quantitive and qualitative socio-economic impacts of standardistatio, in deliverng selected benefits across a broad range of industry sectors. The results will be used to analyse the standardisation process, to highlight benefits, to recommend improvements and chart a course for the future." More background is given on the EU Commision's web site.
• Standards in Ireland are under the aegis of NSAI - National Standards Authority of Ireland.
• Manufacturing & Logistics IT The European magazine promoting the effective use of IT in manufacturing and logistics applications.
• Control & Instrumentation - e4engineering.com - though Control and Instrumentation may have discontinued as a periodical this is their presence on the web.
• International Frequency Sensor Association (IFSA) - The main aim of IFSA is to provide a forum for academicians, researchers and engineers from industry to present and discuss the latest research results, experiences and future trends in the area of design and application of different sensors with digital, frequency (period), time interval or duty-cycle output. Very fast advances in IC technologies brought new challenges in the physical design of integrated sensors and microsensors. This development is essential for developing measurement science and technology in the next Millennium.
• Industrial Controls Intelligence & Plant Systems Report has been published since 1981. It is an essential resource to the Instrumentation, Control and Automation professional.
• News during January 2001
• Drives & Controls Britain's leading magazine for industrial power transmission and motion control.

  Moving to Ireland

• Process Index - an online index of major suppliers to the worldwide process industries.
• Here is a useful site on Foundation Fieldsbus Implementation developed by the manufacturers of Plantweb.
• OPC - The OPC Specification is a non-proprietary technical specification that defines a set of standard interfaces based upon Microsoft's OLE/COM technology. The application of the OPC standard interface makes possible interoperability between automation/control applications, field systems/devices and business/office applications. See OPC Foundation for details.
• mtec 2001 Report - a report on the first UK I&C show during 2001.

• CORDIS Community Research & Development Information Service.
• eg3.com is a community portal that indexes all the net resources, free software, papers, books, hardware, software, and services of value to the embedded, dsp, soc, and realtime community. eg3.com filters out the noise, yet openly links outward to all meritorious magazines, web portals, and search engines.
• teckcareers.co.uk can provide the electronics professional with the information and the means to remain highly competitive in today's job market.
• Waterford Institute of Technology
• fieldbus.isa.org is the home page of the ISA's web community.
• IPC Association Connecting Electronics Industries.