Thursday 30 November 2017

Connector housings.

Harting’s new Han® HP Direct series of connector housings dispenses with the classical bulkhead mounted housing and replaces it with two mounting flanges. As a result, the standard hood forms a seal directly on the switch cabinet wall, leading to beneficial space savings.

Installation requires only that the mounting flanges are screwed to the switch cabinet wall, which can be carried out using the standard panel cutouts of the Han® B housing series. One side of the contact inserts is secured to the mounting flanges and the other side is screwed into the hood.

After mating, the hoods are attached to the mounting flanges via robust screw locking. Incorrect plugging can be prevented by using two coding elements on the side of the mounting flanges as well as on the side where the hood is.

The classic sizes of 6 B, 10 B, 16 B and 24 B are available. All sizes are available with side or top entry in sizes M20, M25, M32 and M40.

The new Han® HP Direct housing system is available in three versions: a standard variant for indoor industrial applications featuring a grey powder surface with classic NBR seal; an EMC variant featuring an electrically conductive surface and seal for applications where a high degree of EMC protection is required; and an outdoor version featuring a black powder surface and UV and ozone-resistant FPM seals.
All variants come with IP protection classes IP66, IP68 and IP69K in the mated state. The hoods are made of corrosion-resistant, die-cast aluminium.

The Han® HP Direct housing series is mainly intended for the machinery, robotics and energy application sectors, but can easily be used in other applications.

@harting #PAuto

Profile for contrast-media injector updated.

CAN in Automation (CiA) has released the version 2.4 of the CANopen profile for contrast-media injectors. The newly introduced functions include the mandatory time synchronization between scanner and injector. Several other parameters have been updated including some editorial improvements and clarifications.

Now, the profile supports an automatic configuration of the contrast-media injector. Another new function is the sampling of Hounsfield Units.

Since its introduction in 2005, all market-leading manufacturers of contrast-media injectors support the CiA 425-2 profile. The suppliers of medical scanner devices provide a CiA 425-2 compliant CANopen interface, too. Recently, the supporting companies agreed on the shown logo: CANopen med.

CANopen is a standardized application layer protocol and communication profile (EN 50325-4). It is used in many different application fields. Often it is not visible, because it is embedded and deeply embedded in medical devices including in computed-tomography (CT) scanners. Most of the market-leading medical device suppliers use CANopen to control several parts, especially for all moving parts. The CiA 425-2 interface is an exception: It is visible for the medical staff. This is why a logo has been introduced.

@CANopen #Medical

Dragons in Formula E.

Mouser Electronics sponsor the Dragon Racing team throughout the 2017–18 FIA Formula E racing season. The season kicks off December 2 and 3 at the Hong Kong ePrix doubleheader.
Formula E
The 2017–2018 season marks the fourth edition of Formula E racing and the fourth-straight year that Mouser Electronics will be a team sponsor. Formula E features cars powered solely by electric power and represents a vision for the future of the motor sports industry, serving as a framework for research and development around zero-emission motoring. Mouser will sponsor Dragon Racing team throughout the 14-race season in collaboration with TTI, Inc. and their valued supplier Molex. More about Formula E on Wikipedia.

“We are very proud to continue to sponsor Dragon Racing and to be a part of this forward-looking technology,” said Todd McAtee, Vice President, Americas Business Development for Mouser Electronics. “The Dragon team finished strong last year, and we look forward to another great season ahead.

“Formula E cars require the latest sustainable and — most importantly — high-performance components to gain the competitive edge. By teaming up with TTI and Molex to sponsor Dragon Racing, Mouser shows its commitment to keeping engineers up to date with these innovative technologies.”

“TTI is proud to once again support this thrilling team and the sustainable automotive technologies of the future,” stated Mike Morton, President, TTI Global Sales and Marketing.

“All of us at Molex are pleased for the opportunity to again team up with Mouser and TTI in sponsoring this pioneering venture,” said Fred Bell, Vice President of Global Distribution for Molex. “We are thrilled to be involved in the development of the innovative technology behind Formula E.”
• Founded by Jay Penske, Dragon Racing earned second place in team points in the inaugural 2014–2015 season, after clinching first and third finishes at the Berlin ePrix and another double-podium at London. This season’s drivers — Jerome D’Ambrosio, who won the 2015 Berlin ePrix and who had several strong outings with Dragon Racing last year, and Neel Jani, winner of the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans and 2016 FIA WEC Drivers’ Championship — look to rack up more points with new Formula E races in Zurich and Rome.

Following the season opener in Hong Kong, the series heads to Marrakesh, Morocco on January 13; Santiago, Chile, February 3; Mexico City, March 3; São Paulo, March 17; Rome, April 14; Paris, April 28; Berlin, May 19; Zurich, June 10; and New York City, July 14 and 15 before ending the season with two races in Montreal on July 28 and 29.


@MouserElecEU #Pauto @DragonRacing ‏@FIAFormulaE

Bringing intelligence to industrial plants.

Partnership to provide actionable insights across industrial plants, cloud and on-premises data centers for higher productivity and innovation.

ABB and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) have announced a strategic global partnership that combines ABB’s industry-leading digital offerings, ABB AbilityTM, with HPE’s innovative hybrid information technology (IT) solutions. The partnership will provide customers with solutions that generate actionable insights from vast amounts of industrial data to increase the efficiency and flexibility of their operations and create competitive advantage.

ABB's Ulrich Spiesshofer
“This strategic partnership marks the next level of the digital industrial transformation. Together, we will bring intelligence from cloud-based solutions to on-premises deployments in industrial plants and data centers for greater uptime, speed and yield,” said ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer“ABB and HPE will deliver solutions that span the entire range of computing required by enterprises today, from the edge to the cloud to the core.”

Customers will benefit from ABB’s deep domain expertise in operations technologies (OT) and HPE’s leadership in information technologies (IT). ABB and HPE will deliver joint industry solutions that merge OT and IT to turn industrial data into insights and automatic action, combining widely-adopted cloud platforms like Microsoft Azure with IT systems running in corporate data centers and at the edge of the network. Employing the right mix of IT platforms will accelerate data processing in industrial plants and at the same time enable effective control of industrial processes across locations.

With an installed base of 70 million connected devices, 70,000 digital control systems and 6,000 enterprise software solutions, ABB is a trusted leader in the industrial space, and has a four-decade-long history of creating digital solutions for customers. HPE in turn is a global leader in helping customers optimize their IT environments with secure, software-defined technologies that seamlessly integrate across traditional IT, multiple public and private clouds and the intelligent edge to drive key business outcomes.
HPE's Meg Whitman

“This alliance between two global leaders is unprecedented in terms of breadth and depth, and it will be ground-breaking for the progress of the Industrial Internet of Things,” said Meg Whitman, CEO, HPE. “Together with ABB, we will shape a digital industrial future where everything computes, equipping machines with intelligence to collaborate, allowing plants to flexibly adapt to changing demands, and enabling global supply chains to instantaneously react to incidents. This partnership will create exciting business opportunities for our joint customers.”

To provide a true end-to-end experience for customers, the ABB-HPE partnership will include co-innovation, co-development, joint go to market and service.

Research firm IDC forecasts that worldwide spending on the Internet of Things (IoT) will grow to $1.4 trillion in 2021 from an expected $800 billion in 2017. The largest investments are being made in areas such as manufacturing, transportation and utilities.1 To tap into the opportunities of the IoT, companies are investing in new solutions that digitize their industrial equipment and integrate it with their broader IT environments. By joining forces, ABB and HPE are bringing together the capabilities needed to accelerate this transformation.

Computing where it is required
Running data acquisition, analytics and control processes near industrial equipment helps customers avoid the latency, security and reliability issues associated with data communication through remote IT systems. ABB and HPE will jointly develop, market and service digital industrial solutions that help customers:

  • Create deep insights and automatic action from industrial data – by running ABB AbilityTM applications on enterprise-grade IT systems close to the industrial equipment to accelerate the processing of vast amounts of data; and
  • Manage and control industrial processes across the supply chain – by leveraging hybrid IT to provide a seamless experience from edge to cloud to core, making critical data available across locations.

The partnership will enable ABB Ability™ solutions to run on hybrid platforms such as HPE ProLiant for Microsoft Azure Stack, enabling customers to deploy applications to their preferred location – on HPE infrastructure in industrial plants and data centers or in the Microsoft Azure public cloud – to meet the specific requirements regarding performance, security or cross-site collaboration.

ABB and HPE will also deliver joint solutions for data centers, including

  • Data center automation – to enable data center power, cooling and building systems automatically adapt to changing IT demands or incidents. To that end, ABB and HPE will integrate ABB AbilityTM Data Center Automation, which controls, monitors and optimizes mission-critical data center facilities infrastructure, with HPE OneView, HPE’s IT infrastructure automation software.
  • Secure edge data center – specifically designed to run in harsh industrial environments, bringing enterprise-grade IT capacity closer to the point of data collection and machine control. This solution is being developed in collaboration between ABB, HPE and Rittal, the world’s largest manufacturer of IT racks, and will be an off-the-shelf ready IT data center solution for industrial customers enabling real-time insight and action.
 @ABBgroupnews #PAuto @HPE

Wednesday 29 November 2017

Trips and tricks on-line!

HBM has upgraded their customer support services by including a ‘Tips and Tricks’ section on their official website. They provide an extensive collection of technical articles, tutorials, check lists and videos covering topics on data acquisition, measurement technology, stress analysis and industrial process control.

To cater to all customers HBM offers technical support for all measurement tasks via in person meetings, telephone calls, email correspondence or live chat.

Paul Beardsworth, Sales Manager of HBM, commented, “The merit of any company is not just based on the quality of its products but also the importance that it places on servicing its customers. Our priority has always been solving problems for our customers, keeping them abreast of important industry updates and educating them about relevant topics to make their processes easier and simpler. We are happy that this service helps add to their knowledge bank.”

Included in the wide range of material available online are articles and webinars about topics including torque measurement and torque measurement technology. Ranging from introducing the basics of torque measurement to more advanced and specific white papers, the material online is helpful and informative.

Also addressed in the material available are other topics such as strain measurement in experimental stress analysis; load measurement in weighing technology; and data acquisition systems.

 @HBMmeasurement #Pauto 

IP67 Edge Nodes for IIoT.

The IC-3173 Industrial Controller, National Instrument’s first IP67-rated controller has been announced. The new controller is ideally suited to act as an Industrial Internet of Things edge node in extremely harsh locations including spray down manufacturing environments, test cells and outdoor locations without the need for a protective enclosure. The IP67 rating helps ensure reliable operation in the presence of dust and water, in accordance to IEC standard 60529.

Industrial Controllers are high-performance, fanless devices that deliver high levels of processing power and connectivity for automated image processing, data acquisition and control applications in extreme environments. These controllers feature up to a 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7 dual-core processor, 8 GB DDR3 RAM, 64 GB storage, four Power over Ethernet (PoE) GigE ports, two USB 3.0 ports and two DisplayPorts in a rugged design with no moving parts, and now with an IP rating up to IP67. Industrial Controllers also include a user-programmable Xilinx Kintex-7 FPGA, which improves system performance by providing custom I/O timing, synchronization, control and image coprocessing capabilities.

“NI’s Industrial Controllers have a robust set of I/O resources that allow us to use one controller for every facet of our automation needs including testing, vision, motion control and digital I/O,” said Jordan Larson, manufacturing engineer at Federal-Mogul Powertrain. “By utilizing the built-in EtherCAT Master for motion and conditioned I/O, we have greatly reduced the wiring and debugging time of the automation machines that we build. With Industrial Controllers, we also have brought the cost per camera down tremendously compared to other cameras previously used for machine vision. Using NI’s Industrial Controllers, we have reduced the number of components inside our machines and have all our control software on one platform, which was something we were unable to do previously.”

• Industrial Controllers are part of a growing number of products from NI that support Time Sensitive Networking (TSN), the next evolution of the IEEE 802.1 Ethernet standard that delivers distributed time synchronization, low latency and convergence of time-critical and general networking traffic. In addition to using TSN for controller-to-controller communication, engineers can also integrate highly synchronized sensor measurements using the new TSN-enabled CompactDAQ Chassis released earlier this year. 

#IIoT. @niukie #Pauto 

Energy meter accessory!

The LP980 Transient Absorption Spectrometer from Edinburgh Instruments now offers calibrated, software-controlled energy meters to monitor experimental conditions in real time. The meters are fitted inside the sample chamber of the instrument and provide the energy of each individual excitation pulse, as well as the energy after the sample. This makes absorbance measurements and photobleaching tests easier than ever.

@Edinst #Pauto #TandM

Safe Strain Gauge Load Cell Product Families.

BLH Nobel has announced that four of its strain gage load cell product families are now available with EN ISO 13849 and IEC 61508 functional safety certifications.

The EN ISO 13849 functional safety standard incorporates statistical analysis to help better predict component, device and circuitry reliability within the safety-related parts of industrial machinery control systems. This determination represents the probability of failure to danger over time, expressed as a performance level (PL). The IEC 61508 standard for electrical/electronic/programmable electronic safety-related systems further defines methods to achieve product functional safety. This allows OEMs to demonstrate a certain overall safety integrity level (SIL) within their system designs.

The strain gage load cell product families from BLH Nobel now available with functional safety certifications include models with or without current loop output, as well as those featuring redundant configurations. Most families with functional safety certifications are further available with ATEX, CSA, FM, IECEx, cFMus and CE approvals. These certifications allow the BLH Nobel load cells to be specified within a wider range of critical applications, including crane weighing and overload monitoring; process industry weighing and monitoring; offshore tank weighing; machinery monitoring; and safety-critical weighing and force measurements.

For more than 40 years, the BLH Nobel brand of VPG has specialized in the design, development and manufacture of high-quality and high-accuracy process weighing and force measurement technologies and related control systems. BLH Nobel load cells maximize accuracy and minimize the effects of mixing, agitation, and temperature changes within critical process stages. BLH Nobel products and customized solutions are designed to comply with stringent requirements in the food and beverage, pulp and paper, pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical equipment, process, mining, steel, and offshore industries. The brand further offers a wide variety of communication protocols for seamless integration within complex production lines. It also supplies system solutions, products, and services in more than 100 countries worldwide. Each BLH Nobel custom solution is derived from more than 40 years of engineering expertise, gained from across thousands of successful applications.

@blhnobel #Pauto

Tuesday 28 November 2017

Flue gas desulfurisation system.

A control system for a flue gas desulfurisation system that is to be installed at the Ugljevik coal-fired power plant in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina will be delivered by Yokogawa. This flue gas desulfurisation system, which will be the first of its type to be installed in the West Balkans, is scheduled to start operation in October 2019.

The Ugljevik power plant has a capacity of 300 MW, sufficient to supply a quarter of the total electrical generation capacity for the Republic of Srpska, which is one of the constituent entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since it burns brown coal with high sulfur content, the emissions from its flue stack contain high levels of sulfur dioxide. Installation of the flue gas desulfurisation system is expected to improve the environment and help satisfy environmental standards, which is required for joining the EU.

The main product delivered by Yokogawa will be a CENTUM® VP integrated production control system for the monitoring and control of the flue gas desulfurisation system. The project will be managed by Yokogawa GesmbH, the company’s subsidiary in Austria and Central East Europe, and Ogranak Yokogawa Europe Branches Beograd, the Serbia office of Yokogawa Europe Branches B.V. Delivery of the CENTUM VP system will take place by August 2018.

The order for this system came from Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd., a member of the consortium that will deliver the flue gas desulfurisation system, and it was placed with Shinkawa Electric Co., Ltd., which is a distributor for the Yokogawa subsidiary Yokogawa Solution Service Corporation.

In line with growing environmental concerns, power plants around the world expect to install an increasing number of flue gas desulfurisation systems. Yokogawa offers field devices, analysers, and control systems, as well as software-based solutions that can help to optimise the operation of flue gas desulfurisation systems and other types of plant facilities. Yokogawa has an installed base of over 100 control devices at flue gas desulfurisation facilities around the world. In Central and Eastern Europe, Yokogawa products are currently used in flue gas desulfurisation systems at large coal-fired power plants in Bulgaria and Romania. Yokogawa continues to actively propose solutions for flue gas desulfurisation systems and other projects that will help to protect the environment.

@YokogawaIA  #PAuto #Power #BosniaHerz

Convection cooled PSUs.

Excelsys Technologies has announced the availability of new output module for its revolutionary CoolX series of convection cooled modular configurable power supplies. The new CmE bulk power module provides up to 600W power from one module (occupying three slots). The addition of this module greatly increases product and system flexibility while significantly reducing total cost through reduced component count and simplifying configuration and system integration.

Initially available with a 24V output, the bulk power module provides up to 25A output current capability. It is ideal for applications requiring one higher power output with additional lower outputs, which can be configured between 2.5V and 58 V using the existing CoolX modules.

“We have many applications where customers configure a number of outputs in parallel to provide high power outputs,” comments Dermot Flynn, Sales Director of Excelsys Technologies. “We expect that the same will be the case with CoolX and have therefore developed the CmE CoolMod” continues Flynn. “It is a 24V, 600W module and rather than having three isolated outputs to be connected, adjusted and set up to current share etc. customers will now have just one power connection point and a single connection for control etc. This new high power module along with existing output modules allows customers to centralise all their power requirements in a one power supply, greatly simplifying system integration.”

Typical applications
medical clinical diagnostic equipment, medical lasers, dialysis equipment, radiological imaging and clinical chemistry. Industrial test and measurement, industrial machines, automation equipment, printing, telecommunications, audio equipment and high reliability harsh industrial electronics, radar, (Naval, Ground Based), communications, test and measurement
The Excelsys CoolX600 power supply series offers system integrators unparalled flexibility with analogue and digital management with PMBus monitoring and control capability and is user field configurable with Plug and Play power. All outputs are isolated and may be connected in series or parallel to achieve higher output voltages or currents. Mounting options include base, side and Din Rail alternatives

The CoolX600 is available with full safety certifications to UL/EN60950 and UL/EN60601 3rd and 4th Edition (EMC) for both industrial and medical applications. Stand-out medical features include BF rating (Body Floating), dual fusing, 2 x MOPP.  <300ua 150ua.="" as="" br="" current="" leakage="" of="" optional="" ultra-low="" well="">Additional features include SEMI F47 compliance and operation at 5000m altitude. A 24W standby power output (available as either 12V or optional 5V), offering effectively another output, for system intelligence, cooling fans, displays etc. is a standard feature.

The CoolX600 can be populated with up to 4 CoolMods, providing up to 5 isolated DC outputs ranging from 2.5V to 58.0V. Following the tradition of Excelsys, the CoolX600 offers customers the greatest flexibility and is completely user and field configurable. Outputs can be configured to the required set point voltages and connected in parallel of series for higher output current and/or higher output voltages.
<300ua 150ua.="" as="" br="" current="" leakage="" of="" optional="" ultra-low="" well="">

<300ua 150ua.="" as="" br="" current="" leakage="" of="" optional="" ultra-low="" well=""> #ExcelsysT #PAuto #PSU

Data acquisition software.

Simultaneous Recording and Analysis of Up to 48 Channels and 50,000 Samples Per Second with Fast, Easy Setup and Minimal-to-No Downtime

The global market launch of the Micro-Measurements® StrainSmart® 9000 dynamic data acquisition software has been announced. The software allows for the simultaneous sampling of up to 48 channels, at speeds of up to 50,000 samples per second, with fast, easy setup and minimal-to-no downtime.

Traditionally, the inherent complexities of dynamic test setups and programming, as well as repetitive manual measurement tasks, have created up to days, or weeks, of unwanted downtime. With StrainSmart 9000, it is now possible to perform accurate, real-time data recording, analysis, display and export within just minutes of software setup, with one-touch autobalance and post-processing data filtering. Designed for ease of use by students, engineers and scientists alike, StrainSmart 9000 offers an intuitive, complete turnkey Windows® based software platform for accurate, dynamic data acquisition, reduction, download, and display. The software easily translates end-user concepts into application-specific needs, with assured data accuracy through automatic error checking and calibration. A “verify” tool at setup allows the end-user to perform early error and omission pre-arm checks. Bridge excitation functions may be easily disabled for a complete pre-test noise evaluation scan. Visual representations provide instant access to hardware wiring and configuration validation data, with choice of either local or remote real-time display viewing.

Channel settings within StrainSmart 9000 are performed automatically from sensor properties, largely without manual intervention. Direct calculations of engineering units, including strain gage rosette principal and failure criteria stresses, along with input shunt calibration and user-defined assignments, are possible. Sensor-specific input assignments of strain gages, thermocouples, and other sensing types offer ease of mathematical data manipulation. Individual strain gage engineering data entry is also possible, with automatic error corrections for transverse sensitivity, Wheatstone bridge nonlinearity, and lead wire resistance. Parameters, such as thermal output, gage factor variation with temperature, and thermal coefficient of gage factor, are easily corrected via the assignment of a temperature sensor.

Unique signal visualization algorithms within StrainSmart 9000 provide in-depth insights, including full graphical representations of channel assignments, for reduced potential connection errors. Individual test setups and common parameters may be stored and saved by the end-user for later reuse. Larger data sets may be exported to multiple files automatically, as either ASCII text files, .csv files, or Microsoft® Excel documents.

StrainSmart 9000 is designed for seamless and direct compatibility with the Micro-Measurements System 9000 data acquisition system, as well as both Micro-Measurements and other industry strain gages (strain gauges), strain gage- based transducers, thermocouples, temperature sensors, high-level voltage sensors, and piezoelectric sensors. The software is now available as a no-charge upgrade for customers with legacy software versions. As it is site-licensed, StrainSmart 9000 may be installed on an unlimited number of PCs within the same facility or department. Typical applications include experimental stress analysis; electronics drop testing; printed circuit board (PCB) and finished product component reliability and subassembly testing; engine vibration monitoring; and fatigue life testing. The StrainSmart 9000 software system can further support virtually any dynamic data acquisition task, in which the simultaneous sampling of up to 48 channels, at speeds of up to 50,000 samples per second, is required.

@Strain_Gage #Pauto

A smart collaboration.

Copa-Data is inviting plant managers and engineers to register for its upcoming webinar ‘Smart Factory solutions with Copa-Data and Microsoft Azure’. The webinar, created in collaboration with Microsoft, will be held on 7 December 2017 at 10am. Participants are invited to register for the free smart factory webinar in advance via the COPA-DATA website.

zenon, their industrial automation software, provides seamless integration with Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform. In fact, the company was named 2017 Microsoft Partner of the Year in the ’Internet of Things’ category. The webinar will be hosted by Lee Sullivan, Regional Manager at Copa-Data UK and expert in zenon implementation. Sullivan will discuss how ambitions of a smart factory can be made a reality by combining zenon and Microsoft Azure.

The webinar is recommended for existing zenon customers, plant managers and engineers curious about the potential of the software for smart factory implementation. It will explain how manufacturing intelligence, such as predictive analytics and preventative maintenance, can be easily achieved with the collaboration of these two systems.

“Storing manufacturing data in the cloud allows organisations to access their information anywhere at any time — which means that they don’t need to eat away at their own infrastructure,” explained Lee Sullivan. “That said, the integration of Azure and zenon can provide a greater benefit than simply saving on-premises storage.

“In the webinar on December 7, we will demonstrate how effective supply chain management, global benchmarking and real-time key performance indicator (KPI) calculations can be put into practice using the combination of this technology.”

• Copa-Data has been an active member of the Microsoft Partner Network since 2005. Its software, zenon, is based on Microsoft’s latest technology, so data collected by the system can be easily integrated into the Azure cloud platform.



@copadata  #PAuto @Azure

Infrared cameras.

Fluke has introduced upgraded versions of two of its best-selling infrared cameras. The new Fluke® Ti450 PRO Infrared Camera offers increased thermal sensitivity, providing sharper on-screen images which makes it easier to visualise and diagnose issues.

The new Ti450 PRO and Ti480 PRO feature a more intuitive touch screen interface with a higher contrast display and compatibility with optional smart telephoto, wide-angle and macro lenses which can be interchanged without calibration. Both cameras also extend their temperature range upwards, the Ti450 PRO to 1500degC and the Ti480 PRO to 1000degC. The cameras provide fast, one-handed operation to perform multiple inspections quickly and accurately.

Both the Fluke Ti450 PRO, with 320 x 240 resolution, and the Ti480 PRO, with 640 x 480 resolution, feature MultiSharp™ Focus, delivering exceptional image quality to industrial, process, utilities maintenance and building inspection professionals who need high measurement accuracy to quickly detect problems. It is an advanced focus system that takes multiple images with a press of a button. The camera combines them to produce one focused image of both near and far objects, delivering precision image clarity guaranteeing an in-focus image when back in the office, no matter what the conditions.

Both infrared cameras feature:
  • SuperResolution, which captures multiple images and can combine them to create crisp, sharp images with four times the original pixel data
  • LaserSharp® Auto Focus, which uses a laser distance meter to calculate the precise distance to the designated target for sharper, more accurate images
  • Fluke IR-Fusion® technology, which captures a visible light image in addition to the infrared image and combines them with three different operating modes: Picture-in-Picture, full visible light, and AutoBlend™
  • Fluke Connect SmartView® Desktop Software, for optimising and analysing thermal images, generating customisable reports and exporting images in multiple formats to the Fluke Connect Cloud.
Fluke Connect Compatible
The new infrared cameras integrate into Fluke Connect® - the company’s full-feature platform that permits Fluke tool users to receive, store, visualise, and report electronic measurement data from more than 40 Fluke Connect wireless test tools. This allows technicians to record and share thermal images, along with electrical and other measurements, in real time via their smartphones or tablets and automatically upload them to the cloud.

The Fluke Connect system provides access to maintenance records simultaneously at the inspection site and from the office or an off-site location, enabling faster decision making. It also enables real-time collaboration between team members with ShareLive™ video calls, increasing productivity in the field.

Images sync wirelessly direct from the camera to the Fluke Connect system, so images can be attached to an asset record or work order. Reports can be created and shared directly from the job site via email.

@FlukeCorp  #PAuto 

Amplifiers for universal and fieldbus sensor data acquisition.

Recently announced by Burster the new 9250 and 9251 series amplifier module and bus controller bring new levels of flexibility to sensor data acquisition. These products are available in Britain from Ixthus Instrumentation.

Burster’s 9250 sensor amplifier is manufacturer independent and suitable for single or combined measurement of bridge, potentiometer, voltage and digital transducers for force, pressure, displacement, rotational speed, and torque etc. Notable features include automatic sensor recognition and fast pushbutton set-up for simple commissioning with up to two real-time signals/limit switches per amplifier module. The 9251 bus controller supports synchronous export of up to 8 modules/measurement channels. The module also provides Ethernet based fieldbuses including PROFINET, EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP over I/O interface – facilitating sensor data transmission to PLCs and other machine controllers where they can be combined, monitored and linked efficiently to other processes.

Many additional features optimise the use and versatility of the range including editable configuration and adjustable cut-off frequency using Burster’s DigiVision PC software via an integral USB port where full measurement data export is also available. A Tare facility via pushbutton or I/O signals is also provided.

The compact design perfectly suits DIN rail cabinet mounting and the combined amplifier module and bus controller system is easily integrated and provides a scalable solution for existing or new instrumentation setups.

@IxthusInst  #PAuto #Burster

Friday 24 November 2017

World's smallest EtherCAT drive.

High-end positioning applications where space is critical now find an optimal solution in the incredibly small iPOS2401 servo drive from Technosoft, with an EtherCAT interface.

Small and light, 19 x 50 x 10 mm, and weighing only 12 g, the iPOS2401 MX-CAT drive can be used in high precision positioning applications with any motor technology (brushless, stepper, DC/voice coil or linear) that requires no more than 1 A continuous at 24 V.

Users can achieve an optimal mechanical integration, due to the plug-in design of the iPOS2401 that offers full flexibility in terms of motherboard design and connectors choice, for either single or multi-axes applications.

A miniaturized drive, yet with no compromise in performance, the iPOS2401 MX-CAT sup-ports full CoE (CAN application protocol over EtherCAT) protocol, which makes it the ideal solution to medical, robotics, instrumentation or automation projects where a high-end Swiss product can make the difference in terms of quality and performance of the application.

A lighter, CAN version is also available, embedding a motion controller that can execute complex motion sequences programmed in TML (Technosoft Motion Language), stored at drive level and called by specific CANopen commands to reduce the bus traffic in multi-axis applications.

In both EtherCAT and CANopen versions, the iPOS2401 completes the extended Technosoft offer (from 25 W to 1.6 kW) in terms of intelligent drives with embedded motion controller for high-end positioning applications.

@TECHNOSOFT_MT  #Pauto @EtherCAT_Group

Thursday 23 November 2017

Load cell for harsh conditions.

The new DBBSUB s-beam load cell from Applied Measurements, is guaranteed to measure tension and compression in continuous submersion in potable water to depths of up to 10 metres / 1 bar. Its IP68 long-term immersion sealing and rugged stainless steel body makes it is ideal to use in many submersible applications.

This load cell has a glass-to-metal seal construction providing a complete hermetic sealing. This hermetic sealing guarantees its safe performance in highly aggressive environments whilst still maintaining its high ±0.02 % accuracy.

Robert Davies, Applied Measurements’ Production Director says, “The DBBSUB S-beam permanently submersible load cell is the perfect choice for tension and compression loading in many underwater, offshore and harsh industrial environments.”

Applied Measurements’ specially designed rod end bearings and fixtures deliver optimum accuracy of the load cell by directing the tensile force through the centre of the load cell which reduces any unrelated forces.

Their wide range of mounting bases and fixtures make installation into your application fast and easy, without the worry of lengthy time consuming delays and expensive setup costs.

@AppMeas #PAuto 

High-Speed RF Measurements for NB-IoT Devices.

The NB-IoT Uplink Tx Measurement MX887067A software and NB-IoT Downlink Waveforms MV887067A package supporting 3GPP RF measurement tests for NB-IoT devices and further strengthening the functions of the popular Universal Wireless Test Set MT8870A has been launched by Anritsu Corporation.

Installing the NB-IoT options in the MT8870A enables evaluation of communications equipment with built-in NB-IoT functions as well as tests of the RF TRx characteristics of modules. These same options are bundled with a PC application supporting signal analysis to assist customers with development work and design testing. Additionally, a fully automatic measurement application is provided for controlling measuring instruments and chipsets at prototyping and mass-production testing. These application software packages can be used to simplify test program creation and automate measurement, cutting customers’ test software development man-hours by about 90%.

Narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT) is the latest standard of wireless technology that has been developed to support IoT devices and services. NB-IoT offers several advantages, including improved power consumption, extended in-building coverage, lower cost and improved security and privacy features. But to be able to meet to growing demand for NB-IoT modules, chipset vendors are looking at cutting the cost of manufacturing by improving measurement efficiency. Anritsu has worked closely with chipset vendors to develop a turnkey system supporting fully automatic measurement. These latest options make full use of optimization technology developed as a manufacturing solution for 2G/3G/4G terminals and have been developed as a multi-device test solution for cutting measurement costs per device as far as possible.

The MT8870A is a Universal Wireless Test Set designed for the mass-production of wireless communication devices, including 2G/3G/LTE/LTE-A, W-LAN, Bluetooth, GPS and FM technologies. Up to four high-performance test units can be installed in one main chassis, with each unit performing completely independent parallel measurements to evaluate up to four wireless communications devices simultaneously.

Installing the developed NB-IoT measurement software (NB-IoT Uplink Tx Measurement MX887067A and NB-IoT Downlink Waveforms MV887067A)in the MT8870A supports fast and easy 3GPP NB-IoT RF tests, including power, frequency, modulation accuracy and Rx sensitivity.

@AnritsuEMEA  #TandM #IoT #Pauto

Supporting IoT protocols.

HMS Industrial Networks supports the IoT protocols OPC UA and MQTT within the Anybus CompactCom range of embedded networking solutions. With OPC UA and MQTT in the portfolio, device and machine manufacturers who use CompactCom are offered a straight-forward path to providing secure data to the IIoT factories of tomorrow - already today.To achieve the vision of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), device and machine manufacturers are required not only to connect their hardware to different industrial networks on OT (operational technology), but also to provide data to IT systems and IoT software.

Anybus CompactCom now opens a new door to IIoT, thanks to the support for OPC UA and MQTT. Thousands of device manufacturers and machine builders who use CompactCom can now make their data available to IT systems and IoT software in an easy and secure way.

The support for OPC UA and MQTT in CompactCom greatly facilitates communication with IT-systems and IIoT applications, offering data straight from a device or machine. Users will be able to analyze data from CompactCom-equipped devices and machines for the purpose of e.g. predictive maintenance and manufacturing optimization - key elements for realizing the vision of IIoT.

Availability of OPC UA and MQTT in CompactCom
HMS is recognizing OPC UA and MQTT as two of the most important protocols for data and information exchange within the smart industrial solutions of the future. Accordingly, OPC UA and MQTT is implemented into the CompactCom industrial Ethernet offering, starting with the EtherNet/IP and PROFINET versions end of 2017.

Additional IIoT solutions using CompactCom
In addition to supporting OPC UA and MQTT, CompactCom offers several other ways to connect industrial hardware to IT-systems and IoT software, with features such as integrated, customizable web pages and support for web services, email and FTP. Users with specific demands regarding communication between OT and IT, can do-it-themselves using the CompactCom socket interface or the Transparent Ethernet functionality. These methods allow users to develop their own IT-connection while CompactCom handles the network communication.


• Read more in the publication »Into the future with Anybus CompactCom.».


@HMSAnybus #PAuto

Wednesday 22 November 2017

Partners in reporting & dashboards!

WellinTech has joined the Dream Report Proven Partner Program and is recommending Dream Report as a solution for reports and dashboards.

WellinTech, makers of KingSCADA, is a leading supplier of HMI/SCADA technology in China and other parts of the world. As a member of the Dream Report Proven Partner Program, WellinTech customers will benefit by having a jointly endorsed solution for compliance, performance and ad-hoc; reports, dashboards and data troubleshooting interfaces.

“We have tested Dream Report OPC DA connectivity with KingView," explained Roy Kok, VP Sales and Marketing for Ocean Data Systems. “Dream Report offers the ability to acquire data from KingView and store that data for future reporting. The OPC DA interface also enables Dream Report to monitor events for batch reporting, alarm reporting and triggers from any other SCADA event. As our relationship matures and customers benefit from the value of Dream Report, we will expand our connectivity to WellinTech products, specifically KingHistorian.”

“Dream Report is the leading industrial report solution on the market and we see customers that would like to integrate data from many data sources, including KingSCADA into one report or dashboard,” explained Li Heng(Eric), Sales manager of overseas department at WellinTech. “With their broad base of vendor partnerships and over 80 proprietary, industrial standard and business standard interfaces, they are a natural partner for us and we are happy to be integrated with their Proven Partner Program.”


@OceanDataSys #Pauto #SCADA

Wireless gateway module for small-scale field wireless systems.

Yokogawa has developed an ISA100 Wireless™ gateway module for field wireless communications that integrates the functions of an access point and a gateway which will be released later this month (Nov 2017). Compact in size and easy to set up, this gateway module is ideal for building small-scale field wireless systems for upstream (oil and gas field development and production) and other types of applications where data is typically collected from a small number of devices and distributed across a wide area.

Field wireless systems allow field devices to communicate wirelessly with host systems that perform functions such as monitoring and control. There is an increasing need for the collection of data that can help to improve productivity and enhance safety in plants and other types of industrial facilities. For such purposes, the demand for field wireless devices is particularly strong because they cost less to install and can be installed in locations that cannot be accessed using conventional wired devices.

They released the world’s first ISA100 Wireless-compliant wireless devices in July 2010. Since then, the company has added field devices to its field wireless lineup that can measure flow rate, temperature, pressure, and vibration, gateways, and adapters that enable conventional field devices to communicate wirelessly.

ISA100 Wireless systems are fast and reliable, and can link devices that are scattered over a wide area. Yokogawa already offers a range of ISA100 Wireless products that can be used to construct large-scale field wireless systems, and is now adding this product to its lineup to satisfy the demand for a gateway that is suited for the construction of small-scale systems with fewer measurement points.

Product Features
1. Small form factor
Existing field wireless systems consist of wireless transmitters that can measure flow rate, temperature, pressure, and vibration in a production process; access points for receiving signals from wireless sensors; and management stations that function as gateways for the collection of sensor data via access points and send the data to a host system. This new gateway module is able to function as both an access point and gateway because it incorporates a FN110 field wireless communication module with a built-in gateway. *In its original configuration, without the gateway, the FN110 is mounted on field wireless devices and functions solely as an antenna. The FN110 dimensions are unchanged, with a diameter of 23 mm and a length of 90 mm. When used together with an LN90 interface adaptor that incorporates a power supply adapter and a host system communications interface, the new gateway module can link up to 20 field wireless devices with a host controller or other device via the RS-485 Modbus general-purpose communications protocol.

2. Easy to set up
This gateway module requires the input of just a few items to set it up. A clear line of sight between the wireless sensors and the gateway module must be secured to connect to a host system. Technicians who have no previous experience with wireless systems can easily set up this system.

3. Low power consumption
This compact module draws just 0.3 watts of power.

Commitment to This Technology
This new gateway module opens up new applications for our wireless systems. ISA100 Wireless field wireless systems of all sizes can now be built to suit a wide variety of customer needs. Yokogawa will continue working to offer its customers best-in-class solutions that deliver great value by introducing new ISA100 Wireless field wireless devices and wireless system devices, and in so doing will broaden the use of this wireless technology.

@YokogawaIA #PAuto #ISA100

Tuesday 21 November 2017

Level switch with IO-Link.

Baumer has announced the immediate availability of LBFH and LBFI level switches with IO-Link and ATEX approval. The IO-Link interface allows the user to automate the configuration of sensors.The inclusion of ATEX also enables the use of commercially available barriers. The sensors are suitable for hygienic and industrial applications.

Thanks to IO-Link integration, the level switches are Industry 4.0-ready. The communication interface enables each application to be configured quickly and easily using standard network components. This ensures error-free duplication of the system and device replacement without the need for additional programming, thereby saving time. Diagnostic data can be called up and evaluated at any time, which increases system availability.

Just like their predecessors, LBFH and LBFI level switches meet the criteria for ATEX categories 1 and 2 for gas and dust. The reduced current consumption of their more advanced electronics means that commercially-available standard barriers can now be used in addition to the Baumer barriers. This increases flexibility in terms of integration even in existing plants, and reduces installation costs.

Two switching outputs make it possible to set independent trigger thresholds. This means two different process steps, such as production and cleaning, or two media groups, such as water and oil, can be monitored with one sensor. Additionally, the two switching outputs facilitate a plausibility check of the sensor. Complementary trigger point setting ensures wire breaks are reliably detected, thus guaranteeing effective monitoring of all programs.

Both variants are suitable for use in temperatures up to 135 °C while the variant for hygiene applications also has SIP capabilities.


@BaumerGroup #PAuto #Ex

Network-based control system enhanced.

Yokogawa will release an enhanced version of the STARDOM™network-based control system in the first quarter of fiscal year 2018. This new version of the STARDOM system will include a new E2 bus interface module that has been developed for use in FCN-500 autonomous controller extension units. This enables the construction of systems that have more I/O points and cover a wider area.

STARDOM is a network-based control system that consists of the FCN autonomous controller, the VDS web-based HMI, and the FAST/TOOLSTM SCADA package. Since first releasing STARDOM in 2001, Yokogawa has continued to improve the functions of this system to satisfy its customers’ evolving needs.

One such recent need is for the collective monitoring and control of applications where many different input and output devices are distributed over a wide area, in locations where conditions are often harsh. Other needs have included the reduction of wiring and maintenance costs while ensuring high reliability. Based on its twin goals of achieving excellent scalability and excellent reliability, Yokogawa has sought to satisfy these needs by strengthening the functions of its STARDOM system.

Enhancements
1. Excellent scalability: Three times the number of connectable units, one hundred times the transmission distance
The FCN-500 is a modular type controller. It consists of a control unit with a CPU module mounted on the unit’s base module. (An additional CPU module may be installed for dual redundancy.) Extension units that accommodate I/O modules can also be utilized. To connect a control unit with an extension unit, Yokogawa has developed the E2 expansion bus. The E2 bus consists of an E2 bus interface module that is installed on each unit and a general-purpose Ethernet cable. With this E2 bus, up to nine units can be connected (including the FCN-500 control unit), a threefold increase. As a result, the maximum number of allowable I/O points has been tripled. Using the high-speed CPU module that was released in March 2016, a much larger system can be constructed based on the FCN-500.

In addition, the maximum possible transmission distance between individual units has been increased to 100 meters. Therefore, with a 9-unit configuration, the maximum transmission distance is 800 m, which is 100 times longer than what was previously possible. Using commercial fiber optic cables and media converters, a STARDOM system spanning distances of several kilometers can be constructed. The installation of extension units near sensors reduces wiring costs and maintenance workload.

Three different types of base modules are available: a long base module with slots for 10 modules, a short base module with slots for five modules, and a new compact base module with slots for three modules. Customers can combine these three different base module types depending on the required number of I/O points and the amount of space available for installation.


2. Excellent reliability: Duplexing of bus and improved environmental resistance
The new E2 bus as well as the CPU, power supply, control network, and internal bus of the FCN-500 can all be duplexed. Thus, even when a large system is configured using the E2 bus, high reliability is assured.

Maintenance is also a key factor in ensuring high system reliability. As with previous STARDOM versions, it is possible to check the operating status of the modules in the extension units and quickly detect any malfunctions using the VDS HMI, FAST/TOOLS SCADA, and other means, and any damaged modules can be replaced without having to shut down the FCN-500 controller. In addition, the new extension bus interface module has been built to withstand ambient temperatures as extreme as −20°C and 70°C. (Our existing interface module supports a range of 0–55°C.) This enhancement will make it possible to install extension units in locations where environmental conditions are extremely harsh.


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• This new STARDOM version will be exhibited at the System Control Fair 2017/Measurement and Control Show 2017 TOKYO, which will be held from November 29 to December 1 2017.

@YokogawaIA  #PAuto

PLC with up to 2,060 local I/O.

MicroSmart FC6A Plus is a powerful PLC with up to 2,060 local I/O from IDEC Corporation. With its expanded I/O capacity, the unit can control and monitor the largest machines or entire small-scale manufacturing facilities, a capability seldom found in a micro PLC.

To ensure high-level performance with this expanded I/O count, basic instructions can be executed in the extremely fast speed of 21 nanoseconds, and program memory is 800 kB (100K steps), much larger than competitors’ micro PLCs. These capabilities are combined with extensive data memory, more than double the capacity of a typical micro PLC. These features allow the FC6A Plus to handle large programs with complex control requirements such as PID, flow totalization and recipes.

Two models are available, each with 24 Vdc input power. The 16 I/O model has 8 inputs, and 8 relay or transistor outputs. The 32 I/O model has 16 inputs, and 16 transistor outputs. Each model also includes an integral 0-10 Vdc analog input with 12-bit resolution. Each model can accommodate up to three plug-in discrete, analog, serial communication or Bluetooth cartridges. Each discrete cartridge has 4 discrete I/O points, either 4 inputs or 4 outputs. Each analog cartridge has 2 analog I/O points, either 2 inputs or 2 outputs.

Up to 63 I/O expansion modules can be added. This gives the FC6A Plus the capability to handle up to 2,060 I/O with a maximum of 511 analog I/O, much more than a typical micro PLC.

The FC6A Plus also includes an optional Bluetooth wireless communication adapter, giving users the power to monitor the PLC and download/upload programs from any PC or laptop with Bluetooth capability. This eliminates the need to stock, locate and connect a cable to the PLC for these tasks, and provides access to the PLC from a distance up to 10 meters. In addition, any device with Bluetooth capability, such as a bar code reader, can also be configured to communicate with the PLC.

FTP communication allows users to configure the FC6A Plus as a FTP Client or Server for transfer of programs and logged data between a server and the PLC, providing a convenient and effective way to remotely communicate with the PLC. Up to 16 users can be managed simultaneously, and access folders can also be managed. Files can be stored at the PLC or logged to the PLC’s SD memory card for transfer to an FTP server.

All models have two built-in RJ45 Ethernet ports. Optional Plug-in communication cartridges can be added to create two additional RS232C/RS485 ports. With the addition of serial communication modules, up to 33 RS232C/RS485 serial ports are supported

The PLC’s Ethernet port supports the Modbus TCP protocol, and the serial port supports the Modbus RTU protocol. Support for the BACnet communication protocol will be available in mid-2018 to provide communications with building automation components and systems. An SD memory port and a mini-B USB port can each be used for data logging, program storage/transfer, firmware updating or recipe storage.

An optional HMI module can be added to the CPU to provide operator interface via its display and control buttons. The HMI module can also accommodate an optional plug-in analog cartridge, and it has an integral Ethernet port. Using the operator interface functionality, any PLC parameter can be updated.

App Access - one of the first!
The FC6A Plus is one of world’s first micro PLCs with full-featured app access from any iOS or Android smartphone or tablet. These WindEDIT Lite apps can be downloaded for free on the Apple App Store or Google Play. Although browser-based access is also included, many users will prefer the one-touch access and superior speed of the app.

With the WindEDIT Lite app, users can upload and download user programs; monitor and control any parameters in the PLC; monitor and clear PLC error status; start and stop the PLC; send and retrieve program and logged files to a cloud database; and manage the SD memory card. Access control can be configured with different layers of user privilege and password. Connection from a PLC to the WindEDIT Lite app can established using Wi-Fi (internet) or Bluetooth.

IoT Ready
IoT capability is provided by default web pages or by custom web pages, each of which can be configured for remote monitoring and control. Web pages are created within standard IE, Firefox or Chrome web browsers using pre-built objects and symbol factories via simple drag-and-drop functionality. No HTML programming is required, a major advantage over competing products.

Web pages are stored in the PLC’s user web page 5 MB of memory space, or in the optional SD card’s 32 GB of memory space. Using this storage capacity, users can create professional web pages with high levels of graphical content without worrying about memory limitations.

These web pages allow the PLC to function as a web server when one of its two built-in Ethernet ports or the HMI Ethernet port is connected to the Internet. These web pages can be accessed via any web browser running on any Internet-connected device such as a remote PC, a tablet or a smartphone.

Connecting the Ethernet port on the PLC, or on the optional HMI module, to the Internet also provides email and text notification functionality, which can be used with third-party email servers such as Gmail and Yahoo.

Upward Compatibility
The FC6A Plus is programmed with IDEC’s WindLDR PC-based software, which includes no cost updates for the life of the product, and which can be used to program IDEC’s entire line of controllers in a simple and intuitive manner. Software programs from IDEC FT1A, FC4A, FC5A and FC6A PLCs can be automatically converted by the WindLDR programming software for execution on the FC6A Plus.

PLC programming languages include Ladder, Function Block Diagram and Script, the latter similar to the C programming language. The Script language can be used to create more complex programs, particularly those with multiple sub-programs and custom function blocks.

Industries particularly well suited to the FC6A Plus include oil & gas, chemical, solar, marine, packaging, food & beverage, material handling, utility vehicles, and OEM machinery and process skids. Within these industries, a wide variety of applications are a good fit—especially those requiring control of standalone machines, process skids, vehicles and small-scale systems. With its expanded I/O capabilities, the FC6A Plus is also capable of controlling entire small-scale manufacturing and other industrial facilities.

 @IDECUSA #PAuto #IoT #PLC

Reliable positioning.

The PXV 2-D absolute positioning system from Pepperl+Fuchs sets new performance benchmarks when it comes to reliability and handling. With its large reading window, the system keeps a sufficient number of codes in view, even in relation to track switches and changes to the code tape. Precise positioning is guaranteed at all times.

DataMatrix-Codeband SafePXV
Six years of experience with the PCV system have helped to shape the development of the PXV. The reading window of the PXV has been enlarged to 120 x 80 mm, meaning that the Data Matrix code tape is always located within the detection range. Mounting and commissioning are easier, and plant availability is further improved. The reading window has an increased depth of focus range, allowing it to capture even more codes simultaneously and also guarantee position detection through multiple redundancy.

Unlike other systems available on the market, the PXV requires only a 2-D camera, ensuring that irritation relating to track switches is excluded. To prevent this, the cameras in the two-camera systems can receive the relevant differing position signals in these areas.

A certain degree of contamination on the code tape is often unavoidable during everyday operation. For this reason, the codes for the PXV have been expanded to 15 x 15 mm without compromising the resolution, and the "coarse-grained" design ensures that they are unaffected by pollution. Thanks to redundant detection, the system also cannot be disrupted by the destruction of individual codes. The code tape can be interrupted by a stretch of up to 80 mm without affecting position detection.

Innovative Safety Technology
The new safePXV manages all that a single positioning system can with just one sensor. The new safety technology combines a 2-D reader with a three-colored Data Matrix code tape. The special code tape contains two overlapping Data Matrix codes in red and blue. The 2-D reader is equipped with two different colored LED rings—also red and blue. These rings are activated separately and then read just one Data Matrix code each. An SIL 3/PL e absolute position is always provided as the result.

• Pepperl+Fuchs are marketed in Ireland through Insteco.

@PepperlFuchs #PAuto @PepperlFuchsUSA 

Combustion control in crematoria!

Michell Instruments has released a new application featuring two case studies of combustion control in crematoria.

Cremator operators not only need to comply with local emissions guidelines, but also have to take into consideration the social and emotional well-being of local residents and mourners. Careful control of combustion plays an important part in reducing emissions as well as keeping costs and use of fuel to a minimum. The application note explores the unique challenges faced by cremator operators to monitor combustion including dealing with high temperatures and corrosive gases.

Two case studies also demonstrate how Michell’s XZR500 combustion analyser provides reliable and accurate measurements of oxygen in this application. The analyser has been designed specifically to withstand high temperatures and corrosive atmospheres, while still sampling directly from the stack.

• Michell Instrumentas are marketed in Ireland by Instrument Technology.


@Michell_Inst #PAuto

Debugging pioneer joins international architecture foundation.

Ashling Microsystems has joined the RISC-V Foundation, a non-profit corporation controlled by its members to drive the adoption and implementation of the open, free RISC-V instruction set architecture (ISA) forward.

Born in academia and research, RISC-V ISA delivers a new level of free, extensible software and hardware freedom on architecture, paving the way for the next 50 years of computing design and innovation. Ashling will demonstrate its first RISC-V IDE to coincide with the 7th RISC-V Workshop Nov. 28 – 30, 2017 in Milpitas (CA USA).

“As a reputable provider of debug tools, we are delighted to welcome Ashling to the RISC-V Foundation as a silver member,” said Rick O’Connor, executive director of the non-profit RISC-V Foundation. “As the RISC-V community continues to grow, the requirement for a complete ecosystem containing a strong suite of support tools is critical.”

“By joining RISC-V, we are demonstrating our support and commitment to open architectures and corresponding ecosystems. We see RISC-V as a great way of leveraging cooperation between industry and academia to advance innovation and prevent vendor exclusivity,” said John Murphy, Managing Director, Ashling Microsystems. “We believe that Ashling has the experience and focused expertise to address all aspects of the RISC-V ecosystem as RISC-V usage extends to cover the whole gamut of applications, from high computing servers to low power embedded systems and IoT.”

In addition to developing custom RISC-V embedded solutions for semiconductor companies leading the way in RISC-V, Ashling can also manage all aspects of the RISC-V ecosystem by providing specialized service and support. This greatly alleviates the support burden for adopters of the RISC-V open architecture, as it frees up developers to focus on product design and launch.

#AshlingMicrosystems #PAuto  @risc_v