New AWG function accelerates automated testing processes.

Arbitrary Waveform Generators (AWGs) are essential tools to generate nearly any possible waveform. Spectrum Instrumentation, a leading provider of more than 70 high-performance AWG products for all kinds of industries, now presents an additional AWG mode for automated testing environments. The new "Sequence Restart Mode" expands the long list of functions, firmware options and software tools to make the AWGs even more versatile. Driven by direct customer demand, Spectrum quickly developed and delivered the new feature as a support task, and provides it now to all customers free of charge.

The already existing "Sequence Mode" provides a straightforward method for generating long-duration signals by looping and linking waveform segments of varying lengths. This capability allows complex waveform chains to be connected seamlessly, creating an almost unlimited stream of test signals. With the addition of the new "Sequence Restart Mode", Spectrum Instrumentation AWGs deliver even greater flexibility. The new mode allows an automatic and ultra-precise restart of the full sequence of looped and linked waveforms upon receiving a trigger event. The trigger-to-output time is always fixed, thus allowing automated test processes to begin anew whenever conditions require, reducing test times and improving overall measurement efficiency.

Driven by customer demand.
The new "Sequence Restart Mode" is a great example of how Spectrum Instrumentation reacts quickly to customers’ requests. The original demand for this mode came from Dr. Johannes Rahm, scientist at the PTB in Germany (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt/Metrology Institute of the Federal Republic of Germany). His team is responsible for maintaining the legal time in Germany using atomic clocks (cesium fountain clocks).

Commenting on the new Sequence Restart mode, Dr. Rahm said: "For the AWG cards from Spectrum that I use, I needed a special version of the sequence mode to generate RF frequencies. These frequencies are used to manipulate the laser frequencies employed for cooling the atoms and for fluorescence spectroscopy. Spectrum's engineers responded quickly to my request, my tests were successful, and the new mode works exactly as I envisioned."

These situations benefit everyone: while the customer receives a tailored solution for his needs through the Spectrum support, all other users of these instruments gain from an expanding pool of modes and functions.

The new feature is available free of charge for all Spectrum Instrumentation AWGs of the 65xx and 66xx series just through the installation of the latest drivers. Designed for computer-controlled operation, these instruments utilize a unified software toolkit that simplifies system integration and future upgrades. Software support is available for Windows and Linux, with programming examples provided for Python, MATLAB, C++, and LabVIEW, as well as a high-level Python API. All Spectrum products are supported by lifetime technical assistance, delivered directly by Spectrum Instrumentation’s engineering team, along with free software and firmware updates

---

@SpecInstruments @mepaxIntPR #TandM #PAuto #Laboratory

On-site oil analysis.

AMETEK Spectro Scientific has announced the launch of TruVu 360™ Fluid IQ, an advanced analytics and intelligence solution designed to transform how maintenance teams understand oil health and anticipate equipment needs.

On-site oil analysis is essential for keeping critical assets running reliably. However, traditional approaches often rely on delayed lab results, fixed sampling intervals and test data viewed in isolation. These constraints can obscure emerging issues and make it difficult to predict when change is coming.

This addresses these challenges by making on-site oil analysis smarter and more forward-thinking.

As an optional, licensed capability available within the TruVu 360™ Enterprise Fluid Intelligence platform, TruVu 360™ Fluid IQ combines on-site test results with historical data and advanced analytics in a secure cloud environment. The system compares each sample against a broad base of historical and comparable data to identify patterns that reveal oil performance, degradation trends and remaining service life.

“Maintenance teams need clearer insight,” said Robert Wopperer, DVP of Sales and Business Development, at AMETEK Spectro Scientific. “TruVu 360™ Fluid IQ is a truly exciting breakthrough, leveraging advanced analytics and intelligence to estimate the remaining useful life of fluids. Helping teams moving from reactive decision-making to forward-looking strategies to optimize maintenance planning.”

Beta users highlighted how TruVu 360™ Fluid IQ brings forecasting, oil health history, and recommendations together in a highly visual format, making it easier to interpret current conditions, communicate insights during routine reviews, and support more truly predictive, condition based maintenance planning.

By identifying relationships and trends across chemistry, wear metals, physical properties and service history, TruVu 360™ Fluid IQ delivers a genuine 360-degree view of oil and equipment health. This holistic intelligence supports predictive servicing, earlier detection of degradation and smarter sampling decisions, helping organisations reduce unnecessary maintenance, avoid premature oil changes and minimise unplanned downtime.

The platform also connects oil analysis insights across sites, supporting a more transparent and collaborative workflow. Findings can be shared easily, ensuring the right information reaches the right people and enabling faster, more confident decision-making.

TruVu 360™ Fluid IQ is available now as an optional, licensed capability within TruVu 360™ Enterprise Fluid Intelligence platform for Cloud users. A localised version is coming soon for Pro users.

---

@SpectroSci #PAuto #Laboratory

New drug discovery & development head.

The appointment of Henning Steinhagen as Chief Executive Officer has been announced by Symeres, the leading transatlantic CRDMO for drug discovery and development. This marks a key transition as the company scales its operations and broadens its market reach.

Dr Henning Steinhagen

Dr. Steinhagen succeeds Guillaume Jetten, who has served as CEO and played a key role in strengthening the company’s operational and scientific foundations during a period of growth and transformation.

The appointment marks a planned transition in leadership structure to continue to build on the company’s success. A combination of organic growth and targeted acquisitions has led Symeres to evolve into a fully integrated transatlantic partner, bringing together more than 500 scientists across nine global sites with decades of multidisciplinary expertise in chemistry, biology, ADME-tox and CMC. Dr Steinhagen has a strong scientific background and commercial experience to drive positive business impact for Symeres in its next phase of growth.

Building on this foundation, Dr. Steinhagen will focus on advancing Symeres’ vision of being a crucial partner from discovery through development with its “One Symeres” integrated platform that serves strategic partnerships across biotech and pharma. His scientific background also aligns with the company’s widely recognised scientific expertise.

As a seasoned CEO, board director and R&D executive, Dr. Steinhagen brings more than 25 years of experience across pharma, biotech and the CRO/CDMO sector. He joins from Lario Therapeutics, where he served as CEO and co-founder, as well as Venture Partner at Epidarex Capital. His previous positions include President R&D at Aptuit, where he was a key member of the leadership team responsible for the company’s growth and successful sale to Evotec AG in 2017. Prior to that he acted as SVP and Head of Global Drug Discovery at Grünenthal and held senior roles at Sanofi-Aventis and Bayer Pharma.

Henning Steinhagen holds a PhD in Chemistry and earned an executive MBA degree from the IMD in Lausanne in 2018.

“I was drawn to Symeres because of its unique capabilities and legacy in delivering and supporting biopharma from inception to IND,” said Dr. Steinhagen. “The team brings together deep scientific depth and a way of working that is genuinely collaborative and responsive.”

He added: “With strong foundations in place, the opportunity ahead is to fully realize and unlock the power of integrated services across chemistry and biology. The goal is to create best-in-class solutions to rapidly advance even the most challenging programs for the benefit of our customers and ultimately patients.”

“Recently, we have made strong progress in bringing together our teams, capabilities and culture into one organization,” said Guillaume Jetten. “We are now seeing clear validation from our customers, who value the continuity, scientific depth and collaborative approach we offer. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved and confident that Dr. Steinhagen will build on this momentum and lead Symeres through its next phase of growth.”

---

#symeres #Pharma 

Supporting Texas' energy needs.

Expanded collaboration with state’s largest electric delivery company focuses on future-proofing the grid, supporting safe and reliable energy delivery

Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC (Oncor) has selected AspenTech Digital Grid Management (DGM) solutions to optimise real-time grid operations and strengthen its digital foundation to safely and reliably deliver energy to a growing number of Texas customers and continue to support the state’s economic growth.

“Innovation is essential to how Oncor prepares for the evolving energy needs of a rapidly growing Texas,” said Malia Hodges, senior vice president and chief information officer at Oncor. “We are investing in advanced operational technologies that enable greater visibility, faster response and long‑term resilience across our system. Emerson’s commitment to innovation aligns closely with our strategy as we enhance grid resiliency and continue to support Texas’s growth and increasing energy demands.”

Oncor is expanding its multi-year relationship with Emerson through its recent selection of the AspenTech OSI Advanced Distribution Management System™ (ADMS) to improve visibility and automation of Oncor’s distribution grid and gain advanced capabilities to scale outage management and workforce coordination.

Oncor has also selected AspenTech Cimphony Network Model Management™ for its transmission environment to enhance Oncor’s grid data modelling, validation and synchronisation, including data exchanges and interoperability between Oncor and Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). 

 “Emerson and Oncor have a strong history of collaboration,” said Stuart Harris, general manager, digital grid management at Emerson’s Aspen Technology business. “Oncor is at the forefront of applying advanced technology and work processes to modernise its grid. Our digital grid management solutions will help enable Oncor’s approach, positioning Oncor to support Texas’s growth and increasing energy demand while enhancing grid resiliency.”

---

@EmersonExchange @AspenTech @aramco @EMR_Automation  @Emerson_News @HHC_Lewis #PAuto #Power #USA

The right industrial Ethernet switch.

Antaira Technologies, a global leader in industrial networking solutions, presents this engineering guide to help plant managers, systems integrators, and OT engineers specify, deploy, and operate industrial Ethernet switches with confidence.

When a network failure means halted production or compromised safety, "good enough" connectivity is not an option. Industrial Ethernet switches keep critical networking infrastructure online across environments that would destroy commercial hardware in days.

Ten Capabilities that define an industrial Ethernet Switch.

01. Interconnectivity of Devices and Networks - At its core, an industrial Ethernet switch bridges every device on the plant floor — PLCs, sensors, cameras, HMIs — into a unified, communicating network. Multi-port architectures support simultaneous connections at scale, and managed variants enable remote configuration so operators can monitor and adjust without stepping foot on the floor.

02. Long-Distance Operation - Where commercial switches top out at 100 meters, fiber-optic-enabled industrial switches extend connectivity to several miles. Remote assets, outlying substations, and geographically distributed facilities can be unified into a single manageable network without signal degradation or repeater chains.

03. Noise Immunity and EMI Resistance - Variable-frequency drives, motors, and high-voltage lines generate electromagnetic interference that corrupts data on copper runs. Industrial switches feature hardened EMI shielding and support fiber optic cabling, an inherently immune medium, ensuring clean, error-free data transmission in the noisiest environments.

04. Extreme Temperature Operation - Standard commercial hardware fails below 0°C or above 50°C. Antaira industrial switches operate reliably across -10°C to 70°C standard ranges, with extended-temperature models rated from -40°C to 75°C, engineered for foundries, cold-storage logistics, outdoor substations, and arctic deployments alike.

05. Corrosion Protection - Chemical plants, wastewater treatment facilities, and marine installations expose equipment to corrosive agents that eat through standard enclosures. Antaira switches are available with IPC-A-610-compliant conformal coating, sealing internal circuitry against moisture, salt fog, and chemical exposure before corrosion can cause downtime.

06. Vibration and Shock Resistance - Heavy machinery, compressors, and transportation platforms generate constant mechanical stress. Antaira switches are designed to MIL-STD vibration and shock specifications, with DIN-rail mountings and solid-state construction that maintain secure connections and uninterrupted data flow in high-vibration environments.

07. IP-Rated Rugged Housing - Dust ingress and moisture infiltration destroy unprotected electronics. Industrial switches are housed in hardened metal enclosures rated to IP30, IP40, or IP67 depending on the application, keeping internal components clean and dry whether deployed in a dusty quarry, a humid greenhouse, or an outdoor junction box.

08. Power over Ethernet (PoE) Capability - PoE-capable switches deliver both data and power over a single Ethernet cable, eliminating separate power runs to IP cameras, wireless access points, VoIP phones, and smart sensors. The result: faster deployment, reduced cabling costs, and centralised power management with per-port control from the switch.

09. Unmanaged Switches: Plug-and-Play Simplicity - For straightforward point-to-point connectivity where traffic management is not required, unmanaged industrial switches offer immediate, zero-configuration operation. Cost-effective and field-proven, they are the right tool for isolated machine networks, legacy equipment integration, and budget-conscious deployments that still demand industrial-grade durability.

10. Managed Switches: Full Network Control - Managed industrial Ethernet switches deliver VLAN segmentation, QoS prioritisation, SNMP monitoring, RSTP/ring redundancy, and remote CLI or web-GUI configuration. Purpose-built for complex OT architectures, they allow engineers to isolate traffic, enforce security policies, and achieve sub-50ms network recovery, all from a central console.

Industrial Ethernet switches are not a commodity — they are load-bearing infrastructure.

Specifying the wrong switch for your environment means corrosion, thermal failure, signal loss, and unplanned downtime. Antaira Technologies engineers every product in its switching portfolio to exceed the demands of the world's harshest industrial environments, from oil refineries to offshore platforms to smart-factory automation cells.

---

@AntairaTech @OConnell_PR #PAuto 

Compact controller integrates visualisation and SCADA.

The Digi Z45 Industrial Controller from Digi International for remote monitoring, edge automation and industrial connectivityhas been added to the portfolio of Bressner Technology. This is a compact and rugged solution for industrial automation, communication and remote management applications. The controller combines PLC-like control functions, SCADA-style visualization and secure data communication in one integrated system.

The web-based Automation Control application enables monitoring and control processes to be configured directly on the controller. Its no-code toolset allows users to quickly implement alarm settings, reports and control logic without conventional programming. As a result, sensor and process data can be processed at the edge and integrated more quickly into existing automation or SCADA environments.

A key focus is remote monitoring and centralized management via Digi Axess. The platform provides insight into network, platform and application data, supports individually configurable dashboards, reports and alarms, and enables notifications via email or SMS. In addition, the Digi Axess app allows mobile management of devices and assets.

For industrial applications, the Digi Z45 offers numerous interfaces and protocols. These include analog and digital inputs and outputs, Modbus RTU and TCP, 10/100 Ethernet, RS-232, RS-485, USB, as well as cellular connectivity via LTE with 3G fallback. Dual-SIM failover and automatic carrier provisioning increase availability in distributed or hard-to-access installations.

The controller supports an input voltage of 9 to 24 VDC, operates in a temperature range from -30 °C to 70 °C and features a compact enclosure with a weight of around 0.29 kg. For demanding environments, an RMS version with a rugged NEMA enclosure and IP65/IP66 ratings is also available.

---

@BRESSNER_Tech @digidotcom @UnnGmbh @PresseBox #PAuto 

Pan European component distribution agreement.

Anglia Components has signed a Pan European authorised distribution agreement with Same Sky, the established manufacturer of an ever-expanding range of product technologies, including audio, interconnect, motion and control, relay, sensor, switch, and thermal management solutions. Same Sky was formerly known as CUI Devices.

Commented David Pearson, Anglia’s technical director: “This partnership significantly enhances our audio portfolio and expands the breadth of innovative technologies we can offer. Same Sky also brings a rapidly developing range of interconnect solutions and an extensive selection of thermal management products, including Fans and Peltier devices. We are looking forward to bringing these innovative components to our UK and EU customer base through our online platform.”

For Same Sky, EMEA Sales Director Neil Whittington added: “We value Anglia’s blend of modern e‑commerce capability and traditional people-centric service. Anglia is renowned for carrying a broad and deep inventory, which is particularly important to the many SMEs that make up a large portion of our European customer base”

---

@sameskydevices @angliaLive @BWW_Comms #Electronics #PAuto #Europe