Friday 28 January 2022

Cybersecurity standard approved for industrial networking devices - a first.

Moxa has obtained the world’s first IEC 62443-4-2 certification for industrial networking devices, as per the International Electrotechnical Commission for Electrical Equipment (IECEE) Certification Body Scheme. The certification is for one of the company’s next-generation networking solutions, the EDS-4000/G4000 Series, that will be introduced in March.

As recognized by IEC 62443-4-2 and IEC 62443-4-1 certifications, Moxa's solutions aim to unite networking and OT cybersecurity with layered defense-in-depth protection. This covers security-hardened networking devices based on the IEC 62443-4-2 cybersecurity standard, advanced IT and OT network segmentation with threat prevention, and tailored OT deep packet inspection (DPI) realizing industrial intrusion prevention system (IPS). These offerings allow Industrial Automation and Control Systems (IACS) to be built with reliable end-to-end connectivity to provide robust hardware, as well as high-performance and dependable networks.

“When we pursued the certification of the IEC 62443 standards, the journey was transformational for Moxa,” said Samuel Chiu, general manager of Moxa Networking. “We demonstrated that security is part of the DNA of our product and solution portfolios by complying with the internationally recognized standards related to the process and product requirements for the secure development of an IACS. This benefits our customers who must now utilize these solutions to enjoy undisrupted operations during every step of their digital transformation."

“Networking and cybersecurity have strong synergies in operations settings, yet they both must be purpose-built for OT environments. With the digital future and increased connectedness of operations, new industry requirements and standards will be put in place to ensure providers can keep up with these requirements,” said Jonathan Lang, research director of IDC with a focus on Worldwide IT/OT Convergence Strategies. “These specialized industry requirements can be overlooked by many IT cybersecurity solutions, and combining subject matter expertise and capabilities from operations is critical to ensure integrity of security systems.”

According to IDC’s Worldwide IT/OT Convergence 2022 Predictions* 75% of new operational applications deployed at the edge will leverage containerization by 2024. This will enable a more open and composable architecture, which will be necessary for resilient operations.

The rise in edge devices and expanded connectivity represent a pathway into operations. They are being deployed at a high rate and utilize more open architectures and capabilities compared to the isolated automation systems of the past. These devices must have both their software and hardware elements developed securely to last throughout their product lifecycle, integrate seamlessly into the network overall, and have security management capabilities.

To create a foundation for futureproof operations, many system integrators require that component suppliers comply with the subsections of the IEC 62443 standard that pertain to their devices. The software development process-related IEC 62443-4-1 and the product-related IEC 62443-4-2 standards highlight the importance of selecting vendors that provide hardened hardware components built with a “secure by design” approach. This approach should be adopted from the first day of the product development process, which includes plans for complete security lifecycle management and patch management.

“The IEC 62443 series of standards cover all aspects of security requirements, thus providing a common language for component suppliers, system integrators and asset owners”, says Steve Mustard, 2021 President of International Society of Automation (ISA), the Standards Development Organization responsible for IEC 62443. “The standards outline a secure-by-design approach and provide requirements through to product manufacturing. This significantly simplifies the procurement and integration processes for network devices, applications, and automation control devices that make up industrial control systems.”

The IEC 62443-4-1 standard defines a secure development lifecycle for the purpose of developing and maintaining secure products used in IACS. The IEC 62443-4-2 standard is important for system integrators, machine builders, and plant operators who have to consider the security aspects of their applications. Both standards are useful for device manufacturers who develop switches, routers, gateways, and other components for the automation industry.

Moxa has been following the development of the IEC 62443 standard for six years and has designed its products in accordance with its guidelines. In addition, Moxa has spent considerable resources on educating the market about not only the importance of the standard, but how Moxa embeds its principles throughout all stages of hardware and software development. The certifications also demonstrate Moxa’s capability to identify and respond to vulnerabilities and work with customers to mitigate risks. Moxa will continue investing in cybersecurity and work closely with customers to ensure that “secure by design” solutions combine expanded networking and purpose-built OT cybersecurity into one capability.

@MoxaInc @ISA_Interchange  @OConnellPR #PAuto #Cybersecurity

Thursday 27 January 2022

Reducing gas process noise.

The Fisher™ WhisperTube Modal Attenuator has been intruduced by Emerson for noisy gas or vapour applications in a wide range of industries. The modal attenuator is a full-bore device offering 15-decibel sound suppression to reduce noise inside pipes produced by sources upstream, such as control valves or other devices. It is installed downstream of these types of devices in place of a pipe spool piece, generates no additional pressure drop, and has no impact on process flow.

Industrial users have long searched for a solution to reduce process piping noise, but until now all solutions have generated significant pressure drop, reduced flow, and/or introduced obstructions. This has led some users to install acoustic insulation to pipe sections to reduce noise, but this can be very costly and cumbersome to install, and it does nothing to reduce internal piping noise. The modal attenuator addresses these and other issues with a drop-in solution, improving worker safety and regulatory compliance, while reducing the risk of damage to downstream equipment due to high noise levels internal to piping.

Leading applications for the modal attenuator include those where upstream process flows are changed by control valves, pressure relief valves, pumps, compressors and other devices that generate noise. Many of these devices must be installed in lengths of piping with no flow restrictions downstream, and the modal attenuator works particularly well in these applications because it introduces no such restrictions.

Unlike other noise suppression solutions, the modal attenuator does not introduce an obstruction into the piping, so it can be used in applications where particulates are suspended in process flows, and/or where pigging is required for cleaning and maintenance.

The exact amount of noise reduction depends on the frequency of the noise and the velocity of the flow. Estimates regarding the degree of sound suppression can be provided by Emerson experts prior to purchase and installation.

WhisperTube devices are offered in sizes from 2” to 12”, with American Society of Mechanical Engineer (ASME) flange ratings of Class 150, 300 and 600. Pressure ratings match the flange rating sizes, and the maximum temperature is 700 degrees Fahrenheit (371 degrees Celsius).

@Emerson_News @EMR_Automation @FisherValves @HHC_Lewis #PAuto #Safety

Tank level measurement.

The TORRIX XTS fill level sensor from Fanfir is now available from PVL. It is a maintenance free instrument which does not require recalibration, minimising cost of ownership.


Steve Moorey, MD of PVL, says, “The new TORRIX XTS is a flexible and highly accurate level measurement probe with an integrated LCD display for on-spot data interpretation by users. As an all in one it offers our customers the capability of continuously measuring the product level, interphase, density and temperature, and volume calculation is also possible.”

The TORRIX XTS is an all-rounder for level measurement and in addition to pure level measurement of the product and/or interface layer, the sensor also offers the options of temperature and density measurement. Users can set an integrated LCD display to show their desired parameters.

Different versions of the probe tube offer a wide range of application possibilities. The TORRIX XTS can be used with a standard 12mm tube, a bypass version and a flexible probe with a maximum length of 22m.

Other key features include a stainless-steel sensor head housing offering protection to IP68, safety glass display cover, operating temperature -20 to + 85 °C; - 55 to + 85 °C with heating. Probe tube material stainless steel with lengths available from 600mm up to 22,000mm. Accuracy Level up to ±0.3 mm or ±0.01 %, resolution (HART®) 0.1 mm. Electrical connection via cable gland or conduit and operating voltage Ex ia 12 to 30 VDC; Ex d 12 to 50 VDC. Output signal 4 to 20 mA (2 wire)/HART®-protocol; RS-485 (4 wire)/Modbus or FAFNIR Universal Device Protocol. Process conditions temperature up to + 450 °Cm, pressure -1 bar to +120 bar. Approved to Ex-Zone 0 (ATEX, IECEx), the most hazardous workplace type where gases, vapours and mists are present.

@pvllimited @proactivefleet #Fanfir #PAuto 

The most accurate current measurement transducer.

The IN 200 current measurement transducer, from LEM, is offering record levels of accuracy performance in current sensing with the launch of its IN 200 current measurement transducer.

As the most accurate sensor of its kind on the market, the IN 200 is ideal for use in such demanding applications as high-precision test & measurement (T&M) equipment used to analyse the efficiency of inverters fitted to hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs).The IN 200 is able to offer significant performance improvements – particularly in terms of linearity, offset and noise immunity – over traditional fluxgate transducers through its use of a new kind of digital technology.

Unparalleled levels of accuracy are achieved in linearity and electrical offset. While the IN 200’s data sheet quotes 0.6 parts per million (ppm) and maximum 10ppm respectively, in-house tests have shown that the sensor can achieve linearity below 0.5ppm and offset of +/-5ppm.This compares with competitors’ transducers offering +/-20-25ppm.

With the new transducer fitted to automotive test benches, manufacturers will be able to improve the testing efficiency of inverters and validate their performance levels through access to the most accurate data. In turn, because inverters will reduce power losses, designers will have the potential to tackle the issue of “range anxiety” by enabling EVs to go further than is currently possible.

The IN 200 completes LEM’s IN family of High Precision sensors which now covers a current range from 100A to 2000A. The IN 200 itself is effectively three products capable of matching nominal currents of 100A, 200A and 400A.

The single biggest factor that sets the IN 200 apart from the competition is LEM’s switch from reliance on analogue circuitry to digital integration technology. To achieve the increasingly high levels of accuracy demanded by the T&M market, LEM is reinventing fluxgate technology. Traditionally, many analogue circuits would be required to cancel out noise and other impacts of having different fluxgate coils but LEM’s innovative solution makes it possible to reduce substantially the number of analogue circuits within the transducer through digital integration, transforming the signal. By operating in the digital domain, the new sensor offers a wider range of capabilities – including ripple compensation, detecting second harmonics and voltage regulator excitation.

LEM believes that the IN 200 is a long way ahead of its nearest competitor in virtually every single parameter. While the market has shown that it can manage with the lower performance levels offered by other power measurement transducers, the IN 200 offers manufacturers the potential to take accuracy and efficiency figures to hitherto unachievable highs.

“The trend is very clear,” says Horst Bezold, founder of Signaltec. “The increasing electrification of transport is putting huge pressures on test benches for inverters in the automotive sector and has generated a boom in demand for T&M equipment. LEM has come up with a market-leading solution that will help to ease these pressures. By eliminating traditional reliance on analogue technology, we have made it possible to reach levels of accuracy that nobody in the market has ever been able to reach. This is great news for the T&M sector.”

The IN 200 offers users many additional benefits, including significant noise reduction and outstanding immunity to external fields. The device’s digital technology ensures immunity to temperature effects, interference and supply voltage variation while its top-quality metallic housing (previous models used a plastic casing) improves EMC immunity, reduces temperature drift and enables high-precision operation over an extended temperature range (-40°C to +85°C). Other features of the IN 200 include very broad frequency bandwidth – DC to 1.1 MHz (-3 dB) – compact design with a 28mm aperture for cables and busbars, and a status signal to indicate transducer state.

@LEM_Inc @mepaxIntPR #Pauto #TandM

Scientific research and engineering infrared cameras

The mid- and long-wave thermal cameras feature advanced recording, triggering, and synchronization capabilities for scientists, engineers, and researchers.

 Two families of X-Series science cameras, the X858x and X698x have been introduced by Teledyne FLIR. They offer high-speed and high-resolution thermal imaging capabilities for scientific research and engineering applications within the mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and long-wave infrared (LWIR) spectrum.

The X858x and X698x cameras offer advanced recording, triggering, and synchronization capabilities. This includes the ability to remotely adjust the focus, improving the quality of thermal data acquisition while saving time and eliminating frustration when operating within dynamic environments.

Users can then seamlessly transfer the data from the onboard solid-state drive (SSD) to a computer for processing and analysis, executed through FLIR Research Studio or the FLIR Science Camera SDK. This simplified experience enables users to immediately access a local copy of the data, providing in-the-moment data review and analysis. The cameras also support long-duration recordings, only limited by the size of the on-board, off-the-shelf SSD. This feature eliminates the need for high-speed data recording systems for some users, potentially saving significant time and costs on additional hardware and integration.

“The new X858x and X698x families of FLIR X-Series cameras are the most flexible, high-performance models in the FLIR scientific camera lineup to date,” said Desmond Lamont, global business development manager for Teledyne FLIR. “In addition to enabling more precise and convenient thermal data capture with programmatic lens control, the cameras include the ability to record directly to the onboard SSD, meaning users can rapidly configure their cameras to record for long durations without the need to invest in or integrate frame grabber-based recording systems. This feature greatly increases the utility of X-series cameras where longer timescale data capture is paramount and can save the user tens of thousands of dollars in budget, in addition to offering an overall smaller size and weight footprint for the total system.”

Each new camera also includes a dedicated trigger input on the rear panel and a new Tri-level Sync input, providing easy access to all methods of recording and synchronization across multiple camera units and types. This affords greater flexibility for user-specific recording requirements. In combination with motorized lens support, each model includes an integrated, four-position filter wheel. The wheel can be loaded with neutral density or spectral filters that further improve the quality of recording while saving time and mitigating frustration, especially when the camera is in a remote location.

The X858x MWIR and SLS LWIR family of cameras feature a cooled thermal camera core with high-definition resolution (1280x1084) and a 180Hz frame rate, for capturing the most refined data imagery. The X698x MWIR and SLS LWIR cameras feature 640x512 thermal resolution with a greater than 1kHz frame rate to capture stop motion high-speed events – whether in the lab or on the test range.

@flir @mepaxIntPR #Pauto #Laboratory

Agreement for LED panel lamp and indicator ranges.

Anglia Components has expanded its relationship with MARL International and been named Master Distributor for Britain and Ireland covering the full range of panel lamps, PCB mounting indicators and other standard LED components. As Master Distributor, Anglia will not only carry an extensive stock of standard devices for customers and for other resellers, but will also offer support for customers who require customised products.
LtoR: Graham Round, Marl Sales & Marketing Manager; John Bowman, Marketing Director, Emma Ayres, Product Marketing Manager, Anglia;  Katie Higgins, Sales Manager Lighting, Doug Sim, Commercial& Business Development Director, Marl and David Pearson, Anglia Technical Director.



Commenting, Steve Rawlins, CEO of Anglia said, “MARL International has an outstanding pedigree with LED technology, and we are delighted to extend our relationship with them. The new partnership is a win-win-win. Customers benefit further from the improved logistical support that Anglia can offer and the enhanced stock profile with which we are supporting the line, as well as our FAEs who have been trained by MARL in their technologies. Anglia adds a more comprehensive range of opto solutions to its portfolio and we increase MARL’s presence with our key customers.”

Adrian Rawlinson, Managing Director of MARL, added, “We are delighted to sign a new partnership with Anglia Components. They share our focus on quality and exceptional customer service and their strong team of Field Applications Engineers and Field Sales Engineers will greatly enhance our presence in the market. They will offer our customers the benefit of exceptional logistical support as well as access to a wide range of complementary devices.”

Anglia is to support the full range of MARL manufactured LED indication and lighting components and systems for a diverse range of markets, including those with demanding quality and performance requirements such as rail, aerospace and defence. The range includes panel mount indicator LEDs to provide a positive indication at the front panel of safety critical applications, including those exposed to harsh environments. In addition, Anglia will offer MARL 3mm and 5mm PCB mounting LED indicators in flame retardant plastic housings, as well as filament replacement LEDs for professional applications. MARL’s range of Rail Industry LEDs as well as Network Rail approved LED Bulkhead Units are also available from Anglia. It will hold a wide range of the most popular devices in stock for same-day shipment. The new range complements the established and extensive Anglia optoelectronics portfolio.

@angliaComponent @NeeshamPR #PAuto #Electrical #Britain #Ireland

Virtual edge gateway wins.

IoT.nxt’s innovative virtual gateway V-Raptor™ has been selected as the winner of the Enterprise IoT Management Innovation category in the annual IoT Breakthrough Awards* program this month. V-Raptor received the honours in the Enterprise IoT Management Innovation category.

More than 3 800 companies entered for the 2022 awards and category winners include IoT.nxt parent company Vodafone that was awarded the Breakthrough Award in the category Health and Wellness for the IoT Health and Wellness Product of the Year.

“V-Raptor was developed for an IoT deployment of significant scale that presented the need for a virtual gateway. An IoT aggregation layer was needed that could be deployed closer to the IoT devices inside a customer's network to ensure a high degree of security while providing a way to send high-velocity data to our IoT platform Commander™ in the cloud,” says André Jacobs, Chief of Product Engineering at IoT.nxt.

“Because it is a virtual and not a physical device, it fits with our strategic goal to drive sustainability through technology. The V-Raptor is now deployed to different customers across the globe. Contributing to its success is the fact that V-Raptor enables IoT devices to be deployed, configured, and monitored at scale, acting as a load-balancer, and extra security layer for edge devices while handling distribution of various components like drivers, protocols, firmware, and security patches.” 

V-Raptor™ allows companies to deploy an IoT gateway on premises in their own data centre where it sits close to their IoT devices for maximum security. Alternatively, they can choose to run in the cloud. It can be deployed on a wide variety of hardware ranging from entry-level servers to large-multi node clusters.

“Another benefit is that it allows for the launch of IoT offerings in a very short time,” Jacobs adds.

*Other leading companies that won categories in the 2022 Breakthrough award include Cisco, Bosch, NETGEAR, Verizon, Sony, Emerson and Lynx.

@iot_nxt @IoTBreakthrough #IoT #PAuto 

Rugged embedded computer system.

Impulse Embedded now supplies the ECX-3000 series from Vecow, a fanless embedded system powered by the latest range of Intel 12th Generation Core ‘Alder Lake’ processors. Featuring breakthrough technologies, enhanced graphics and high speed I/O the ECX-3000 series is perfectly suited for IoT, machine vision, in-vehicle computing, public safety and Edge AI applications.

The 12th Generation Intel Core processor family is Intel’s first to contain two different cores in a single chip design. With up to 8 performance cores and 8 efficient cores the Alder Lake offers users a new intelligent workload optimisation feature called Thread Director.

Thread Director has been designed by Intel with the help of Microsoft to manage resources at a processor level with assigning correct tasks. Low power background processes can be managed by “Efficient” cores leaving “Performance” cores free and available for heavy lifting when needed. This processor optimisation is great for AI and Edge applications where there is a need for the system to be running all the time doing low level monitoring and reporting, whilst occasionally needing to react to an event with a process heavy workload as quickly as possible. In addition to these intelligent workload optimisation features the Alder Lake CPU features Intel UHD 770 graphics, an integrated Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) built around Intel Xe graphics featuring up to 32 execution units which can be used to accelerate neural networks in object identification, processing, and other Edge AI tasks.

Comprehensive I/O and expansion options for a variety of embedded applications The ECX-3000 is packed with high speed I/O including new features such as six 10Gbps USB3.2 Gen 2 ports and up to eight 2.5GbE Ethernet ports with two models (ECX-3071XRT/XFR) supporting even faster 10GbE LAN speeds. Every system has at least one 2.5GbE Ethernet port that supports TSN (Time Sensitive Networking), a crucial step forward in high-speed Edge communication standards, allowing critical information to be transmitted in real-time. Moreover, there are options for up to four 2.5GbE PoE+ ports offering 25.5W / 48V per port power for the latest IP cameras and other PoE powered devices.

In addition to its high-speed I/O options, all ECX-3000 models come with one M.2 3042/3052 B-key socket suitable for 5G modules, one M.2 2230 E-key socket plus one miniPCIe slot for expansion modules. Quad display output support comes via two DisplayPort, one HDMI and one DVI-I interface. For storage there are two SATA III ports, one mSATA connector and one M.2. 2280 M-key (PCIe x4) socket with some models offering easy front access removable storage.

As with all of their embedded computing range, Impulse can fully configure the ECX-3000 to customer’s exact specification in their  engineering facility with a wide choice of processor, memory, storage, peripheral card and operating system.

@ImpulseEmbedded @proactivefleet #PAuto #Communications

World flowmeter market.

Get Ready for a rebound in 2022 with brand new flowmeter data in Volume X!

While 2021 was an unusual year, it was definitely an improvement over 2020. And even though many companies suffered a decline in 2020, pent-up demand and an improving economy are causing a rebound in the flowmeter markets. Are you prepared for this new reality with the data you need to successfully compete in these expanding markets?

"At Flow Research, we spent most of last year developing the numbers for our new study that covers the entire flowmeter market, including all flowmeter types. The study is called Volume X: The World Market for Flowmeters, 8thEdition. This is easily our most popular study. It is accompanied by a new edition of Module A: Strategies, Industries, and Applications," said Dr Jesse Yoder of Flow Research.

Between the two, there is a complete analysis of the world flowmeter market that allows comparing effects of the pandemic on each flowmeter type. In addition it details market size, market shares, industries, applications, company profiles, and growth factors for all types of flowmeters used in the process industries. "Volume X is the result of more than a full year of research on each one of the individual flow technologies. This is our 8th Edition, and it is the best edition yet!"

This study has two base years: 2019 and 2020, so that the effects of the pandemic on the flowmeter market as a whole and by flowmeter type is evident. The 2021 numbers reflect up to date projections, and the forecasts go through 2024.

As of today, oil prices exceed $86 per barrel. For those of you who sell into the oil & gas industry, this indicates that very good times are ahead for the flowmeter markets. Pent-up demand for crude oil and refined fuels, along with pent-up demand for flowmeters, will make 2022 a very strong year for anyone involved in flowmeters and instrumentation. And the recovery of the global economy is good news for the other process industries as well. "Now is the time to prepare for this boom by ordering the one study that gives you a complete view of where we've been and where we're going by flowmeter type," concluded Dr Yoder.

There are special discounts available for orders placed up to mid-February 2022.

@flowresearch #Pauto

Wednesday 26 January 2022

Secure power supply.

Bedrock Automation has completed a power supply upgrade to protect operations at two Occidental Petroleum well pads from environmental and cyber disruption. The upgrade includes primary and back up power supplies that feature high-performance processing, advanced communications and built-in cyber security.

“If you’re not pumping oil, you’re not making money. If your backup power goes down, it could take a couple of days to get things back up and running, but you never regain that lost production. If you are producing hundreds of barrels a day and going down a few times a month, multiply that downtime by the price of oil and you’ll see it add up pretty fast,” said Ron Moore, electrical lead for Occidental Petroleum engineering team.

The PLCs that control pumping on
these Occidental Petroleum storage
towers require secure, reliable power
.
The Bedrock OSA Power units have replaced an internally developed electrical power system that had powered well pad PLCs. Normal temperature cycling and exposure to caliche dust were contributing to disruptive power trips and conflicting alerts from the legacy lead acid power supplies.

Rather than replace the failing units with more of the same, the Occidental engineering team wanted a system that would take them into the future. After evaluating several options, they concluded that the combination of Bedrock Automation’s Secure Power Supply (SPS.500) and Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS.500) would fulfill their vision of a next generation power solution.

The SPS.500 provides single or redundant supply, using 90-264 Vac main voltage, 50/60 Hz input and is fully certified for use in Class 1, Division 2 locations. Its output of up to 500 watts is software-configurable between 21 to 28 volts. Multiple systems can be daisy-chained to scale up for higher power requirements.

The UPS.500 provides 24 Vdc at 12 Ah of power for hours of consistent backup for a typical PLC or DCS control cabinet. An onboard secure microcontroller controls the Li-Ion battery cell-by-cell, augmenting the high density, rapid charging, extreme temperature tolerance and the extended life that characterizes Li-Ion technology. The Li-Ion technology also recharges 10 times faster than a conventional lead acid battery system. The UPS.500 also has extremely high energy density and a compact footprint.

Both the SPS.500 and UPS.500 are well equipped to handle desert conditions. They are rugged, shock and vibration proof, and designed for use in temperatures between -40° F to +176 °F. They are encased in a sealed aluminum housing and compliant with IP67 and NEMA 4X standards for resistance to water, ice, oil and dust. Both are also MIL-STD 461 certified for EMP resistance without secondary containment.

From a cyber security perspective, the onboard electronics of the SPS.500 and UPS.500 enable Bedrock’s patented ICS cyber security. This initiates transparently and instantly upon startup to manage a deep authentication process and protect the power to Occidental’s hardware, firmware, software and communication throughout its entire lifecycle.

With the secure onboard microcontroller also comes secure 10/100 Mbit Ethernet IPv4 and IPv6 communications and support for Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Embedded Web Server and embedded IEC 62541 – OPC Unified Architecture Server. Bi-directional communications enable control, diagnostics and status reporting. More than 35 diagnostic variables can be easily monitored, trended, alarmed and historicized via SCADA.

The Occidental Petroleum configuration has been running flawlessly at both locations since 2019 and are now fully equipped with features that should ensure continued trouble free operation over the coming years.

@BedrockAuto Occidental Petroleum  #PAuto #Cybersecurity #Oil

Tuesday 25 January 2022

Interference waveform pattern software.

Easy Interference Waveform Generation for Interference Test

An Interference Waveform Pattern for 5G NR Receiver Test MX371055A and Interference Waveform Pattern for LTE Receiver Test MX371054A software has been launched by Anritsu. These tools generate 3GPP interference waveform patterns for testing the receiver sensitivity and throughput of both 5G and LTE user equipment (UE) and modules using the Vector Signal Generator MG3710E. Installing these tools in the MG3710E used in combination with the Radio Communication Test Station MT8000A and Radio Communication Analyzer MT8821C facilitates easy interference evaluation tests required by the 3GPP RF Compliance Test.
Product Outline

The Vector Signal Generator MG3710E supports receiver sensitivity and interference tests by outputting modulation waveforms up to 6 GHz and these new interference waveform pattern software tools facilitate output of different signal types. The MG3710E with Anritsu’s RF Conformance Test System ME7873 series supporting for 5G and LTE systems can perform the RF Compliance Test by certification organizations, such as test houses.

The tools are designed to support both in-house pre-testing for confirming compliance of Sub-6 GHz 5G and LTE UE and modules before the official 3GPP Compliance Test as well as for R&D to improve receiver sensitivity and throughput performance.

In parallel with increasing 5G smartphone shipments, annual shipments of 5G Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) are increasing based on mobile operator Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services. In addition, manufacturers of automotive electronic equipment are developing 5G communications modules, such as the Telematics Control Unit (TCU). Moreover, alongside this growing market for 5G UE and modules, the same manufacturers are still developing LTE UE and modules for mobile operators who have not started 5G services yet.

To sell 5G and LTE UE and modules, these equipment manufacturers must ensure that their products pass the 3GPP RF Compliance Test administered by a certified test organization.

The Compliance Test is the final product evaluation before commercial release, and failure to pass possibly requires redesign and retesting. Consequently, pre-testing during development is essential to avoid this risk.

A vector signal generator is required to generate interference waveforms at pre-testing. Evaluation using interference waveforms is important in suppressing degraded receiver sensitivity and helps assure development of competitive UE and modules.

Anritsu developed these two 3GPP-compliant interference waveform pattern tools to help engineers without specialist skills generate interference waveforms for easy interference tests.

@Anritsu @AnritsuEU @NapierPR #TandM

Torque-range measurement down to 0.5 Nm.

NCTE has expanded its 2300 torque sensor series with the introduction of a new variant for lower torque-range measurement tasks down to 0.5 Nm. The series now covers a torque range from 100 Nm down to 0.5 Nm. With measurement bandwidth up to 1,000 Hz, speeds to 10,000 rpm and accuracy to 0.5%, these non-contacting, long life sensors are perfect for torque, as well as speed, shear, and angle measurement in precision mechanics, test beds for smaller electric motors and engines, machine tool performance control, controlled screw fastening and capping operations, robotic manipulators and more.

Their torque sensors use the physical principle known as the inverse magnetostrictive effect in a patented process where magnetically encoded components in the sensor are modified by a surrounding magnetic field. Each sensor includes two magnetic fields in opposing directions which takes care of unwanted interference such as that from EMC. This real-time process, where torque measurement may be static, or dynamic detects miniscule magnetic changes for highly precise data acquisition. Factory calibrated and certified sensor outputs are 0…10V DC, 4…20mA, CANbus and USB with supply voltage requirement of 5 to 28 VDC. The USB option includes PC analysis software.

The 2300 series is available in nominal diameters of 8, 9 and 15 mm with seven measurement range variants between zero to 1 Nm and zero to 100 Nm. Full technical specifications are available from Ixthus Instrumentation. The plug and play sensors do not require external signal conditioning and as the sensor becomes a part of the shaft component, integration is easy. This non-contacting sensor technology has excellent resilience to shock and vibration and a choice of protection class allows use in harsh conditions – even in oil or under water – through a temperature range from -30 °C to +85 °C.

NCTE’s extensive range of standard torque sensors are available for measurement up to 10 KN with customised variants available on requests. The sensors are widely used for applications including but not restricted to agricultural and commercial vehicle take-off shafts, engine and turbine test beds, e-bikes, robotics and handling machinery, performance motorsports, and automotive engineering.

All are available with full support from NCTE’s distribution partner in Britain, Ixthus Instrumentation Limited,

@IxthusInst @mepaxIntPR @NCTE_AG #Pauto 

Monday 24 January 2022

Process solutions on new website.

Now, more than ever, industrial end-users are hungry for digital innovation in their interactions with technology suppliers. These expectations will only rise, as businesses rely on the resources provided by digital tools.

Honewell supports this digital journey by offering a new, optimized online experience to our customers around the world. Thus they have announced that their new Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS) website is now live!

The enhanced website with sleek and intuitive navigation provides quick and simple access to the solutions you need. Customers will also benefit from seamless e-commerce capabilities and easier access to your account information.

There are short demo videos and an overview document that provides additional information on how to get the most from the new features.

"Our commitment to improve our digital tools does not stop here, further releases are planned throughout the year that will introduce additional features such as integrated e-commerce, order status/history, chat bots, configurators as well as enhanced support and notification services," said a spokesman.

@honeywell #PAuto 

Acquisition adds harsh duty position sensing and switching technologies.

Variohm Holdings Ltd has acquired the USA based precision switching and linear position sensor producer CPI™ (Control Products, Inc.).

Graham Pattison, Variohm Holdings’ managing director, welcomed the CPI acquisition and the substantial opportunity it delivers for the Variohm Group’s manufacturing capability and potential sales growth. “This latest acquisition perfectly complements our vision and demonstrates discoverIE’s continued investment in The Variohm Group. By realising this increased synergy between our now eight members, we can deliver an increasingly more compelling offer to our valued customers”.

CPI’s specialist range of standard and ATEX/IECEX/SIL2 rated draw-wire position sensors and its waterproof switch and thermal switching technologies perfectly suit harsh duty application areas where the ISO9001 registered manufacturer has over seventy years’ experience in demanding control tasks in aerospace, construction, off-highway, agriculture, mining, subsea, oil & gas, and many other challenging fields. CPI develops, designs, and manufactures its comprehensive product range from its purpose-built facility in East Hanover, New Jersey and has the bold company strapline “Is your equipment tough enough for our sensors”.

This extensive range of linear position sensors was first developed over 15 years ago to meet the challenging demands for large hydraulic cylinders and accumulators used in the harsh environments faced by the construction equipment and materials handling industries. Rather than rod style in-cylinder position sensors which were prone to repeated failure, CPI took the basic principles of draw wire sensors in a patented configuration that replaced fragile potentiometers and encoders with either LVDT or a short rod magnetostrictive transducers as the core sensing technology. This long-life and non-contacting design offers numerous advantages including significant improvements in protection for heavy shock and vibration conditions and reliable operation in extreme temperature ranges from -40 to over 120 ⁰C. They can be located in-cylinder or externally mounted and find applications in many demanding positioning tasks beyond hydraulics. With absolute positioning and no need for homing on power-up, standard signal conditioning outputs include CAN Bus, analogue, and digital in single channel or redundant configurations. Models are available with full ATEX, IECEX and SIL2 approvals. CPI sensors are the only linear position sensors suitable for telescoping hydraulic cylinders up to 15 metres.

The Group
As Variohm Holdings continues to expand, this latest acquisition brings the Variohm Group to eight engineering companies and a total staff of more than 400 specialising in sensors, switches, motion control and systems – each with a high degree of autonomy but with complete access to the Group’s shared expertise and resources. 
CPI joins the German/Hungarian manufacturer Limitor GmbH (temperature control components),
USA based Phoenix-America – (magnetic encoder and magnetic sensors),
and British based companies Variohm EuroSensor (sensor and transducer supplier and manufacturer),
Herga Technology (switching and sensing solutions),
Ixthus Instrumentation (specialist measurement systems),
Heason Technology (motion control components and custom engineered systems), and
Positek Limited (specialised linear and rotary inductive displacement sensor technologies).
Their thermal switches are used for demanding military and commercial temperature control applications and are available in three primary electromechanical design categories: snap disk, bimetal, and rod and tube. Each type offers a differing sensitivity and temperature profile that suit a very wide range of harsh environment applications. The snap disk ‘Snapstats’ range uses a bimetallic snap disc that provides shock and vibration immunity and a broad temperature differential over an operating temperature range from around -18 to 148 ⁰C. Available configurations include surface mount with or without probe, thread mount, clamp mount, hermetically sealed, and dual setpoint. The bimetal ‘Plugstat’ series are slow-make and -break devices which provide tight tolerance temperature sensing over a small range with a working range from approx. -18C to 345 ⁰C. They are applied extensively in aircraft ECS, plastic extruders, wind turbines, and various military vehicle systems. The rod and tube design suits set-point temperature ranges from around -18C to 955 ⁰C and are well proven in harsh environment applications such as aircraft engine overtemperature, refinery process control, and engine exhaust monitoring.

CPI manufactures an extensive range of waterproof switch products that as a minimum meet IP68 protection levels and for some tasks are completely long-term submersible. Characterised by the same high levels of durability and ruggedness of other CPI products, switch configurations include normally open, normally closed and SPDT with neoprene covers to MS39058 for military applications and Santoprene™ covers for industrial switching. Electromechanical design includes momentary, maintained contact, limit. ball types, plungers, rockers and more. Available as single components or combined in switch panels they offer long life endurance ratings as high as 5 million cycles and temperature ratings from -55 to 205 ⁰C.

“discoverIE and The Variohm Group is a really perfect fit for us,” notes Mac Stuhler, General Manager of CPI. “With their long and successful history of managing companies that produce the same kind of highly differentiated components that we manufacture, we are really looking forward to working within the Group and the new market opportunities offered”.

All the CPI products can be adapted as custom designed specials for applications outside standard product offerings, and UL approvals are widely available.

@Variohm @mepaxIntPR #CPI-NJ #PAuto 


Friday 21 January 2022

New website for RF, microwave, waterproof and cryogenic connectors and cable harnesses.

Intelliconnect has launched a new website offering visitors easier navigation, improved search facilities, a “Quote Basket” allowing customers to automatically request a quotation for selected products and a new chat facility to assist with sales and technical questions.
 

Intelliconnect are proud to be the supplier of choice for many of the leading aerospace, medical and marine OEMs and have been awarded the SC21 Silver Performance Standard Award for a third year running. Equally at home responding to smaller projects and companies Intelliconnect also manufactures a wide range of standard connectors and adapters including the market leading Pisces Range of IP67/IP68 waterproof RF connectors, their Precision Rang as well as Covert, Triaxial and Multipin connector ranges.

“We believe Intelliconnect are a different kind of interconnect solutions provider” says Roy Phillips, Managing Director. “We use our long experience and innovative thinking to tailor our services to each individual customer. Our experience tells us that every product is unique, and every project requires its own strategy and outlook.” 

Intelliconnect has provided technology companies with solutions to issues relating to electrical performance, physicality, interface, water resistance materials, finish and obsolescence since 2003 and champions innovation - from their IP67/68 system for internally and externally sealing connectors to their new cryogenic range, Intelliconnect are constantly seeking new solutions. In addition, Intelliconnect claim the fastest turnaround in the industry for drawings (24 hours), samples (from three weeks) and delivery, delivering custom designed products in a matter of weeks.

@Intelli_Connect #Pauto #OEM

Time-sensitive networking (TSN).

Liam Cheng, a Product Manager for TSN solutions with Moxa lists some advantages here.*

Liam Cheng
Despite the havoc the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked on the American economy, along with continuing supply chain issues, the Federal Reserve of the United States has predicted GDP growth of 3.9% in 2022. Seeing light at the end of the tunnel, heavyweights in the manufacturing industry are planning to expand production capacities in a faster, more precise manner in response to increasing demand. However, this turnaround is dependent on the willingness of companies to embrace innovative technologies that will enable them to enhance production efficiency and reduce maintenance costs.

One such technology is Time-sensitive networking (TSN). It has been touted as a means to help Industry 4.0 and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications achieve higher production efficiency as well as lower maintenance costs. Industry players who have started to utilize TSN technologies have demonstrated to the world that TSN is not just an embryonic idea, but a concrete technology. And yet, before we look to the future, there are questions you should be asking before making TSN investments.

1. What are the benefits of adopting TSN?
As a refresher, TSN is a collection of standards that enables deterministic messaging over standard Ethernet networks. As defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), TSN involves a form of network traffic management to ensure non-negotiable time frames for end-to-end transmission latencies. Consequently, all TSN devices must synchronize their clocks with each other and use a common time reference to support real-time communications for industrial control applications.The two ultimate goals of TSN are the seamless incorporation of accurate, time-sensitive data into industrial processes and a detailed and holistic view of operations in order for business owners to quickly respond to market demands in real-time. By using TSN technologies, business owners can achieve the following benefits:

  • TSN facilitates high-speed networking, large volumes of data transmission, highly accurate motion control, and low latency.
  • TSN can prioritize network traffic, which guarantees real-time communication and means time-critical data will be delivered to the right place at the right time. In other words, the aim of a converged application on one unified network will be accomplished in industrial automation based on standard Ethernet. Eventually, it will be feasible to have one unified network for diversified applications. This eliminates the concern that time-critical data would not reach its destination in time.
  • TSN can enhance network security because accurate data transmission can be scheduled to avoid the inflow of non-authorized data.

2. Is "one unified network" important?
Yes, the convergence of OT and IT networks that results in one unified network is required to facilitate accurate and coordinated data that can provide insights into production processes. However, it is extremely difficult to bring the convergence to fruition if there are gaps between the two sides, not to mention integrating isolated proprietary automation islands into OT environments. One unified network includes the following benefits:
  • A single industry standard used for communication.
  • Minimal training effort to understand different vendor's protocols Reduced cabling and maintenance costs

3. What are potential applications for TSN?
Even though TSN evolved from Audio Video Bridging (AVB), the use of TSN is not restricted to audio or video applications. It is the promising features and benefits of TSN that make it indispensable to a wide range of applications that are extensively used across various industries, including semiconductor, automotive, machinery, food and drink, chemical, and power generation. Of course, each TSN application comes with its specific requirements, and currently there is a substantial gap between existing TSN standards and application-specific TSN systems.

4. Is it feasible for my applications to utilize TSN technologies?
If you tick off more than three of the following statements, then TSN may be an ideal solution for your organization.

  • You experience huge costs when integrating either standard or proprietary communication technologies.
  • It is very expensive to debug an existing network system due to an isolated networking structure.
  • The network system is difficult to manage and you are required to develop tools, which takes additional time, money and effort.
  • You have interoperability issues between existing systems and the IT system.
  • Higher network bandwidth is required when developing a new automated system.
  • You need to enhance network security.

5. My organization is fine with the existing production processes and network setup. Why should I consider deploying TSN?
For the time being, an organization may be satisfied with production output. However, in the long term, it will find it difficult to keep up with competitors as they embrace TSN. On the one hand, you can still expand production based on the existing infrastructure, but the expansion will be stretched to the limit when you find, for instance, the conveyor belt is communicating with the HMI by PROFINET. On the other hand, the motion control that requires hard real-time is using EtherCAT, and the robotic arm control is using another protocol, such as Mitsubishi CC-Link IE. Even though it is comparatively easy to make use of add-on blocks as deemed necessary, managing all of these devices from different vendors who utilize a variety of industrial Ethernet technologies is very difficult. When each cell is isolated, there are many obstacles to just integrating the data, not to mention fine tuning the processes and improving production efficiency. In the long term, the result will see moving in the opposite direction of realizing Industry 4.0 and IIoT applications. It will also hinder or prevent the deployment of plug-and-produce solutions when extra applications, such as machine vision and motion cameras, are attempted to be added onto one unified network. 

In conclusion, it is the convergence between IT and OT networks that enables Industry 4.0 and IIoT applications. TSN achieves this by linking up these networks, which creates significant advantages in network connectivity and reduces costs when deploying systems. Even though some manufacturing professionals remain under the misapprehension that TSN is still an unproven technology, it has actually evolved into more than just TSN switches, PLCs, servos, and IOs, and into an ecosystem that helps accomplish the goals of IIoT and Industry 4.0 applications.

* Download the Moxa whitepaper "How Time-Sensitive Networking Is Revolutionizing Industrial Automation".

@MoxaInc @OConnellPR PAuto #IIoT #Industrie4

Thursday 20 January 2022

Salad days in Britain.

Lettuce is a valuable crop in Europe and the USA. But labour shortages make it difficult to harvest this valuable field vegetable, as sourcing sufficient seasonal labour to meet harvesting commitments is one of the sector's biggest challenges. Moreover, with wage inflation rising faster than producer prices, margins are very tight. 
Machine vision and AI are used to determine a precise intersection point on the stem

In Britain, agricultural technology and machinery experts are working with IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH to develop a robotic solution to automate lettuce harvesting. The team is working on a project funded by Innovate UK and includes experts from the Grimme agricultural machinery factory, the Agri-EPI Centre, Harper Adams University, the Centre for Machine Vision at the University of the West of England and two of Britain's largest salad producers, G's Fresh and PDM Produce.

Within the project, existing leek harvesting machinery is adapted to lift the lettuce clear from the ground and grip it in between pinch belts. The lettuce’s outer, or ‘wrapper’, leaves will be mechanically removed to expose the stem. Machine vision and artificial intelligence are then used to identify a precise cut point on the stem to neatly separate the head of lettuce.

"The cutting process of an iceberg is the most technically complicated step in the process to automate, according to teammates from G subsidiary Salad Harvesting Services Ltd.," explains IDS Product Sales Specialist Rob Webb. "The prototype harvesting robot being built incorporates a GigE Vision camera from the uEye FA family. It is considered to be particularly robust and is therefore ideally suited to demanding environments. "As this is an outdoor application, a housing with IP65/67 protection is required here," Rob Webb points out.

The choice fell on the GV-5280FA-C-HQ model with the compact 2/3" global shutter CMOS sensor IMX264 from Sony.

"The sensor was chosen mainly because of its versatility. We don't need full resolution for AI processing, so sensitivity can be increased by binning. The larger sensor format means that wide-angle optics are not needed either," Rob Webb summarised the requirements. In the application, the CMOS sensor convinces with excellent image quality, light sensitivity and exceptionally high dynamic range and delivers almost noise-free, very high-contrast 5 MP images in 5:4 format at 22 fps - even in applications with fluctuating light conditions.

The extensive range of accessories, such as lens tubes and trailing cables, is just as tough as the camera housing and the screwable connectors (8-pin M12 connector with X-coding and 8-pin Binder connector). Another advantage: camera-internal functions such as pixel pre-processing, LUT or gamma reduce the required computer power to a minimum.

Prototype lettuce harvesting robot
Agri-Epicentre (Scotland)
The prototype of the robotic mower will be used for field trials in England towards the end of the 2021 season. "We are delighted to be involved in the project and look forward to seeing the results. We are convinced of its potential to automate and increase the efficiency of the lettuce harvest, not only in terms of compensating for the lack of seasonal workers,” affirms Jan Hartmann, Managing Director of IDS Imaging Development Systems.

The challenges facing the agricultural sector are indeed complex. According to a forecast by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), agricultural productivity will have to increase by almost 50 percent by 2050 compared to 2012 due to the dramatic increase in population. Such a yield expectation means an enormous challenge for the agricultural industry, which is still in its infancy in terms of digitalisation compared to other sectors and is already under high pressure to innovate in view of climatic changes and labour shortages.

The agriculture of the future is based on networked devices and automation. Cameras are an important building block, and artificial intelligence is a central technology here. Smart applications such as harvesting robots can make a significant contribution to this.

@IDS_Imaging @mepaxIntPR #Pauto #Vision #Food

Feedthrough connector and plug carrier.

Cliff Electronics have added a new Cat5e RJ45 Feedthrough Connector to their very successful FT range which all fit into an industry standard XLR connector 24mm diameter panel cut out. In addition, a compatible, secure, snap-in lockable XLR style Plug Carrier is available to facilitate the connection of an RJ45 plug (not supplied) or cable assembly.

John Hall, Managing Director of Cliff Electronics, comments, “Wired Ethernet networks remain popular in both industrial and domestic environments as they can offer more stable, interference free and faster data connection than wireless and reduce the risk of data being hacked. Our FeedThrough RJ45 Jack has a wide variety of applications for safe data connectivity for OEMs around the world and brings another variant to our very flexible FT connector range.”

The new Cliff RJ45 FT Jack is a rugged nickel-plated diecast zinc metal construction offering protection to IP65, providing a dust tight and water-resistant connector for rugged applications and is supplied with an integrated dust cover for continued protection when not in use. Rated at Cat5e the socket is suitable for both Fast Ethernet (10/100) and Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000) data communications.

Widely used in IT systems, consumer and audio/broadcast products Cliff’s female RJ45 Feed Through Ethernet sockets meet the wiring standard for using an 8P8C connector as defined in Part 68 of the FCC rules and are generally mounted directly on a device or on an I/O patch panel. The all-metal design reduces the effects of EMI, has a dielectric strength of 1K VDC, frequency range from 1-100MHz, contacts are rated at 1.5A/50V, lifetime is greater than 1000 mating cycles and operating temperature range is from -30°C to +80°C.

#CliffElectronic #PAuto #Connectors

Wednesday 19 January 2022

Foundry temperature measurement.

Atik Metal the foundry industry leader, has approved AMETEK Land’s Cyclops L portable pyrometer for use in its furnaces, with the aim of replacing its traditional dip thermocouple instruments.


Prasath Venkatasamy,
AMETEK Land’s Regional Manager of Business Development and Service for the Middle East and India, commented: “As a leading foundry company, Atik was looking to make sure its processes and systems were first-class, which led to implementing the testing of Cyclops. We’re pleased to see that the results are unquestionable – using Cyclops leads to improved quality and a reduction in defects. Most importantly, it increases safety for furnace workers.”

Atik was using dip thermocouples to take measurements at the furnaces, casting lines and pouring lines, collecting temperature data at each part of the casting. However, the company wanted to assess the Cyclops for its suitability to improve quality, reduce casting defects and costs, and minimise the use of the short-lived dip thermocouples.

The Cyclops L is a portable handheld optical pyrometer that delivers instant temperature measurements using a trigger control. It can be aimed at the area of focus on liquid metal by looking through an eyepiece.

In order to carry out the required tests, Atik used the Cyclops L to measure temperatures in the melting furnaces and moulding plants, evaluating the pyrometer’s ergonomics, accuracy of data transfer, and ease of use.

To calibrate and compare, Atik measured temperature with both a dip thermocouple and the Cyclops. The measurement time for a dip thermocouple was 13-14 seconds. The Cyclops, meanwhile, only took 1-2 seconds.

The Cyclops measurement testing was also carried out without the need to open the furnace lid, and directly measured from pouring metal. With a range of up to 5 metres away, this provided a much safer environment for the workers.

An additional benefit of using the Cyclops L is that, unlike thermocouples, it does not use disposable tips that need replacing, thereby allowing for successive measurements.

Following the assessment, Atik Metals has approved the use of Cyclops L in its furnaces.

 @landinst @codacomms #Pauto

Ethernet switches.

The expansion of its networking infrastructure portfolio has been announced by Antaira Technologies with their LMP-1600G-M12-67-24 Series of 16-port fully managed gigabit Ethernet switches providing 10/100/1000 Base-T(X) Ethernet connectivity, including models with PoE+ to deliver up to 30W of power to devices per port.

Ideal for hostile plant deployments requiring robust M12 connections, these new Light Layer 3 switches offer industrial-grade dependability, coupled with the scalability to adapt to evolving network connectivity needs for future-proof installments. In addition to the M12 connections, the switches are IP67-rated for extreme reliability in areas subject to high vibration and shock, water, and dust. Plus, being able to operate in a normal temperature range of -10°C to 65°C or an extended range of -40°C to 70°C (LMP-1600G-M12-67-24-T), the switches can be installed in almost any adverse environment. Designed to optimize the uptime of industrial systems, the switches also feature G.8032 ERPS v2 protocol for rapid detection and recovery time if a link or node fails, in the order of 50 ms to the network.

Antaira LMP-1600G-M12-67-24 switches offer 24 to 55VDC redundant power inputs through a 5-pin M12 K-coded male connector. Total power of 240W is available for supplying up to sixteen 802.3af (PoE) and 802.3at (PoE+) devices, while built-in fault tolerance ensures against PoE system or PD overloads thanks to the PSE management system. In the event of a complete power failure, the switches incorporate bypass technology to keep data communication flowing even if the switch is offline.

Engineered to unleash all the possibilities and benefits of the Industrial IoT, the switches deliver 148,800pps for fast packet switching with store and forward technology, along with auto-negotiation speeds, full/half-duplex mode, and auto MDI/MDI-X connections. Because preventing cyber attacks is mission-critical, the LMP-1600G-M12-67-24 Series supports Multi-user account, IGMP, GVRP, VLAN, QoS, SNMP, RADIUS, TACACS+, Aggregation (Static, LACP), SSH, SSL, and IP source guard to place an emphasis on establishing the most secure network environment.

@AntairaTech @OConnell_PR #PAuto #Communications

Champion resellers and service partners!

Seeq Corporation has announced its 2021 Reseller and Service Partners of the Year. These partners have been selected for their excellence in providing value to customers, their continued investments in technical expertise with their Seeq-certified employees and training professionals, and for creating awareness of Seeq through collaboration in marketing activities and events.

Seeq enables engineers and scientists in process manufacturing organizations to rapidly analyze, predict, collaborate, and share insights to improve production outcomes. Seeq customers include companies in the oil and gas, pharmaceutical, chemical, energy, mining, food and beverage, and other process industries. Investors in Seeq include Insight Ventures, Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures, Altira Group, Chevron Technology Ventures, and Cisco Investments.

In 2021, Seeq announced a $50 million Series C funding round led by Insight Partners, was recognized by Frost & Sullivan’s North American Technology Innovation Leadership Award for Seeq Data Lab, and expanded its products and capabilities, including support for machine learning innovation.

“We are pleased to select four companies as our 2021 Reseller and Service Partners of the Year,” said Will Knight, Head of Worldwide Partner Sales at Seeq. “These awards recognize the impact these partners have on empowering our customers to create advanced analytics insights, and the standards they have set for excellence in delivering the next generation of process manufacturing improvements.”

Resellers of the Year

Asia Pacific
Nukon is Seeq’s 2021 Asia Pacific Partner of the Year. Nukon was selected among Seeq’s reselling partners for its focus on customer support and its tremendous growth in the Australian market, more than doubling its revenue over the previous year. The company provides a variety of OT and IT solutions and services to its clients in the consumer goods, infrastructure, utilities, and waste management industries. 
“We’re honored to be selected as a Seeq Partner of the Year for the second year running,” says Alec Konynenburg, General Manager at Nukon. “Nukon prides itself on providing the best solutions for clients, and Seeq’s capability allows us to do this through their unique set of offerings. The Nukon and Seeq partnership is built on joint values and commitment to our customers, and we’re excited to continue to provide this value in 2022 and beyond.”

Americas 
Swan-Black is Seeq’s 2021 Americas Partner of the Year. Swan-Black was selected for its rapid growth in the Americas and globally, and its support for Seeq’s customers in the food and beverage and bioscience industries. Swan-Black has expertise in batch and continuous manufacturing processes, with a focus on applying advanced analytics to improve business outcomes. 
“We are incredibly honored to be recognized by Seeq as Partner of the Year for the Americas,” says Joe Gardner, Practice Lead at Swan-Black. “The Seeq solution and the team’s support of our efforts empower us to deliver meaningful process data insights for our customers, leading to increased process efficiency and optimization. We look forward to our continued partnership with Seeq and the value it will bring our customers well into the future.”

EMEA
Crucial Solutions and Services (CSS) is Seeq’s 2021 EMEA Partner of the Year. CSS was selected for its support and leadership of Seeq’s customers in the Middle East, notably its collaboration on Saudi Aramco’s industrial digitalization initiatives. The company provides a variety of technology offerings to its clients in the oil and gas, petrochemical, and power and utilities industries. 
“CSS is dedicated to providing customers with game-changing services and solutions that optimize their efficiency and enhance business growth,” says Sulaiman Alzuhair, Founder and CEO at CSS. “Seeq’s complementary products and capabilities enable CSS to achieve this mission and we are honored to be selected as the Seeq Partner of the Year for EMEA.”

Service Partner of the Year
BKO Services LLC is Seeq’s first Service Partner of the Year recipient. BKO was selected for its expertise in the oil and gas and power generation industries, its work on Shell’s upstream digital initiatives and Tranter’s use of advanced digital tools to manage its clients’ fleet of heat transfer equipment, and its investment in Seeq-certified employees. In 2021 alone, BKO added five certified partner analytics engineers and one certified instructor to its team. The company provides data engineering, machine learning, and OSIsoft application development services for the oil and gas, power, and other process manufacturing industries. 
“As the true value of data analytics and machine learning become more apparent, technology must not only keep pace with the increasing availability of data, but effectively utilize it to improve operations and safety,” says Shaun Wright, CEO of BKO. “We are pleased and proud to be a Seeq partner and part of the radical mindset shift driving this rapidly emerging field of science and technology.”

Seeq’s worldwide growth is fueled in part by its partnerships and commitment to cloud-based computing. Seeq is available in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) marketplace, is an AWS Industrial and Energy Competency Partner, and supports many data storage services, including Amazon Redshift, S3, plus machine learning in SageMaker, and others.

On Microsoft Azure, Seeq has been available as a SaaS application in the Azure Marketplace since 2019, with support for many Azure cloud services including Synapse, Azure Data Lake, and Active Directory. Seeq also supports connectivity to Azure Data Explorer, Time Series Insights, and Power BI.

In addition to cloud partnerships, Seeq connects to an extensive set of data storage platforms from vendors including OSIsoft, Siemens, GE, Honeywell, Inductive Automation, AVEVA, AspenTech, Yokogawa, InfluxDB, Snowflake, and others.

@SeeqCorporation @BkoServices #PAuto 

Clamp-on flow!

Prosonic Flow W 400 brings the modern technology of Endress+Hauser’s Proline device series to clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeters. The W 400 clamp-on and I 400 insertion units provide comprehensive process monitoring with long-term cost efficiency and extensive diagnostics. These sensors pair with Endress+Hauser’s Proline 400 transmitter to provide a complete flow metering solution.

For decades, users in many process industries have turned to ultrasonic clamp-on instruments for convenient flow measurement. This trend continues, but with growing requirements for instrument data. Prosonic Flow W 400 addresses this and other issues by providing reliable measurements of process parameters, along with a host of additional information.

The flowmeter uses a nonintrusive, clamp-on measurement method, with its ultrasonic sensors mounted directly on a pipe’s exterior. This provides safe measurement of many fluids, independent of their conductivity or other properties. This includes corrosive, abrasive, and toxic fluids, making this flowmeter ideal for monitoring countless processes.

Because neither piping nor process flow are interrupted, clamp-on flowmeters can be easily used for retrofitting at any time. They are suitable for low- or high-pressure applications, on pipes smaller than an inch in diameter, and up to 160 inches, such as those encountered in water distribution.

This size range illustrates the Prosonic Flow W 400 measurement solution’s versatility. It can be used to measure flow, monitor processes, verify previously installed flowmeters, detect leaks in a pipeline, and for other applications.

The flowmeter’s IP68 Type 6P submergence-rated ultrasonic sensors provide long-term and reliable operation, requiring little maintenance. This makes them suitable for use in harsh process and ambient conditions, able to withstand temperatures from –40 to +266 °F.

The Proline 400 transmitter includes a built-in web server, so users can access process, diagnostic, configuration, and other instrument data via any device capable of hosting a web browser, such as a laptop, smartphone, or tablet.

The transmitter provides targeted parameterization of measuring points, and it saves time during commissioning, maintenance, and service. Its LCD display and web-based operating tool each show real-time measurement quality—good, acceptable, or bad—to provide key status information at a glance.

Piping systems in the process industry often have multiple fittings and elbows that disturb the flow profile and, along with it, the accuracy of ultrasonic flow measurement. The Prosonic Flow W 400 solution is optionally available with Endress+Hauser’s FlowDC function, which detects and corrects for the effects of flow disturbance. This ensures measurement accuracy even in the presence of a short pipe inlet run, for example when significantly reduced from the standard 15 pipe diameters down to two. The FlowDC function increases flexibility for equipping new or retrofitted systems with clamp-on flowmeters.

Heartbeat Technology—a testing function integrated into all Endress+Hauser Proline measuring devices—provides instrumentation self-diagnostics, along with traceable measurement verification during operation. This technology monitors for changes to the instrument electronics and sensors caused by extreme environmental or process conditions, increasing measurement integrity.

Prosonic Flow W 400 can be mounted on a wide variety of pipe types and materials with or without lining, including metal—e.g., steel or cast iron—plastic, glass-fiber-reinforced plastic, and composite materials. A maintenance-free contact medium, called a coupling pad, provides optimum sound transmission between sensor surface and the pipe, and the resulting high signal strength ensures stable measurement results and long-term reliability. These clamp-on flow sensors are available in multiple ultrasonic frequencies ranging from 0.3 to 5 MHz, optimized for application pipe size, pipe material, and fluid.

@Endress_Hauser @Endress_CA @endress_UK @Endress_US #PAuto