CAD model review on the phone.

Engineers, reviewers, and suppliers explore CAD models, PMI, and metadata on a phone or tablet.

Tech Soft 3D, the provider of engineering software development toolkits and industrial applications, has released SpinFire Insight for Mobile, a free companion app to its SpinFire Insight desktop viewer, now available on iOS and Android. 

Design review without a desk.
Engineering teams reviewing 3D models are typically tied to a workstation. Suppliers, quality staff, and project managers who need to check a design, confirm manufacturing information, or answer a question about a part often have to wait until someone with desktop access is available. This slows down reviews and adds friction to communication across distributed teams.

The new SpinFire Insight for Mobile gives teams the benefits of 3D CAD visualization wherever they may be. The app opens standard 3D formats, including STEP, IGES, and PRC, along with publishing formats 3D PDF and U3D, and reads ACT3D files created in the desktop version of SpinFire Insight. Users can navigate models with touch controls, apply standard views, switch between rendering modes, inspect part metadata, and access CAD views and PMI (Product Manufacturing Information) directly from a phone or tablet.

"Engineering data has always lived on a computer, but the questions about it don't wait for someone to sit down at a workstation," said Lionel Vieilly, Senior Product Manager - Industrial Applications. "SpinFire Insight for Mobile puts that data in people's pockets, so a supplier, a reviewer, or a project manager can pull up a model, check a dimension, or confirm a manufacturing note the moment it comes up, not hours later. It’s a small shift with a big impact on team efficiency and speed "

Fitting into existing engineering workflows.
The app is designed for quick, on-the-go review rather than replacing desktop workflows. For advanced design review, measurement, markups, or major CAD formats such as CATIA, SOLIDWORKS, NX, Creo, and Inventor, SpinFire Insight for Desktop remains the primary tool. SpinFire Insight for Mobile is intended to sit alongside it, giving teams a way to check model data, respond to a question, or review PMI when they are away from their workstation, without requiring a full CAD license or desktop session.

By making CAD data accessible from a phone or tablet, SpinFire Insight for Mobile reduces the delay between a question being raised and a model being reviewed. Technical, suppliers, and non-technical stakeholders alike can inspect geometry, manufacturing information, and metadata wherever the work takes them, supporting faster communication and fewer bottlenecks in distributed engineering and manufacturing organisations.

The app is available now as a free download on the App Store for iOS and Google Play for Android.

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@TechSoft3D @UnnGmbh @pressebox #PAuto #Design

Expert-driven insights for accelerated value across the enterprise.

The launch of the an Industrial Enterprise Monitoring Suite, the Seeq Vantage, Seeq's first industrial enterprise monitoring app, was announced at the company's global industry conference, Conneqt 2024, in Miami (FL USA).

Today’s industrial operations face numerous enterprise-level reliability, performance, and sustainability challenges, which are difficult to systematically identify, prioritize and correct to maximize operational potential. With siloed teams and information, and limited visibility to historical knowledge and insights from previous operations and events, it can be challenging for organizations to achieve measurable impact.

The Seeq Industrial Enterprise Monitoring Suite provides a comprehensive, automated view into operational performance—past and present. This broader view enables better decision making and continuous improvement across today’s complex, industrial ecosystems. The Seeq Industrial Enterprise Monitoring Suite leverages the combined power of the Seeq Industrial Analytics and AI Suite and the context that only teams of experts can provide—all at the scale needed to drive truly impactful results across the operational footprint.

This Industrial Enterprise Monitoring Suite provides the flexibility, speed, and robust capabilities needed to operationalize a condition-based prioritization and decision strategy. Grounded in frontline expertise and insights, Seeq Industrial Enterprise Monitoring helps ensure decision-makers have key insights at their fingertips, allowing for faster, better decisions and actions.

“Industrial Enterprise Monitoring builds upon and elevates the Seeq mission to enable the creation of the insights that empower decisions and actions that increase operational excellence, drive sustainable manufacturing and, ultimately, the customer’s bottom line,” said Mark Derbecker, Chief Product Officer of Seeq. “We’ve always known that the people across the organization are the secret ingredient, and Industrial Enterprise Monitoring enables a company to turn local insights and expertise into a powerful system-wide advantage.”

Through the Seeq Vantage app, industrial organizations can tailor, deploy and automate enterprise-level use cases, such as asset and process monitoring, condition-based maintenance, reliability and downtime tracking and more. Coupled with the Seeq Industrial Analytics and AI Suite, customers now have an integrated ecosystem to capture, analyze, aggregate, monitor, triage, investigate, and document insights and actions at the local level and the enterprise level. The app provides proactive and automated enterprise surveillance for daily operational decisions, and comprehensive assembly of operational effectiveness and utilization understanding to prioritize longer-term investment decisions.

"Seeq empowers industrial organizations by turning their expert knowledge into a strategic asset," said Niels Andersen, Principal Research Analyst at LNS Research. "The Seeq Vantage app significantly enhances their enterprise monitoring and AI capabilities."

Seeq Vantage is scheduled for general release in June 2024 and was showcased at Conneqt earlier this month (May 2024)

Themed “Unleash,” Conneqt 2024  brought together Seeq customers, partners, and other industry experts for interactive sessions examining how industrial organizations can unleash the power of their operational data and people with industrial analytics and AI.

“Conneqt provides a collaborative environment for the Seeq community to exchange ideas, data-driven insights, and industrial expertise,” declared  Dr. Lisa Graham, CEO at Seeq. “By leveraging the insights gained at Conneqt, along with the latest innovations in industrial analytics and AI, Seeq customers can unleash digital transformation outcomes across their organizations to enhance operational excellence and profitability.”

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@SeeqCorporation #PAuto #Manufacturing #AI

Build AI vision apps without coding!

The current software release 2.6 for the AI vision system IDS NXT focuses primarily on simplifying app creation. The initial phase in development is often one of the greatest challenges in the realisation of a project. With the help of the new Application Assistant in IDS NXT lighthouse, users configure a complete vision app under guidance in just a few steps, which they can then run directly on an IDS NXT camera. With the Block-based Editor, which is also new, users can configure their own program sequences with AI image processing functions, such as object recognition or classification, without any programming knowledge. Users create simple sequences in a few minutes with this visual code editor without having to know the syntax of a specific programming language.

With the Use Case Assistant, IDS supports users in creating Vision App projects. They simply select the use case that fits their project. With queries and tips, the assistant guides them through the process of creating the Vision App project and creates the code, just like in an interview. It links existing training projects with the vision app project or creates new training projects and data sets in IDS NXT lighthouse if required.

With the combinable blocks and the intuitive user interface of the Block-based Editor, anyone can realise their own projects using AI-based image processing (such as object detection or classification) as an individual vision app without having to know the syntax of a specific programming language. Using the predefined blocks of the code editor, users build their vision app graphically, including processes such as loops and conditional statements. How this works is demonstrated, for example, in the IDS Vision Channel. The session "Build AI vision apps without coding – xciting new easyness" is available for viewing as a recording.

IDS NXT is a comprehensive system with a wide range of workflows and tools for realising your own AI vision applications. The intelligent IDS NXT cameras can process tasks "OnDevice" and deliver image processing results themselves. The tasks of the cameras are determined by apps that are uploaded to the cameras and executed there. Their functionality can thus be changed at any time. This is supported by software such as IDS NXT lighthouse, with which users can not only train neural networks, but now also create their own vision apps. The system offers both beginners and professionals enormous scope for designing AI vision apps.

@IDS_Imaging @mepaxIntPR #PAuto 

Enhancing quality and efficiency of field inspections.

Yokogawa has developed OpreX™* Operational Risk Management: Field Assistant R2.02, an Android™ application that is intended for use during field inspections of industrial facilities. It is scheduled for release it in all markets except Japan during the week.

The app is targeted at industries such as oil & gas, petrochemicals, and fine chemicals where periodic field inspections by operators and maintenance staff are required. It will be used for recording site information when performing patrols or routine maintenance, and referencing of related information.

At many industrial plants, field inspections are performed periodically by staff who patrol along defined routes, checking field instruments and equipment at specific points along the way, in order to keep the facilities and equipment safe and in good working order. While the common practice has been for the results of these inspections to be manually recorded on a printed checklist that is then submitted for review, many of our customers have expressed the wish to be able to directly enter the check results onto a mobile device such as a tablet. Our customers have also indicated that it is a challenge to select and take with them on these patrols all the documents that they must be able to quickly reference, such as inspection histories and equipment manuals.

With Field Assistant R2.02 installed on a generic Android tablet, personnel can enjoy access in the field to checklists, manuals, and many other kind of documents, thus increasing the quality and efficiency of the work performed during routine patrols of manufacturing sites.

In addition to being able to consult and fill out these documents as needed, they will have the ability to take pictures and record videos needed to report their inspection results.

Field Assistant R2.02 can run on tablets that support Google’s Android mobile operating system. Versions running under other operating systems are also planned to be released.

Main features.
1. Access to digital checklists and related documents
Via the Field Assistant R2.02 user interface, users can access both digital checklists and related documents such as operating manuals, specifications documents, and installation manuals.

The use of digital checklists eliminates the cumbersome process of making handwritten entries and reduces the chance of data entry errors, and they are also easier to update. Pictures and videos can be taken easily, and inserted into a checklist.

By attaching QR Code labels or near-field communications (NFC) tags to each piece of equipment and associating them with related documents in advance, users need only to scan the code label or tag with the tablet to view all the associated documents while performing a patrol. Auxiliary functions that issue alerts for abnormal readings are also provided.

The checklists and related documents can also be downloaded from a server and saved on the tablet, so Field Assistant R2.02 can be easily used in places where there is no internet access.

2. Data linkage with Operations Management package
Data accessed using Field Assistant R2.02 can be linked with the data that is recorded and managed using the OpreX Operational Risk Management: Operations Management software package. The Operations Management software assists plant operations and management personnel by facilitating the sharing of information on areas such as unusual events, work progress, and operation workflows. By digitalising and standardising how this data is handled, this software helps plant personnel carry out their work correctly, safely, and efficiently, and thereby enhances corporate value.

The data linkage between Field Assistant R2.02 and Operations Management allows manufacturing and maintenance personnel to better coordinate their activities. This improves the efficiency of operations management by managing the transfer of work instructions from operators to site personnel. It also helps with producing handover reports and work reports containing pictures or videos taken on site.

* See also our item recently: Entire industrial automation portfolio launched (OpreX™).

@YokogawaIA  #Pauto

Gas app on your phone!

In 2016 Gasmet launched a free App on both iOS and Android, providing anyone with an interest in gas monitoring with quick and easy access to an enormous volume of highly useful information. The App has now been downloaded hundreds of times by people from every continent, but to help users make the most of the App’s capabilities Gasmet has now published an explanatory video, which is available on the Gasmet YouTube channel.
The App is designed for anyone involved with emissions monitoring and contains a link to a library of information on 500+ compounds; providing IR spectra in addition to chemical formula, molecular weight, boiling point etc. for each gas. A dew point calculator predicts water and sulphuric acid dew points from H2O, O2, and SO2 concentrations provided by the user, helping stack testers and process engineers prevent problems relating to sample condensation. In addition, a Combustion Calculator provides estimates of oxygen levels for a variety of user-selectable fuels from variable inputs for moisture and CO2. A Unit Conversion tool is also available for almost any compound, providing mg/m3 to ppm and vice versa, at zero or 20 Deg C.

 @Gasmet_Tech  #PAuto

New APP for gas monitoring staff.

The Gasmet APP is now available free of charge on both iOS and Android Smartphones, providing anyone with an interest in gas monitoring with quick and easy access to an enormous volume of highly useful information.

The APP contains a link to a library of information on 500+ compounds providing IR spectra in addition to chemical formula, molecular weight, boiling point etc. for each gas.

A dew point calculator predicts water and sulphuric acid dew points from H2O, O2, and SO2 concentrations provided by the user, helping stack testers and process engineers prevent problems relating to sample condensation. In addition, a Combustion Calculator provides estimates oxygen levels for a variety of user-selectable fuels from variable inputs for moisture and CO2.

A Unit Conversion tool is available for almost any compound, providing mg/m3 to ppm and vice versa, at zero or 20 Deg C.

Conveniently, the Gasmet APP also works offline and doubles as a spectrum viewer for the proprietary Calcmet .SPE, .REF, and .BKG file formats.

Commenting on the value of the APP, Gasmet’s Antti Heikkilä says: “This will be of tremendous value to the users of Gasmet FTIR analysers, providing them with fast access to commonly requested information. However, the APP will also be a useful tool for anyone involved with emissions monitoring, regardless of which analyzer they are using.”

The Gasmet FTIR Spectrum Library App is available from the AppStore for iPhones, iPad etc. and Google Play for Android.

#Gasmet #PAuto 

App to explain Ex markings.

The “EXCovery” app for mobile devices, developed by explosion protection expert R. Stahl and provided free of charge, explains the exact meaning behind ATEX and IECEx markings by providing a quick and instructive breakdown of the information encoded on the labels of explosion-protected electrical devices.

Operators, electricians, and machine or system engineers can now simply consult their own smartphone or tablet computer to ascertain the exact conditions of use for ATEX- and IECEx-certified hazardous area equipment. The app analyses the portion of the marking specified according to the IEC 60079-0 standard, which is included in the certifications of both ATEX and IECEx devices.

After the short string of characters from the nameplate of an explosion-protected device is entered, EXCovery processes it and clearly displays the marking’s dust or gas atmosphere designation, the device’s ignition protection type, gas group and temperature class if applicable, and equipment protection level. In addition to decoding specific certifications, the app also serves as a repository for reference information. EXCovery provides instant access to information that can be crucial in the field, e.g. guidance on what to observe when dealing with certification markings, and a wealth of other fundamental explosion protection know-how, e.g. on key terms or the zone concept.

All special characters used in markings are available in an extra on-screen pane for very quick and comfortable input of certification strings. The EXCovery app is now available for Android and iPhone and can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and iOS app store.

• Stahl products are marketed in Ireland through Douglas Controls & Automation.

 #stahl #PAuto #Ex

Mobile access for manufacturing operations.

A new version of Aegis inSite has just been released, bringing the app’s mobile process visibility to owners of Aegis’ FactoryLogix software for manufacturing operations. The app, which was previously available to Aegis V7 software users, converts an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch into a mobile portal to a vast range of manufacturing and traceability information. This latest, FactoryLogix-compatible version is faster and has been updated with a new user interface.

inSite is intended for use by engineers, production supervisors and management staff throughout the enterprise. Whether they are within the factory or at an external location, it provides quick, easy and mobile access to routinely required and actionable information from their FactoryLogix system. Users can exploit this information in widely differing ways to suit their particular discipline.

Executives not closely involved with day-to-day factory floor operations can benefit from the interface’s simplicity to rapidly access the information necessary to obtain business intelligence and make strategic decisions. Marketing and sales staff can prove to visitors how well their organization is managing its manufacturing process by showing the depth and instant availability of information from the plant. Production managers have immediate access to WIP status, yield and problem points.

Quality managers can drill down into root quality issues and immediately visit their location on the plant floor. Similarly, manufacturing and process engineers can gain instant undistorted data on a new issue; this information will allow them to resolve the issue more easily on visiting its location.

Other features of inSite include forward and reverse traceability, summary data, quality data, WIP monitor and packout records. Reverse traceability data can be emailed to assist rapid containment in recall situations. Visualization of products is also possible as inSite can recall and display CAD images by serial number.

Smart device app for source measure unit (SMU) instruments!

Keithley Instruments has developed a free app for Android™-based smartphones and tablets that interacts with a Keithley Series 2600B SourceMeter SMU instrument via its front panel USB interface. IVy, which is the industry's first app developed for SMU instruments. This extends Keithley's Touch, Test, Invent® design philosophy to offer benchtop Series 2600B instrument users a fast, easy-to-use touchscreen tool for characterizing 2- and 3-terminal devices. By leveraging the power of smart mobile devices, IVy transforms the Series 2600B into a powerful instrument that enables users to visualize, interact, and share measurement results more efficiently, while helping them gain a deeper understanding of their devices behavior.

Unlike other instrument apps, IVy is more than just a tablet/smartphone version of a front panel. IVy leverages a smart device's built-in display (pan/pinch/zoom/swipe), computing (interaction with the instrument), and communication (WiFi, email, etc.) capabilities so users can visualize measurement data, interact with the instrument, and share results easily - all without programming. Like all Keithley Touch, Test, Invent solutions, the IVy app is designed to help instrument users "learn faster, work smarter, and invent easier." It helps users gain deeper insight into their device under test (DUT) performance by allowing them to toggle quickly between test modes, observe a DUT's response over time, and analyze results interactively by using fingertip control. IVy is compatible with any Android (V 4.0 or later) smartphone or tablet and the latest release (V 3.1.0) of the Series 2600B firmware 

IVy's patent-pending design provides for simultaneous control over the source level (using an on-screen slider) and monitoring of test results (on the smart device's graphical display). This unique capability makes it easy to analyze I-V characteristics, DUT stability, response time, or drift in a circuit visually. Changes in DUT performance are reflected instantly on the graphical display, and further analysis or troubleshooting is simplified by pinching, zooming, or scrolling. IVy also simplifies the process of sharing test results by utilizing built-in smart-device capabilities such as cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth, email, or other apps such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and more. This capability can be invaluable when collaborating on a task or project.

The Keithley Series 2600B SourceMeter SMU instruments are available in both single- and dual-channel models that combine the capabilities of a precision power supply, true current source, 6½-digit multimeter, arbitrary waveform generator, pulse generator, and electronic load in one tightly integrated instrument. They offer industry-leading resolution (up to 0.1fA) and dynamic range (up to 3A or 200V).

Make your smart phone a control tool!

Fluke’s FREE Connect™ app turns a smart phone into a useful Fluke tool without purchasing any equipment. It enables the user to securely share images and data and communicate in real time with other authorised personnel using the same app, without leaving the field. Measurement data can be entered manually. Work orders can be scheduled from a remote location and data can be stored safely and free in the Fluke Cloud™. The Fluke Connect app can be downloaded free from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

The Fluke Connect app features ShareLive™ video call, allowing users to securely connect and collaborate with others. This enables other team members to see what the technician can see, so that work approvals at a remote location can be authorised without the technician leaving the field.

Fluke Cloud storage infrastructure has been built to be one of the most flexible and secure cloud computing environments available, built upon state-of-the-art security, including secure access, electronic surveillance, multi-factor access control systems, built-in firewalls, and encrypted data storage.

When used in conjunction with Fluke Connect enabled test tools, the Connect app can wirelessly capture measurement data from those tools, allowing technicians to then utilise all the functionality of the app. More than twenty Fluke tools connect wirelessly with the Connect app, including digital multimeters, thermal imagers, insulation testers, process meters, and specific voltage, current and temperature meters.

Technicians can AutoRecord™ measurements and infrared images to Fluke Cloud storage from wherever they are working, without writing anything down. Everyone on the team with a smart phone and the app can see the data. EquipmentLog™ history allows technicians to assign measurements to specific equipment, creating a cloud-based history of test measurement data for easy access during both troubleshooting and reliability maintenance. TrendIt™ enables technicians to instantly graph data, helping to identify trends and quickly make informed decisions.

“Best of 2014" for apps!

The eleventh IT Innovation Prize was awarded in 41 categories. An independent jury made up of eminent scientists, industry experts and IT journalists had the task of judging the approximately 5000 entries.

The Simatic apps developed by the Siemens Industry Sector for smartphones and tablets are used not only to gather information but also for the commissioning, operation, diagnosis, maintenance and servicing of machines and plants.

These apps are designed to address the needs of the specific application, providing mobile user suppport with products such as Logo! logic modules, Simatic S7 controllers and solutions in fields such as operation and monitoring with Simatic HMI Comfort Panels and the WinCC OA Scada system. The Sm@rtClient app, for instance, is designed to allow remote plant operation and maintenance, even using the hardware buttons as if standing directly in front of the device. The functional scope of the WinCC OA app extends to the monitoring and control of largescale tunnel systems and wind farms.

Mobile App includes pressure ratings

Brennan Industries has expanded its mobile application that provides easy access to the Brennan product catalog and product cross-reference tool, to include pressure ratings for more than 6,000 parts in more than 330 popular series.

The mobile app, optimized for iPhone and Android devices, now includes pressure ratings in PSI or bar units for many Brennan products, as well as the ability for users to search for ratings by series or part number. The mobile app, originally introduced in 2012, gives users quick access to more than 30,000 Brennan products, product comparison information and the company’s contact information.

“Pressure ratings are important for our customers’ applications, so putting that information at their fingertips is one way that Brennan can make their jobs a little easier,” said Bill Jarrell, vice president of marketing and operations at Brennan Industries. “Especially when they are using their smartphones out in the field.”

The pressure rating product search is also available on mobile and desktop browsers. They also provide a demo video showing how the App works.

The app features an easy-to-navigate product catalog that is broken down by categories and includes specifications for each product. The app also offers a product cross-reference tool that allows users to compare Brennan products side-by-side with competitors’ products to determine the best value. Users who want more information about Brennan or how to contact the company can find their nearest location, contact phone number and email address and a Brennan overview video conveniently through the app.

Operations APP

A free app which provides mobile access to information such as operating instructions and technical details, from a smart phone and other mobile devices.

Endress+Hauser has announced an Operations App for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad mobile devices. An Android version will be released soon. The free App lets instrument engineers and maintenance technicians quickly download specific documentation such as operating instructions and technical information for Endress+Hauser instruments and analysers, and data from their Life Cycle Management program.

With Operations App and a smart phone, users can access data wherever they are, and whenever they need it.

The app provides quick and easy access to up-to-date product information and device details such as order code, configuration information, date of production, product status and availability, manuals, and spare part information including exploded view drawings, compatibility and mounting advice.
With the app, a user simply enters the serial number or scans the data matrix code on the device with the phone, and immediately gains access to the information. A user can share information and documents with colleagues by email.

Calibration certificates are also available to registered users.

Life Cycle Management Tools
From a mobile phone, Operations App allows users to access features of the Endress+Hauser Life Cycle Management web-based tools. These tools apply to different life cycles of an instrument installation, and help manage technical and operational information needed by a plant and its maintenance people.

Information in Life Cycle Management simplifies planning for engineering, procurement, installation, monitoring and maintenance. The Operations App allows mobile access to information functions, such as:
• Applicator for selection and sizing of suitable Endress+Hauser instruments
• Installed Base Assistant for management of plant assets
• Automatic documentation handling for Endress+Hauser equipment
• Task Scheduler for scheduling maintenance tasks or managing the installed base
• Logbook for traceability of calibration, repair and maintenance events
• Product status for Endress+Hauser devices for easier migration strategies

TheThe app can be downloaded for free at iTunes.

Saving phone bills in Ireland!

Yes I know it's not automation as we know it (but where does automation stop?) However for our myriad of visitors from Ireland this will be interesting and who knows maybe there is an application further afield!

NetWork ID's Colm Murphy

Galway based IT developer Colm Murphy has released application notes for ‘Forget1850’, a new cost saving directory App which allows users to access cheaper (and sometimes free) landline numbers as an alternative to using numbers beginning with 1850 / 1890 / 0818, numbers which are often promoted as customer service contact numbers by large organisations and companies in Ireland.

Network ID Ltd is based in the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology's (GMIT) Innovation Centre in Galway. Colm told Read-out that inspiration for the new App came after he was charged €13 for a  call to one particular organisation’s ‘customer services’ 1850 number. (We all know the feeling!)

“The vast majority of household service providers, including telecoms, Revenue, Government Agencies, as well as most banks and energy suppliers, use 1850/1890 as their customer service contact numbers.  Irish consumers such as myself are becomingly increasingly irritated at the high costs associated with calling 1850/1890 numbers.

The Forget1850 directory App was developed to provide Irish consumers with a choice on what costs they would incur when contacting these organisations or companies” he said.

In some cases, consumers may be unwittingly paying as much as €10 in phone charges to simply communicate with a company – especially when reporting a fault in a product or service, where the wait time to speak with a company representative may be excessive. Invariably, an 1890 number is the only contact number advertised.

"‘Forget 1850’ users could save up to €52.50 per year by using alternative landline numbers rather than the typical 1850/ 1890 numbers advertised by companies” according to Colm Murphy.  “For example, if an O2 bill pay customer calls an 1890 (35c per minute) number for 10 minutes they will be charged €3.50 per call. Based on a rough average of making 15 such calls per year that’s a saving of €52.50”

Non-geographical numbers such as those beginning with 1850/1890 and more recently 0818 became popular before bundled minutes became an integral part of both landline and mobile contracts. However, not only are 1850/1890 and in some cases 0818 numbers not included in a monthly contracts ‘Free Minutes Bundle’,  they also cannot be called from overseas or through Skype.

Mobile app for technical calculations

Thomson now provides a new app on its website. The "EngineersCALC" application contains four different, frequently used calculation programs that support machine and positioning system designers and engineers in their daily work. The app allows users to quickly convert figures from one unit of measurement to another, determine the inertia of bodies with simple shapes, calculate the density of various materials and look up commonly used trigonometry and calculation functions. The app impresses with its powerful and thereby fast calculation speed, as well as its highly intuitive and user-friendly interface. It allows users of smartphones to carry a valuable planning tool with them wherever they go - not just in the office, but also in the field, for example in a test lab or a model workshop. EngineersCALC also allows users to save their calculations or forward them to colleagues quickly and easily using the integrated e-mail and message module.

EngineersCALC is currently available for the Apple iPhone, iPad and iTouch, as well as for Android and Blackberry smartphones. Thomson also offers a free-of-charge desktop version of the application. This practical "Motion Engineer's Toolbar" can be integrated in the Windows taskbar, allowing it to be displayed whenever needed and then easily hidden again. It is compatible with the Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7.0 operating systems.

High performance comms

Network cabling system provides high-performance communications at new data centre

An advanced network cabling system from the AMP NETCONNECT forms the heart of the internal communications system at a new data centre for Fidessa group plc, a major international supplier of financial markets trading solutions.

The system, designed and installed by Maxima, an approved Amp Netconnect partner, includes both Category 6 UTP (unshielded twisted pair) copper and OM3 multimode 50/125 fibre-optic cabling, and is housed in a new purpose-built facility known as Sentrum IV on the outskirts of Woking, Surrey (GB).

Fidessa is a leading supplier of multi-asset trading, portfolio analysis, decision support, compliance, market data and connectivity solutions for firms involved in trading the world’s financial markets. Headquartered in London and with regional operations across Europe, North
America, Asia and the Middle East, Fidessa supports over 24,000 users across 730 clients, serving a broad spectrum of customers from major investment banks and asset managers through to specialist niche brokers and hedge funds.

The nature of the company’s business means that its data-centre capabilities and the associated communications infrastructure are of vital importance, and the Sentrum IV facility is the latest and most advanced of these centres. In selecting the main contractor for the new centre, it was natural that Fidessa should turn to Maxima, who have worked with Fidessa over a number of years – most recently on the company’s GS2 data centre in London.

“The Maxima team has detailed knowledge of our requirements and the design and installation practices that we expect from our suppliers”, comments Mark Brewer, Production Services Manager at Fidessa: “Not only do they ensure that project installations always run smoothly: they are also willing and able to offer innovative solutions that relate specifically to the needs of our industry.”

One of the specific requirements for the Sentrum IV data centre relates to the fact that Fidessa will use it as a showcase facility for existing and potential clients. This meant that the ‘public’ areas needed to be as clean and tidy as possible, with any cabling hidden away beneath floors or in purpose-designed cabinets. Maxima designed the sub-floor cable support system to ensure that cable capacity was not compromised.

The installation proposed and implemented by Maxima includes a total of 125 APC server, communications and switch cabinets incorporating 250 intelligent power units, along with sixteen AMP NETCONNECT cross-connect central patch frames. The fully ISO/IEC 11801 compliant Category 6 copper and OM3 fibre cabling system includes over 9500 Category 6 AMP SL connections and over 6300 OM3 LC AMP connections.

The system carries Tyco Electronics’ 25-year warranty, which will allow Fidessa to accommodate the growing bandwidth needs of IP convergence, reduce expenses associated with download, upload and backup time, and reduce costs associated with future upgrades.

An important feature of the installation is the use of the recently introduced AMP NETCONNECT Hi-D (high-density) network cabling system to provide a centralised high-density cross-connect patching system. The Hi-D network cabling system is positioned at the heart of the data-centre facility to allow for all the server, communications and switch cabinets to connect with the copper and fibre cabling through a centrally located cross-connect facility.

The Class E/Category 6 UTP copper cabling system uses low-smoke zero-halogen sheathing, along with 24-port Hi-D angled patch panels with SL jacks to provide full RJ45 connectivity. To provide a degree of resilience, copper cabling is routed from each panel in groups of 12 cables and follows diverse cable routes. The copper cabling is housed in a containment system under a
false floor. The use of pre-manufactured Tyco Electronics harness assemblies between the network switch cabinets and the Hi-D angled patch panels is an important factor in ensuring warranty compliance.

The OM3 fibre cabling system also uses low-smoke zero-halogen sheathing, and takes the form of individual 12- or 24-core cables linking 24- or 12-way duplex panels. As with the copper cabling, the fibre cables are diversely routed between cabinets.

Commenting on the successful completion of the Fidessa project, Barry Silverman, Maxima’s Cabling Business Unit Manager within Support & Enablement Services, said: “At Maxima, we pride ourselves on being an approved, experienced and responsive network integrator, and we are always seeking to achieve the most resilient and cost-effective solutions for our clients. By partnering with the AMP NETCONNECT business unit of Tyco Electronics, we have been able to offer Fidessa the optimum combination of a high-quality infrastructure backed by Tyco Electronics’ powerful warranty and our own high level of support.”