Control awards.

Two of Antaira products have been recognised as winners in Control Engineering's 2025 Product of the Year awards:

• DTD-480-0953-T Industrial 480W DC-to-DC Power Converter with Low Voltage 9~53VDC Input has been named the Silver Award winner in the Power category.
• LMP-0702G-SFP-24-T-V2 Managed 7-Port Gigabit PoE+ Industrial Switch with Low Voltage 12~55VDC Input earned a Bronze Award in the I/O & Networking category.

The Control Engineering Product of the Year program highlights the best new control, instrumentation, and automation products as chosen by Control Engineering’s print and online subscribers. It is widely recognised as a benchmark for excellence in the controls and automation industry.

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@AntairaTech @OConnell_PR @ControlEngTips #PAuto #Comms

Industrial Ethernet switch an I/O & Networking winner.

Industrial enterprises are increasingly digitizing operations by connecting and automating critical network infrastructure. This shift aims to streamline processing, improve efficiency, and enhance data-driven decision-making. Managed Ethernet switches are the cornerstones of these initiatives, acting as a central hub, connecting multiple devices to form a LAN or connect to a broader network infrastructure.

The Antaira LMP-0702G-SFP-24-T-V2 Managed Gigabit PoE Industrial Switch is designed for this task. As a fully manageable Light Layer 3 switch, it streamlines connectivity through four Gigabit RJ45 ports with PoE+ (30W) power delivery, two dual-rate SFP fibre slots for long-distance communication, and a single non-PoE Gigabit port. A low-voltage internal booster enables it to supply full PoE+ to critical devices, such as IP cameras, WAPs and sensors, in environments where power input ranges from 12 to 55VDC, including cabinets where 24VDC is common.

Antaira’s emphasis on providing its customers with the most secure, reliable solutions is demonstrated in the LMP-0702G-SFP-24-T-V2. It offers highly configurable features for network optimization and redundancy with support for ITU-T G.8032 Ethernet Ring Protection Switch (ERPS) protocol that has a <50ms 802.1x="" access="" activity.="" administrators="" allowing="" and="" authentication="" control="" elevate="" for="" leverages="" monitor="" network="" p="" port="" protection="" qos="" recovery="" restrict="" security="" segment="" switch="" the="" time.="" to="" unauthorized="" vlans=""> NAT has been added to the V6.2 firmware. NAT is used for communications between networks by translating IP addresses and port numbers from one network to IP addresses and port numbers in another network by modifying the IP packet header as it transits the inside local VLAN interface to the outside global VLAN interface. NAT Options on Firmware Version 6.2 include; Static NAT: 1-to-1 address translation, Overloading (PAT): 1-to-many port address translation, Port-Forwarding: Allows remote hosts with global IP addresses to connect directly with hosts on the private network.

Built for industrial application settings with an IP30 DIN-Rail mountable metal housing, the LMP-0702G-SFP-24-T-V2 withstands extreme temperatures (-40° to 75° C), as well as high exposure to high EFT/ESD.

Bronze Award Winner.
This industrial switch recently earned a bronze award in the I/O & Networking category of the Control Engineering 2025 Product of the Year program. Being recognized by an audience of engineers and automation professionals solidifies the LMP-0702G-SFP-24-T-V2 as a key PoE network switch for automation applications. This award demonstrates Antaira's commitment to advancing networking solutions that transform industrial operations, enhancing productivity, reliability, and security, while laying a foundation for the Industrial IoT.

"We are deeply honored to be recognized by the renowned Control Engineering 2025 Product of the Year awards for our groundbreaking LMP-0702G-SFP-24-T-V2. This award recognition reinforces Antaira's commitment to offering a comprehensive portfolio of industrial-grade solutions that maximize customers' investments by solving their most pressing network needs,’" said Joe Cook, General Manager America’s at Antaira Technologies.

The Control Engineering Product of the Year program highlights the best new control, instrumentation, and automation products as chosen by Control Engineering’s print and online subscribers. It is widely recognized as a benchmark for excellence in the controls and automation industry.

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@AntairaTech @OConnell_PR @ControlEngTips #PAuto  #Ethernet

SCADA & HMI.

Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems and human-machine interfaces (HMIs) are a mainstay for engineers and allow them to better perform their tasks in a variety of industries. 

This helpful eBook from Control Engineering features articles on HMI/SCADA migrations and optimizing plant operations with situationally-aware HMIs.

@ControlEngTips #PAuto 

Which IEC 61131-3 programming language is best?

The great thing about standards is there are so many to choose from!

This interesting discussion authored by Gary L. Pratt, P.E., of ControlSphere LLC. and which featured to recent issues on Control Engineering, helps to differenciate between the different programming languages and standards. 

Choose the correct tool!

With so many PLC languages and standards from which to choose, what is the right choice for automation and controls applications?

Part 1 provides an overview and focuses on Ladder Diagram (LD) and Sequential Function Chart (SFC).
Programming language choices for programmable logic controllers (PLCs) are many. It is said the great thing about standards is there are so many to choose from! While this is meant as sarcasm, in the case of IEC 61131-3 Programming Languages, it is an advantage to have several language standards from which to choose.

Part 2 focuses on function block diagram (FBD), continuous function chart (CFC) and structured text (ST).
Many programming language choices exist for programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and the IEC 61131-3 Programming Languages standard has several options. It’s more efficient and effective to use the strength of each rather than learn the tricks and workarounds required to force-fit one language to all applications. The programmer should select the best language for the application.

@ControlEngTips @PLCopen #PAuto #PLC

Advanced analytics for process manufacturing.

Seeq Corporation is the winner of the Advanced Analytics for Process Manufacturing Data category award for Control Engineering 2020 Engineers’ Choice Awards program. Control Engineering’s Engineer’s Choice is the premier award program for new products in manufacturing and non-manufacturing industries. Their annual reader-choice award program gives Control Engineering’s audience the opportunity to select the top new products in their fields.

“We are pleased that Seeq was recognized by Control Engineering,” says Michael Risse, Chief Marketing Officer for Seeq. “We are helping process manufacturers accelerate their digital transformation efforts. It is an honor to join the other vendors of the best products in this space as part of the Product of the Year program.”

Seeq won in the category of Data Analytics for its Advanced Analytics for Process Manufacturing Data. Seeq is an advanced analytics solution for engineers and scientists in process manufacturing organizations to rapidly wrangle, investigate, and share insights on manufacturing data. Recent releases of Seeq reflect both the growing use of Seeq for publishing analytics-based views to other employees, and the increased complexity of the use cases where engineers use Seeq.

For publishing insights, Seeq has expanded “scorecards,” a feature for the display of calculated tables in Seeq Workbench and Organizer. Scorecards are used for tabulated metrics, measurements, and other summary data, and may be presented in tables with conditional formatting support and user-defined columns—for example, roll-ups by batch or plant.

#PAuto @SeeqCorporation @ControlEngTips

First for network integration.

Moore Industries has won Control Engineering 2020 Engineers’ Choice Awards for Network Integration – Signal Conditioning with the ECT-DIN 15mm in the Signal Isolator category. An engraved award for each Winner will be presented to each winning company at the 2020 Engineering Awards in Manufacturing dinner in April.

The UL approved ECT-DIN 2-Wire Isolator is now available in a narrow 15mm aluminum housing. The narrow size allows more isolators to fit in cabinets and field enclosures where installation space is a premium.

Scott Saunders, President and CEO of Moore Industries, states “The rugged narrow 15mm ECT DIN 2-Wire isolator and converter with 4-20mA, 1-5V and 0-10V inputs and 4-20mA output, permits more isolators to fit in cabinets and field enclosures where installation space is limited, saving space and money.”

The complete ECT family delivers reliable signal isolation and conversion solutions for the most demanding ambient and noisy installation conditions. Check out the details on the ECT-DIN 2-Wire Isolator in our online catalog.

#PAuto @MII_Worldwide @ControlEngTips

Asset Management - Reporting recognised.

Dream Report from Ocean Data Systems (ODS), has been selected as a winner in the 2020 Control Engineering Magazine “Engineers’ Choice Awards” program for the third year in a row.

Dream Report has won the category Software – Asset Management - Reporting and will be mentioned in the February issue, online, and in Control Engineering e-newsletters. Dream Report also has a history of two Honorable Mentions - 2015 and 2016, in addition to winning the category in 2018, 2019 and again now, 2020.

“We believe this to be the most prestigious award in our industry,” explained Roy Kok, VP Sales and Marketing for Ocean Data Systems. “We are very proud to have won this category in 2018, 2019 and now 2020. Once is luck, twice - coincidence, but three times is a trend to be very proud of. We continue to make major enhancements to Dream Report, optimally addressing every vertical market and we are furthering our relationships with market leading automation vendors. We believe Dream Report delivers immense value and is a solution that should be part of every application. Thank you to all our customers, system integration partners and OEMs for selecting Dream Report and making this award possible.”

#PAuto @OceanDataSys @ControlEngTips

Network Integration – Signal Conditioning Award.

Moore Industries' UL approved ECT-DIN 2-Wire Isolator has won the Control Engineering 2020 Engineers’ Choice Award in the Network Integration – Signal Conditioning category. The award will be presented at the 2020 Engineering Awards in Manufacturing dinner on Monday, April 27, 2020, in Chicago (USA).

The narrow 15mm ECT-DIN signal isolator and converter with 4-20mA, 1-5V and 0-10V inputs and 4-20mA output allows more isolators to fit in cabinets and field enclosures where installation space is a premium. The thinner 15mm width has the same General and Hazardous area approvals, RFI/EMI protection and -40°C to 85°C operating temperature range as the rest of the ECT family of isolators, which means it can be installed in hazardous locations and does not require installation in cooled or climate controlled environments, making it perfect for more extreme locations. The complete ECT family delivers extremely reliable signal isolation and conversion solutions for the most demanding ambient and noisy installation conditions as well as providing versatile choices to match the type
of AC or DC power available at each location.

#PAuto @MII_Worldwide @ControlEngTips

Edge controller award.

 Opto22's groov EPIC® has been selected as a winner in Control Engineering’s Engineers’ Choice Awards for the second year in a row. This year, groov EPIC took the award for the Industrial Internet of Things Connectivity— Edge Controller category.

In an uncommon opportunity, groov EPIC was invited to enter the awards program for a second time because of significant product updates in the previous year. Originally, groov EPIC launched with support for Opto 22’s PAC Control™ runtime engine and flowchart programming language. In late 2018, Opto 22 expanded the controller’s programming options by adding support for the popular CODESYS® engine by 3S-Smart Software, which includes all IEC 61131-3 programming languages, including Function Block Diagram, Structured Text, Sequential Function Charts, and Ladder Diagram.

“When we originally conceived groov EPIC, we wanted to provide engineers an open automation platform to accomplish whatever they dreamed, using tools they were familiar with,” stated Ken Johnson, vice president of Engineering at Opto 22. “This goal, coupled with market feedback, led us to add industry-standard IEC 61131 programming languages, providing yet another option for engineers to accomplish their tasks. We’re honored to be recognized for this effort.”

Voting for the 2020 Engineers’ Choice awards opened in October 2019 to Control Engineering subscribers, representing over 70,000 engineers and engineering managers across two dozen industries. groov EPIC was one of 117 finalists over 29 categories ranging from hardware, IIoT, machine control, and motion control, to network integration, power, process control, safety, and software.

#PAuto @opto22 @ControlEngTips

Reporting and data analysis software wins award!

Ocean Data Systems (ODS) has announced that Dream Report has won the “Engineers’ Choice” award, by Control Engineering Magazine.

More than 90 product nominations from 43 companies were entered for consideration in the 2018 Engineers’ Choice Awards. Control Engineering subscribers voted to identify the products they felt were the most exceptional based on technological advancement, service to the industry, and market impact. Engineers’ Choice Award winners and honorable mentions were named in 26 categories. This is the 31st year of product recognition for the publication, highlighted in the February 2018 monthly edition, in several newsletters and on-line.

“We are very honored that Dream Report was chosen for this most prestigious award,” explained Roy Kok, VP Sales and Marketing for Ocean Data Systems. “Our success with Dream Report and with our various OEM partnerships is clearly a win for our customers. Dream Report is installed in all markets and all around the world, and we are very happy to see that our customers are also Control Engineering readers.”

“Innovative solutions such as Dream Report make manufacturing and other control engineering applications more efficient through the smart application of new technologies. Investments in the best products and software can help solve the most pressing challenges in automation, control, and instrumentation,” according to Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering content manager.

@OceanDataSys #PAuto @ControlEngTips

IS Alarm trip wins!

Control Engineering 2017 Engineers’ Choice Award for Process Safety, Intrinsic Safety category has been achieved by Moore Industries. The successful instrument is their SPA2IS Programmable Alarm Trip with Intrinsically-Safe (IS) Field Connections. The award will be presented at the 2017 Engineering Awards Manufacturing dinner on Monday, April 3, 2017 in Chicago (USA)

Moore Industries has focused on protecting people, plants, and the environment since its 1968 founding as part of an overall effort to help customers in the chemical, petrochemical, oil & gas extraction and refining, and pharmaceutical industries by creating products that monitor, control, and measure signals in hazardous areas. The company strives to produce the best alarm solutions that significantly reduce wiring, installation and maintenance costs. The SPA2IS is a combination alarm trip and temperature transmitter that includes built-in intrinsically-safe field connections for current/voltage, thermocouple, and resistance temperature detectors (RTDs).

For facilities that employ intrinsic safety measures, the SPA2IS is a cost effective and complete alarm solution that includes intrinsically-safe field connections, providing the necessary protection typically afforded by a galvanically isolated intrinsically safe barrier. The SPA2IS decreases wiring and maintenance costs by enabling users to eliminate additional barriers and power supplies, reducing space requirements and heat dissipation or cooling considerations in barrier marshalling cabinets. The SPA2IS is powered by a universal AC/DC power supply and provides on/off control, warns of unwanted process conditions, alarms on rate of change, and assists with or performs emergency shutdowns. The SPA2IS is site and PC programmable using Moore Industries’ free Intelligent PC Configuration Software.

@MII_Worldwide #PAuto

Safety product viewed as exceptional by Czech automation professionals.

The Invensys Triconex^® Safety View solution has been named the 2013 Product of the Year in the Process Control and Advanced Control category by Control Engineering, Czech Republic.

Control Engineering subscribers identified the products they felt were the most exceptional based on technological progress, value, benefit and impact on the automation market. The Product of the Year Awards covered 10 industrial automation categories in 2013. Invensys has won this accolade for the past three years, with products such as its Foxboro^® Intelligent Marshalling smart I/O solution, its SimSci^® DYNSIM^® dynamic process simulation software and now Triconex Safety View. 

“The Process Control and Advanced Control category is always popular for producers and readers alike, with fierce competition for the Product of the Year award,” said Lukas Smelik, editor in chief, Control Engineering. “Every year, Invensys brings strong products to the category, and this year’s win for Triconex Safety View highlights the strong level of innovation within Invensys, further showcased by products such as its Foxboro Evo™ process automation system. For that reason, I was not surprised that, like last year, Invensys won Product of the Year.”

Triconex Safety View is an online tool that draws the plant operator’s attention to critical changes in process conditions that require immediate action. It also provides clear indication to operators, maintenance engineers and shift supervisors of Priority Level 1 alarms and all other safety-critical devices that have been placed in bypass, thus reducing the risk levels for which they were designed.

“Triconex Safety View provides the highest levels of safety integrity for critical alarm management applications,” said Mary Beth Connolly, vice president of marketing for Invensys’ systems business.

“Safety View gives operators, maintenance engineers and shift personnel better visibility into the process so they can take actions that reduce risk, optimize total cost of ownership and increase overall asset performance,” she continued. “We are extremely honored to be recognized by Control Engineering magazine and its subscribers because the award acknowledges the quality of our products and the value we continue to deliver for our customers and the automation market at large."

Cybersecurity study (2013)

Industrial cyber security: Are you where you need to be? This report discusses survey results.

A study was conducted by Control Engineering in May 2013 to evaluate cyber security awareness and implementation of cyber defenses. 

Of the respondents, 41% indicated their role within their organisation as a process control engineer, while 16% are production engineering managers.

The top five primary industries serviced by the respondents' companies are manufacturing (25%), engineering services (11%), energy/utilities (10%), oil and gas production/delivery (10%), and chemical production (9%).

The report is here on their website, (Those who wish to download the report need to register)

Engineers choice!

InduSoft has won the Control Engineering Engineers’ Choice Award in three categories. "We’re grateful to InduSoft users and others who voted for the InduSoft solutions. These awards are the result of the feedback from distributors, certified system integrators, OEMs and end users worldwide that we use to continuously improve InduSoft Web Studio SCADA software,” says Marcia Gadbois, vice president of business development, InduSoft.

In the Software-Applications, Monitoring category, InduSoft’s Business Intelligence Dashboard Template, an application for InduSoft Web Studio v7.1, was awarded the top prize for its intuitive and customizable configurations. The application enables users to effortlessly access information, which is displayed in user-friendly dashboards, from Microsoft Access or SQL Server.

InduSoft Web Studio v7.1 was chosen for the HMI Software award. A comprehensive HMI/SCADA software solution, InduSoft Web Studio v7.1 provides a variety of tools to simplify the creation SCADA and HMI applications. It also offers several new features, such as the InduSoft Collaborative Solution and the ALM (Application Lifecycle Management) option that lets users compare any configuration file merge changes from multiple developers. It also offers support for version and source control, as well as interaction through Microsoft's Team Foundation Server*.

The third Engineers’ Choice award for Mobile Apps for Controls, Automation, and Instrumentation went to InduSoft’s Studio Mobile Access solution that enables operators, maintenance staff and managers to view and interact with process variables, trends and alarms from any HTML5 device such as iPad, iPhone or Android tablet/phones.

InduSoft remains committed to continually developing and improving solutions-and offering the best, most comprehensive, independent SCADA software package.

• InduSoft products are distributed and supported in Britain and Ireland by AdProSys Limited

HMI Software wins award!

InduSoft's Web Studio v7.0 + SP1 has received the Engineers' Choice 2012 award for HMI software. This award is determined each year by the readers of Control Engineering magazine who vote for the best products in automation, control and instrumentation based on technological advancement, service to the industry and market impact.

According to Mark Hoske, Editor/content manager for Control Engineering: "While intuitive and attractive displays are important for human-machine interface/SCADA software, users also appreciate next-version compatibility to preserve existing investments. The ability to quickly and easily interconnect with existing data and analyze it, along with easy scalability across machines and platforms, has impressed the Control Engineering subscribers who see value in InduSoft Web Studio v7.0 HMI/SCADA software for these and other attributes."

Marcia Gadbois, vice president of business development for InduSoft speaks for the whole company when she says, "We are truly honored to receive the Engineers' Choice award because it is a vote from our customers and our peers. Each day, we strive to provide our customers with the most flexible, reliable and affordable SCADA solutions. We owe our success to them."

A truly independent SCADA software package, InduSoft Web Studio v7.0 provides 240 built-in drivers that facilitate communication with virtually every major automation component including PACs, PLCs, PID controllers, motion controllers and bar code/2D/RFID readers. It also offers client support for OPC UA, OPC.NET 3.0 and OPC XML

A comprehensive package, InduSoft Web Studio v7.0 + SP1 includes reports, trending, database connectivity, and drivers as well as solutions for Windows CE and Windows embedded machines. It also supports Unicode fonts for international and multi-language support.

User-friendly configuration tools for web thin clients enable InduSoft Web Studio v7.0 to offer remote access from any PC without the need to install software. Web server capabilities provide browser access from laptops, smart phones and other devices.

InduSoft Web Studio v7.0 + SP1 offer new features, including:
• An intuitive ribbon interface that provides logical tool/object grouping, and the ability to open multiple documents simultaneously
• Native support for distributed security systems, and full integration with Microsoft Active Directory via LDAP
• Support for dynamic rotation for externally imported pictures
• Configuration interfaces for FTP and SMTP email
• A reduced footprint full-featured version designed for Windows Embedded operating system deployments
• Intellectual property protection features.

A highly scalable solution, InduSoft Web Studio v7.0 + SP1 is fully compatible with earlier versions to make upgrades painless.

Also a recipient of the Engineers' Choice award in 2010, InduSoft has hundreds of distributors across the world along with certified system integrators in many countries. SCADA software training is available for users and integrators in its North American offices. InduSoft compatible hardware certification is also available.

PAC or PLC?

Controller Selection Considerations eGuide

One of the leading US
Automation publications

Controller-based applications face a divergence when selecting a controller: Simplicity and ruggedness, or openness and functionality? In math, that’s called indeterminacy, but in automation, the engineer should know what controller feature set is best for the application, no matter what you call the logic device.

Control Engineering have an eGuide available to determine whether you need A PLC, PAC, or IPC for your next control application.  Learn more about the possibility of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) evolving Into Programmable Automation Controllers (PACs), or Industrial PCs (IPCs).  Whatever the name, learn about the best features and software for your control applications.

Over the last few years, this publication has been very active in the industry discussion relating to PACs, PLCs and IPCs.  Follow the discussion and industry how-to in this important eGuide on when and where to select the appropriate controller.

The articles in the eGuide include:
• Balancing PLCs, PACs, IPCs
• Discussion on PLC vs. PAC:  When and Where?
• Speaking in Tongues:  Understanding the IEC 61131-3 Programming Languages
• What is a Programmable Controller
• Case Studies:  Pyromatics Automation System and ITS with International Harvester

The eGuide is free but you will have to register here to get it!

Leader under forty recognised

Control Station has announced that Dr. Robert C. Rice has been recognized in Control Engineering’s “Leaders Under 40” awards.

Dr R.C.Rice

The “Leaders Under 40” is a new program designed to identify and recognize young engineers who have made significant contributions to the automation industry and to the profession of control engineering.  Dr. Rice has made significant contributions in the field of process control, particularly in terms of innovations in the arena of PID controller monitoring and loop tuning technologies.  Under Dr. Rice’s direction, Control Station is widely recognized as the leading provider of PID diagnostic and optimization solutions.

“I feel privileged to be recognized by Control Engineering,” stated Dr. Rice, Control Station’s Vice President of Engineering.  “I love this industry and remain fascinated by the challenges and opportunities facing today’s process manufacturers.  Empowering them to improve their competitiveness through the use of innovative technologies is remarkably satisfying.”

“Control Engineering recognizes Bob Rice among other young thought leaders based on their strong contributions to the profession of industrial engineering,” said Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering content manager. “I have to believe that his achievements at Control Station and his engineering-minded hobbies will help inspire the next-generation of leaders and show the world what’s fun and worthwhile about engineering.”

“In addition to Dr. Rice we recognized 18 other remarkable engineering leaders in our inaugural ‘Leaders Under 40’ program.  We certainly commend all 29 entrants and encourage engineering enthusiasts of all ages to share their wisdom with Control Engineering in other ways. We expect nominations to open approximately mid-2011 for the next ‘Leaders Under 40’ program.”

Dr. Rice has led the transformation of Control Station from just another technology company, to the recognized leader in PID controller monitoring and tuning solutions.  He has held principal responsibility for all product development initiatives and engineering services since joining Control Station in 2004.  During that time Control Station’s software has been repeatedly recognized for innovation and ease-of-use, receiving two Engineers’ Choice Awards and two Vaaler Awards. 

Beyond technology innovation Dr. Rice has worked tirelessly to promote the use of industry best-practices throughout the process industries.  Over the years he has been invited to speak on process control best-practices at numerous industry conferences and sections of ISA.  Most recently Dr. Rice was recognized by the St Louis Section with their 2009 Speaker of the Year award.