The basic difference between regular, desktop PCs used in office environments and specialized industrial PCs is the construction. Industrial PCs are built to be more rugged and reliable with protections from common environmental contaminants such as dust, debris and even water, as well as containing features to minimize effects from shock and vibration. They are […]
What are PCI motion control cards?
PCI stands for peripheral component interconnect (PCI.) It is a computer bus for connecting together various hardware devices. A PCI motion control card is simply a card that is PCI compatible, that is, one that plugs into a PCI bus on a PC or industrial PC. In fact, for motion control cards, the most common […]
LVDT linear displacement sensors come in standard and miniature sizes
Hoffmann + Krippner announces a new product addition to their redesigned, user-friendly online shop. In addition to Sensofoil linear and rotary membrane potentiometers, cleanroom / medical keyboards and emPC A/RPI Industrial PCs, the shop now features inelta LVDT linear displacement sensors. The new online inelta portfolio ranges from standard and miniature displacement sensors to […]
Weintek adds touchscreen Windows PCs to remote access platform
Weintek USA Inc., the industrial HMI solution provider expands the capability of the cMT Remote Access line of Human Machine Interface devices with the addition of the cMT-iPC10 and cMT-iPC15 industrial touch screen flat panel PC’s with embedded Windows OS. In todays manufacturing environment of continuous improvement, the analysis of production or process data is an ongoing effort. […]
What is PC control for motion?
Motion controller architectures can be one of several types. Among the most common are stand-alone controllers and PC-based control. PC control for motion typically takes the form of so-called industrial PCs. These feature processors just like a typical PC but a lot of the other components are ruggedized and designed for operation in an industrial […]
Beckhoff System-Integrated Solutions at Pack Expo 2017: from Automation to HMI to IIoT
The Beckhoff Automation booth (S-6302) will be the center of automation technology (AT) and IT convergence at Pack Expo 2017 in Las Vegas. The comprehensive Beckhoff system architecture for packaging machine automation promotes control hardware consolidation by advancing powerful PC-based control technology. This approach takes the best from AT and IT, making the most powerful…
Do PC-based controllers do any condition monitoring?
The simple answer is yes. In fact, PC-based controllers have been doing condition monitoring for many years and it is only becoming more prevalent. PC-based condition monitoring took off with the advent of falling prices of electronic computing power. As a result, PC-based condition monitoring has been getting better with improved computer technology, more powerful […]
Real-time performance in PC-based control: Technology update
Eric Reiner, Industrial PC Product Specialist | Beckhoff Automation System performance hangs heavy on the minds of every machine builder when commissioning new projects — particularly when it comes to the control platform. That’s with good reason, as the controller is arguably the most important facet of a machine … and often the first place […]
Phoenix Contact’s Cabinet Confidence marks tour’s halfway point
Last week, Phoenix Contact stopped by the Design World offices to give a quick tour of its Cabinet Confidence Infomobile, which has been traveling around the eastern half of the United States the past few months. Customers and Phoenix Contact component and system users still have time to grab a visit with the Infomobile, as […]
More Beckhoff PC-based Controllers Earn Microsoft Azure Certification
Ultra-compact C6015 Industrial PC and DIN rail mounted CX5140 Embedded PC are now Azure™ Certified To provide plants, factories and machine builders with even more system-integrated solutions for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Beckhoff Automation has announced Microsoft Azure™ certification for the C6015 Industrial PC (IPC) and CX5140 Embedded PC. All certified devices from Beckhoff…
More Beckhoff PC-based controllers earn Microsoft Azure certification
To provide plants, factories and machine builders with even more system-integrated solutions for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Beckhoff Automation has announced Microsoft Azure™ certification for the C6015 Industrial PC (IPC) and CX5140 Embedded PC. All certified devices from Beckhoff can be found in the Microsoft “Azure Certified for IoT” device catalog, providing customers with […]
New CP6906 Control Panel from Beckhoff Expands Entry-Level Product
In order to provide high-quality industrial display solutions to cost-sensitive applications, Beckhoff has introduced the new CP6906 Control Panel display. Offering a 7-inch touchscreen with 800 x 480 WVGA resolution, and a robust housing consisting of an aluminum bezel and sheet steel rear cover, this passive display is the ideal solution to answer applications with…
Advantech Launches High-Performance Scalable Fanless Control Cabinet PCs
Advantech’s IIoT Automation Group is pleased to announce the launch of the UNO-3283G and UNO-3285G high-performance fanless control cabinet PCs. Equipped with a 6th generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor, Intel QM170 PCH chipset, rich I/O including six USB 3.0, two GigaLAN, two RS-232/422/485, and one RS-422/485 (pin header) ports, as well as DVI-I and HDMI…
New EtherCAT board enhances data gathering capability of HARTING’s MICA mini industrial computer
HARTING’s Mini-Industrial-Computer MICA®, winner of the prestigious 2016 HERMES Award for industrial innovation, now is available with an EtherCAT board, allowing data to be collected directly from industrial production networks, preprocessed and forwarded to IT systems via standard protocols such as OPC UA or MQTT. Thanks to MICA®s modular hardware concept, which allows users to…
Current state of programmable automation controllers (PACs) for motion
Programmable automation controllers (PACs) excel in commanding complex automation setups that involve PC-based and HMI functions as well as process control (largely because of the way they handle I/O). PACs are also increasingly common in motion applications for machining or handling discrete product thanks to the flexibility and interoperability they offer machine designs. Today’s PACs […]
noax Technologies Releases the New S21WP Industrial PC with Industrial-Grade PCAP Technology
noax Technologies, has announced the release of the S21WP, the first IPC offering modified Projected Capacitive (PCAP) touchscreen technology which operates with the use of gloves even in extreme environmental conditions. noax Technologies is launching a new generation of PCs with multi-touch functionality for industrial applications. The noax S21WP zero-bezel housing offers a 21 inch…
Ultra-compact C6015 IPC from Beckhoff Offers Extreme Space-savings and Flexibility
Beckhoff Automation introduced a new standard in ultra-compact Industrial PC technology at the SPS IPC Drives 2016 trade show in Nuremberg, Germany. The new C6015 Industrial PC (IPC) opens up new application areas for PC-based control technology, especially those with pronounced cost or space restraints. Fully suited to industrial applications, the multi-core IPC measures just…
Morning preview at IMTS 2016 for Wednesday September 14 — Global automation
The third day of IMTS 2016 is getting into full swing here at McCormick Place in Chicago. Today’s schedule is special in that a co-located summit on the is taking place in Room W196-C. More specifically, this is a Global Automation & Manufacturing Summit held during Industrial Automation North America 2016 from the hosts of Hannover MESSE. Presenters are covering IIoT […]
Parker Hannifin launches New XT – Parker Xpress PowerStation HMI
Parker’s Electromechanical and Drives Division North America now sells the XT – Parker’s Xpress PowerStation. The XT comes pre-loaded with the next iteration of Parker’s runtime and development software, Xpress 4.1. The XT was designed with the Industrial user in mind. The XT is a fully solid state device with 15-g peak shock and 5 to 500-Hz vibration […]
Select the right machine controller for your application
by Don Pham, Product Manager, IDEC Picking the right type of machine controller will minimize costs and complexity, while still providing the performance required for the application. Many different controller options are available for machine automation, giving you the opportunity to select a controller closely matched to the application. All those choices can cause confusion. […]
Control system makes MEMS coating process a SNAP
Reducing MEMS wear and stiction requires controlling the topography and chemical composition of MEMS contacting surfaces during manufacturing. But reducing wear and stiction isn’t just about the type of coating used; it’s also about the process. As MEMS become smaller, it’s increasingly difficult to apply a complete coating to the entire surface of these mechanical…
Advantech launches TUV certified IEC-61850-3 industrial PC
IEC-61850 is the specific standard for smart substations and defines the Ethernet protocol to be used for data communication and defines how devices in the substation communicate with…
New Beckhoff industrial PC hardware delivers multi-core performance at a lower cost
The entry-level of the Beckhoff Industrial PC (IPC) portfolio has been expanded with two new devices: the C6905 Control Cabinet PC and the CP6706 7-inch Built-in Panel PC, each offering higher computing power than previous entry-level devices. Equipped with a powerful Intel Atom CPU with up to four processor cores, these compact devices are particularly…
Software based controller
Siemens Simatic® S7-1500 software controller offers the advantages of the Simatic S7-1500 standard controller on industrial PCs. The new software-based controller is easy to use and engineer with Siemens Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) Portal. Scalable performance features include integrated system diagnostics with a mouse click, motion and security functions and know how protection. The software…
How IIoT is being used now
by Leslie Langnau, Managing Editor The latest development of industrial Ethernet is how it will be a part of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Variations of Ethernet still abound, yet some of the conversation is moving toward accepting the open Ethernet standard, a variation developed by Mellanox Technologies. Open Ethernet is targeted more at…