EPN Industrial Automation Blog

CANopen and IEC 61499

Following a comprehensive search for advising industry experts, the nonprofit CAN in Automation (CiA) group has established the CANopen SIG (Special Interest Group) »IEC 61499«. The group’s scope is the development of a framework specification for CANopen-based systems using an IEC 61499 compliant programming environment.

Pimp my DeviceNet

The CAN-based industrial fieldbus »DeviceNet« is quite common, especially in the US and Asia. As it certainly has some advantages in harsh environments, but bandwidth and speed are rather limited. A new CAN transceiver is supposed to expand those limits a bit.

CAN under control

The Controller Area Network is rather common in car electronics as well as in industrial automation. Complex networks connecting safety-critical nodes require continuous analysis and monitoring. Three devices from Ixxat are supposed to simplify that task.

Glass with an edge

Astonishingly, many of the requirements for embedded computers in extremely dirty and rough industrial environments are quite similar to those in ultra-hygienic applications. With this in mind it's manifest to serve those different markets with only one design.

2010 World Cup South Africa: Visitor’s safety first

When Serbia plays against Ghana (Group D) on June 13th, 2010 in the 8th match of the football World Cup, the audience will be protected by Bosch's Modular Fire Panel 5000 Series. The setting is going to be the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Tshwane/Pretoria, one of the oldest stadiums in South Africa where the South African national team Bafana Bafana, achieved its first ever victory over a European side in 1999 when they beat Sweden 1:0.

Get connected

In order to satisfy the market needs, Erni Electronics has expanded its ERbic family of field bus connectors for Profibus, CAN and SafetyBus with a new CAN component. The ERbic CANbus connectors are based on the Type 8 D-Sub connector. In addition, housing dimensions have been reduced to a more compact design.

6-Axis Compact Control Unit

With the MACS4-DC6 the Swiss manufacturer of motion controllers zub machine control presents a compact 6-axis control unit which is meant to offer a low cost solution for simple positioning tasks.

For a softer start

Soft at the start and high on torque is the promise Eaton Moeller is making to users of the soft starter switchgear DS7, which is part of the “xStart” system. All components in this series fit together thanks to the toolless plug connections, ensuring simple connection and wiring with other switching devices such as motor-protective circuitbreakers or motor protective relays.

One-hand motion

The T20, newest member of Keba’s KeTop product family of operating terminals is supposed to ensure maximum freedom of movement by means of one-hand operation. The device can be fitted with a variety of operating elements such as key switches, push buttons, hand wheels, potentiometers, or axis selection switches and can thus be adapted to every application. Target applications are control, teaching and visualization.

Wireless automation

Beckhoff’s wireless adapter has been capable of receiving EnOceans’s radio signals for quite some time, now there is an “EnOcean master terminal” available which goes both ways.