EPN Industrial Automation Blog

Automation on track

Industrial automation systems can be quite versatile - take them out of the factory and beside a rail track and even Britain’s or Germany’s infamous trains might run like an oiled automation line. In order to prove this hypothesis, a transportation company and an automation expert join forces.

The continuation of Stuxnet by other means

Every IT specialist worth his salt wouldn’t connect a critical SCADA system to the Internet without the strictest of precautions. It seems that people like that don’t work for critical US infrastructure facilities.

Free access to field devices

Specialists in fieldbus technologies don’t usually give anything away for free, neither as in free beer nor as in free speech, to quote Richard Stallman. Since manufacturers often even charge extra for supplying the (standard) software driver necessary to operate the devices they sell, any exception of that policy is remarkable.

Wires out of automation

There are various obstacles for a stronger perpetration of wireless networks in the process industry. Since RF communication would simplify life in many ways, there are efforts being made to overcome them. While a mesh architecture is a good way to get optimum coverage, common solutions are difficult to integrate in automation infrastructures.

Fast memory for Profibus

Many fieldbus systems originate in the last century, including the installed hardware basis. Slowly, the architectures are being enhanced to make use of modern technologies. As an example, PCI Express allows for transparent implementation of different interface techniques, including Profibus.

PCI/104-Express for rough conditions

The good old PC/104 form factor had been made fit for modern applications with PCI Express. In this incarnation it supports modern processors but remains a good choice for industrial applications under harsh conditions.

Under dry pressure

Installations in industrial automation often are subject to severe conditions like vibrations, corrosive gases or toxic fluids. That’s a difficult environment for electronics, even more for sensing elements. They need too be designed in special ways in order to withstand those kinds of threats.

Safety through security

Strangely enough, many serious studies indicate that industrial networks seem to be easier to penetrate than »consumer« networks. Just try scanning the Wifi networks in or around the factory of your choice with your iPhone and log in with »1234« »autumn« or »password«. It works frighteningly often.

embedded world 2011: The industrial touch

Ruggedized touch panel computers can serve as control front ends for industrial networking systems. However, the usually delicate touch screens have to withstand all kinds of mistreatment.

Timekeeping Computer

Are women or men notoriously late? An old and rather boring discussion which isn’t going to be resolved in a hurry. Will an accurate timing computer help? Probably not with this specific problem, but there are a few applications for the Rackmount Computer DA-683 from Moxa around. It uses a precision time protocol with IEEE 1588 v2 functionality that gives automation systems precise time accuracy for event logging.