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06 | Explore an open IoT operating system. 08 | Cognitive engineering can humanize machines.
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Open IoT operating system
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Autonomous systems need a degree of trust to work
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) unveiled a research program called Assured Autonomy that aims to advance the ways computing systems can learn and evolve as well as emphasizing the need for trust in autonomous systems as they become more common.
An open Internet of Things operating system (IoT OS) aims to help manufacturers and others. Siemens explained the benefits of its MindSphere IoT OS.
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
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Cognitive engineering can humanize machines
Already part of some industrial systems, selfdriving cars, autonomous drones, healthcare planning, and virtual assistants, cognitive engineering is permeating every walk of life. Optimized systems combine knowledge, contextual awareness, and situational intelligence.
NEWS
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• Top five Control Engineering articles • How IoT promises to enable better product maintenance • Create a winning culture on the plant floor
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
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Embedded high-performance computing, industrial applications
Edge, fog, and cloud applications demand increased computing power in industrial environments using embedded controls; COM Express (Type 7) offers more and faster Ethernet connections and more throughput.
Manufacturer will acquire electric solutions company; Three machine vision maintenance tips for system integrators; more articles online:
• Mobile robotics market expected to grow • Effective change management IIoT tips.
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Logical, useful help from Control Engineering
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CONTROL ENGINEERING CHINA Aileen Jin, Control Engineering China
Open IoT operating system An open Internet of Things operating system (IoT OS) aims to help manufacturers and others. Siemens, at its recently opened Asia-Pacific Digital Experience Center, explained the benefits of its MindSphere IoT OS.
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ow can a cloud-based operating system help manufacturing? MindSphere, the cloud-based, Internet of Things (IoT) operating system from Siemens, is being demonstrated in China at the first Siemens Asia-Pacific “Digital Experience Center,” in Beijing, showing how a digital enterprise software operates within Industrie 4.0. Li Li, the digital service director of the digital factory group at Siemens (China) Co. Ltd., recently explained MindSphere to Control Engineering China (CE China).
Li Li, the digital service director of the digital factory group at Siemens (China) Co. Ltd. recently explained MindSphere to Control Engineering China at Siemens’ Asia-Pacific “Digital Experience Center” in Beijing. Courtesy: CE China and Siemens
CE China: What is MindSphere? Li: Siemens defined MindSphere as its IoT operating system to provide uniform interfaces to realize broad equipment connectivity downward and offer a strong development and operating environment to all types of application software upward. It is easy for users to get the application program interfaces and services from MindSphere, just like app acquisition from the app stores for smart phones. Siemens hopes to focus on MindSphere to build an open-ended ecological system. Developers can join the related ecological system and collaborate with others to develop the application software, with proficiency in a certain field, in a specific vertical marketplace, with application expertise. The value chain includes equipment manufacturers, end users, data acquisition developers, system integrators, application developers, and channel partners.
CE China: How is the software used? Li: As for all enterprises, the first step of digital strategy implementation is data collection. Regardless of the cloud software, MindSphere gets data from Siemens products, and helps other cusKEYWORDS: IIoT, cloud tomers and those joining MindSphere to conwww.controleng.com/international nect industrial equipment by: www.cechina.cn 1. Connect: Get the user account in An open IoT operating MindSphere and integrate the connecting system can offer apps for faster terminal into the equipment. integration, more flexibility, and 2. Configure: Make use of asset configueasier data analysis. ration functions to configure the data acquiThe IoT operating system is likely sition and connections in MindSphere. to extend beyond manufacturing to help multiple industries. 3. Use operation services: A fleet manager can check equipment health in Online, see more on this topic from Pack Expo Las Vegas 2017. MindSphere, then take advantage of a visual
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analyzer to view details. When Siemens MindConnect Nano is applied, one power line and two network cables will be inserted for operation within half an hour. CE China: What are the advantages of MindSphere? Li: Many IoT operating systems from internet companies are similar. Compared to other cloud platforms, MindSphere has the following advantages: 1. From bottom to top: For digitization, Siemens develops from bottom to top, starting with the mechanical floor. A broad spectrum of production lines for automation and electrification can be applied regardless of the programmable logic controller (PLC) used in the factory: vehicle-mounted sensor and gas turbine, building, or medical equipment. This is a major advantage. 2. Vertical market understanding: A typical original equipment manufacturer (OEM) doesn’t get a lot of integrated IT and automation data. Integrating production data about gears and bearings in the application of mechanical equipment and automation may be more practical. In that case, an OEM would be more familiar with the data and more easily able to analyze its meaning. Using its understanding of various vertical markets, Siemens can provide a transparent and easy-to-use visual analysis environment for customers and help transfer data into the high-value IoT analysis model. 3. Openness: MindSphere can support Siemens equipment and many third-party devices, with a compatible application programming interface (API) on a data acquisition terminal. MindSphere also provides a friendly development environment and open API so third parties can develop applications for MindSphere. Siemens extends its scope for MindSphere beyond the industrial field to the whole Internet of Things. As Li said, “MindSphere has developed into an Internet of Things platform serving the whole Siemens enterprise,” supporting digitalization efforts across industries. ce Aileen Jin is editor-in-chief of Control Engineering China; edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, mhoske@cfemedia.com. www.controlengineering.com
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MACHINE LEARNING Bhupendra Bhate, L&T Technology Services Ltd.
Cognitive engineering Technology Update: Already part of some industrial systems, self-driving cars, autonomous drones, healthcare planning, and virtual assistants, cognitive engineering is permeating every walk of life. Optimized systems combine knowledge, contextual awareness, and situational intelligence.
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KEYWORD: Artificial intelligence
Help machines sense better, analyze better, learn better, and put content into context. Use knowledge, contextual awareness, situational intelligence, open standards.
GO ONLINE This article online links to four artificial intelligence articles. Click on the headline in the digital edition.
CONSIDER THIS What machine or systems could be improved with more knowledge, contextual awareness, and situational intelligence?
O
ptimized systems using cognitive engineering are helping humans by combining knowledge, contextual awareness, and situational intelligence. The human versus machine debate has been going on for entire careers, especially for those who have spent a lifetime building machines, programming them, feeding them with data, and then directing them to provide the needed results. Machines have the potential to move more quickly with greater strength and analyze faster than humans and without fatigue or becoming distracted. Human differentiation derives from a keen sense of perception, the ability to look at things from numerous angles and make objective, informed decisions. The human mind perceives and reacts to situations by combining knowledge (acquired through past experiences and learning) with a contextual understanding and situational awareness of things.
Combined cognition
Cognitive engineering is the rise of technologies that help machines sense, analyze, and learn better, as well as contextualize. At its core, cognitive engieering is about humanizing machines. Many products using
Flow diagram shows cognitive engineering in action, adapting the elements of the control loop: sense, decide, and actuate. After an action, the system used input to learn, considered past learning, and incorporated contextual understanding and situational awareness to guide the next action. Courtesy: L&T Technology Services Ltd.
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cognitive engineering or machine intelligence focus on one aspect of cognition: knowledge or contextual awareness or situational intelligence. Intelligent systems combine all three aspects in one machine. Three areas can advance cognitive systems. 1. Interactions: Interactions must evolve from pushing a button or opening an app to other methods such as gesturing, sign language, facial expressions, voice commands, or interpretation of emotional state. These require advanced voice and image processing tools. Reinforcement learning algorithms under development will enable cognitive systems to identify and respond to various gestures and emotions. The challenge is to accurately engineer models of the broader environment of inputs and interactions. Robots equipped with advanced machine vision can nearly eliminate errors on the production line. 2. Decision making: Decisions need to be quick, bias-free, based on evidence, and backed by strong reasoning algorithms. In an industrial manufacturing plant, sensors collect huge amounts of data at every stage of the production line. The focus must shift from building analytical capabilities on the cloud to edge-empowered businesses with access to real time insights. Fault-model libraries under development can speed-up learning and fast-track reinforcement in cognitive systems. These libraries analyze and study patterns of various plant processes and machinery over an extended period of time. The consolidated learning is then fed to cognitive systems to give them a massive head-start. Cognitive systems trained this way autonomously can optimize processes to lower costs or speed up production. Artificial intelligence (AI) may be used for monitoring to ensure that production matches wider goals in manufacturing plants. 3. Open standards: With so many companies developing AI and machine learning tools, the creation of industry standards will enable businesses to invest in a standard set of tools to build machine intelligence. ce Bhupendra Bhate is chief digital officer, L&T Technology Services Ltd., which is a CFE Media content partner. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, mhoske@cfemedia.com. www.controlengineering.com
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INSIGHTS
EMBEDDED CONTROL Mary Poniatowski, Kontron
Embedded high-performance computing for industrial applications Edge, fog, and cloud applications demand increased computing power in industrial environments using embedded controls; COM Express (Type 7) offers more and faster Ethernet connections and more throughput.
I
n contrast to most business and IT applications, many production tasks cannot be easily outsourced to a cloud service, although it would be useful for simplicity, cost savings, and maintenance. In spite of modern infrastructures such as time-sensitive networking-based networks, the physical length of the lines with the associated latencies often ends any thoughts of cloudconnected real-time control. Many companies do not want to see their production data being stored and processed offsite. The answer to this challenge is an approach like edge or fog computing. In many scenarios, edge computing is most cost-efficient and easier to maintain the computing power on-site. Standardized computer-on-modules (COMs) provide wide scalability and reliability that result in increased efficiency.
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KEYWORD:
Board-level control The benefits of computer-onmodule (COM) Express platforms About the COM Express standard Type 7 platforms The benefits of embedded computing technologies.
ONLINE For related links about the COM Express standard, read this article online. In the digital edition, click on the headline or search the headline for www.controleng.com Read more online about security for COM Express platforms and COM Express standard Type 7 modules.
CONSIDER THIS What applications would receive the greatest ROI from COM Express standard platforms?
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Get the proper module
One of the main advantages of using COMs is the largely pre-integrated platform. The customer can concentrate fully on the development of their own (application) software. Ideally, the module supplier would offer a carrier board that already contains all of the required interfaces. If, however, special functions such as fieldbus interfaces are missing, it saves a lot of time if the corresponding module supplier data can be accessed so the system integrator can access existing solutions (IP) and/ or resources of the module manufacturer easily. PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group’s (PICMG’s) COM Express standard provides wide
CONTROL ENGINEERING
scalability, as well as maximum computing power and power dissipation. The rapidly-growing demand for high computation and network performance in the modular and embedded market also has motivated the PICMG to develop the latest COM Express standard (Type 7), derived from Type 6. With the partial reorganization of the signals on the connectors, graphic signals were dropped and replaced by four 10 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces to support requirements for more and faster external Ethernet connections. In addition, eight additional peripheral component interconnect (PCI) Express lanes were added to achieve higher throughput. Modules also can be used as mezzanines (plug-in boards) for a more or less complex carrier board and also as a single-board computer. This makes it easier to build multi-module systems. Depending on the thermal design, a 19-in. plug-in unit can accommodate up to nine Type 7 modules in the “basic” size and up to 144 CPU cores.
COM Express standard Type 7 modules
Hardware and software can work together with key features such as a security framework, intelligent platform management interface compliance, and baseboard management controllers. More realiable data must be recorded and processed within close proximity to the machine and the cloud. Interfaces to sensors and actuators are largely stable technology and only the requirements for computing power grow disproportionately. COMs offer cost savings and high performance in the industrial space without sacrificing safety or functionality. ce
Mary Poniatowski is a marketing manager with Kontron, an S&T company. Edited by Emily Guenther, associate content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, eguenther@cfemedia.com. www.controlengineering.com
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TECHNOLOGY UPDATE Gregory Hale, Industrial Safety and Security Source
Trusting autonomous systems The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) unveiled a research program called Assured Autonomy that aims to advance the ways computing systems can learn and evolve as well as emphasizing the need for trust in autonomous systems as they become more common.
MORE RESOURCES
Safety & Cybersecurity Newsletter SEPTEMBER 2017 TOPICS: Safety compliance and changing industry practices; Cybersecurity for pipelines, other SCADA systems; Unleash data held captive; Updating critical IIoT infrastructure
B
uilding on breakthroughs in autonomous cyber systems and formal methods, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) unveiled a research program called Assured Autonomy that aims to advance the ways computing systems can learn and evolve. Goals of the program are to better manage variations in the environment and enhance the predictability of autonomous systems like driverless vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Advances in sensing, controls, simularion
“Tremendous advances have been made in the last decade in constructing autonomy systems, as evidenced by the proliferation of a variety of unmanned vehicles,” said Sandeep Neema, program manager at DARPA. “These advances have been driven by innovations in several areas, including sensing and actuation, computing, control theory, design methods, and modeling and simulation.... deployment and broader adoption of such systems in safety-critical Department of Defense applications remains challenging and controversial.” The Defense Science Board Report on Autonomy, released in 2016, emphasizes the need for autonomous systems to have a strong degree of trust. Assuring systems operate safely and perform as expected is integral to trust, especially in a military conKEYWORDS: Autonomous text, the report said. But systems must systems also be designed so operators can deterThe Defense Advanced Research mine whether a system, once it has Projects Agency (DARPA) is trying to advance the ways computing been deployed, is operating reliably, systems can learn and evolve. and, if not, can take appropriate action. Assuring systems operate safely Assured Autonomy aims to estaband perform as expected is integral lish trustworthiness at the design stage to trust. and incorporate sufficient capabilities Process-oriented standards for so inevitable variations in operational safety and assurance are more trustworthiness can be measured and suitable for systems that learn, addressed appropriately. evolve, and encounter operational variations. “Historically, assurance has been approached through design processCONSIDER THIS es following rigorous safety standards What else needs to be done to in development, and demonstrated ensure a certain level of trust?
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compliance through system testing,” Neema said. “These standards have been developed primarily for human-in-the-loop systems, and don’t extend to learning-enabled systems with advanced levels of autonomy. The assurance approaches today are predicated on the assumption that the systems, once deployed, do not learn and evolve.” One approach to assurance of autonomous systems that recently has garnered attention, particularly in the context of self-driving vehicles, is based on the idea of “equivalent levels of safety,” i.e., the autonomous system must be at least as safe as a comparable humanin-the-loop system that it replaces. The approach compares known rates of safety incidents of manned systems—such as the number of accidents per thousands of miles driven—and conducts physical trials to determine the corresponding incident rate for autonomous systems. Studies and analyses indicate that assuring safety of autonomous systems in this manner alone is prohibitive, requiring millions of physical trials, perhaps spanning decades.
Goal-oriented approach
Simulation techniques have been advanced to reduce the needed number of physical trials, but offer very little confidence, particularly with respect to low-probability, high-consequence events. In contrast to prescriptive, process-oriented standards for safety and assurance, a goal-oriented approach, such as the one espoused by Neema, arguably is more suitable for systems that learn, evolve, and encounter operational variations. In the Assured Autonomy program, researchers will aim to develop tools that provide foundational evidence that a system can satisfy explicitly stated functional and safety goals, resulting in a measure of assurance that can also evolve with the system. ce
Gregory Hale is the editor and founder of Industrial Safety and Security Source (ISSSource.com), a news and information Website covering safety and security issues in the manufacturing automation sector. This content originally appeared on ISSSource.com, a CFE Media content partner. Edited by Chris Vavra, production editor, CFE Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com. www.controlengineering.com
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Digital edition? Click on headlines for more details. See news daily at www.controleng.com/news
NEWS
Manufacturer will acquire electric solutions company ABB announced the acquisition of GE Industrial Solutions, GE’s global electrification solutions business. GE Industrial Solutions has customer relationships in more than 100 countries and an established installed base with strong roots in North America. GE Industrial Solutions is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and has about 13,500 employees around the world. ABB will acquire GE Industrial Solutions for $2.6 billion; the transaction will be operationally accretive in year one. As part of the transaction, ABB and GE have agreed to establish a long-term, strategic supply relationship for GE Industrial Solutions products and ABB products that GE sources today.
ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer said that this acquisition is intended to solidify their position in the North American market and provide longterm value. “Together with the GE Industrial Solutions team, we will execute our well-established plans in a disciplined way to bring this business as part of the global ABB family back to peer performance. With this next step of active portfolio management, we continue to shift ABB’s center of gravity, in line with our Next Level strategy, by strengthening competitiveness, mainly in the North American market, and lowering risk with an early-cycle business.”
Three machine vision maintenance tips for system integrators MACHINE VISION systems are an investment for manufacturers, and they need to protect that investment in every way possible. While not all manufacturers will want a maintenance contract from a system integrator, most manufacturers will want their integrators to be an all-in-one resource for machine vision maintenance. System integrators that provide machine vision maintenance can build strong ties with their customers, but only if they go beyond simply being repair technicians. While customers differ in their needs, three machine vision maintenance tips highlight most customer requirements.
1. Anticipate maintenance needs
Integrators should elevate themselves from vendor to business partner by being proactive and anticipating customer maintenance needs. Often, integrators will know best when a system is due for a checkup and when components need replacing.
2. Document everything
The ability to be proactive will be informed by careful documentation of all maintenance and service performed.
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Having a detailed written record makes repairs easier and quicker. Documentation also can educate customers.
3. Educate and train customers
Customers appreciate integrators who go the extra mile to educate and train them on the operation and upkeep of machine vision systems. These are complicated systems and a lot can go wrong. Manufacturers who are highly informed on system specifics will require less maintenance and experience less downtime, a huge benefit for them. Proper maintenance practices, such as the three mentioned above, can help forge lasting relationships with customers that create business again and again. When system integrators become business partners, as opposed to machine vision vendors, they will be rewarded. This article originally appeared on the AIA website. The AIA is a part of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), a CFE Media content partner. Edited by Chris Vavra, production editor, Control Engineering, cvavra@cfemedia.com.
CONTROL ENGINEERING
“This combination brings together two global businesses with a broad complement of electrical protection and distribution assets,” said John Flannery, CEO of GE. GE Industrial Solutions will be integrated into ABB’s Electrification Products (EP) division, resulting in a unique global portfolio and very comprehensive offering for North American and global customers. Included in the acquisition is a long-term right to use the GE brand. ABB will retain the GE Industrial Solutions management team and build upon its experienced sales force. Edited from an ABB press release by CFE Media.
Headlines online Top five Control Engineering articles September 18-24: The most visited articles included stories on differential pressure flowmeters, choosing sensors, the IoT’s evolution, digital manufacturing, and safe robots. How IoT promises to enable better product maintenance By staying continuously connected, manufacturers are transforming the way they support and maintain their products. Create a winning culture on the plant floor Maintenance can be improved if companies focus more on improving their operations rather than maintaining what they have. Mobile robotics market expected to grow Heavy investments by mobile robot manufacturers to increase their production, as well as rising automation across various application segments have led to increasing popularity of these robots among end users in these segments. Effective process change management IIoT tips The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has made some major strides for the last few years, but making it viable and easy to use on the plant floor requires a lot of planning and some culture change for companies. www.controlengineering.com
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Logical, useful help Control Engineering redesigned its print and digital edition for October, presenting trusted information in a fresh, yet familiar, format to help those with interests in automation, controls, and instrumentation do their jobs better.
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s part of CFE Media (CFE stands integration projects, markets, careers, news, for Content for Engineers), Control and international coverage (Control EngineerEngineering uses trusted methods to ing Europe, Control Engineering Russia, Control improve every issue, and in October, Engineering Poland, Control Engineering Czech augmented those incremental improvements Republic, and Control Engineering China) and with a publication redesign based on research, the Think Again column that challenges subinput, experiences, and applications to guide scribers to reconsider their perspectives. those changes. Control Engineer• ANSWERS: Feature articles ing (the publication since 1954 and covering trends, issues, and impleprofession before that) is about optimentation of editorial calendar mization, and, just like control-loop topics, including topical special adjustments, improvements can be sections and supplements, and incremental or large. exclusive digital content linked as Redesigning a valued, useful, a bonus for digital edition readers. and trusted product isn’t some• INNOVATIONS: New ProdMark T. Hoske, thing those involved in automation, ucts for Engineers (NP4E) from the controls, and instrumentation take Content Manager NP4E Database online, Engineers’ lightly. Why? Creating, implementChoice Award finalists and wining, integrating, operating, maintaining, and ners, and product-related help (consistently updating functional designs involving sensors, among the most-valued parts of our coverage), logic, and actuators—using hardware, soft- with the Back to Basics tutorial. ware, networks, devices, and systems—is what Control Engineering subscribers do. With those Also in the redesign: • Each table of contents will include discerning eyes, our subscribers likely have related information and links to related purchased or used a product or service with resources online. the thought: “Did the person who designed • Additional callouts and information help this even consider the customer?” experienced engineers review concepts, Beyond innovation in digital offerings, acronyms, standards, and other informaresearch shows subscribers appreciate and tion, and help those newer to the field to value our print editions. Therefore, CFE get up to speed more quickly. Media invested in this redesign to enhance • The cover will continue to feature the the information and the platform that delivmost visually compelling, editorially ers relevant advertising (which subscribers say important topic(s) in the issue. they appreciate as much as the targeted edito• The digital edition includes exclusive rial content). Content is logically in three secarticles; links to longer articles online, tions, color-coded with a corner tab, each with often with added photos, diagrams, vida table of contents to quickly guide readers to: eos, and related content and learning; • INSIGHTS: Control Engineering CFE digital reports; and topical supplements. Media research, on technologies, applications,
M More INSIGHTS www.controleng.com/ce-research www.controleng.com/international www.controleng.com/Global-SI-Database www.controleng.com/NP4E www.controleng.com/mediainfo
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Feedback is welcome in print, online, and through our interactive software, for those offering and seeking products and integration services related to controls, automation, and instrumentation. Thanks for helping Control Engineering think again about augmenting its relevance and usefulness for you and your teams in your careers. ce
CONTROL ENGINEERING
Content Specialists/Editorial Mark T. Hoske, Content Manager 847-830-3215, MHoske@CFEMedia.com Jack Smith, Content Manager 630-907-1622, JSmith@CFEMedia.com Kevin Parker, Senior Contributing Editor, IIoT, OGE 630-890-9682, KParker@CFEMedia.com Emily Guenther, Associate Content Manager eguenther@cfemedia.com Amanda Pelliccione, Director of Research 978-302-3463, APelliccione@CFEMedia.com Joy Chang, Digital Project Manager JChang@CFEMedia.com Chris Vavra, Production Editor CVavra@CFEMedia.com
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Editorial Advisory Board
www.controleng.com/EAB Doug Bell, president, InterConnecting Automation, www.interconnectingautomation.com David Bishop, president and a founder Matrix Technologies, www.matrixti.com Daniel E. Capano, president, Diversified Technical Services Inc. of Stamford, CT, www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-capano-7b886bb0
Frank Lamb, founder and owner Automation Consulting LLC, www.automationllc.com Joe Martin, president and founder Martin Control Systems, www.martincsi.com Rick Pierro, president and co-founder Superior Controls, www.superiorcontrols.com Mark Voigtmann, partner, automation practice lead Faegre Baker Daniels, www.FaegreBD.com
CFE Media Contributor Guidelines Overview Content For Engineers. That’s what CFE Media stands for, and what CFE Media is all about – engineers sharing with their peers. We welcome content submissions for all interested parties in engineering. We will use those materials online, on our website, in print and in newsletters to keep engineers informed about the products, solutions and industry trends. www.controleng.com/contribute explains how to submit press releases, products, images and graphics, bylined feature articles, case studies, white papers, and other media. * Content should focus on helping engineers solve problems. Articles that are commercial or are critical of other products or organizations will be rejected. (Technology discussions and comparative tables may be accepted if non-promotional and if contributor corroborates information with sources cited.) * If the content meets criteria noted in guidelines, expect to see it first on our Websites. Content for our e-newsletters comes from content already available on our Websites. All content for print also will be online. All content that appears in our print magazines will appear as space permits, and we will indicate in print if more content from that article is available online. * Deadlines for feature articles intended for the print magazines are at least two months in advance of the publication date. Again, it is best to discuss all feature articles with the appropriate content manager prior to submission. Learn more at: www.controleng.com/contribute
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ANSWERS ®
COVER STORY
18
Three elements of a modern HMI for improved operations
22
Advancements in human-machine interfaces (HMIs) lead to increased productivity, simplified graphics configuration, and mobility.
COVER STORY
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Keeping the ‘human’ in human-machine interface
FEATURE
Distributed controls, smart I/O With increased controller capabilities, higher speed and open communication protocols, and powerful, lower-cost microprocessors, more distributed and autonomous systems seem likely.
FEATURE
23
Research delivers 12 drives tips
Respondents of the motor drives survey from Control Engineering give 12 tips related to motor drives. See more advice online.
HMI advances are more lean and efficient with wearable technology and web-based software.
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FEATURE
System integration projects
Integration of automation and control systems and devices raises questions; representatives from 2017 System Integrator of the Year winners provide answers.
M More ANSWERS More machine vision online www.controleng.com Digital report on machine vision Multi-touch panel series from Beckhoff includes HMIs in 16:9 widescreen format, with high resolution. An 11.6-in. display, at 1366 x 768 pixels, matches resolution of 15.6-in. and 18.5-in. devices. Courtesy: Beckhoff Automation
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Sensors and vision page
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Research online on HMI www.controleng.com/ce-research
FEATURE
21
How to perform a radome transmissivity test
Transmissivity tests are essential to ensure that repairs to a radome are performed effectively.
www.controlengineering.com
M4
INSIDE MACHINES
LEDs for machine vision users Light-emitting diode (LED) lighting technology advances have improved uniformity and thermal dissipation, increased wavelength availability, and lowered costs.
Meeting conflicting machine control demands
A semiconductor manufacturer designed a molding machine that used an Ethernet network to provide separate control and data information communication bandwidths and improve pressure control.
CONTROL ENGINEERING
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ANSWERS
COVER STORY: HMI DESIGN Camilo Fadul and Cindy Scott, Emerson Automation Solutions
Three elements of a modern HMI for improved operations Advancements in human-machine interfaces (HMIs) lead to increased productivity, simplified graphics configuration, and mobility.
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oday, operators are being asked to do more and consider more data in their decisions.When a human-machineinterface (HMI) is designed based on best practices and guidelines, it can help improve how operators process information and improve operations. In a control system, the HMI is a gatekeeper that prevents operators from being inundated with data and a guide for performing safe actions. Trends in the automation industry are leading to HMI developments that improve process safety and operations in facilities. HMI improvements in areas such as human-centered design (HCD), graphics configuration, and graphics portability enable engineers
Figure 1: In Emerson’s upcoming DeltaV live operator interface, previewed at Emerson Exchange in October 2017, operators find alarms easily and determine status quickly with use of color and pattern recognition. Note the fractionator in the alarm. All graphics courtesy: Emerson Automation Solutions
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CONTROL ENGINEERING
and operators to become even more productive. At the heart of HMI development is HCD research that includes teamwork among automation designers, academia, and users. One group performing this type of research is the Center for Operator Performance (COP), a research consortium that addresses human capabilities and limitations through research, collaboration, and human factors engineering. With the solid foundations of research and user testing, an HMI can be designed that is fit for modern requirements. Designing an HMI from the ground up, rather than tacking on a pre-built HMI, means less configuration rework later and native integration with the system, simplifying the process for engineers and operators.
HMIs can increase productivity
The distinction between effective and ineffective displays is how the data results in actionable information. Modern HMIs are designed with the following HCD principles in mind to deliver a highly efficient operations experience centered around the users’ needs. Visual attention: What items do operators notice, or not notice, on a screen that they interact with on a shift? The answers impact how automation and process challenges are overcome and how potential costly errors are handled. For example, research shows advantages to using muted colors across most of the screen and saving more salient colors to attract operator attention to abnormal situations (Figure 1). Pattern recognition: The use of patterns in displays improves the speed and accuracy of an operator to assess conditions. In a traditional interface, the operator needs to read and compare numbers. Modern HMIs use familiar patterns (Figure 2) so the display itself becomes information that requires less interpretation. www.controlengineering.com
Display navigation: With operator spans or boundaries of control increasing, operators often must navigate through hundreds of displays. Best practices recommended by the Center for Operator Performance and standards by the International Society of Automation (ISA) suggest organizing displays into a hierarchy of information, based on equipment areas. The purpose of the hierarchy is so that an operator can quickly access the display needed and take appropriate action. Unfortunately, the hierarchy is not always adopted because most HMIs have not been designed from the ground up for hierarchical navigation and don’t offer efficient tools to create them. Modern HMIs can simplify the hierarchy-creation process.
Simplify graphics configuration
The demands for control system HMI functionality and display complexity continue to increase. However, graphics configuration tools have not kept pace with what is needed—quite often requiring engineers to use programming languages to create complex graphics solutions. This is changing with modern HMIs, which are designed to enable engineers to easily create an HCD-based environment. These environments allow operators to be more productive and optimize operations overall due to the following. Less reliance on scripting: Graphics configuration should not require a degree in software programming to create, tailor, or adapt to different operational philosophies. Users expect a more intuitive interface when configuring displays that need little, if any, programming and allow project schedules to be met with certainty. HCD principles enable certain tasks to be simplified, such as those involving scripting, and provide graphics configuration tools that deliver complex functionality without requiring volumes of scripts. Tailorable by the operator: Rather than an engineer configuring displays for all operator tasks and the operator having to wait for the engineer to implement changes, manufacturers are giving the operator more power. An engineer can configure the operator’s workspace to allow the operator to customize portions of it as required. Change management: Equipment changes and control strategies evolve throughout the lifecycle of a facility. Displays must be modified accordingly. Modern graphics tools can provide built-in, user-friendly capabilities to reduce the amount of time required to configure displays.
Displays outside the control system
To meet changing user expectations, system information is needed more frequently outside of the control room and on interfaces other than an
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Figure 2: Two forms of improved loop representation that simplify the operator’s task in determining status.
operator’s workstation. The interface must meet the needs of workers who are accustomed to having information at their fingertips virtually anywhere. However, increasing concerns around cybersecurity have created new requirements and have made it more difficult to securely send process control information outside of the control room. Modern control systems have added network layers of protection along with other security protections. Modern mobility solutions are designed based on these more secure architectures and can provide viewing access easily, without having to convert displays into new formats. Older control systems often were not designed or installed with these cybersecurity requirements in mind. In response, previously available access to remote displays is being disabled, even though plant personnel still need access to the system’s information. Modern HMI designs build mobility into displays so they can be adapted to the evolving needs of different plant environments and be scaled over time. By implementing systems with secure display portability now, facilities will not have to redo them later to incorporate mobile device accessibility. When the control system’s HMI meets the needs of operators and engineers, operations as a whole naturally improves. Operators can recognize issues faster, KEYWORDS: easily process information, and readily HMI, HMI design adapt to changes. In addition, through How to improve process operations HMI advancements, engineers can with modern human-machine adopt industry graphics standards and interfaces (HMIs). best practices more easily. Operating the The benefits of HMI advancements. process becomes safer, more intuitive, and Modern HMIs and cybersecurity effective by improving situational aware- risks to consider. ness and turning data into useful informa- For related links about HMIs, read tion, allowing operators to make assertive this article online. In the digital edition, click on the headline or search the decisions—quickly and easily. ce headline for www.controleng.com
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Camilo Fadul is a DeltaV product manager operations and Cindy Scott is a DeltaV product director at Emerson Automation Solutions. Edited by Emily Guenther, associate content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, eguenther@cfemedia.com.
Read more online about modern HMIs.
CONSIDER THIS: What cybersecurity concerns need to be considered when sending process control information outside of the control room?
CONTROL ENGINEERING
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COVER STORY: HMI HARDWARE
Eric Reiner, Beckhoff Automation
Keeping the ‘human’ in human-machine-interface Advances in human-machine interfaces (HMIs) are more lean and efficient with wearable technology and web-based software.
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he human-machine interface (HMI) starts with the word “human,” but for most of the technology’s history, the HMI has been more in favor of the machine than the machine’s operator. Arguably, it has been the burden of humans to adjust to the ways machines provide information. In recent years, HMI hardware has evolved to take on the userfriendly interface technologies popularized in consumer electronics. This has happened in ways that cater to preferences in build quality and screen layout. For many machine builders and end-users, lowend HMI devices made out of plastic and fitted with single-touch 6-inch screens just don’t cut it anymore. Industrial HMI hardware options are available with precision-machined aluminum and steel housings that also offer high-definition widescreen or portrait orientation to expand upon traditional orientations. Capacitive multi-touch technology has changed the way hardware and software vendors conceptualize the HMI, with increased KEYWORD: emphasis on the “human” part of the equation. HMI, HMI design Instead of pushing many buttons to access The benefits of web-based various screens, now it is possible to swipe HMI across HMI software to obtain the required The increasing performance of HMI hardware information much faster. Mobile devices can The advances of HMI now be considered HMI hardware with the hardware options. advent of HMI software platforms that integrate web developer standards, such as HTML5 ONLINE and JavaScript. This means that an HMI can be For photos and links about HMI, read this article online. In any piece of glass with a web browser.
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the digital edition, click on the headline or search the headline for www.controleng.com Read more online about the increasing performance of HMI hardware.
CONSIDER THIS What needs to be considered to ensure that collected data is secure when working with web-based technologies? Also see photo on page 17.
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The benefits of web-based HMIs
Machine operators and technicians no longer have to stop what they’re doing and move back and forth to a stationary HMI display mounted in a specific area of a machine to check parameters or retrieve data during commissioning, troubleshooting, startup, or changeover. This dynamic can easily be reversed today, as the web-based HMI can “follow” the plant personnel, to a smartphone
CONTROL ENGINEERING
or tablet. The same principle holds true for wearable HMI concepts, so that even smart watches and data glasses can bring augmented reality (AR) to the plant floor. Beyond the HMI screens themselves, communicator applications have been created that can enable push notifications. These applications can send messages relevant to machine operations to all mobile and wearable devices. Despite the rapid growth of mobile technologies in HMI applications, advances in communication technology have not stopped the HMI devices from being installed on the machine. Using Internet of Things communication standards, panel PCs (PCbased controllers with built-in display screens) can send continuous plant and manufacturing data up to cloud-based services for viewing across the enterprise and for implementing Big Data analytics. The data can be pushed securely, with data encryption to analytics dashboards and/or served up to web-based pages that can be viewed by authorized users anywhere, anytime.
Power to the panel, operators
A trend that has been developing even longer than HMI taking on the functionality of mobile devices is the increasing performance of HMI hardware. Moving down from the cloud to machine to machine, these same panel PCs also can act as masters for industrial Ethernet communication. This further increases the multitasking capabilities of a panel PC. Control companies that promote PC-based control have offered all-in-one HMI and controls devices for decades when the HMI display has an integrated central processing unit (as opposed to a passive panel). HMIs can be so much more to a machine—and to operators—than that plastic panel with the 6-in. screen. ce
Eric Reiner is an industrial PC specialist at Beckhoff Automation. Edited by Emily Guenther, associate content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, eguenther@cfemedia.com. www.controlengineering.com
ANSWERS
AUTOMATED TEST James Duvall, G Systems, L.P.
How to perform a radome transmissivity test Transmissivity tests are essential to ensure that repairs to a radome are performed effectively.
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n the aviation industry, the nose cone of an aircraft often functions as a radome (radar dome) which protects the antenna of the aircraft’s weather radar system. An important trait of the radome is that it is transparent to the frequency at which the weather radar operates. Transmissivity is a measure of how well the radome transmits electromagnetic energy.
The purpose behind testing radomes
After repairs are made to a radome, it is essential to test that it is properly transparent for the weather antenna. This must be done with antennas simulating realworld signal conditions because a physically-repaired radome may look entirely whole, but still have water trapped inside. To ensure that a radome is repaired properly, a transmissivity test must be conducted.
Test system setup
To perform a transmissivity test, a two-axis gimbal was constructed, large enough to support an aircraft radome. The test system has three degrees of motion, allowing the test software to change the radome’s orientation with the respect to the antenna along two axes. A third degree of motion allows the test software to reposition the test antenna. Motion control hardware and software was used to control stepper motors responsible for the motion of all three axes and continuously track the position of the gimbal. Home switches were placed on all paths of motion, allowing the system to self-calibrate by running the gimbal rings to their extreme top-left position and by lowering the test antenna to its lowest posture. To reduce signal reflections, radar-absorbing material was used to cover the gimbal.
Radome measurements
The goal of the measurement is to assess the radome’s transmissivity at the same frequency the weather radar system normally operates. To achieve this, a VNA is used to assess the S21 parameter (from ceiling to receiving antenna) of the test system with
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and without a radome present. A baseline measurement is collected without the radome present. The radome is then introduced to the system and more measurements are taken. The software prompts the operator to provide some information about the radome to be tested. The test system then automatically returns to the home position and begins the calibration sweep. The calibration sweep operates in a similar same way as a measurement sweep, only a radome is not loaded into the test system at this time. This creates a baseline measurement of power received in the antenna with the gimbal in every posture exactly as it will be when the measurement sweeps are conducted. At each point along the viewing window, the motion sweep rests briefly and takes a measurement. The measurement includes some averaging of sweeps to reduce noise. At the end of the calibration sweep, the gimbal returns to its (0, 0) position and the operator is prompted to mount the radome into the gimbal. After the operator confirms that the radome is mounted and ready to continue, the first measurement sweep starts. As the test proceeds, the operator is KEYWORD: provided a constant stream of informaAutomated test tion showing the present orientation of The methodology of transmissivity testing the test gimbal, progress through a caliThe purpose of testing radomes bration or measurement sweep, and the The impact of not testing radomes. phase of the overall test. While this particular system was ONLINE designed for testing aircraft radomes, the For related links about basic methodology can be applied to autotransmissivity testing and to read more about evaluating the results motive radomes and other radomes or of radome measurements and the materials in which transmissivity testing purpose behind testing radomes, should be conducted. ce read this article online. In the digital
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James Duvall is a senior project Engineer at G Systems, L.P. Edited by Emily Guenther, associate content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, eguenther@cfemedia.com.
edition, click on the headline or search the headline for www.controleng.com
CONSIDER THIS How could automated testing help your product development?
CONTROL ENGINEERING
October 2017
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ANSWERS
INPUTS/OUTPUTS
Frank Lamb, Automation Consulting LLC
Distributed, smart I/O With increased controller capabilities, higher speed/more open communication protocols and more powerful, lower cost microprocessors, more distributed and autonomous smart input/output (I/O) systems seems likely.
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s microprocessors have become smaller and more powerful, it has become easier and less expensive to locate some of the processing power inside of the I/O device. An example of a smart device that has long had this capability is machine vision. Smart cameras have always had at least rudimentary I/O capabilities: pass/ fail, product selection, and user-defined outputs for reject reasons are just a few of these. The opening up of control network protocols and adoption of Ethernet-based deterministic control devices also has made it easier for innovators to create unique devices for different applications. For many
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It is possible to create distributed systems
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that have no central controller.
years communications with remote devices required the developer to know each vendor’s communication protocols. Vendors were not always forthcoming with this information since it was in their interest to sell their own hardware. Serial and RS422/485 based protocols also were quite slow compared to today’s Ethernet-based systems. Microprocessor-based devices also required developers to learn the major controller manufacturer’s I/O structure, whether it was byte, integer, or double integer (DINT) based, and other details. Slowly the rules for controllers have become more open and uniform; an example is IEC 61131-3, the international industrial control programming standard, the rules for what a PLC should be, its languages, and instruction definitions. Most PLC manufacturers now offer platforms that conform to these definitions, and also offer tag-based controllers. KEYWORD: At a recent industrial trade show Distributed I/O I saw my first Raspberry-Pi based, commercially available industrial CONSIDER THIS remote device. In this case it was a How might smart, distributed I/O hybrid HMI with a camera interface. devices help your next project?
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Raspberry Pi and Arduino are very low-cost systems that kids are learning in elementary and secondary schools’ science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)-related programs. This opens opportunities for younger developers to create and become innovators. As far as when applications are more conducive to locating the control functions closer or farther from the process, there are several factors to consider. One is: do humans need to be present to diagnose and correct faults? Machine vision applications, for instance, may require lens or lighting adjustments. Data acquisition and simple remote failure corrections usually don’t require much operator intervention, though they do require periodic maintenance. Lower costs and higher communications speeds also have made remote applications more conducive to redundant controls. Another consideration is how critical a failure is to the process. A human operator often is required to make decisions or intervene physically when alerted to a problem. If the process can continue with a few remote adjustments, controllers can often be autonomous.
More distributed, less central
Distributed control systems (DCS) historically been slow and expensive. With the increased capabilities of programmable automation controllers (PACs), higher speed/more open communication protocols and more powerful, lower cost microprocessors, the proliferation of more distributed and autonomous systems is inevitable. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is based almost entirely on this premise. While it has long been possible to monitor conditions and use alarming functions to make simple corrections, it is rapidly becoming possible to create distributed systems that have no central controller at all. ce
Frank Lamb, Automation Consulting LLC, is a Control Engineering Editorial Advisory Board member; edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, mhoske@cfemedia.com. www.controlengineering.com
ANSWERS
RESEARCH
Your Global Automation Partner
Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering
Research delivers a dozen drives tips Respondents of the motors and drives survey from Control Engineering give 12 tips related to motor drives. See more advice online.
A
dvice for use of motor drives was included among in the responses to the Control Engineering motor drive research study. Respondents were asked what advice they would offer about motors and drives. Advice on drives included energy efficiency, integration, communications, and programming.
1.
Stamping presses and metal forming require careful ac drive selection, sometimes with regeneration and energy absorbing capacity.
7.
The fully integrated cost of a drive is much more important than just the cost of the drive.
8. Use care in applying active front
9. Consider cable shielding and grounding, especially for medium-voltage (MV) drive applications. quality affect the motor and power system.
11.
Don’t go for all of the bells and whistles. Basic drives do the same job and offer easier programming and troubleshooting.
3. Save money in applications by selecting separate, task-specific low-cost drives rather than all-in-one drives. 4. Use the safety interlocks feature,
which is the ability to put a drive into a no-torque condition while remaining powered.
5. Select the right type of variable
frequency drive (VFD) to fit the rotating equipment and operational load variations to achieve maximum power consumption reduction over time. Choose a VFD for longer availability.
6. When selecting a drive, a service
Not suitable for managing complex data (or your reputation).
end drives on typical commercial building applications.
10. Harmonics and power
2. Variable speed drives (VSDs) help clarify speed and torque curves.
back-up is important.
Warning
12. Use drives to save energy. ce Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, mhoske@cfemedia.com.
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Research from Control Engineering on motor drives asked respondents for advice. A dozen tips on drives were offered. Topics include selection, energy efficiency, and application fit.
CONSIDER THIS Have you looked at Control Engineering research reports? www.controleng.com/ce-research
October 2017
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ANSWERS
ROUNDTABLE, PART 3
Integration projects System integration of automation and control systems and devices raises questions; representatives from 2017 System Integrator of the Year winners provide answers.
S
ystem integration projects for automation devices and systems can be complex. Those involved, internally or externally, may benefit from advice given by representatives of two of the 2017 System Integrator of the Year winners. The representatives discussed virtualization, project management, information integration, thin clients, code conversion, and mobile devices, among other topics. The online version of this article contains more answers and links to prior roundtable coverage. Answering questions jointly for Panacea Technologies were Will Aja, vice president of customer operations, and Abhijit Jog, vice president of projects. Shawn Campion is president and CEO of Integro Technologies. Jeff Miller is director of project management, Interstates Control Systems Inc. CFE Media: What is a leading trend in the last few automation integration projects?
Aja/Jog: The biggest trend we have seen in recent years has been virtualization of the computer infrastructure and the increasing use of consumer devices such as tablets and cell phones for process interaction and alarm annunciation. The resulting convergence has required integrators to be experts in both the information technology (IT) and operations technology (OT) portions of a project. Clients want automation design and configuration as they always have, but now they are asking for network design and implementation, cybersecurity, building automation sysKEYWORDS: tem (BAS) integration, and other ancilSystem integration, lary services together as part of one project management project or contract. Panacea recognized www.controleng.com/SIY this trend several years ago and made Global System Integrator Database investments to respond accordingly. at www.controleng.com upper left.
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See more with this article online: Invest in new technologies and diverse skill sets. Legacy upgrades need to happen quickly. Software, cybersecurity, and validation are critically important.
CONSIDER THIS What information here will help with your next system integration project?
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CFE Media: Can you offer system integration advice from a project? Campion: Using and applying deep learning/neural network still requires an inspection specification and clear definitions of what constitutes a good, bad, or marginal product/assembly from the customer. The new image
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processing and classification techniques can completely reverse the standard machine vision integration progression and stages. For example, large inline production image databases across multiple shifts, batches, and/or SKUs are required to be captured prior to the start of system training and pre-classified by the customer’s quality department. The image databases are critical to execution and construction of an algorithmic model. CFE Media: Please share project management advice. Miller: For these types of retrofits it is critical that the project manager (PM) and team follow very strict documentation guidelines as team members spend time on-site looking for potential issues. It is critical for engineering staff to spend time on-site to validate if hardware kits will work effectively. They also need to look for potential wiring issues that may have been introduced over the years as changes were made and not documented in the drawing package. With a shutdown of only a few days one of these surprises can really affect the ability to be successful. Proactive risk management is another key to success. You need to spend more time thinking of what risks could affect the project and build plans to mitigate those risks. Another huge success for our retrofit teams has been to switch to more of an agile project delivery methodology. CFE Media: Please describe elements of a recent project that were particularly successful. Aja/Jog: We have recently been executing several projects that focus heavily on thin client deployment as opposed to physical HMI deployment. Having a server client architecture deployed on thin clients helps shield clients from these constant updates and greatly increases the lifecycle of systems. Miller: One of our more recent retrofits was in the flour milling industry, and the plant had more than 4,000 input/output (I/O) connections, completed in less than a week, as promised, with a tremendous amount of planning. ce Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media, mhoske@cfemedia.com. www.controlengineering.com
ANSWERS
INSIDE MACHINES Winn Hardin, AIA
LED advances for machine vision Light-emitting diode (LED) lighting technology has progressed steadily, allowing machine vision customers to take advantage of improved uniformity, better thermal dissipation, increased wavelength availability, and lower costs.
O
ver the last decade, light-emitting diode (LED) suppliers and chip designs have proliferated. “Not too long ago we were all limited to certain chip vendors for different products, and there wasn’t much differentiation between component manufacturers,” said Jason Baechler, president of Moritex North America, Inc. “The sheer volume of options enables more applications because now you can get the required level of output or access certain wavelengths. End users don’t necessarily need to request something custom all the time for more challenging applications.” Machine vision customers have more choices for coupling the LED to optics to better control the light’s output or directionality of the output, as well as having access to more light-controlling accessories. Baechler also cites a large variety of materials, some of which have trickled down from the flat-panel industry, now available to the machine vision market, “So that we can produce lights with different directivity—not just based on the chip but what we couple it with, whether that’s an optical component or film,” he said.
Taking some heat
One of the biggest drawbacks of LEDs is heat, which reduces efficiency. Improvements in LED thermal management are addressing these challenges. “LED manufacturers are creating better thermal bonding pads, and that creates better thermal contacts to help get the heat out. They’re also reducing the amount of wafer bonds inside the LED and using chip-scale packaging,” said Mark Kolvites, technical sales manager, Metaphase Technologies. “These features increase the lifetime and output of the LED.” The improvements prompted Metaphase to reevaluate its LED product line to accommodate higher efficiency. “What we’re seeing now is that we can put out a whole lot more light compared to what we were doing a year ago just by driving the LED harder because the thermals are so much better,” said Kolvites. Kolvites estimates that Metaphase’s lights are running about 15% to 20% cooler using the same driver as a year ago. “We’re actually increasing our driver currents, taking more advantage of the light,” he said.
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Because of vast enhancements in efficiency, “there’s still a lot of potential intensity that we can unlock in those LEDs just by adding a bit more heat dissipation,” said Kevin High, operations and engineering manager at Metaphase. “Customers are always asking for brighter lights so they can run shorter exposures and run their production lines even faster. In our standard products, we are not yet pushing anywhere near what they can do.” Increases in optical efficiency have affected the design of coaxial illumination for telecentric lenses. In these products, light goes through a beam splitter and is projected through the lens optics. “Even with the best designs this can create reflection, and efficiency has grown so much that we actually have to step down the illuminators so that we can control the light level to ensure there isn’t too much reflection that washes out an image or affects how the lens performs,” said Baechler.
Wavelength availability
Matt Pinter, head of engineering at Smart Vision Lights, sees the biggest advancements in LED lighting coming from the availability of wavelengths for nearly any machine vision inspection task. Research from the agriculture college at Michigan State University demonstrates the importance of wavelengths while offering lessons for the machine vision industry. Smart Vision Lights provided LED lights for a project that studied how wavelengths affect plant growth. Researchers found that certain wavelengths made plants grow while other ones made them bloom. The project revealed that some types of lettuce only use one wavelength, which could save energy. One wavelength garnering interest from machine vision customers is shortwave infrared (SWIR), primarily in response to increased demand for SWIR cameras. SWIR light penetrates a few millimeters of most materials. “With SWIR, you can solve applications that could have never been solved before by using visible or standard lowerwavelength IR,” said James Gardiner, sales engineer at Metaphase. “It’s not just a niche part of machine vision. It can be applied to any market, whether it’s health care, automotive, or technology.” CONTROL ENGINEERING
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KEYWORDS:
Machine vision customers have more choices lightemitting diode (LED) products to control the light’s output as well as having access to more lightcontrolling accessories. Machine vision users are constantly looking to create systems that are easier, cheaper, more flexible, and more compact. Hyperspectral imaging’s potential could be the next revolution for machine vision applications.
GO ONLINE Read this story online at www.controleng.com for more information about machine vision and LED lighting and see additional stories from A3.
CONSIDER THIS What other potential advances in LED technology could benefit machine vision applications and users?
October 2017
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ANSWERS
INSIDE MACHINES When inspecting the seams and content of medical IV bags, Gardiner said, “It’s very difficult to find a clear liquid in a clear material bag. Especially in the 1450 nm IR spectrum, any waterbased product will actually absorb the SWIR and appear black so you can get very good contrast between a clear background and the water-based product.” The same goes for clear glues and lubricants commonly used in automotive applications. Large tech companies use SWIR lights to inspect for defects in silicon wafers, which appear clear beyond 1,100 nm. “A good silicon wafer would appear invisible to the camera, so SWIR helps you create great contrast between it and the defect,” said Gardiner. Perhaps the biggest challenge with UV and IR lighting comes from the The IR portion optics, as few options exist for diffusers that are effective on non-visiof the light ble wavelengths. Without the proper optical diffusing material, the light penetrated the can pass through the object under test and create “hot spots,” which show up surface of the on the images where the light is too intense, reducing the image’s overall meat to look for contrast. If the optical diffusing material absorbs too much light, none of it embedded conmakes it to the object under test. Plastic, which can deteriate in UV taminants. light, is the main material type for LED optics. Materials such as fused quartz and fused silica offer high UV light transmission. Choices in optical materials for SWIR are limited but include fused silica, germanium, calcium fluoride, and sapphire. For several years, Smart Vision Lights used silicone for the housing, sealing, and lensing direction of its LED lights. Pinter said silicone optics have advantages over plastic and glass. Opticalgrade silicone has a robust design with high transmission across a broad spectrum, a large temperature range, and stability in UV light. Silicone molding costs less than plastic injection molding.
‘
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More machine vision features, less cost
Machine vision designers want to create easier, cheaper, more flexible, and more compact systems. Multispectral LED lights can support inspection at one station with one camera and one light source. “The more information you can get about a product, the better analysis you can do on it,” said Gardiner. One of the first applications of RGB + IR LED was ground pork inspection. The RGB spectrum helped ensure that the pork was the correct color. The IR portion of the light accomplished something that visible light could not: It penetrated the surface of the meat to look for embedded contaminants such as a rubber glove. Online: learn about hyperspectral LEDs, which could represent the next frontier in machine vision lighting. ce
Winn Hardin is contributing editor for AIA. This article originally appeared on Vision Online. AIA is a part of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). A3 is a CFE Media content partner. Edited by Chris Vavra, production editor, CFE Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com.
Dedicated to the Science of Motion
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ANSWERS
INSIDE MACHINES Robert Miller, CLPA-Americas
Meeting conflicting machine control demands A semiconductor manufacturer designed a molding machine that used Ethernet network technology to provide separate control and data information communication bandwidths as well as improve the machine’s pressure control.
P HMI LC ALL-IN-ONE AUTOMATION
recision at high speeds can be challenging for machine designers because of network speeds. Towa Corp., a manufacturer of semiconductor equipment, had to deal with several challenges while developing a molding machine. It needed to be precise while operating at high speeds so it could be used in the semiconductor production process. The molding machine was designed to be compatible with the fan-out wafer level packaging (FOWLP) technique by using a compression molding method. This technique provides a higher integration level and more external contacts. It also is designed to provide thermal and electrical protection along with input/ output (I/O). Many semiconductor chips are sealed simultaneously with resin onto the surface of 300 mm diameter wafers or 320
mm square panels. Using compression rather than transfer molding is a more efficient method and it reduces the amount of resin used to seal the semiconductor chips.
Overcoming control issues
During development, the biggest challenge for Towa’s molding machine was the control system’s design. A major issue was effective control of the
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KEB America, Inc. 5100 Valley Industrial Blvd. S Shakopee, MN 55438 952.224.1400 sales@kebamerica.com input #12 at www.controleng.com/information
The Towa CPM 1080 resin table (above) and the Towa CPM1080 control system (top) are used for machine molding applications. Courtesy: Towa Corp.
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input #13 at www.controleng.com/information
ANSWERS
INSIDE MACHINES
UPM
NTM
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SERIES yINPUT SIGNAL FAIL ALARM yMIL-NUCLEAR-INDUSTRIAL yLOOP/SIGNAL/AC-DC POWER y RS485-USB -ETHERNET y>50 ANALOG SIGNALS y15 DIGITAL INPUT SIGNALS yAUTOMATIC TRICOLOR DISPLAY y 4-20mA/VDC & RELAYS OUT yREMOTE DISPLAY/CONTROLLER yLIFETIME WARRANTY>25 YEAR MTBF yDAS-SCADA -CYBER SECURITY READY y1-4 ISOLATED CHANNELS>40 MODELS
input #14 at www.controleng.com/information
mechanical system. The company needed to design a way to control the dispenser table that supplies resin to the mold. To convey resin to the mold, the dispenser applies it in advance onto the resin table. The resin table and dispenser must be guided along specific trajectories using advanced calculations to dispense the resin evenly. The movement also needed to be optimized to match the type of resin being used. “To handle multiple demands at once, the control system function and performance both needed major enhancement,” said Hitoshi Kita, department manager for equipment development at Towa. “Therefore, we decided to review the design of the control system from scratch.” The solution was to use an Ethernetbased industrial open network standard, which provided separate control and information communication data bandwidths. This allowed transmission of large volumes of data without affecting control. Within the molding machine, the Ethernet network is used to connect multiple servo amplifiers and controllers that drive mechanical systems as well as for safety system control. “In the context of designing a system that processes the greatly increased intra-equipment data which accompanies multifunctionality, it offered a good solution,” said Takanobu Nakajima, manager of equipment development, Towa. The Ethernet network’s attributes allow the molding machine to meet the conflicting demands placed upon it— high functionality with a simple and rational control system.
Speeding ahead Another issue that needed to be overcome was controlling the pressure when the wafer or panel is pushed into the resin in the cavity. Compression molding requires pressure management to be controlled precisely. To meet these requirements, the speed of the feedback circuit for the press mechanism pressure sensor output needs to be increased. The development team decided to reform the feedback circuit. A new control system in which the analog signals from the press mechanism pressure sensor are directly inputted to the servo amplifier that is driving
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An Ethernet-based industrial open network standard provided separate control and information communication data bandwidths.
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the press mechanism sensor. The result was faster system feedback. “Feedback, which was conventionally 2 ms at best, has been dramatically shortened with the new control system design,” said Ryota Okamoto, supervisor of equipment development, Towa. The effort taken to redesign the pressure control and the overall control system design resulted in a molding machine that is designed to increase productivity using FOWLP manufacturing equipment for semiconductor chips. ce Robert Miller, director, CLPA-Americas. This article originally appeared in the 2017 Control Engineering Europe supplement. Edited by Chris Vavra, production editor, Control Engineering, CFE Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com.
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KEYWORDS: Networking, CC-Link
A molding machine for making semiconducting wafers was designed to operate at high speeds and be precise. An Ethernet network was used to ensure that all the parts in the molding machine functioned properly. A feedback circuit was reformed to help improved feedback speeds.
GO ONLINE Read this article online at www.controleng.com for more information about semiconductors and other stories about using Ethernet networks to improve operations.
CONSIDER THIS What other advances could be made to improve molding machines?
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Modifying Electrical Enclosures to Fit Every Application Electrical enclosures house a tremendous variety of electrical components, monitors, and machinery. They are utilized in industries as diverse as telecommunications and wastewater treatment; and from solar power to security systems. Due to the breadth of applications that electrical enclosures must protect, the ability to easily and affordably modify electrical enclosures is increasingly important for OEMs and panel shops. To meet this demand, enclosure manufacturers continue to invest in equipment capable of handling these modifications, as well as customer support personnel who can aid product engineers in designing the enclosure that best meets their needs. Nonmetallic enclosure providers are best equipped to provide modification capabilities at a competitive price due to the ease of handling, drilling, and cutting molded fiberglass-reinforced-polyester and polycarbonate materials. Factory-provided modifications can include: • • • •
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sales@alliedmoulded.com • www.alliedmoulded.com
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NEW VeriSafe™ Absence Of Voltage Tester– Improving Efficiency and Reducing Cost When servicing electrical equipment, workers must comply with safety regulations that require a voltage verification test to validate the absence of voltage. This process requires strict adherence to prevent accidents and bodily injury, but includes many stages that can be complex and time-consuming when using hand-held portable test instruments. This paper examines the costs and limitations involved with using a manual absence of voltage tester. It also describes a new technology for the factory floor that automates the process, reducing time, complexity, and costs.
maintenance, and repair workers. These injuries are often costly and serious, so any opportunity to decrease the risk of these dangerous electrical hazards is examined by safety product engineers and manufacturers with an attention to detail. The newest revision of NFPA 70E-2018 will include revised language around absence of voltage verification, specifically in Article 120.5 (7). This revision will include an exception, also known as an approved alternative, to using a handheld test instrument to determine the absence of voltage. The new exception describes an absence of voltage tester. Part of the motivation for including this exception in the revised standard was to make testing for an absence of voltage safer and more efficient.
Verifying the absence of voltage is part of the process to establish an electrically safe work condition (as detailed in Step 5 of NFPA 70E-2015 Article 120.5 The process typically involves using a portable, handheld voltage test instrument and, to be effective, it is critical to perform each step of the process in sequence. Additionally, the process requires taking the necessary precautions, such as the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Injuries from contact with exposed wiring, transformers, or other electrical components frequently occur in the workplace and involve construction, installation,
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Modern Solutions to Develop Model of Ultrasonic Motor for Controller Design Maplesoft Ultrasonic motors (USM), often used in cameras and other digital imaging applications, present unique modeling challenges. USMs are preferred for multiple applications due to their light weight, small size and excellent responsiveness. However, they create a unique phenomenon in which they produce ultrasonic waves with high frequencies that are difficult to capture in a model. The model must be accurate and execute quickly in order to be useful for controller design. While current modeling techniques have drawbacks, the use of a Reduced Model Order Reduction of a Finite Element Model has shown great benefits. With help from the advanced calculation capabilities of modern software solutions, like Maple, complex modeling challenges can be alleviated and models can be created in a fraction of the time previously required with other modeling techniques. Read this whitepaper to discover how you can use this alternative method to accurately model a USM and minimize common design challenges. Download at: https://www.maplesoft.com/contact/webforms/whitepapers/DevelopModel ofUltrasonicMotorforControllerDesign.aspx?P=TC-7568 info@maplesoft.com www.maplesoft.com ce201710_whitePpHLF_mpleSft.indd 1
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The Future-Proof Plant Peter G. Martin, PhD Industries today face critical challenges to process operations: operational acceleration, evolving technologies, and a changing workforce. Modern automation systems offer real solutions to these challenges through new functionality that, in essence, can result in a future-proof plant. This white paper, “The Future-Proof Plant: Impact of Evolving Operations, Technology, and Workforce Changes,� explores these challenges and explains how process automation systems can address them. Download the paper: https://schneider-electric.box.com/s/arq52xbwp9yw1l4mva5jgqj4bat7yung
ce201710_wpcHLF_Schneider_futureProof.indd 1
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9/25/2017 5:25:30 PM
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New Industrial Automation System Topologies Made Possible by the IIoT Peter G. Martin, PhD The emergence of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) allows many traditional notions associated with industrial automation systems to be reconsidered. One of the traditional constructs requiring a new perspective is the topology of industrial automation systems. Traditional topologies were based on technological considerations and, as such, did not easily map to plant architectures. This paper analyzes the benefits of new topologies that align perfectly with inherent industrial technologies, which are made possible through the adoption of IIoT. Download the paper: https://schneider-electric.box.com/s/71x2q6lar6xcievmt1tharg52a71vx5m
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6ES7 222-1BH30-0XB0
FC6A-C40K1CE
FC6A-N08B1
FC6A-T08K1
Built-in
$149.00 2080-IF4
$330.00
$359.00
Built-in
$89.00
(4IN/2OUT Analog combination module)
(4IN/2OUT Analog combination module)
(2 Analog OUT on PLC unit)
2080-OF2
$556.00
$880.00
$2,030.00
(4 Analog IN on PLC unit)
(2) Analog Outputs
Siemens
$642.00
BX-DM1E-36ED13-D
(8-pt DC OUT module + 16 DC OUT on PLC unit)
(4) Analog Inputs
Micro 800
$473.00
(8-pt DC IN module + 20 DC IN on PLC unit)
The BRX PLC family offers: • Advanced motion control • Robust data logging • Onboard serial and Ethernet ports • Discrete, high-speed and analog I/O • Expansion capabilities • Interchangeable communications port • Free programming software (with simulator) • Integrated video help • Free technical support • Much, much more...
Allen-Bradley
6ES7 234-4HE30-0XB0
FC6A-L06A1
$1,144.00
All prices are U.S. published prices. AutomationDirect prices as of 7/15/2017. Allen-Bradley, Siemens and IDEC prices taken from www.radwell.com 7/15/2017.
www.BRXPLC.com
Order Today, Ships Today! * See our Web site for details and restrictions. © Copyright 2017 AutomationDirect, Cumming, GA USA. All rights reserved.
1-800-633-0405
input #20 at www.controleng.com/information
the #1 value in automation
INNOVATIONS ®
BACK TO BASICS
48
BEST PRODUCTS
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Engineers’ Choice Finalists: Vote now to choose winners
The official ballot is open for voting for Control Engineering North American print and digital edition subscribers, for a limited time. Cast your vote using CFE Media’s New Products for Engineers platform at www.controleng.com/NP4E.
Benefits of using UML in agile development
Unified modeling language (UML) diagrams are designed to help clarify project requirements at the front end of agile development by providing a visual understanding of how a project should look and function.
2018
‘
FINALISTS
Using UML documents helped arrive at a quicker decision without the arduous requirements and specifications to discuss, align, and agree on, helping spare the customer an unnecessary expense.
’
NEW PRODUCTS
M More INNOVATIONS
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www.controleng.com KEYWORDS: UML, project management Need help on your next project? Find system integrators by parameter at www.controleng.com/Global-SI-Database Digital edition includes easy access to supplement (including this month, Oil & Gas Engineering) and topical Digital Reports.
43 41 44 Have a New Product for Engineers to submit for consideration?
PE
Looking for new products by category?
Check out the New Products for Engineers Database and search hundreds of products, with new innovations added every day. Look for this logo on the Control Engineering home page. www.controleng.comNP4E
Do so here: www.controleng.com/NP4E
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CONTROL ENGINEERING
October 2017
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INNOVATIONS
ENGINEER’S CHOICE AWARDS Amanda Pelliccione, Research Director
Engineers’ Choice Finalists: Vote now, select winners The official ballot is open for voting for Control Engineering North American print and digital edition subscribers, for a limited time. Cast your vote using CFE Media’s New Products for Engineers platform at www.controleng.com/NP4E.
2018 FINALISTS
V
ote now! For a limited time, the official Engineers’ Choice ballot is open for voting for Control Engineering North American print and digital edition subscribers. At www.controleng.com/NP4E, vote for the best Engineers’ Choice finalists of 88 entries across 26 categories. Based on your experience, please vote in as many categories for which you feel qualified based on technological advancement, service to the industry, and market impact. Details and photos are available for each product. Winners and honorable mentions will be featured in more detail in the February 2018 issue of Control Engineering.
Informed voting, an important responsibility: Voting on this ballot is only open to qualified* subscribers of Control Engineering products. One ballot per qualified subscriber will be accepted; multiple ballots from the same qualified subscriber will be invalid. Ballots received from non-qualified subscribers will be invalid. (*Employees of product manufacturers with a finalist in the current program and their properties, agencies, vendors, and representatives—even if Control Engineering subscribers—are ineligible to vote.) Amanda Pelliccione is CFE Media’s research director and manager of awards programs, apelliccione@cfemedia.com.
• C6015 industrial PC, Beckhoff Automation, www.beckhoffautomation.com
• ControlEdge PLC, Honeywell Process Solutions, www.honeywellprocess.com
• ELM3xxx EtherCAT I/O high-end measurement module, Beckhoff Automation, www.beckhoffautomation.com
• CX20x2 embedded PC with many-core control, Beckhoff Automation, www.beckhoffautomation.com
• c250-S safety controller, Lenze, www.lenze.com
• MAQ20 high-density voltage discrete input module, Dataforth Corp., www.dataforth.com
• ConnectCore 6UL SBC Pro single-board computer, Digi International, www.digi.com
Hardware - Data acquisition
• ZINC19 scalable rackmount system industrial computer, Kontron, www.kontron.com
Hardware - Handheld test, measurement, calibration • AMS Trex device communicator, Emerson Electric Co., www.emerson.com • Fluke 729 automatic pressure calibrator, Fluke Corp., www.fluke.com Hardware - HMI, operator interface, thin-client • Series 14 indicator compact LED, EAO Corp., http://eao.com • EZ iMarquee message controller and LED display, EZAutomation, www.ezautomation.net • GT2107 wide HMI, Mitsubishi Electric Automation, https://us.mitsubishielectric.com/fa/en • Allen-Bradley VersaView 5200 ThinManager thin client, Rockwell Automation, www.rockwellautomation.com Hardware - Industrial PCs • UNO-2484G modular customizable fanless PC, Advantech, www.advantech.com
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Hardware - Integrated HMI controllers • TPC-5000 two-piece modular touch panel computer, Advantech, www.advantech.com • CPX control panel and panel PC, Beckhoff Automation, www.beckhoffautomation.com • EZTouch I/O Flex compact touch screen controller, EZAutomation, www.ezautomation.net • Allen-Bradley VersaView 5400 industrial computer, Rockwell Automation, www.rockwellautomation.com • UniStream Multi-Touch PLC with multi-touch HMI panel, Unitronics, www.unitronicsplc.com Machine and embedded control - PLCs
• TBEN-PLC compact controller, Turck, www.turck.us Motion control • QNP3 series XYZ piezo nanopositioning stage, Aerotech, www.aerotech.com • PurePower media filter for hydraulic systems, Bosch Rexroth, www.boschrexroth-us.com • HSR 4-axis SCARA robot, Denso Robotics, www.densorobotics.com • Allen Bradley Kinetix VPC servo motor, Rockwell Automation, www.rockwellautomation.com Motion control - Drives • EFC 5610 universal frequency converter, Bosch Rexroth, www.boschrexroth-us.com • Sytronix DRn 5020 hydraulic motor pump, Bosch Rexroth, www.boschrexroth-us.com • Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 755T drive with TotalForce optimization, Rockwell Automation, www.rockwellautomation.com
• BRX PLC, AutomationDirect, www.automationdirect.com
• Altivar Process 680 low-harmonic process drive system, Schneider Electric, www.schneider-electric.com
• EZLogix PLC with IIoT, EZAutomation, www.ezautomation.net
• Simatic S7-1500 T-CPUs fail-safe motion controller, Siemens, www.usa.siemens.com
CONTROL ENGINEERING
www.controlengineering.com
See more New Products for Engineers at www.controleng.com/NP4E.
Network integration - Ethernet hardware • IMP-C1000-SFP compact gigabit media converter with SFP slot and PoE injector, Antaira Technologies, www.antaira.com • ASCII to EtherNet/IP gateway, Phoenix Contact, www.phoenixcontact.com/us Network integration - Ethernet switches • LNP-1002G-10G-SFP gigabit 10-port PoE+ unmanaged switch, Antaira Technologies, www.antaira.com
• Air Velocity Transmitter, Dwyer Instruments, www.dwyer-inst.com • 80 GHz Micropilot FMR6x radar level instrument, Endress+Hauser, www.us.endress.com • Sitrans FS230 digital ultrasonic flow system, Siemens Industry, www.industry.usa.siemens.com • Sitrans TO500 multipoint temperature measurement system, Siemens Industry, www.industry.usa.siemens.com • Vanguard TCD50 WirelessHART toxic and combustible gas detector, United Electric Controls, www.ueonline.com
• Allen-Bradley Stratix 2500 lightly managed switch, Rockwell Automation, www.rockwellautomation.com
• ProSafe-RS SIL2 wireless gas detection system, Yokogawa Corp. of America, www.yokogawa.com/us
• Open Secure Automation (OSA) system with Cybershield 2.0, Bedrock Automation, https://bedrockautomation.com
• Allen-Bradley Ex 1719 intrinsically safe distributed I/O, Rockwell Automation, www.rockwellautomation.com
• Simatic PCS 7 V9.0 process control system, Siemens, www.usa.siemens.com
Network integration - Wireless I/O
Safety - Machine safety • VeriSafe absence of voltage tester, Panduit, www.panduit.com
• NPort IAW5000A-6I/O 3-in-1 wireless serial server, Moxa Americas, www.moxa.com
• Allen-Bradley GuardShield 450L safety light curtain system, Rockwell Automation, www.rockwellautomation.com
• WI-I/O-2-E-N-GBL industrial wireless modem and I/O, Weidmuller, www.weidmuller.com
• ABB Jokab Safety Sentry relay, Thomas & Betts Corp., www.tnb.com
Network integration - Wireless products
Safety - Process safety, intrinsic safety • Secure Media Exchange (SMX) cybersecurity device, Honeywell Process Solutions, www.honeywellprocess.com
• FL WLAN 1101 wireless module, Phoenix Contact, www.phoenixcontact.com/us
• SFY functional safety frequency-to-DC transmitter, Moore Industries, www.miinet.com
Power - Energy, power protection, UPS • 5P rackmount compact UPS, Eaton, www.eaton.com • SSG industrial UPS with LFP batteries, Falcon Electric, www.falconups.com • CBMC DIN rail-mountable, multichannel circuit breaker; Phoenix Contact; www.phoenixcontact.com • Termitrab Complete narrow surge protective device, Phoenix Contact, www.phoenixcontact.com • Simocode pro current/voltage measuring module, Siemens, www.usa.siemens.com • Sirius 3RT1 fail-safe modular system contactor, Siemens, www.usa.siemens.com Process control - Process sensors • SafeTemps wireless, continuous temperature monitoring system; Digi International; www.digi.com www.controlengineering.com
Software - Applications
• Predict-RT data analysics system, Honeywell Process Solutions, www.honeywellprocess.com • FactoryTalk Analytics for Devices diagnostic analytics application, Rockwell Automation, www.rockwellautomation.com
Software - Diagnostics • Plantweb Insight asset monitoring application, Emerson Automation Solutions, www2.emersonprocess.com • Guardian Support control and software system monitoring application, Emerson Electric Co., www.emerson.com • Experion Elevate secure, scalable SCADA software as a service; Honeywell Process Solutions; www.honeywellprocess.com
• IntegraXor V6 SCADA/HMI with alarm trending and reporting features, Ecava, www.integraxor.com • InduSoft Web Studio 8.1 platform agnostic SCADA/HMI development and runtime software, Schneider Electric Software, www.indusoft.com • VTScada 11.3 HMI/SCADA software, Trihedral Engineering, www.trihedral.com Software - Industrial Internet of Things connectivity
• FactoryTalk Batch V13 software with enhanced scalability, Rockwell Automation, www.rockwellautomation.com • Virtual Central Lock secure, remote connection software; Tosibox Oy; www.tosibox.com Software - Asset management, reporting • AMS Device View field device monitoring of diagnostics and calibration status, Emerson Electric Co., www.emerson.com • Uniformance Connected Historian scalable cloud and Big Data software, Honeywell Process Solutions, www.honeywellprocess.com • Dream Report automated reporting and data analysis software, Ocean Data Systems, www.dreamreport.net • EcoStruxure Maintenance Advisor predictive maintenance platform, Schneider Electric, www.schneider-electric.com/ww/en/ • ABB Ability Electrical Distribution Control System cloud-based diagnostics system, Thomas & Betts Corp., www.tnb.com
• Software Studio 5000 integrated automation system development environment, Rockwell Automation, www.rockwellautomation.com
Software - HMI software
• ZumIQ App Server IIoT programmable radio, FreeWave Technologies, www.freewave.com
• Sinamics V20 Smart Access web server module, Siemens, www.usa.siemens.com
• Open Virtual Engineering Platform cloud-based DCS access service, Honeywell Process Solutions, www.honeywellprocess.com
• EcoStruxure Profit Advisor real-time profit performance software, Schneider Electric, www.schneider-electric.com
Process control systems
• ELX EtherCAT compact I/O for process industries, Beckhoff Automation, www.beckhoffautomation.com
• u-remote IO-Link Master remote I/O module, Weidmuller, www.weidmuller.com
Software - Control design
Software - Data analytics
• SDS-3008 Smart Switch for Ethernet, 8-port; Moxa Americas; www.moxa.com
Network integration - I/O systems
PE
• IoT Gateway, Bosch Rexroth, www.boschrexroth-us.com • KEPServerEX V6 device and IoT connectivity software, Kepware, www.kepware.com Software - Mobile apps for controls, automation, instrumentation • DeltaV Mobile, Emerson Electric Co., www.emerson.com • MobileHMI V10.95 HMI/SCADA application, Iconics, www.iconics.com • FactoryTalk TeamONE mobile application, Rockwell Automation, www.rockwellautomation.com
Read more about the 2018 finalists, see images, and, if eligible, cast your vote responsibly at www.controleng.com/NP4E.
CONTROL ENGINEERING
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INNOVATIONS
NEW PRODUCTS FOR ENGINEERS RF admittance point level switch
Aplus Finetek Sensor’s SAL18 series RF admittance point level switch is designed to eliminate problems associated with product build-up on the sensor probe and makes setup quick and easy with pushbutton calibration. Application control is enhanced with the independent adjustable time delay on material presence and material absence detections. The SAL18 series features a local LED indicator, 20-250 V ac/V dc universal power supply (UPS), pushbutton calibration, independent adjustable time delay for each material absence and material presence detection. The SAL18 is available in a range of probe configurations to fit many varied applications detecting presence/absence of liquids, solids, and slurry materials. Aplus Finetek Sensor Inc., www.aplusfine.com Input #200 at www.controleng.com/information
Stainless steel motors for food and beverage applications
Baldor-Reliance food safe motors, designed with smooth contours and advanced sealing, exceed IP69K’s rating for water to maximize motor life in high pressure, sanitary cleaning environments in food and beverage applications. The high ingress protection rated enclosures offer encapsulated windings to seal the motor inside and out. Combined with a laser-marked nameplate and a footless mounting design, crevices are kept to a minimum and allow the motor to withstand clean-in-place procedures. A three-piece rotatable conduit box allows workers easier access to route incoming power supply. Color-coded leads also help to quickly and correctly tie the motor into the electrical system, using the waterproof heat shrink connectors. Baldor Electric Company, www.baldor.com Input #201 at www.controleng.com/information SEA-17063 August Control Engineering Half Page.pdf 1 7/24/2017 11:03:55 AM
Push the Edge What’s your biggest challenge? Compliance? Efficiency? Prevention? Productivity? Chances are, SeaConnect hardware coupled with SeaCloud software can reinvent your challenge as an opportunity, providing continuous, secure connection, control and data. So give us a call, and find out what SeaConnect can do for you.
input #21 at www.controleng.com/information
See more New Products for Engineers at www.controleng.com/NP4E.
PE
Process software suite for smart operations
Honeywell Process Solutions’ (HPS) Uniformance Suite is an integrated system of process software solutions that turn plant data into actionable information enabling smart operations. Using a common asset model, the Uniformance Suite is designed to collect and store all types of data for easy retrieval and analysis. It predicts and detects events based on underlying patterns and correlations and links process metrics with business key performance indicators (KPIs) for better decision-making. It also enables the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), mobility, cloud, Big Data, and predictive and enterprise analytics. It features Uniformance Insight, which allows customers to visualize process conditions and investigate events from any web browser. Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS), www.honeywellprocess.com Input #203 at www.controleng.com/information
input #24 at www.controleng.com/information
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TM
INNOVATIONS
NEW PRODUCTS FOR ENGINEERS Safety sensors for preventing hazardous movements Eden output signal-switching device (OSSD) safety sensors from ABB Jokab Safety Products are designed to enable multiple sensors to be wired in series to any standard safety relay without compromising the level of safety. This Eden safety sensor operates as an OSSD for “stop” commands to prevent hazardous movements. OSSDs stop or interrupt machinery when entry or proximity is a hazard. They are electro-sen-
sitive and typically respond to changes in an optical field on or near machinery. Consisting of two separate devices—Adam, for signal output, and Eva, for signal input—the Eden OSSD safety sensor is an interlocking device for gates, hatches, and doors. It communicates with OSSD signals and can be connected to any safety module that handles them. ABB, www.abb.com Input #204 at www.controleng.com/information
Pluggable terminal block series
Dinkle International’s 0225, 0226, and 0227 series of pluggable terminal blocks feature a push-in-design for connecting wires to terminal blocks. A pluggable terminal block is composed of a plug and a mating socket. The socket usually is attached to a printed circuit board through pins. The plug fits into the socket, and the wires connect to the socket via the push-in-design. This design is intended to improve upon traditional screw terminals in terms of efficiency, ease of use, and space savings. The pluggable terminal blocks are available in a wide variety of sizes and ratings. Pitch varies from 2.546.35 mm, with wire ranges from 30-16 to 24-12 AWG. Current ratings are 5 to 8 A at 150 Vac, 8 to 16 A at 300 Vac, and 20 amps at 600 Vac. Connection methods are V-type spring (not patented), or patented S-Cage single, double and rail type. Value-added customization services include label printing, as well as supplying blocks in assorted color combinations. Dinkle International www.dinkle.com Input #205 at www.controleng.com/information
input #23 at www.controleng.com/information
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Compact 15 to 30 Watt DC/DC converters for medical applications. Certified to IEC/ES 60601-1 3rd edition for 2 × MOPP for an operating altitude of 5000 m.
Industrial wireless modem and I/O
Weidmüller’s WI-I/O-2-E-NGBL is a wireless networking input/output (I/O) and Wi-Fi gateway that accommodates multiple I/O nodes and extends communications to sensors and actuators in local, remote, or difficult to reach locations. It is designed to provide multiple benefits for industrial applications, including a web-based user interface and a standards-based wireless protocol with a networking topology. It can provide IP-based networking across sprawling industrial environments and includes built-in I/O capability for digital and analog inputs and outputs. The modem can be configured for use globally via a built-in webserver. The unit provides secure twoway wireless communications for challenging environments.
THM 15WI, THM 20WI & THM 30WI Series • Low leakage current (<2.5 µA) for BF applications • EMC compliance according IEC 60601-1-2 4rd edition • Risk management process to ISO 14971 incl. risk management file • Acceptability of electronic assemblies according IPC-A-610 Level 3 • Design and manufacturing according ISO 13485 management system • 5-year product warranty
Reliable. Available. Now.
Weidmüller, www.weidmuller.com
www.tracopower.com
input #25 at www.controleng.com/information
Input #206 at www.controleng.com/information
Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Radar level instrument for process applications
Endress+Hauser introduces the 80 GHz Micropilot FMR6x free space radar level instrument for process applications. It is suitable for use in tanks or silos with complex geometries, obstacles, baffles, and/or nozzles. Its beam angle of only 3 degrees provides level measurement at distances up to 410 ft. with accuracy to ±1mm. Outputs include 4-20mA with HART and an optional open collector switch output or two 4-20mA outputs. The 80 GHz Micropilot FMR6x device features reduced tank wall effects, less interference from obstacles, and the ability to measure lower dielectric media. The process connection is as small as 3/4 in. Endress+Hauser, www.us.endress.com Input #207 at www.controleng.com/information
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Publication Title: CONTROL ENGINEERING Publication Number: 813-430 Filing Date: 9/26/17 Issue Frequency: 12x, monthly Number of Issues Published Annually: 12 Annual Subscription Price: USA $150 CAN $180 MEX $180 INTL $325 Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication (Not printer): CFE MEDIA, LLC 3010 Highland Parkway, Ste #325, Downers Grove, IL, 60515 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher (Not printer): CFE MEDIA, LLC 3010 Highland Parkway, Ste #325, Downers Grove, IL, 60515 9. Publisher: Jim Langhenry, CFE MEDIA, LLC 3010 Highland Parkway, Ste #325, Downers Grove, IL, 60515 Editor-in-Chief: Mark Hoske, CFE MEDIA, LLC 3010 Highland Parkway, Ste #325, Downers Grove, IL, 60515 Editor: Chris Vavra, CFE MEDIA, LLC 3010 Highland Parkway, Ste #325, Downers Grove, IL, 60515 10. Owner: CFE MEDIA, LLC 3010 Highland Parkway, Ste #325, Downers Grove, IL, 60515 Jim Langhenry and Steve Rourke, CFE MEDIA, LLC 3010 Highland Parkway, Ste #325, Downers Grove, IL, 60515 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None 12. Does not Apply 13. Publication Title: Control Engineering 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: September 2017 15. Extent and Nature or Circulation Average No. Copies Each Issue During Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Preceding 12 Months: Published Nearest to Filing Date: 45,749 34,397 a. Total Number of Copies (Net Press Run): b. Paid and/or Requested Circulation: 00 00 (1) Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541. 44,830 33,607 (Include advertiser’s proof and exchange copies) (2) Paid In-County Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541. 0 0 (Include advertiser’s proof and exchange copies) (3) Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Non-USPS Paid Distribution (4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS c. Total Paid and/ or Requested Circulation [Sum of 15b, (1), (2), (3), and (4)-** d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail) (1) Outside-County as Stated on Form 3541 (2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541 (3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS (4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or other means) e. Total Nonrequested Distribution [Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3), and (4) f. Total Distribution [Sum of 15c and 15f] g. Copies not Distributed h. Total [Sum of 15f and 15g] i. Percent Paid [15c divided by 15f times 100]
0
0
93 44,923
87 33,694
0 0 537 0 537 45,460 289 45,749 98.82%
0 0 481 0 481 34,175 222 34,397 98.59%
16. Electronic Copy Circulation 31,437 42,212 a. Requested and Paid Electronic Copies b. Total Requested and Paid Print Copies (Line 15c) + 76,360 75,906 Requested/Paid Electronic Copies (Line 16a) c. Total Requested Copy Distribution (Line 15f) + 76,897 76,387 Requested/Paid Electronic Copies (16a) d. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Both Print & Electronic Copies) 99.30% 99.37% (16b divided by 16c x 100) 17. Publication of Statement of Ownership: Publication Required. Will be printed in the October 2017 issue of this publication. 18. I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anoyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalities). Steve Rourke (signed), CEO
INNOVATIONS
CUSTOMAXIMIZED! Sensor? Housing? Lens holder? Plug orientation? It´s your choice! The uEye LE USB 3.1 Gen 1 industrial cameras
BOARDLEVEL VERSIONS
SINGLE-BOARD CAMERA
OPTION: PLUG ORIENTATION
MIC OPTION
USB TYPE-C
USB POWER DELIVERY
OPTION: LENS HOLDER
WIDE RANGE OF SENSORS
NEW PRODUCTS FOR ENGINEERS Circuit breaker with surface mount
Noark Electric’s B1NQ miniature circuit breaker (MCB) is now a direct replacement for the common MCB when paired with the optional surface mount. It is available in three curves (B, C, and D), ranging from 0.5 to 63 A, and is compliant with UL/CSA/IEC standards for branch circuit protection in commercial and residential applications. The B1NQ is suitable for industrial applications and other component sub-assembly designs. The current-limiting B1NQ is thermal-magnetic and protects against short circuit and overload conditions. The one- and two-pole breaker, offered at 120/240 Vac, provides optimum and efficient protection for branch and control circuits. The B1NQ and surface mount attachment is designed to save upfront costs and installation time for users. Additional accessories are available, including comb bus bars and rotary handles. Noark Electric, www.noark-electric.com Input #208 at www.controleng.com/information
Programmable universal bar graph meter
®
Bristol Instruments’ OMB 402UNI series of bargraph meters feature a 30-segment tri-color LED bar graph combined with a 6-digit numeric display. Bargraph segment colors can be set to change when preset input values are reached. The OMB 402UNI Series is designed with multi-function input capability and is programmed for dc voltage or current, RTD or thermocouple temperature sensors, process monitor or display unit modes. Mathematical functions, including peak, tare, and linearization are programmable as well. Besides front panel buttons, meter configuration settings and customization can be easily done over a PC’s USB port using free OMLink software with the additional advantage that programs can be saved and quickly uploaded to other OMB 402UNI meters. The OMB 402UNI series is designed to be accurate to ±0.1 % of range. Up to four relay outputs are available and can be turned on or off when preset values are reached. Bristol Instruments, www.bristolinstruments.com
www.ids-imaging.us/usb3.1 input #26 at www.controleng.com/information
Input #209 at www.controleng.com/information
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CONTROL ENGINEERING
MEDIA SHOWCASE FOR ENGINEERS Your place for new products, literature, Apps, Videos, Case Studies and White Papers.
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Input #100 at controlengineering.hotims.com
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Input #101 at controlengineering.hotims.com
2 IN 1
Input #102 at controlengineering.hotims.com
control-engineering-ids-sixth-page.indd 1
20.09.2017 13:43:54
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meltric.com 800.433.7642 Input #103 at controlengineering.hotims.com
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Input #104 at controlengineering.hotims.com
Input #105 at controlengineering.hotims.com
CONTROL ENGINEERING
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MEDIA SHOWCASE FOR ENGINEERS FIBER OPTIC SOLUTIONS
Factory Automation: RS232/422/485/Profibus/Modbus/Bacnet/Tnet Industrial Ethernet (LAN): 10/100/1000 Mbps SCADA: Modem/Multiplexers/Point to Point/Multidrop Video/Audio/Data: CCTV Systems/Robotics Optical Hubs & Repeaters USB Modems Extended Temp. Range & Ruggedized Products
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PLC HMI
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Input #107 at controlengineering.hotims.com
Input #106 at controlengineering.hotims.com
PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE
Input #108 at controlengineering.hotims.com
Signal Conditioners & Ethernet I/O www.Acromag.com/CE
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We have the experience to help you solve your monitoring and control challenges. Get your new product guide today 4-20mA Isolators & Splitters Ethernet, Modbus, Profibus I/O
Sensor Brackets and so much more...
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Input #110 at controlengineering.hotims.com
Mount | Apply | Position | Protect
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October 2017
CONTROL ENGINEERING
TM
TM
www.controlengineering.com
Advertising Sales Offices ContentStream
Patrick Lynch, Director of Content Marketing Solutions 630-571-4070 x2210 PLynch@CFEMedia.com AL, FL, GA, MI, TN
®
ad index Company
Page#
RSN
Web
Allied Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C1, 7 . . . . . . . 4. . . . . . . .www.alliedelec.com
Aaron Maassen, Classified, Product Mart, Media Showcase 630-571-4070 x2216 AMaassen@CFEMedia.com AR, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MN, MO, MS, NE, ND, OK, OH, SD, TX, WI, Central Canada
Allied Moulded Products, Inc. . . . .32 . . . . . . . . 15 . . . . . . .www.alliedmoulded.com AutomationDirect . . . . . . . . . C2, 16A-16D, 36 . . 1, 20 . . . . . .www.automationdirect.com Beijer ELECTRONICS . . . . . . . . . . .15 . . . . . . . . . 8. . . . . . . .www.beijerelectronics.com/x2extreme CFE Media’s New Products for Engineers Database . . . . . . . . .35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.controleng.com/NP4E
Bailey Rice (630) 571-4070 x2206 BRice@CFEMedia.com AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, WY, Western Canada
Control Engineering Digital Reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.controleng.com/DigitalReports
Iris Seibert (858) 270-3753 ISeibert@CFEMedia.com
Danfoss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 . . . . . . . . . 6. . . . . . . .www.danfoss.us Festo Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bellyband . . . . . . . . . . .www.festo.us/stars iCONICS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 . . . . . . . . . . 2. . . . . . . .www.iconics.com/CE-vote
CT, DE, MD, ME, MA, NC, NH, NY, NJ, PA, RI, SC, VA, VT, WV, DC, Eastern Canada
IDS Imaging Development Systems . . . . . . . . . .44 . . . . . . . . 26 . . . . . . .www.ids-imaging.com
Julie Timbol (978) 929-9495 JTimbol@CFEMedia.com
IIoT Webcasts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.controleng.com/lloT Maple Systems Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 . . . . . . . . . . 3. . . . . . . .www.maplesystems.com Maplesoft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 . . . . . . . . 17 . . . . . . .www.maplesoft.com
Internation (outside U.S., Candada)
Moxa Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.moxa.com
Stuart Smith +44 208 464 5577 stuart.smith@ssm.co.uk
NAPCON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 . . . . . . . . 22 . . . . . . .www.napconsuite.com Panduit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 . . . . . . . . 16 . . . . . . .www.panduit.com
Publication Services
RADWELL INTERNATIONAL, INC . . . . . . . . . .13 . . . . . . . . . 7. . . . . . . .www.Radwell.com
Jim Langhenry, Co-Founder/Publisher, CFE Media JLanghenry@CFEMedia.com
Schneider Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34, 35 . . . . 18, 19 . . . . . .www.schneider-electric.us
Steve Rourke, Co-Founder, CFE Media SRourke@CFEMedia.com
Sealevel Systems Inc . . . . . . . . . . .40 . . . . . . . . 21 . . . . . . .www.sealevel.com
Trudy Kelly, Executive Assistant, 630-571-4070, x2205, TKelly@CFEMedia.com
SEW-EURODRIVE, Inc. . . . . . . . . . .C4 . . . . . . . . 28 . . . . . . .www.seweurodrive.com TDK-Lambda Americas Inc. . . . . . .42 . . . . . . . . 23 . . . . . . .www.us.tdk-lambda.com
Elena Moeller-Younger, Marketing Manager 773-815-3795, EMYounger@CFEMedia.com
TRACO POWER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 . . . . . . . . 25 . . . . . . .www.tracopower.com
Kristen Nimmo, Marketing Manager KNimmo@CFEMedia.com
Turck Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 . . . . . . . . . 9. . . . . . . .www.turck.com
Brian Gross, Marketing Consultant, Global SI Database 630-571-4070, x2217, BGross@CFEMedia.com
Unitronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 . . . . . . . . . . 5. . . . . . . .www.unitronics.com
Michael Smith, Creative Director 630-779-8910, MSmith@CFEMedia.com
Wilbrecht LEDCO, Inc. . . . . . . . . . .41 . . . . . . . . 24 . . . . . . .www.wilbrechtledco.com
Paul Brouch, Director of Operations PBrouch@CFEMedia.com
Yaskawa America, Inc. . . . . . . . . . .C3 . . . . . . . . 27 . . . . . . .www.yaskawa.com
Michael Rotz, Print Production Manager 717-766-0211 x4207, Fax: 717-506-7238 mike.rotz@frycomm.com
Inside Machines Aerotech Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M2 . . . . . . . 10 . . . . . . .www.aerotech.com
Maria Bartell, Account Director, Infogroup Targeting Solutions 847-378-2275, maria.bartell@infogroup.com
Beckhoff Automation LLC. . . . . . . .M5 . . . . . . . 13 . . . . . . .www.beckhoff.com
Rick Ellis, Audience Management Director 303-246-1250, REllis@CFEMedia.com
Otek Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M6 . . . . . . . 14 . . . . . . .WWW.OTEKCORP.COM
Letters to the editor: Please e-mail us your opinions to MHoske@CFEMedia.com or fax 630-214-4504. Letters should include name, company, and address, and may be edited.
WAGO Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M3 . . . . . . . .11 . . . . . . .www.wago.us
Information: For a Media Kit or Editorial Calendar, email Trudy Kelly at TKelly@CFEMedia.com.
KEB America, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M4 . . . . . . . 12 . . . . . . .www.kebamerica.com
Marketing consultants: See ad index.
REQUEST MORE INFORMATION about products and advertisers in this issue by using the http://controleng.com/information link and reader service number located near each. If you’re reading the digital edition, the link will be live. When you contact a company directly, please let them know you read about them in Control Engineering. www.controlengineering.com
CONTROL ENGINEERING
October 2017
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Custom reprints, electronic: Brett Petillo Wright’s Media, 281-419-5725, bpetillo@wrightsmedia.com
INNOVATIONS
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT Brian Fenn, Avanceon
UML in agile development Back to Basics: Unified modeling language (UML) diagrams can clarify project requirements at the front end of agile development to visually explain how a project should look and function.
A
n agile development method helps customers refine or agree on a system design and ensure agreement on the results. Extending this visual approach by using unified modeling language (UML) diagrams can help yield tangible INNOVATIONS project results. KEYWORD: UML Whether replacing a homegrown system or lookUnified modeling ing to add a new level of functionality to an existing language (UML) solution, companies look to their consulting partners diagrams can help to define future system requirements and refine projyield tangible results for a project. ect scope so the design phase can begin. Using the Creating diagrams “picture is worth a thousand words” philosophy, it’s a that make up a best practice to implement UML diagrams—especially particular grouping use case diagrams—as a part of project requirements. of functionality allows This approach helps clarify the requirements, especonsultants to use these diagrams as they cially when companies are anxious to move to the gather information. development phase. The use case diagrams allow conCreating a UML sultants to present a high-level project view to clients document during the and ensure all parties have a clear understanding of planning phase can the system functionality and operation of the planned help prevent mistakes system. This approach helps everyone avoid confusion from occurring. and “scope creep” later in the project. CONSIDER THIS It’s best to begin this approach at the initial review. What other Based on information gathered in the sales cycle, conbenefits can UML sultants develop first draft use case diagrams showing provide during agile development? how systems interact with people and other systems.
M More
A sample of a unified modeling language (UML) diagram. Courtesy: Avanceon
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CONTROL ENGINEERING
For example, a downtime tracking use case diagram might represent a machine sending status and raw reason codes, operators adjusting downtime events, and supervisors and other users accessing specific reports. They could then create a use case overview that maps out all use case diagrams. This serves as an overview map labeled with general category types (process, execution, quality, configuration, etc.). This might include the diagrams (e.g., process A, process B, etc.) as circles in the approximate location that might best represent how they match up to those labels. It’s a good way to visualize all system functions. Creating diagrams comprising all actors and use cases that make up a particular grouping of functionality allows consultants to use these diagrams as they gather information. It’s wise to refer to and refine these diagrams often to better understand how things will need to work, whether in person or remotely.
Better view of the details
Diagrams ensure that consultants capture all functions at a high level, which helps everyone focus on where they need more requirements or details. With thorough discussion, they can add, remove, or change the use cases until all parties agree. The result is a more detailed listing of exact customer requirements for each use case. Three or four requirements may correspond with one diagram action. An action must include at least one requirement, but may have several. Creating a UML document during the planning phase can even prevent an unnecessary or ill-advised project from continuing. For example, a customer was planning on a simple swap/upgrade for a manufacturing execution system (MES). The customer believed the system only had a few simple functions and assumed migration cost wouldn’t be prohibitive. The UML diagrams showed that it did not make financial sense for the customer to refresh the technology. UML documents help with quicker decisions and decrease time to discuss, align, and agree. Using UML documents at the start of the project helped spare the customer an unnecessary expense. This method makes it easier to reach the required functionality and reduces time to create and finalize documentation. ce
Brian Fenn, vice president of operations, Avanceon. Avanceon is a CFE Media content partner. Edited by Chris Vavra, production editor, Control Engineering, CFE Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com. www.controlengineering.com
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