Control Platforms Resource Center

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Controls engineers need a variety of information on topics such as programmable logic controllers, programmable automation controllers, PC-based control, embedded controls, computer numeric control, control software, network strategies, relays and switches.

Programmable logic controllers have been the staple of machine automation for decades and provide the majority machine logic solutions currently in operation.

PC-based controls offer the advantages of inherent data communication based on today’s Internet-centric TCP/IP protocols, with the ability to perform critical tasks in conjunction with an accompanying real-time operating systems, RTOS, kernel or a plug-in motion controller card.

Newer programmable automation controllers try to offer the best features of both control platforms.

Embedded controls can take the form of single-board computers with some application-specific capabilities or as the emerging field programmable gate array, FPGA, hardware that offers flexible customization and versatility.

Timely news, back-to-basics primers, feature articles, technical white papers and descriptions of the latest products all provide valuable insights that can be used in designing and building machine controls.

White Papers: In Depth Research

Taking the Guesswork Out of Pneumatic Control
Author: Clippard
Posted: 10/18/2011
Here's a step-by-step approach to efficiently designing systems that work right the first time.

Designers have several options when constructing pneumatic-control systems. But modular air-logic systems are often a good bet when a compact, economical unit is a must. They typically consist of a series of valves mounted onto standard manifold subplates. Such systems speed assembly and piping, and all interconnections between valves and controls in the circuit are machined into the manifold subplate. This cuts design and installation time, reduces the number of fittings, and eliminates piping and the routing errors that often go with it.

For instance, compared with discrete air-valve control systems, a modular system features:
- Lower component costs.
- Simple plumbing and troubleshooting.
- Lower air consumption.
- No air locks.
- A smaller total package.

Compared with electrical-relay control, a modular system offers:
- An explosionproof system with no danger of burnouts.
- Lower power consumption.
- Lower costs by eliminating solenoids and relays.
- A single air supply.
- No heat buildup.

Only a few manufacturers offer modular, manifold-mounted pneumatic control systems. For instance, Clippard's Pneumatic Programmable Controller is a sequential controller that provides step-by-step system operation. It consists of a clear acrylic manifold for mounting sequence valves and other such components in a compact, efficient package.

Explaining the Agency Approval Process for Wire and Cable Products
Author: Mike Levesque & Randy Elliott, C&M Corporation
Posted: 12/13/2010
Some engineers think it is science. Others contend it is some type of black magic.

Many have no idea of exactly how the process works.

Regardless of what is known –or unknown – about the submission and evaluation process, there are few that will disagree with the premise that agency certifications, such as those offered by organizations like Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Canadian Standards Association (CSA), or Intertek, formerly known as Edison Testing Laboratories (ETL), to name only a few, are an important part of any product offering in the wire and cable industry. With today’s focus on product safety, there has been an increased need for wire and cable products to carry either a listed or recognized mark signifying they have been independently evaluated and have met the appropriate safety guidelines that have been established based on their intended use.

In an attempt to help bring some clarity to the agency certification process for bulk cable, I have posed a series of related questions to Randy Elliott, C&M Corporation’s Regulatory Compliance Engineer. Randy has been a practicing engineer in the wire and cable industry for over 20 years. His background in R&D and design engineering has brought him into contact with regulatory agencies and their requirements on a regular basis throughout his career. For the past three years, his focus has been completely on regulatory issues for C&M.

Who is responsible for testing and what do their results mean?

A Web Broker Architecture for Remote Access
Author: eWON SA, Francis Vander Ghinst, Head of Sales & Marketing Ops
Posted: 10/29/2010
A simple and cost-effective way to remotely maintain and service industrial machinery worldwide.

Providing industrial remote access systems for machine builders and OEMs has become a critical requirement for enterprises, often making the difference between companies that are successful and those that are not. Regardless of whether maintenance engineers work in the office or at home, they need easy and seamless access to machines and industrial assets in order to do their job, which primarily involves remote maintenance.

In the early 1990s, there were only limited options for worldwide access to machines and industrial assets. A modem communicating via the public switched telephone network was the prevalent option. Unfortunately, this required making long-distance calls, and the available throughput was so low that it was difficult to service machines in practice. As the Internet grew, it provided an opportunity for free or public long distance communication for remote access. Now combined with cellular technologies that provide wireless communication or DSL based technologies, this offers the market new communication media for accessing devices. However, DSL based technologies require installing a dedicated line to the machine location, while cellular technologies requires that wireless receivers are available in the vicinity of the machine providing adequate coverage for good communication.

An alternative approach is for machine builders to utilize the network infrastructure of their customers, assuming that the customer’s machine can be connected to the Internet via a LAN connection point. This is the preferred way to access the machine, since it provides the lowest-cost connection, high throughput, and almost no deployment effort on the media side. Using Internet implies the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) to ensure secure IP connections. Using a LAN connection point requires the integration of these VPNs into the corporate LANs of the machine builders' customers.

With a remote access turnkey system approach, the machine builder must assume responsibility for the integration activities and will probably need to collaborate with the customer's IT staff in order to perform the integration. Although this is a viable approach, it has some drawbacks. For instance, each customer may require a different VPN configuration, which increases the complexity of the integration process and extends the installation and commissioning period, which of course impacts the cost of the machine installation.

It is therefore important to choose technologies which allow the installation cost to be kept to a reasonable level by minimizing the integration factor as much as possible.

New Controllers Extend Integrated Automation to Small Systems
Author: Siemens
Posted: 07/07/2010
In the past, automation users designing small control systems have been challenged by many requirements to integrate with other connected devices, such as HMIs, additional controllers, networks, business systems, etc. Attempting to meet these system needs, and the inability to meet them with existing technology, forced designers to choose a larger controller than otherwise needed, or a PC-based controller, or even a "green-board" custom controller. Now, controller-technology trends have produced a new option, which is "just right" for many applications.

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