To provide plants, factories and machine builders with even more system-integrated solutions for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Beckhoff Automation has announced Microsoft Azure™ certification for the C6015 Industrial PC (IPC) and CX5140 Embedded PC. All certified devices from Beckhoff can be found in the Microsoft “Azure Certified for IoT” device catalog, providing customers with […]
PC-Based Controllers
Catching up with Beckhoff at ATXEast
I had a great chat with Beckhoff’s Daymon Thompson at last week’s ATX East trade show at New York’s Javits Center. The PC-based machine controls company features a range of processors, from an ARM processor all the way up to an industrial server with 36 cores and two terabytes of memory—possibly the biggest PLC on […]
Industrial IoT for updating the dated — B&R Orange Box brings intelligence to legacy operations
For those looking to bring manufacturing intelligence to legacy production sites, B&R Automation introduced its new Orange Box at the 2017 Hannover Fair. According to company officials, the Orange Box lets machine operators collect and analyze data from previously isolated machines and production lines and upgrade them for IIoT/Industry 4.0 operations—with a minimal effort. An […]
Motion controllers see major shifts in design thanks to IoT, online configuration, and more
We recently asked several industry experts about trends in the design and application of motion controllers to get an idea of where these precision command centers are changing approaches to design engineering. Then we published a much-abbreviated sampling of the enormous amount of insightful feedback Design World received. Below is the uncut commentary in its entirety. Enjoy […]
FAQ: How do proprietary and open-source PC control software programs compare?
The central issue with anything that is programmable is the programming itself. Regardless of whether the system is open source or proprietary, the key to successful control applications is to correctly program the design intent. Capturing the full intent at the start of a project is impossible, especially if the project has not been done […]
Choosing between automation technologies based on industrial PC control
Today’s state-of-the-art PC-based controls deliver performance that exceeds most industrial machine-control requirements. Processor power and memory continue to expand — following Moore’s Law and doubling in capability every couple years. What’s more, cost per processor continually declines as performance increases. Whenever control manufacturers update their electronics, it makes more power available to end users. Here’s […]
Leading the trend toward integration in 2016: Motion controllers
Motion controllers are more integrated and programmable than ever, thanks to increasing capabilities on both ASICs and FPGAs to process inputs and outputs for motion control. Some electronics even let end users customize feedback for closed-loop control. Industries spurring controller innovation for all hardware types are packaging, paper and pump processing, and medical. The former demands […]
FAQ: How do PC-based controls differ from traditional motion controls?
Recently, our regular contributor Steve Meyer spoke to us about the history of motion control and how PC-based controls came about. Here’s what he said. Traditional motion controllers are the result of decades of slowly evolving electronics hardware and custom software libraries … dedicated to performing motion-control tasks. PC-based control systems are relatively recent, and […]
3 Omron engineers answer 7 FAQs on controllers and PC-based motion control FAQs
In a recent exchange with Omron Automation and Safety, we got the chance to speak with three industry experts in the field of motion controllers and industrial PC-based motion control: S.R. Ramadurai — product marketing manager, Controls for Automation Greg Dieck — product manager, Motion Control and Drives Clark Kromenaker — product manager, HMIs, IPCs, […]
Steve Meyer on the history of motion control and PC-based control
Recently, our regular contributor Steve Meyer spoke to us about the history of motion control and how PC-based control came to be. Here’s what he said. In the Industrial Revolution, machinery was mechanical. Production looms for weaving fabrics and floor coverings were programmed with mechanical memory in the form of hard stops and pins to make sizes […]
