Data collection is becoming one of the most important features of a control system. Whether it’s used to determine the morning run rate or the cost of production over the last fiscal year, it’s imperative that system data be collected and be available. Today there are many ways to go about collecting data, from complex data acquisition systems to simple stand-alone data loggers and some of them can come with a hefty price tag. Luckily, AutomationDirect has built data logging capabilities into many of its PLCs and HMIs and even offers low-cost SCADA software so everyone can get the data they need without breaking the bank. The following infographic shows you the different ways AutomationDirect products can deliver the data for less. But first a little disclaimer:
Cookies are awesome! Ok, we might have been a little hungry when we put this together but the accessing data infographic shows how system data can be collected at all levels of a cookie production line using AutomationDirect products. From the raw data collected by the Productivity2000 PLC, to the refined data of the C-more HMI, to advanced data collection with the Point of View software. It also shows the types of data and some of the ways it can be accessed at every level of production. It also includes links to articles that discuss data collection in greater details if you were looking for more. So go ahead and pour yourself a tall glass of milk and check it out, I’m heading back for seconds! Click on the image below to view the infographic.
ApplicationData and IIoTData CollectionIIoT and DataLearning ResourcesProductProgrammable ControlWhite PapersWhitepapers
PLCs & PACs Simplify Data Acquisition | White Paper
In today’s competitive market, companies need detailed and timely information about process variables, and production amounts, as well as alarms in real time. In the past, PLCs did not have the capabilities to provide such information, and PACs were not yet widely available. Fortunately, newer PLCs and PACs can perform many data acquisition tasks within…
+Tech TopicsApplicationCommunicationsData and IIoTData System MonitoringeBookIIoT and DataLearning ResourcesOperator InterfaceProductWhy HMI
Layered Security Goes Beyond Hardware In IIoT Implementations
Industry is certainly starting to take note of the IIoT, which raises cybersecurity issues because it requires connecting field devices and other automation system components to the outside world, often through the internet. Connectivity capability is built into many automation components, typically via an Ethernet port, but can these connections be made secure?
Automation NotebookData and IIoTeBookIIoT and DataLearning ResourcesOnline OnlyOperator InterfaceProductProgrammable Control
A Quick Look At Creating The IIoT
The IIoT starts with edge devices. Connecting these sensors, actuators, motors, drives and other smart devices to PLCs and other advanced controllers is the first step. The connection continues through the HMI to provide data sharing to both local and remote users through corporate intranets and the Internet. Connecting edge devices and distributing the data…
+Tech TopicsApplicationCommunicationsCover StoriesData and IIoTData CollectionIIoT and DataIssue 33 - 2015Learning ResourcesMachine ControlNotebook IssueOperator InterfaceProductProgrammable Control
Linking Machines to IT Systems
Once upon a time, individual machines were stranded on an island, or just linked to other machines using a few discrete I/O and dry contact relays. Then came machine-to-machine data links such as a proprietary PLC-based network. Today, and certainly in the future, machines are being linked to IT systems.
Robust real-time industrial control is essential, and remote connectivity is also becoming indispensable for many users. Here are some considerations for achieving the best of both worlds. Damon Purvis at AutomationDirect wrote an article for the February 2023 issue of Processing. Titled Balancing Local Automation with Remote Connectivity, this article explores some concepts around designing…
CommunicationsData and IIoTData System MonitoringIssue 51 2024Operator InterfaceProgrammable Control
Modern PLCs Provide Support for Advanced Data Access
Although many think of PLCs as primarily for real-time control, modern versions make it easy to implement extensive data connectivity and analytics. While everyday consumers are familiar with getting things their way, this type of flexibility has often been less available within the industrial manufacturing arena. This is an issue for many end users when…
+Tech TopicsApplicationCommunicationsData and IIoTData CollectionData System MonitoringeBookFeature StoryIIoT and DataIssue 17 – 2010Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueOperator InterfaceProductProgrammable Control
How to Improve Process Control by Automating Data Flow
Whether you are responsible for a manufacturing facility, a utility plant or a bio-dome—you need to control and know what’s going on in your processes. Properly managing information is imperative to improving your process control—specifically controlling, monitoring and maintaining information flows into and out of your process control system. Most processes consist of the machines,…
+Tech TopicsApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookData and IIoTData CollectionData System MonitoringFeature StoryHMIIIoT and DataIssue 22 – 2012Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueOperator InterfaceProduct
Cellular Remote Access Gives Companies Competitive Edge
Internet and cellular technology make monitoring and control easier than ever. The automation world, with its distant and often isolated sites, has long sought reliable remote access to cut costs and improve reliability. Instead of sending technicians to distant locations, operators can now access critical information and control systems quickly and easily.
IIoT projects should begin incrementally at the edge, using proven combinations of fieldbuses and controllers. Basic hardwired connectivity has long been typical for automation system designs. However, this approach is shifting as digital transformation and IIoT initiatives are expanding. InTech April 2023 features an article titled Field-Level Comms Improve IIoT Implementations, where Bill Dehner at…
“The Industrial Internet of Things”…when you hear that term, what do you think? Now, some of you might be thinking, “Not another IIoT article!” or maybe, “I don’t need IIoT” or perhaps there are still a few of you that are wondering, “What is IIoT?” Well, when you get past all the buzz that is…
ApplicationCommunicationsCompany TopicsData and IIoTData System MonitoringeBookIIoT and DataLearning ResourcesNewsProductProgrammable Control
Are You “Data-driven"? |Industry Survey
With all the talk lately about Big Data and the IIoT, we got to thinking about how much of an impact these trends would have on our industry. Since the primary goal of these two trends is to improve bottom lines/profit margins through data collection, data analysis and remote access, we were curious as to…
If your company has remote sites that need to be monitored, and if you’re looking for a way to do this without making periodic rounds to check each site, then remote monitoring may be the answer. And if you’re looking for a cost effective yet powerful way to implement remote monitoring, embedded HMI is a…
Many control systems these days need a way to interact with the process or machine operator. Legacy systems might present a whole panel full of pushbuttons, lights and switches; the development of electronic HMI (Human Machine Interface) devices made operator control and monitoring operations much more flexible, presenting text, graphics and even video to help…