Using Commercial Off-the-Shelf Technologies in Industrial Controllers
Learning ResourcesOnline BlogProductProgrammable Control

Using Commercial Off-the-Shelf Technologies in Industrial Controllers

Jeff Payne, the Automation Controls Group Product Manager at AutomationDirect, penned an article titled Product Design: Incorporating Commercial Technologies into Industrial Controllers for the February 2018 issue of Control Engineering. The article looked at some of the commercial off-the-shelf or COTS technologies used in industrial controllers. These technologies include Ethernet, FPGAs, USB, MicroSD and others….
Setting Internal Standards for Industrial Automation
Learning ResourcesOnline BlogOperator InterfaceProductProgrammable Control

Setting Internal Standards for Industrial Automation

In addition to following industry regulations, internal company standards should be created and adhered to so existing and new plant automation system designs are consistent. These internal standards should help define best practices and provide clear guidelines for system design, and for hardware and software used on the factory floor. If not, you may have…
Discrete SensingLearning ResourcesOnline BlogProduct

How Do Magnetic Proximity Sensors Work?

Overview of Magnetic Proximity Sensors Magnetic proximity sensors are used for non-contact position detection beyond the normal limits of inductive sensors. In conjunction with a separate “damping” magnet, magnetic sensors offer very long sensing ranges from a small package size and can detect magnets through walls of non-ferrous metal, stainless steel, aluminum, plastic or wood. Depending on the orientation of the magnetic field the…
Even Though You Have Two Eyes…
Learning ResourcesOnline BlogProductSafety

Even Though You Have Two Eyes…

It’s a good idea to protect both. OSHA provides clear standards on the use of eye and other personal protective equipment, yet workers often choose to not to follow these rules. Certainly, there are places where protection must always be worn, so it’s best to offer workers comfortable and fashionable choices.