Student Brings Joy to Kids During COVID-19 with Automated Halloween Display
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Student Brings Joy to Kids During COVID-19 with Automated Halloween Display

In a typical year, children excitedly count down the days in October to Halloween. However, Halloween 2020 was different due to COVID-19, and many kids felt it was going to be a disappointing nightmare. That wasn’t the case in one town in Utah, thanks to the efforts of Shaun Oaks, father of two young children…
Off-the-Shelf IIoT Solutions for Operations
CommunicationsProduct

Off-the-Shelf IIoT Solutions for Operations

Intelligent routers and associated cloud services make it easy for end users and OEMs to use an IIoT approach for accessing and acting on operational data. Bill Dehner, technical marketing engineer for AutomationDirect, wrote an article for the September  2021 issue of Plant Engineering titled Exploit IIoT to Improve Operations. Here’s a summary, click on…
Mobile Connectivity Industry Survey
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Mobile Connectivity Industry Survey

Periodically, the AutomationDirect team reaches out to industry users in a variety of ways to gauge their interest on a variety of topics. For instance, in June 2016 we looked into whether users were “data-driven”. One of the questions in that survey addressed whether data was being accessed remotely via a web browser/client or mobile…
Cloud-Capable PLCs Enable More IIoT Applications
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Cloud-Capable PLCs Enable More IIoT Applications

PLCs can now be directly integrated with cloud-based computing platforms, empowering end users and OEMs to quickly and easily add IIoT functionality to their systems. Damon Purvis, PLC Product Manager at AutomationDirect, wrote an article for the August 2021 edition of Machine Design. The article is titled Modern PLCs Simplify Cloud-Based IIoT and it talks…
What is a VPN?
CommunicationsProduct

What is a VPN?

VPNs are just as important for securing industrial automation systems as they are for personal internet connectivity. Here is what a VPN does, and how industrial users can quickly implement VPNs for all their sites and users to provide upgraded cybersecurity. If you spend any time at all watching TV, browsing websites, or listening to…
Managed vs Unmanaged Switches?
Communications

Managed vs Unmanaged Switches?

Unmanaged switches may be able to do the job in some applications, but managed switches deliver improved performance and cybersecurity. Bill Dehner, technical marketing engineer for AutomationDirect, wrote an article for the February 2020 issue of Applied Automation titled How to Choose Between Managed and Unmanaged Switches. Here’s a summary, click on the link above…
PLCs Integrate Industrial Data to the Cloud
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PLCs Integrate Industrial Data to the Cloud

New PLCs gain capabilities to connect industrial-sourced OT data with higher-level IT and cloud-based systems. Damon Purvis, PLC Product Manager at AutomationDirect, wrote a cover story article for the January 2021 issue of Control Engineering. The article is titled PLCs Power Industrial Data Integration and it looks at the many ways PLCs have gained enterprise…
Measure More Using Cloud Connectivity
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Measure More Using Cloud Connectivity

Tapping into data marooned on remotely-installed automation systems is made practical with new cloud-capable wireless devices. Bill Dehner, technical marketing engineer for AutomationDirect, wrote an article for the November 2020 issue of Flow Control titled Cloud-Enabled Multivariable Measurement. Here’s a summary, click on the link above for the full text. Industrial sites commonly operate a…
Embedded HMIs Do More With Less
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Embedded HMIs Do More With Less

Dedicated HMIs can do many of the same things as industrial PCs, often making them the best choice for automation applications. Bill Dehner, technical marketing engineer for AutomationDirect, wrote an article for the August 2020 issue of Control Engineering titled Embedded HMIs Excel in Automation Applications. Here’s a summary, click on the link above for…
Headless HMIs Offer Added Features
CommunicationsProduct

Headless HMIs Offer Added Features

New headless HMIs support mobile visualization and large-format displays, giving designers more options. Bill Dehner, technical marketing engineer for AutomationDirect, wrote an article for the May 2020 issue of Design World titled Headless HMIs: Less is More. Here’s a summary, click on the link above for the full text. Traditional all-in-one, panel-mount, human-machine interface (HMI)…