It’s a new year and we’re busy preparing for this year’s show at the Automation Pavilion at National Manufacturing Week, March 7-10th at McCormick Place in Chicago. This will be our second year there, and we’ll have interactive product demonstrations and displays, free popcorn and more. Stop by our booth (number
4311) to learn more about our products or just to relax and enjoy a cup of coffee and a snack. We look forward to seeing you there.
-Keri Schieber
Managing Editor
In this issue of the Automation Notebook…
In each issue of the Automation Notebook we feature a section of brainteasers. These are the brainteaser answers from Issue 3, 2005 of the Automation Notebook. The brainteaser questions are repeated in black. The answers to the brainteaser questions are highlighted in red with explanations. You can view the brainteasers from Issue 3, 2005 without the answers here: http://library.automationdirect.com/brainteasers-issue-3-2005/…
1. “Next Day Air” An AutomationDirect purchasing agent flies from our Cumming, GA facility to visit one of our vendors on the most economical flight she can find (two stops, one plane change). The average speed of the outbound trip (including the stops) is 120 mph. For the return trip, a jet is chartered to…
ApplicationAutomation NotebookDiscrete SensingFYIIssue 3 – 2005Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueProductTest and Measurement
New Spherical Optics Technology for Sensing in Small Areas
The Challenge Diffuse sensors enjoy great popularity with users. With diffuse sensors, pulsed light from an emitting diode falls on an object of any shape or color and is reflected in a diffuse manner to a light-receiver, which is located in the same device (fig.1). If the intensity of the received light is sufficient, the…
+Tech TopicsAutomation NotebookIssue 3 – 2005Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueProductProgrammable ControlTech Thread
A User's Guide to Configuring Serial Ports for DirectLOGIC PLCs: A Two Part Series
The capabilities of Port 2 of the DL06, DL250-1 and DL260 CPUs are often overlooked when designing a process control network. Like Port 1, Port 2 can be used for programming the CPU or connecting other RS-232 devices, such as an operator interface panel, to the PLC. Unlike Port 1, Port 2 supports different types…
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookEnergy/UtilitiesFacilitiesIndustryIssue 3 – 2005Learning ResourcesNotebook IssuePLCProcess ControlProductProgrammable ControlUser Solutions
Controlling Nature's Way of Cooling
When conventional air conditioning systems were no longer adequate to cool General Tool Company’s (GTC) facility in Cincinnati, OH, the company began looking for an alternative solution. A roof mist sprinkling system from Sprinkool™ Systems International, Inc. in Killen, AL, would provide evaporative cooling of the roof and ceiling zone of the plant to reduce…
+Tech TopicsAutomation NotebookIssue 3 – 2005Learning ResourcesNotebook IssuePLC SpeakingProductProgrammable Control
PLC Technology and Application Tips
Although the North American market for automation and controls has seen nowhere near the growth it did 15-20 years ago, programmable logic controllers (PLCs) are still the preferred controller choice for industrial applications. What has changed for PLCs are the expectations and desired functionality of their specifiers and users. In this edition of PLC Speaking,…
We have added several exciting products since our last edition of the Automation Notebook. Here are some highlights about some of those new products including: Screwless terminal blocks, 100 Mb Ethernet modules, sink/source module for Terminator I/O, Think and Do Live! programming. Screwless Terminal Blocks Added To Connection Systems Line AutomationDirect now offers screwless terminal blocks, including feed-through,…
ApplicationAutomation NotebookBusiness NotesIssue 3 – 2005Learning ResourcesManufacturingNotebook Issue
Business Notes – Issue 3, 2005
2005 Manufacturing Sector Outlook According to its press release in November, the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI (www.mapi.net) projects solid growth in the next two years for the U.S. economy and expects the manufacturing sector to continue to outpace the overall economy. But the pace of growth is likely to decelerate, in relation to 2004, at least in…
For many, the world of communications is mystifying, shrouded in complexity and unknowns with equal parts science and magic, and 100% scary. We would like to define some common terms and show you how they fit together so you’ll find that networking is no more complicated than ordering a hamburger at a drive-through. Let’s take…
+Tech TopicsApplicationAutomation NotebookData System MonitoringIssue 3 – 2005Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueTechnology Brief
Safeguarding Your Computer
In this day and age it seems most of us spend more time cleaning the little spies and pests off our computers than truly using them for productive work or play. One thing you can count on in technology is that you won’t really miss it until it’s gone, and if you’re not careful your…
AutomationDirect has recently added DataLynx™ Remote Data Collection Software to their line of industrial automation products. This new software package uses modem technology to provide an inexpensive and simple solution for collecting, viewing and storing data from industrial devices, regardless of location. DataLynx is the ideal solution for collecting data from remotely located I/O devices,…
In 1901, Guglielmo Marconi used Morse code to communicate the letter “s”. This transmission was an analog equivalent of a “digital” signal. By 1914, the Marconi Company was engaged in experimental voice transmissions that laid the groundwork for broadcast radio. With the advent of short wave radio, costs came down and reliability went up, ensuring…