When you think of Georgia, what comes to mind? Peaches? Vidalia onions? The Atlanta Falcons? For sure AutomationDirect’s in there, but what about Stranger Things? I don’t mean things that are stranger than AutomationDirect, I’m talking about the popular Netflix series that is filmed primarily in and around Atlanta, GA. At first, I had no interest in this series but when it pulled my son away from his YouTube channels, something that no other show managed to do, I decided to take a quick glance. That quick glance led to a binge watching of all three seasons and I’m now anxiously awaiting the next installment. You see, I’m a child of the 80s and this show captures that era perfectly. With the music, the cars, the clothes, even the retro style Burger King wrappers, this show had me as a fan very quickly. So much so, that I recently went on a self-made “tour” of some of their film sets around town. On my first stop (Hawkins Middle School), it became very apparent that I wasn’t the only one doing this and it amazed me how a show’s fans can turn an ordinary location into a busy tourist attraction. Just like with our customers, the fans of the show are its lifeblood, allowing it to thrive and keeping it alive. At AutomationDirect, we know we wouldn’t be here without all of you and we’re so grateful for every one of our customers. We’ll always keep your best interest in mind and hope that you’ll continue to trust us with your automation needs
This issue of NOTEBOOK is filled with informative content such as our PLC Speaking section, which demonstrates how FIFO queues are used in package handling operations. We also have a great Cover Story on the growing popularity of using mobile apps for machine interfacing. The User Solution shows how CTC Crushing improved their rock crushing operation with Productivity PLCs, and our Student Spotlight focuses on Eastern Washington University students and their automotive semi-active suspension system. In the Tech Thread section, we take a closer look at the differences between traditional and hosted VPNs, the New Product Focus portion provides information on our cut-to-length cable additions and the STRIDE Pocket Portal cloud data logging solution, and the What’s New? section highlights some of our many other informative content pieces. As always, the Break Room is stocked with fun brainteasers to test your knowledge, so see how many puzzles you can solve. Don’t forget to check out our library site (library.automationdirect.com) for more amazing content and visit our store (www.automationdirect.com) to see all our current and new product offerings.