PLC Communications - Coming of Age
+Tech TopicsCommunicationsCommunications and EtherneteBookethernet explosionLearning ResourcesOnline OnlyPLC eBookProductProgrammable Control

PLC Communications - Coming of Age

PLC communications has grown and changed over the many years since the controller’s inception decades ago. Industrial needs and technological advances have kept PLC communications evolving, and this post will explore some past and present communication standards, and what the future may hold. PLC Partners in Communications PLCs need to communicate to a number of different…
Productivity3000 Ethernet/IP Product of the Year Finalist
Company TopicsNewsOnline OnlyProductProgrammable Control

Productivity3000 Ethernet/IP Product of the Year Finalist

It’s not just the holiday season. It’s also awards season. In Plant Engineering magazine’s annual Product of the Year competition, AutomationDirect’s Productivity3000 controller with added Ethernet/IP scanner/adapter has been named a finalist. By casting online ballots, you can help decide which products should be named Product of the Year. So, don’t pass up this opportunity…
EtherNet/IP™ Scanner/Adapter Now Standard Productivity3000 Protocol
New ProductNewsPress ReleasesPress ReleasesProduct

EtherNet/IP™ Scanner/Adapter Now Standard Productivity3000 Protocol

AutomationDirect’s Productivity3000 controller now supports the ODVA’s EtherNet/IP as a standard protocol. Through its embedded Ethernet port, the P3-550 CPU can support EtherNet/IP configurable as a Scanner or Adapter (or both simultaneously). The P3-550 CPU can communicate to devices using either Explicit messaging or Implicit “I/O” messaging methods.
Industrial Ethernet or Fieldbus Network?
Automation NotebookCommunicationsCover StorieseBookIssue 27 – 2013Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueProduct

Industrial Ethernet or Fieldbus Network?

With only about a quarter of the overall installed base of industrial networking using 4-20 mA and other hardwired methods, fieldbus communication systems are becoming the de facto choice for automation. Now the debate is shifting to the question of whether fieldbus-based networks will remain the standard or if it will be supplanted by industrial…
Natural Gas Reclaimed from Expired Wells
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookEnergy/UtilitiesIndustryIssue 15 – 2009Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueOperator InterfacePLCProcess ControlProductProgrammable ControlUser Solutions

Natural Gas Reclaimed from Expired Wells

Natural gas can come from wells specifically drilled to reach gas trapped in pockets beneath the surface of the Earth. These wells produce huge quantities of gas which can be piped directly to distribution centers and then on to consumers. Some wells produce a lower-quality gas which has to be processed to remove unwanted components…
Improving Factory Workers’ Efficiency is All in a Name
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookData CollectionHMIIndustryIssue 7 – 2006Learning ResourcesManufacturingManufacturingNotebook IssueOperator InterfaceProductProgrammable ControlUser Solutions

Improving Factory Workers’ Efficiency is All in a Name

As most everyone is aware, from a business standpoint, we live in a numbers-based society. In all businesses, whether a small company with a dozen employees or a large conglomerate of thousands, the focus is on the bottom line. Executives are scrutinizing annual, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and even daily reports to determine how productivity is…