With the number of new and existing PLCs available on the market, it’s pretty difficult to stand out and get noticed. So what do you do? Well, you do what they can’t! And our latest industrial controller, the Productivity2000, delivers what the competition won’t – high performance at a lower cost. So what do I…
Well, don’t forget to check under the hood and see what the software has to offer. After all, hardware is only half of the equation. So, if you are considering the Productivity series of controllers you should be asking yourself, what is Productivity Suite and what does it offer? To help answer that, the following…
A common function of a control system is detecting the presence of an object. Whether you are detecting the presence of an object passing by on a conveyor, the closure of a gate or the position of a machine part as it goes through its motions, object detection is a staple of the automation industry. There are…
As you all probably know, field startups can be quite stressful. Did the equipment arrive on time and with all needed components? Has the site prep work been completed? Are all needed personnel and permits on site? Where are my plane tickets? Do I need to rent a car? What about hotel reservations? With all that…
What controls you? No, I’m not talking about your boss, your spouse or the government. Instead, think of your body as an industrial control system. Now, what controls you? Hopefully, you said your brain, although the heart is an acceptable answer sometimes. But for now, let’s focus on the brain and the nervous system as…
In Understanding Ladder Logic we touched on the origins of Ladder Logic, its structure and execution. So now that we have a understanding of what Ladder Logic is, we can dig a little deeper into how ladder instructions work. And to do that, we need to first understand Boolean math and logic gates. Now, this blog…
+Tech TopicsCommunications and Ethernetethernet explosionLearning ResourcesOnline OnlyPLC eBookProductProgrammable Control
EtherNet/IP: Implicit vs. Explicit Messaging
Over the years, Ethernet/IP has grown into an impressive industrial Ethernet communication network for connecting automation equipment, processes and machines. Keys to its success are the network and transport layers where explicit and implicit messaging takes place; here’s how to use these features to optimize your EtherNet/IP networks. Please refer to the Table and Diagram…
Motion control is generally understood to mean the use of servo and/or stepper systems as the “muscle” to move a given load. These motion control systems are capable of extremely precise speed, position, and torque control. Applications which require positioning of product, synchronization of separate elements, or rapid start/stop motion are all perfect candidates for…
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookAutomationDirect SpotlightData System MonitoringEducation/DIYIndustryIssue 34 - 2016Learning ResourcesMotion ControlNotebook IssueOnline OnlyOperator InterfacePLCPLC eBookProductProgrammable ControlStudent SpotlightStudent SpotlightWater/Wastewater
Portable Water Treatment Platform Removes Phosphorus Economically
A trailer-mounted water treatment process controlled by a Productivity2000 PLC has recently been developed at the University of Idaho. Professor Greg Möller, in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, along with engineers from the College of Engineering have teamed up to build the platform, and to further research the economical removal of phosphorus from various…
The Productivity2000 is AutomationDirect’s newest addition to the Productivity line of industrial controllers. The Productivity2000 is a modular, rack-based system with a full lineup of discrete, analog and specialty I/O modules. The high-performance CPU has 50Mb memory, fast scan times and five communication ports for $255. The P2-550 CPU features LED status indicators as well…