Articles and News

Selected as the most innovative embedded system in 2005, XPort AR is an embedded processor module that goes beyond simple network connectivity and provides manufacturers an unprecedented level of device intelligence to the network. This exclusive award specifically honors outstanding engineering innovation and invention in electronic products and technologies.

Moteiv’s products include the recently introduced Tmote Sky™, its next-generation wireless sensor module and the first wireless sensor device to use the IEEE 802.15.4 personal-area-network wireless radio, and Tmote Invent™, its newest low-cost wireless sensor system. Powered by Boomerang™, Moteiv’s robust distribution of the open-source TinyOS operating system, Moteiv systems achieve long-lived reliable operation. The company’s unique enhancements to TinyOS integrate cutting-edge open-source technology with robust, manageable wireless solutions.

The company announced that RFID inlay manufacturing capacity will be increased to support production of more than 250 million inlays per year at its Minakuchi factory in Shiga, Japan. This factory location was chosen to take advantage of its more than 30 years of experience with semiconductors and class 10000 clean room standards. The inlays produced at Minakuchi are marketed and distributed globally by Omron's RFID division.

This honor acknowledges the considerable engineering effort behind LabVIEW 8 and recognizes the development environment’s significant role as a design tool. To address the growing need for design, control and test systems based on industry trends, LabVIEW 8 introduces distributed intelligence – a powerful suite of capabilities empowering engineers and scientists to easily design, distribute and synchronize intelligent devices and systems through graphical development.

National Instruments recently named one of its long-time R&D contributors, Keith Odom, as an NI R&D fellow. Odom has spent his entire 18-year career in R&D at National Instruments. As director of architecture and technology, he leads a team of highly respected digital engineers that develop important new architectures and key application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and who serve as technical leads on a wide range of projects.

Siemens is a global leader in process instrumentation and factory automation. Controlotron is a leader in non-intrusive ultrasonic flow measurement and is expected to enhance Siemens' position in this key market segment. Siemens intends to operate the company from its Hauppauge location, which it plans to make a center of competence for ultrasonic flow measurement. Controlotron employs approximately 120 people, to whom Siemens will extend formal offers of employment one week prior to the closing.

By joining the ZigBee Alliance, NI will have early access to specifications and input into requirements documents to keep pace with technology and integrate new versions of the standard into NI products to quickly bring them to market. As a ZigBee Alliance member, NI makes it easier for customers to design and test ZigBee products using NI products.

Progress Paint needed Material Requirements Planning (MRP), flexible order entry, integrated inventory control, and efficient environmental reporting to help maximize its productivity and profitability. DEACOM ERP software was selected based on its ability to manage all of these functions with a single, integrated system.

The product management group now includes Robert Hotard, Product Manager for Magnetostrictive and Guided Wave Radar Products; Winston Landymore, Product Manager for Capacitance and Vibrating Fork Products; and Ivo Radanov, Product Manager for Laser and Ultrasonic Products. Each product manager is responsible for managing the entire life cycle of the product line, including strategic planning, specifying market requirements based on industry experience and contact with customers, and tactical product launch activities.

The system, which included the power distribution, transformers, SINAMICS drives, electrical housing, motors and control automation, was installed under a turnkey contract during a short plant shutdown with overall Siemens management and responsibility.

General technical questions about PLCs, operating systems, databases, networking, and other supporting industrial technologies are also welcome. The FactorySQL OPC to SQL data-bridge features point and click configurability to achieve bidirectional data flow with virtually any SQL database.

The new book is written for those who want to design test measurement systems; select appropriate equipment; understand system component characteristics, system and component calibration, and operating principles of transducers; determine overall system accuracy; and formulate basic test procedure design.

Under the terms of the agreement, Sony will make a one-time, up-front royalty payment of $15 million. Intergraph expects to record after-tax intellectual property income from this agreement of approximately $8.6 million, net of all fees, expenses and estimated taxes, in the first quarter of 2006. As a result of the patent license agreement, Sony will obtain a fully paid-up worldwide license to Intergraph’s patent portfolio, and Intergraph will obtain an option to license certain Sony patents on royalty-bearing terms.

The new "Automation IT" special event at HANNOVER MESSE 2006 (the Hannover Fair) from 24 to 28 April offers an insight into the future. Along with Cisco Systems GmbH and HARTING KGaA, Deutsche Messe AG will be presenting integrated Ethernet connectivity.

The Promi-SD is a Bluetooth serial adapter product line designed to replace RS-232 serial cables with wireless connectivity when interconnecting peripheral devices. It enables a serial device to communicate with another serial port adapter or other Bluetooth enabled devices such as mobile phones, handheld computers and laptops.

OMRON Corporation today announced the appointment of Mr. Roberto Maietti as President & CEO of OMRON Europe B.V. Reporting to Mr. Fumio Tateisi, the Japanese-based president of OMRON's Industrial Automation Business, Mr. Maietti will also take over the role of President of the OMRON Management Center Europe. Mr. Maietti will be confirmed as Executive Officer of OMRON Corporation at the shareholder's meeting on June 22nd, 2006.

The gift endows the KUKA Chair of Robotics to be held by international robotics expert Dr. Henrik Christensen. Also donated is a KUKA KR 15SL stainless steel robot to be used to develop automation solutions for various industries including the poultry and fruit industries.

The service which is based on the Skype VoIP service will allow IMAC Users with a Skype handset to make free calls direct to the IMAC Technical Support Team. Internet Voice, also known as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), is a technology that allows you to make telephone calls using a broadband Internet connection instead of a regular phone line.

The combination of Escort’s premier RFID product offering and ACC’s expertise in MES Systems Integration, offers manufacturing clients the ability to implement highly integrated systems to improve the management of product information in their production operations.

The expansion will add onto the existing Qatargas site. Train No. 4 is scheduled to begin delivery of 7.8 million tons annually in late 2007, and train No. 5 is scheduled to produce an additional 7.8 million tons annually beginning one to two years later. Emerson is the Main Automation Contractor and is supplying its PlantWebR digital plant architecture for the project.

PSI Engineering, a leader in material handling and inline document automation solutions has developed the Laser Mail 5020 which can print high quality customer information directly on to photo bags/envelopes in one pass. The Laser Mail 5020 will print logos, barcodes, customer particulars and pricing information onto various sized photo bags/envelopes.

The Datalogic Group is a leading manufacturer of CCD and laser-based bar code readers, mobile computers and RFID systems. The Intermec Rapid Start program, which concluded Aug. 31, 2005, provides participants access to various portfolios of the intellectual property encompassed within Intermec's 150+ RFID patents. Although the Intermec Rapid Start Program is now closed, Datalogic's acquisition of PSC triggered various provisions within the Rapid Start license agreement. As the parent of PSC, Datalogic now becomes an Intermec RFID licensee.

The user-led board of the Emerson Global Users Exchange has announced that plans are under way for the assembly’s 2006 conference to be held October 2nd – 6th at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The board has set the theme of Learn, Lead, Unleash to convey the promise that this year’s conference will deliver through its continuing focus on educational and leadership sessions for all levels of process manufacturing professionals.

Under terms of the agreement, Honeywell customers will now be able to purchase the Integrity software as an OEM product – to be called “Automation Change Manager™” – directly from Honeywell. The Automation Change Manager product will make use of the Integrity Asset Model plug-ins to manage embedded Intellectual Property (IP) in all types of control systems, real-time databases, advanced controls and other automation and automation-related assets, including those delivered by Honeywell and most other vendors.

These experienced Temposonics® repair centers are also authorized, full-service MTS Sensors distributors for the Temposonics product line, specializing in fluid power and controls and offering comprehensive applications, field support, and products.

Wavetrend has appointed Robin Halliday as its new CFO. An experienced finance professional with an established and successful track record as Chief Finance Officer of both public and private technology growth companies, Robin brings to the group in-depth operational experience of managing the finance and back office support teams of high growth technology businesses.

The committee, ISA SP103, will develop a standard to fully integrate fieldbuses, devices and sub-systems as seamless parts of the automation life-cycle. The main application domains will be industrial process control and manufacturing execution systems.

The integrated engineering environment, including SmartPlant 3D, will be deployed across the company to integrate engineering and analysis, modeling and design, materials management and project implementation, and information management for their Advanced CANDU Reactors (ACR-1000). The ACR-1000 is an evolutionary, Generation III+, 1200 MWe class pressure tube reactor, designed to meet industry and public expectations for safe, reliable, environmentally friendly and low-cost nuclear generation.

ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, said today no appeals have been filed with the U.S. District Court opposing a revised Plan of Reorganization for its U.S. subsidiary, Combustion Engineering (CE), which means the plan is now final.

VoiceBox® Technologies Inc., the innovator in conversational voice search and control technologies, and Green Hills Software Inc., the leader in real-time operating systems (RTOS) and device software optimization (DSO), announced today that VoiceBox has selected the Green Hills Software INTEGRITY operating system as the RTOS for its voice-enabled XM Satellite Radio reference platform for automotive OEMs and aftermarket.