Technology Updates (Hanover Fair 2009 Report 3)
loading… There was news of progress in a number of technology areas: IO-Link, wireless, PROFIBUS, and PROFINET. IO-Link products are appearing more rapidly. IO-Link is not a fieldbus, but allows digital communications over the device’s cable. This led me to characterize it as “HART for discrete.” Conventional devices can be interchanged with IO-Link devices easing…
PROFIsafe in Hanover (Hanover Fair 2009 Report 2)
loading… The PROFIsafe wall gets longer with every fair. Befitting its longevity, I suppose. PROFIsafe began over 10 years ago. Through last year there were 630,000 PROFIsafe nodes installed. Based on the ARC report that the total number of bus-capable safety devices is 700,000, PROFIsafe has a 90% market share. PROFIsafe is the only bus-based…
The Hanover Fair Experience (Hanover Fair 2009 Report 1)
loading… This is my first post on the Fair; I’ll introduce you to the fair itself and the PI booth. Later posts will provide specific news of PROFIBUS and PROFINET. Hanover Fair was not as well-attended as past years, but everyone I spoke with felt that attendance was better than they expected. The mid-day crowds…
Over 100 fill the room in Pittsburgh for PROFIBUS training
loading… Manny and Mike were in Pittsburgh for the PROFIBUS one-day training class. Here’s Manny’s report: Last Wednesday’s PROFIBUS Training Class in Pittsburgh marked our largest PROFIBUS class of 2009. Over one hundred people packed the room at the Hilton to learn about the latest developments in PROFIBUS technology. Even though we did not quite…
PROFINET in Austin
loading… There were 45 of us in Austin for the PROFINET one-day training class. Not many compared to the previous day’s PROFIBUS class in Pittsburgh with 102, but still a very engaged group posing lots of questions for us. So many questions that we did not finish until 5:00 pm! Despite the late finish, most…
Industrial Ethernet Comparisons
loading… EtherCAT held a seminar in our backyard (Scottsdale) this week and I could not pass up the opportunity to find out more about this technology. (I had already been to an Ethernet/IP seminar a couple years ago.) I did learn some new things about EtherCAT. And since we are reciprocating with a PROFINET one-day…
Webcast: Ethernet-Based Industrial Communication Protocols
loading… I took part in a webcast sponsored by PTO member National Instruments that covered IEEE1588, PROFINET, and two other Industrial Ethernet protocols. If you want the 10-minute overview of PROFINET (and some others) you can view the archived version on the Automation World website at http://www.automationworld.com/webcast-5345.
Greenville Process Class
loading… Manny Mandrusiak reports from our Greenville PROFIBUS in the Process Industries one-day training class: I used to enjoy reading magazines where they had issues that were “Assistant Editor’s Months” – issues where the Assistant Editor wrote the column, with a little different perspective. Well that would make me the “Assistant Blogger” for Carl. I…
ABB Worlds of PROFI
loading… I’m on my flight back home from Orlando and ABB Automation and Power World. There was lots of news about PROFIBUS and PROFINET there. The trade press covers the general news, so I’ll fill in the fieldbus and PROFI news. At last year’s conference, ABB talked about a concept to use Industrial Ethernet…
Report from Columbus
loading… Part of our new approach is to include all the paperwork plus the class CD in the handout. I was afraid that not trading CDs for Course Evaluations at the end of the day would reduce the number of evaluations that we got back. My fear is now assuaged. We got a lot of…