Contributing Editor Terry Costlow has covered industrial automation for several years, describing the impact many technologies have had on manufacturing environments. He’s written about a range of technical issues since the early 1980s. Email address: tcostlow@comcast.net
5 results found for Terry Costlow, displaying items 1 - 5
April 23, 2009[Engineering Feature] USB Flexes Its Industrial Strength
As PCs proliferate, their technologies become more affordable for a growing range of industrial applications. Programmable automation controllers, for example, are basically ruggedized PCs. Meanwhile, Ethernet has transformed from an office/home network to an industrial network that’s rapidly becoming the norm in factories. USB is also extending its industrial presence. Dataacquisition systems use it for easy connections and expansion. Robots employ USB for...
April 23, 2009[Engineering Feature] The USB 3.0 Speed Bump
The latest version of USB, completed last year, increases bandwidth up to 5 Gbits/s, moving 25 Gbytes in only 70 seconds. While most industrial applications won’t need that much speed for I/O applications, observers feel that USB 3.0 will eventually play a role in applications that move lots of data. Though the first CPUs supporting the standard won’t move into high volume until later this year, industrial designers are already speculating how engineers may use...
November 17, 2008[Engineering Feature] Security Challenges Move To The Factory Floor
Industrial operations gain many benefits by moving to Ethernet and TCP/IP, but those gains bring a potential downside: These popular technologies open plants up to viruses and attacks from outsiders. The shift to business networking makes it easier to move data throughout an enterprise. It’s also easier to maintain a well-known architecture than to manage networks built around lesser-known field buses. But the gains come with some tradeoffs. Manufacturing facilities...
November 17, 2008[Engineering Feature] Working Without Wires
Plant managers are adding a powerful tool in their efforts to gather more data and keep equipment running smoothly— wireless networking. It lets them locate sensors anywhere, move equipment without routing wires, and perform tasks that would have been difficult or even impossible. A range of wireless technologies is seeing increased usage as engineers gain confidence that they will work flawlessly in harsh industrial networks. In fact, acceptance of...
November 17, 2008[Engineering Feature] PACs Become Task Masters
As global pressures squeeze manufacturers, many feel the urgency to optimize equipment in their plants. Existing controls are being tossed out and replaced with modern programmable automation controllers (PACs) that deliver more processing capabilities and more network connectivity. PACs have been gaining acceptance for years, giving engineers a single platform to address a broad range of needs. These platforms include software, which eradicates the ...
