Small server connects industrial devices to Ethernet
The Lantronix UDS-10-IAP device server, designed for light industrial applications, lets you quickly and easily connect legacy factory-floor devices or equipment to Ethernet networks. Because it supports both Ethernet and industrial communications standards such as DF1 and Modbus, the UDS-10-IAP allows remote information access and management to almost any type of device or equipment. "Ordinary device servers allow only a single, bi-directional stream of data but the IAP line lets multiple masters and clients share a device, much as a print server manages sharing a printer among many users," says Lantronix Lead Engineer Lynn Linse. The UDS-10-IAP is smaller than a deck of cards and attaches to an industrial device through a built-in serial port. It allows data rates from 300 to 115,200 bits per second. It operates in a temperature range of 5 to 50C (41 to 122F) and withstands storage temperatures of -40 to 66C (-40 to 151F). Lantronix: Enter 515
Industrial computer serves up Web pages
The rugged PPM-TX single-board computer from WinSystems is network-enabled, so it can send and receive information over the Internet even as it performs its primary functions in hot or cold industrial environments. It can even function as a simple web server, says WinSystems Vice President Bob Burckle, allowing manufacturing engineers, for example, to check the status of their remote equipment from any desktop browser. "We have been driven by our customers to make sure that every new product we bring out is network enabled," Burckle says. The low-power, Pentium-based PPM-TX comes in a compact PC-104 format, and works over a temperature range of -40 to 85C without the need for forced-air cooling. It has an internal floating-point processor for math-intensive applications and MMX technology for compatibility with Windows, MS-DOS, and Linux. WinSystems: Enter 516
Processors are powerful power misers
By 2006, according to Forrester Research, 80% of all new vehicles will have built-in terminals that provide wireless music, movies, and games. Intel's XScale technology, implemented in a new family of processors, aims to make it possible. "Consumers have experienced the benefit of telematics in emergency roadside assistance and basic navigation systems, but that's only the beginning," notes Patrick Kerrigan, Marketing Director of Intel's telematic operation. Two new XScale processors, the 400-MHz PXA250 and the 200-MHz PXA210, provide power not only for in-vehicle (telematic) systems, but also for multimedia cell phones, handheld computers, and other wireless Internet devices. The processors provide computation-intensive multimedia while being miserly with battery power. Incorporated multimedia technology improves sound quality, gives advanced graphics effects, and increases the number of frames per second in video. A special "turbo" mode revs up the chip's clock rates when number crunching is necessary and slows them down to save power when demands are low. Intel: Enter 517
For 3D printing to make the jump from rapid prototyping to manufacturing, engineers will need to find easier ways to move products from their CAD screens to their printers.
Gigabit and PoE are two networking technologies moving ahead in tandem as industrial users power remote Ethernet devices such as IP security cameras at 1,000 Mbps over existing CAT5 cable.
New versions of BASF's Ecovio line are both compostable and designed for either injection molding or thermoforming. These combinations are becoming more common for the single-use bioplastics used in food service and food packaging applications, but are still not widely available.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
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For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
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