Industrial/Automation Electronics

Automation applications are taking full advantage of newer, smaller form factor SBCs, ICs for interface and measurement, and loads of other technology enhancements. For example, the small EPOS2 motor control module 36/2 from Maxon (www.maxonmotor.com) is designed to control brush and brushless dc motors. The 54 x 28 x 9-mm plug-in module offers full motion-control functionality, suits single- or multiple-axis applications at up to 36 V and 2 A, and can be operated as a position, speed, or current controller.

The ADP1043 digital PWM power control and management IC from Analog Devices (www.analog.com) offers an intuitive GUI to provide reduced design time for ac-to-dc and isolated dc/dc power supplies used in high-reliability server, storage, and communications equipment. The chip’s digital control engine works with a GUI and an I2 C interface, making it easy to monitor and reconfigure system power supply parameters such as frequency, timing, voltage, and protection limits. Features include a seven-output PWM capable of controlling most topologies and program and data memory.

A customized industrial controller can sometimes save cost, save space, and simplify deployment, compared to a general-purpose PLC. An example is a cryogenic pump controller custom-developed by Orchid Technologies (www.orchid-tech.com) that had size, safety, and reliability as paramount concerns. Cryogenic pump control makes use of specialized pressure and temperature sensors. Motors, heating, and liquid flow systems were all precisely controlled. Based on a low-cost Freescale HCS12 processor, the cryogenic pump controller replaced thousands of dollars of general-purpose PLC equipment.

Embedded technologies for industrial automation is being driven by several key trends. Low-cost Atom 45-nm processors, Ethernet communications, and safety aspects in accordance with the IEC61508 are all in the limelight. The recently announced Kontron (www.kontron.com) Nano Client is an Intel Atom-based touch panel PC. The cost effective IP66 enclosure protected fanless units are ideal for swivel arm mounted or free-standing human/machine shop floor interfaces in harsh environments.

NEC Electronics’ (www.am.necel.com) 32-bit V850ES/JH3-E and V850ES/JJ3-E MCUs offer Ethernet connectivity and large capacity memory, up to 512 Kbytes of flash and 124 Kbytes of RAM, to support remote and supervisory control of industrial devices and building-management systems. The MCUs also include interfaces for full-speed USB 2.0 and CAN, a motor-control timer, and a real-time counter.

L-com Global Connectivity (www.l-com.com) has announced two new families of IP67 IEEE 1394 Firewire cables assemblies for use in industrial or harsh environments. The WP946PXX series features assemblies with one IP67 male to one standard six-position male connector, and another version with an IP67 female six position to a standard six position male connector.

SYSGO (www.sysgo.com) is releasing ELinOS 5.0, a major version of it’s pioneering of industrial-grade Linux now 10 years old. This new version brings improvements such as the support of a new Linux kernel (2.6.27), a new version of the Eclipse based IDE CODEO, and the support of Adobe Flash Lite

Distributor DigiKey (www.digikey.com) is featuring the Texas Instruments’ XTR300 a complete output driver for industrial- and process-control applications. The output can be configured as current or voltage by a select pin and no external shunt resistor is needed. Only gain-setting resistors and a loop compensation capacitor are required.

The Linx Technology (www.linxtechnologies.com) HS series of OEM compact handheld RF-transmitter-based remote controls provide a high level of security. They have been certified for FCC Part 15, Industry Canada, and European CE compliance. Available in 315, 418, or 433.92 MHz, the remotes have an internal antenna element and are capable of transmitting over 750 ft, when combined with the LR Series RF receiver. The transmitter unit can be configured with one to eight buttons with labeling modified to meet specific OEM requirements.

Jim Harrison