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CTL1205_Cover_V4msFINAL.indd 2 5/2/12 5:02 PM
Features:
1.2" x 1.2" x 1.7" deep
1/8" NPT process connection for: air, non-corrosive gases,
non-flammable gases. (NOT for use in liquid applications)
Repeatability +/- 3% of full scale
Two digital outputs (NPN or PNP) which may be set individually, and a 4-20 mA analog output
Two vacuum to pressure ranges (-14.5 to 14.5 psi and -14.5 to 145 psi)
Three operation modes: Easy, Window and Hysteresis
3-color digital LCD display
6 pressure unit conversions
Lockable keypad
Unit parameters are easily copied to other pressure switch units
Selectable response times to eliminate output chattering
Fast zero reset
Optional panel mount and bracket kits
Agency approvals: cULus (E157382), CE, RoHS
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ProSense Digital
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1205-ControlEngineering-ProcessSensorDigital-MAG:sensors-digital 4/16/2012 1:31 PM Page 1
input #1 at www.controleng.com/information
CTL120501-MAG_Ads.indd 2 5/1/2012 6:23:19 PM
COPYRIGHT 2012 NEWPORTELECTRONICS, INC. ALLRIGHTSRESERVED.
e-mail:info@newportUS.com
The and INF-B temperature controllers, panel meters, and signal conditioners
connect to an Ethernet network and can email or send text messages to your cell
phone. You can monitor and control temperature or any process through a web
browser over the Internet!
Universal Inputs
Thermocouple
RTD
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Choice of Outputs
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Autotune PID Control
Form C SPDT Relays
Solid State Relays
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1-800-NEWPORT
1365_Control_Engineering_0412_May_2012 4/9/12 4:31 PM Page 1

2 MAY 2012 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com
FEATURE
FEATURE
features
Vol. 59
Number 5
28
Focus on quality: Machine vision
A well-designed machine vision system enables manufacturers to improve product quality, enhance process
control, and increase manufacturing efficiency while lowering the total cost of ownership.
34
Integrated HMI/PLC packages offer convenience in the
right applications
Choices of controllers that include an integrated HMI in one package are growing. These promise greater
simplicity if the combination of elements works in your situation.
40
Control panel, enclosure design advice
Design considerations for enclosures include ratings, filters, input and output, networking, safety, heating
and cooling, and access.
43
System integration services: In-house or hired out?
Should automation and process control services and system integration projects be performed in-house or
hired out? Advice follows from system integrators working on the front lines of project management.
COVER STORY
28
34
43
MAY 2012 COVERING CONTROL, INSTRUMENTATION, AND AUTOMATION SYSTEMS WORLDWIDE
CONTROL ENGINEERING (ISSN 0010-8049, Vol. 59, No. 5, GST #123397457) is published 12x per year, Monthly by CFE Media, LLC, 1111 W. 22nd Street, Suite #250, Oak Brook, IL 60523. Jim Langhenry, Group Publisher
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www.controleng.com CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2012 5
8 THINK AGAIN
Your best day today
10 PRODUCT EXCLUSIVE
Multi-touch panel PC; data
acquisition and control system
12 ENGINEERING SOCIAL MEDIA
Cloud computing, alarm
management
14 IT & ENGINEERING INSIGHT
Project management: All hands
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16 MACHINE SAFETY
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with industrial safety?
18 TECH UPDATE
Evolving backlights for HMIs
64 BACK TO BASICS
Data packets
departments
20 Efficiency needs a system
approach, depends on individual
applications
22 Nuclear power: 2012 overture
24 Control Engineering International:
Global engineering tips; praise
for U.S. manufacturing
news
61 Quiet computer; flexible fuse
blocks; motion controller;
combustion analyzer
62 Power quality analyzer; industrial
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products
Inside Process
Starts after p. 46. If not, see www.controleng.com/archive for May.
P1
Buy or build your process
control system
One DCS supplier makes the case for buying a comprehensive
control system to run your process unit rather than a do-it-yourself
PLC-based approach.

P10
Filling bottles:
Go with the flowmeter
As bottle-filling machines look for greater speed and consistency,
some users move from older weigh cell technology to flowmeter-
based systems, but its a tough application.
CONTENTS
PRODUCT EXCLUSIVE
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630-571-4070, x2212, BVavra@CFEMedia.com
Amara Rozgus, Content Manager
630-571-4070, x2211, ARozgus@CFEMedia.com
Amanda McLeman, Project Manager
630-571-4070, x2209, AMcleman@CFEMedia.com
Chris Vavra, Content Specialist
630-571-4070, x2219, CVavra@CFEMedia.com
Brandon Marcellis, Content Specialist
BMarcellis@CFEMedia.com
Contributing Content Specialists
Frank J. Bartos, P.E.,
braunbart@sbcglobal.net
Jeanine Katzel jkatzel@sbcglobal.net
Vance VanDoren Ph.D., P.E.,
controleng@msn.com
Suzanne Gill, European Editor
suzanne.gill@imlgroup.co.uk
Michael Majchrzak, Control Engineering Russia
mike_majchrzak@trademedia.us
Katarzyna Jakubek, Poland Editor-in-Chief
kj@utrzymanieruchu.pl
Milan Katrusak, Czech Editor-in-Chief
mk@controlengcesko.com
Andy Zhu, Control Engineering China
andyzhu@cechina.cn
Publication Services
Jim Langhenry, Co-Founder/Publisher, CFE Media
630-571-4070, x2203; JLanghenry@CFEMedia.com
Steve Rourke, Co-Founder, CFE Media
630-571-4070, x2204, SRourke@CFEMedia.com
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630-571-4070, x2205, TKelly@CFEMedia.com
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630-571-4070, x2215; EMYounger@CFEMedia.com
Michael Smith, Creative Director
630-779-8910, MSmith@CFEMedia.com
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630-571-4070, x2208, PBrouch@CFEMedia.com
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717-766-0211 x4207, Fax: 717-506-7238
mike.rotz@frycomm.com
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Letters to the editor
Please e-mail us your opinions to
MHoske@CFEMedia.com or fax us at 630-214-4504.
Letters should include name, company, and address,
and may be edited for space and clarity.
Information
For a Media Kit or Editorial Calendar,
email Trudy Kelly at TKelly@CFEMedia.com.
Reprints
For custom reprints or electronic usage, contact:
Wrights Media Nick Iademarco
Phone: 877-652-5295 ext. 102
Email: niademarco@wrightsmedia.com
Publication Sales
Barb Hoffman, Midwest/South East
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Stuart Smith, International
Tel. +44 208 464 5577 stuart.smith@ssm.co.uk 8 MAY 2012 CONTROL ENGINEERING www.controleng.com
D
ont live the stereotype that engi-
neers cannot excel in commu-
nicating, said Michael Allosso,
communication specialist, after
his You on your best day instructional
session at the 2012 CSIA annual meeting.
In the two days prior to his presentation,
Allosso got to know the system integrator
crowd. The former high school drama teach-
er and college theater professor also is an
actor (credits include working as maitre d
with Steve Martin in Pink Panther 2) and
director. He customized his message on the
fly, according to audience needs.
You owe yourself and everyone around
you to be up every minute of your day, at
work, at homeinspiring other and being
inspired. And you can do it with talents you
already have, cultivating them to improve
and inspire. Leadership skills are infectious,
he said.
After truthfully and specifically critiqu-
ing and praising* an introduction from Bob
Lowe, CSIA executive director, Allosso said
system integrator leaders and other engi-
neers can effectively inspire those around
them by removing a few impediments,
internalizing a few tricks, moving a small
bag of techniques to the forefront, and prac-
ticing just a little.
He asked the audience to improve how
they interact by using, cultivating, and
enhancing the following skills, offered by
system integrators, with Allossos guid-
ance: imagination and creativity, improvi-
sation, confidence and courage, empathy,
understand and connect with people, self
awareness, perseverance, immersion, accept
criticism and make needed changes as you
go, and ambition and passion.
More top traits
Other useful traits cultivated by those at
the top of their game include: intelligence,
listening, willingness to take risks, and
charisma (presence, owning a room, vocal
skills, having it.) Body language also is
important, along with believability.
More traits for better leadership in com-
munication include:
Energy and enthusiasm, often top of
the list, make up the life force of leader-
ship. If being up all day long seems
counter-intuitive, remember how you have
more energy at the end of your workout.
Focus and concentration: Ensure that
youre in the moment, in the zone.
Breathe, punctuating what you say
with beat changes and adjustments, avoid-
ing vocal homogeneity, with dynamics, as
in music.
Eye contact. No matter how large the
room, you should make the effort to look at
everyone.
Micro-messages are the small things
we do that can create powerful responses
in others.
Give feedback the right way to get
positive results. Be truthful, specific, and
positive (TSP)*. Dont make praise over-
blown or out of context.
Heighten your stakeslive like your
life depends on it. Be excellent.
Dont just coast. Develop and use your
gifts.
Think again. What tools do YOU need
to be outstanding? he asked.
- 3 tips for engineers from Michael Allosso to
Control Engineering readers
- More detailed advice with acting anecdotes
- 2 photos of Michael Allosso
- More advice from the CSIA meeting
http://controleng.com/integration
www.controlsys.org
ONLINE
THINK AGAIN THINK AGAIN
editorial
Your best day today
Engineers shouldnt downplay their communication
skills or abilities to be dynamic business leaders,
said Michael Allosso, communication specialist, at
the CSIA 2012 meeting. Living your best day can
inspire those around you to do the same.
1111 W. 22nd St. Suite 250, Oak Brook, IL 60523
630-571-4070, Fax 630-214-4504
MHoske@CFEMedia.com
Content Specialists/Editorial
630-571-4070, x2214, MHoske@CFEMedia.com
Peter Welander, Content Manager
630-571-4070, x2213, PWelander@CFEMedia.com
Patrick Lynch, Project Manager/Engineers Choice
630-571-4070, x2210, PLynch@CFEMedia.com
Bob Vavra, Content Manager
630-571-4070, x2212, BVavra@CFEMedia.com
Amara Rozgus, Content Manager
630-571-4070, x2211, ARozgus@CFEMedia.com
Amanda McLeman, Project Manager
630-571-4070, x2209, AMcleman@CFEMedia.com
Chris Vavra, Content Specialist
630-571-4070, x2219, CVavra@CFEMedia.com
Brandon Marcellis, Content Specialist
BMarcellis@CFEMedia.com
Contributing Content Specialists
Frank J. Bartos, P.E.,
braunbart@sbcglobal.net
Jeanine Katzel jkatzel@sbcglobal.net
Vance VanDoren Ph.D., P.E.,
controleng@msn.com
Suzanne Gill, European Editor
suzanne.gill@imlgroup.co.uk
Michael Majchrzak, Control Engineering Russia
mike_majchrzak@trademedia.us
Katarzyna Jakubek, Poland Editor-in-Chief
kj@utrzymanieruchu.pl
Milan Katrusak, Czech Editor-in-Chief
mk@controlengcesko.com
Andy Zhu, Control Engineering China
andyzhu@cechina.cn
Publication Services
Jim Langhenry, Co-Founder/Publisher, CFE Media
630-571-4070, x2203; JLanghenry@CFEMedia.com
Steve Rourke, Co-Founder, CFE Media
630-571-4070, x2204, SRourke@CFEMedia.com
Trudy Kelly, Executive Assistant,
630-571-4070, x2205, TKelly@CFEMedia.com
Elena Moeller-Younger, Marketing Manager
630-571-4070, x2215; EMYounger@CFEMedia.com
Michael Smith, Creative Director
630-779-8910, MSmith@CFEMedia.com
Paul Brouch, Web Production Manager
630-571-4070, x2208, PBrouch@CFEMedia.com
Michael Rotz, Print Production Manager
717-766-0211 x4207, Fax: 717-506-7238
mike.rotz@frycomm.com
Maria Bartell, Account Director, U.S. Sales
630-288-8310; mbartell@mardevdm2.com
Rick Ellis, Audience Management Director
Phone: 303-246-1250; REllis@CFEMedia.com
Letters to the editor
Please e-mail us your opinions to
MHoske@CFEMedia.com or fax us at 630-214-4504.
Letters should include name, company, and address,
and may be edited for space and clarity.
Information
For a Media Kit or Editorial Calendar,
email Trudy Kelly at TKelly@CFEMedia.com.
Reprints
For custom reprints or electronic usage, contact:
Wrights Media Nick Lademarco
Phone: 877-652-5295 ext. 102
Email: niademarco@wrightsmedia.com
Publication Sales
Barb Hoffman, Midwest/South East
248-538-8804 BHoffman@CFEMedia.com
Bailey Rice, Midwest
630-571-4070 x2206 BRice@CFEMedia.com
Iris Seibert, West Coast
858-270-3753 ISeibert@CFEMedia.com
Julie Timbol, East Coast
978-929-9495 JTimbol@CFEMedia.com
Stuart Smith, International
Tel. +44 208 464 5577 stuart.smith@ssm.co.uk
CTL1205_Think_V3msFINAL.indd 8 5/3/12 10:55 AM
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CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2012 11
T
he new MAQ20 Industrial Data
Acquisition and Control System
from Dataforth Corp. is said to
be a high- performance, highly
flexible system for factory, process, and
machine automation; military and aero-
space; power and energy; oil and gas;
and environmental monitoring.
The initial MAQ20 system offering is
a family of DIN rail-mounted, program-
mable, multi-channel, industrially rug-
ged signal conditioning input and output
modules and communication modules.
Modules mount on the industry standard
35 x 7.5 mm gull-wing DIN rail; a back-
bone mounts within the rail to provide
power and communication interconnec-
tions between the communication mod-
ules and each I/O module.
Bill McGovern, national sales man-
ager. One communication module can
interface to up to 24 I/O modules to con-
struct a system with a maximum of 384
channels that fits within a standard 19-in.
instrumentation rack.
MAQ20 modules include two com-
munication modules, analog input mod-
ules (process voltage, process current,
thermocouple, RTD, strain gage, fre-
quency), analog output modules (process
current, voltage output), and discrete
input/output modules with five channels
of input and five of output per module.
Key features include: ReDAQ Shape
monitoring and control software; 1500
Vrms channel-to-bus isolation; 0.035%
accuracy; -40 C to +75 C operating tem-
perature. System power comes from a
7-34 V dc power source connected to the
communication module; for more power,
load-sharing power boost modules can
be installed in standard I/O module slots.
ReDAQ Shape for MAQ20 software
enables users to easily create, save, and
open graphical user interface projects for
test, process, data collection, and data
analysis applications.
Dataforth
www.dataforth.com
Industrial data acquisition
and control system
Dataforth MAQ20 Industrial Data Acquisition and Control
System: DIN rail-mounted, programmable, multi-channel,
rugged signal conditioning I/O and communication modules
CTL1205_ProdExcl_V3msFINAL.indd 11 5/2/12 2:29 PM
Social media for engineers, such as Linke-
dIns Automation & Control Engineering Group,
provide a platform for automation and control
engineers to share ideas, opinions, and solutions.
CFE Medias Control Engineering manages and
monitors this discussion platform. Some insights
follow, with more posted online.
Will cloud computing technology be adopt-
ed in process control and automation systems?
Majed Al Braik, an oil and energy profes-
sional in the United Arab Emirates and control
engineering section leader at ADMA OPCO,
wondered this out loud to fellow members of
LinkedIns Automaton & Control Engineering
Group and drew an array of insights.
Cloud computing is the way to go, noted Al
Braik, for high-level applications of industrial
control such as historians, human-machine inter-
faces, training systems, and asset management.
Adopting this technology at these levels pro-
vides beneficial and optimum hardware solutions
for offshore applications where space may be
limited, he said, but security threads may be of
concern if the cloud is exposed to a dirty network
(for instance, the Internet). With a limited local
cloud, security threads on my process control
system may be controllable with appropriate pro-
tection and mitigation measures. Some robust
cloud-computing software may become available
for process control, he suggested.
Group members remarks varied. It may well
happen, said John Blackburn, design engineer
at KAS Paper Systems LTD, Milton Keynes,
UK, but I think it would be a bad move. Too
many people are too inventive in ways to put
data at risk. You have no idea where critical
data are, who is responsible for keeping the data
secure, or what the motivation is of those who
are keeping the data secure. Cloud computing
proponents may tout security technology used
to protect a system, but Ive heard it all before.
In Blackburns view, controls engineers
should keep their hardware and software systems
under their purview.
Dave Hellyer, vice president, channel sales,
Tatsoft LLC, Dixon, Ill., said cloud strategies
can offer lower investment requirements in hard-
ware, software, infrastructure, and maintenance
personnel. It is not a requirement that all clouds
be public. Companies looking to modernize their
infrastructure and gain these advantages are
implementing their own private clouds. Anoth-
er advantage to implementing cloud strategies is
that software leveraging cloud technologies pro-
vides an engineering environment where multi-
ple engineers can work on the same project from
many locations simultaneously, using engineer-
ing resources more efficiently and productively.
Alarm priorities
The alarm management discussion was equal-
ly productive. Initiated by Morgan Wilson,
project engineer, Streat Automation, Christ-
church, New Zealand, this forum focused on
finding effective ways to present alarmsespe-
cially critical onesto plant operators. Alarm
lists get out of control quickly, said Wilson.
Hundreds can swamp a system. We reduce them
by planning carefully and setting severity lev-
els, she said, but acknowledge fever can still
impact some operators. In addition, she went
on, pop-up style alarms can be overly intrusive
when run on the same SCADA that the opera-
tor uses for control. Does anyone have any other
ideas for SCADA-based alarming?
Carl Lemp, contract automation engi-
neer, Pfizer, Lincoln, NE, USA, said key issues
include: An overwhelming number of alarms;
operators uncertain of what to do when a new
alarm occurs; Acknowledge fever, or confu-
sion from too many alarms at one time.
Trying to find a better system to manage
alarms after they are generated is like trying
to manage spam after it is in your inbox, said
Lemp. It will always be a struggle. If possible,
he said, develop an alarm strategy and decide
which alarms can be eliminated. Once unneces-
sary alarms are removed, those remaining can
be streamlined and more easily managed by the
existing systems alarm management features. ce
-Jeanine Katzel, contributing editor to Con-
trol Engineering, is at jkatzel@sbcglobal.net.
w
SOCIAL MEDIA
w
SOCIAL MEDIA
engineering
Cloud computing,
alarm management
Jeanine Katzel
An alarm
strategy can
help decide
which alarms
can be
eliminated.
What topics are hot in the LinkedIn Automation & Control Engineering Group?
Cloud computing and alarm presentation provoke lively dialogue. Read more online.
ONLINE
More of these discussions
http://bit.ly/IgKN3v
U.S. Manufacturing: Engineer-
ing Social Media - Is Industry
Returning to the U.S.?
http://bit.ly/wzNbvG
Has social media combined
with process control systems
yet? Were you fooled?
http://bit.ly/HPAl6I
Social media for Engineers:
LinkedIn Automation & Control
Engineering Group Click the
link atop
www.controleng.com.
CTL1205_Social_V3msFINAL.indd 12 5/2/12 2:30 PM
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O
ne of the classic books of soft-
ware engineering deals with project
management. Unfortunately, many
automation engineers and project
managers are not familiar with the work. The
book is The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on
Software Engineering by Frederick P. Brooks.
Originally published in 1975, updated in 1982
and again in 1995, it is based on a series of IBM
development projects.
One of the primary lessons taught in the book
is that adding manpower to a late software
project makes it later. This simple and timeless
lesson is often forgotten in the rush to complete
projects, especially if a project is in trouble late
in the development cycle.
The reason for this non-intuitive lesson, also
known as Brooks Law, is that software proj-
ects, including automation software projects,
have inherent integration requirements. Pieces
must fit together, with no errors, for the system
to work correctly. Yet software is not visible or
easily reviewable until the pieces are ready for
integration. To make a reliable system, communi-
cations among architects, developers, managers,
and users must be plentiful.
As people are added to a project, the com-
munication paths increase nonlinearly, while the
benefit of the additional people increases lin-
early, at best. In addition, there are other costs
to adding people to a project, such as additional
training, additional systems and tools, and addi-
tional coordination meetings.
When a project is behind schedule, upper
management sometimes has a desire to throw
resources at the project hoping that it will fix the
problem. In some projects teams, outsiders will
descend on the project team to help, often only
getting in the way, creating more paperwork, and
taking valuable time in getting up to speed on
the project. These activities delay the project and
make the already late project even later.
How to avoid more delay
There is a way around this dilemma by adding
resources that meet very specific requirements
and by having a project organization that is
designed for the late addition of personnel. If you
are adding people late in the project, then you
must minimize their interactions with other team
members. This means that people you add must
be already trained in the system being used, must
understand the policies and procedures in place
for the project, must work on a very specific and
well-defined task, must be able to work indepen-
dently with minimal direction, and must not be
allowed to redefine requirements, designs, or
implementations that have already been agreed
to. You need experienced people who will not
step outside their immediate work area.
The second way to add people late in a project
and not make it even later is also discussed in
Brooks book under the chapter titled The Sur-
gical Team. If your project team can be orga-
nized using the surgical team model where every
member has a very special and well-defined role,
then communication paths are reduced and learn-
ing is reduced. A simple rule of thumb that can
be derived from Brooks Law is the maximum
number of people on a project is dependent on
the number of independent subtasks in the proj-
ect. The more tasks are subdivided because of
extra help, the longer it will take to complete
the subtasks.
Make sure that when you call all-hands-on-
deck to help finish a late project, all of the extra
resources dont further sink your project. If using
extra people at the end of the project, apply them
to independent subtasks, use experienced people,
and organize work to minimize required intra-
project communications. ce
- Dennis Brandl is president of BR&L Con-
sulting in Cary, N.C., www.brlconsulting.com.
His firm focuses on manufacturing IT. Contact
him at dbrandl@brlconsulting.com.
INSIGHT INSIGHT
IT & engineering
Project management: All hands
on deck may sink the project
Dennis Brandl
Simple and
timeless lesson:
Adding personnel
late in a software
project can make
the project even
later.
When you call All hands on deck! to help finish a late project,
ensure that all of the extra resources dont further sink the project. If
adding extra people at the end of a project, apply them to independent
subtasks, use experienced people, and organize work to minimize
required intra-project communications.
ONLINE
Use this link to see a longer
version of this article:
http://bit.ly/JRotyr Or search
on Brandl or project man-
agement atop
www.controleng.com.
Project management: All
hands on deck may sink the
project
What are your manufacturing
IT project principles?
CTL1205_Insight_V3msFINAL.indd 14 5/2/12 2:32 PM
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A
re the skilled trades persons entering
industry over the past 10 years equipped
to evaluate and trouble shoot 40-year-
old control systems without any connec-
tion for plugging in a lap top computer?
Clearly, 1970s technology pre-dated todays
advances in microprocessors, software, diag-
nostics, and Apple iPads. Almost everything in
an architecture involved hard wired components
and relay-based machine control. As technologies
advanced with PLCs, application software, and
diagnostics through the 70s, 80s, and 90s so did
the training for skilled trades persons. These folks
grew with the technology curve and had skill sets
to maintain and troubleshoot older systems. They
could maintain and troubleshoot the architectures
safety layer, required to stay hard wired, by indus-
try standards.
Fast forward to 2012 where the safety layer can
now be re-integrated with the rest of the machine
control system. This re-integration began in 2002
when NFPA 79, Electrical Standard for Industrial
Machinery, allowed Safety PLCs and safety com-
munication busses to be used for safety functions.
Since 2002 industry has seen skilled trades person-
nel leave the work force and new skilled trades
personnel enter. These young employees have gone
through school with electronic text books, high
tech systems in their labs, the internet as a basis for
communication, and iPads for daily use. What hap-
pens when a newly hired skilled trades person faces
a 40-year-old machine with a control system of 300
relays with one welded point? Theres no place to
plug in a lap top or IPad to diagnose the fault.
Is training the answer? Is there any place to get
training for 40-year-old control systems?
Do we have a skills gap in our trades personnel?
We still have a ton of old machine control systems
(including machine safety) and a shrinking pool of
skilled trades personnel with know how to main-
tain and trouble shoot these systems. People tell
me its hard to find qualified personnel capable to
revert to old schematics, analog meters, or even a
primary understanding of engineering basics. Ears
used to be a primary diagnostic tool. What are your
experiences?
Functional safety compliance
Who has the steps identified for anyone con-
sidering moving their machine safety compliance
to functional safety for their organization? Lets
assume for this discussion that functional safety
means being compliant with EN ISO 13849-1.
The general steps usually recommended for
engineers designing machine control systems are:
1.) Specify the safety functions
2.) Specify the required Performance Level(s)
(PLr) (goal)
3.) Technically design the safety circuit(s) to
achieve the safety function(s)
4.) Determine the specification of the Perfor-
mance Level(s) & their quantitative value
5.) Verify
6.) Validate
7.) Document
There may be variations to the above, and wed
certainly like to hear from you and your ideas.
However, does this really answer the question?
If youre the CEO, owner, or plant manager,
these steps dont even come close. Nothing here
addresses the business case, the cost benefit analy-
sis, the existence of a possible mandate, the impact
on employee injuries, or how to maintain compli-
ance with existing machines while adopting and
evolving over time to the new functional safety
approach. Might a plant manager want his supplier
of choice to provide a simple 5x7 card comparing
PL to Cat certified components? This would obvi-
ously be needed to replace a Cat component with
a PL component in an existing safety circuit. Cer-
tainly EN ISO 13849-1 considers that doesnt it?
Maybe not. Lets look at our domestic appli-
cation safety standards. Does anybody know of a
domestic machine safety standard that addresses
this issue? Will all suppliers (domestic and inter-
national) continue certifying safety components to
Cat while adding PL? If so, maybe the 5x7 compar-
ison card will not be required. Has anyone listed all
the business steps for moving to and adopting func-
tional safety for machine safety compliance? ce
- J.B. Titus, Certified Functional Safety Expert
(CFSE), writes the Control Engineering Machine
Safety Blog; jb@jbtitus.com; www.jbtitus.com.
w
SAFETY
w
SAFETY
machine
Old systems require more than
iPad skills; compliance
Is theres a machine safety trouble-shooting skills gap for older
systems? Functional safety compliance in the U.S.: Not even close.
JB Titus, CFSE
ONLINE
www.controleng.com/
blogs
Machine Guarding
trouble shooting old
systems is doomed with
iPad skills.
Machine Safety: Func-
tional safety and the
steps to be compliant in
the U.S.
Cost savings opportuni-
ties in machine safety
CTL1205_Safety_V3msFINAL.indd 16 5/2/12 5:39 PM
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11-MV-0181_ad_DCSNxt_steve_control_engin.indd 1 2/14/12 10:58 AM
F
rom cathode ray tube (CRT) displays to
cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL)
backlit liquid crystal displays (LCDs),
and now white light-emitting diode (LED)
backlit LCDs, touchscreen HMIs or operator
interfaces have come a long way since introduc-
tion in the early 1990s. Flat-panel displays have
become popular in the automation industry with
industrial computers and human machine inter-
faces (HMIs) connecting to PLCs and embedded
controller boards. HMI backlighting has evolved
significantly for applications in automotive, med-
ical, packaging, pharmaceuticals, food and bev-
erage, transportation, and many other industries.
Parameters such as display life, picture qual-
ity, and display brightness help determine which
HMI will best suit an application and its envi-
ronment. Modern HMIs LCDs have a backlight,
responsible for the light
emanating from the
screen. When flat-pan-
el LCDs replaced the
older CRT displays like
the ones used in older
panel-based operator
interfaces, CCFL back-
lights enhanced the
quality, brightness, and
life span of the HMIs as
compared to the old CRT displays. CCFL back-
light for LCDs began with a life span of 5,000 hr,
improving over time from 10,000 up to 50,000
hr of backlight life. Life span for CCFL backlit
LCDs depends on the HMI ambient tempera-
ture and humidity. CCFL backlit LCDs for more
expensive thin-film transistor (TFT) LCDs oper-
ating at 25 C (77 F) normally last about 50,000
hr, but the backlight life span changes with tem-
perature. If the temperature of the LCD rises to
about 40 C (104 F), CCFL backlight life deterio-
rates to roughly 20,000 hr (see graph).
As for relative humiditys effect on life span,
the wet bulb temperature of a CCFL back-
lit HMI is 39 C (102.2 F). Once a CCFL back-
lit LCD reaches its maximum humidity rating at
a given temperature, the backlight will give up
(see graph). CCFL challenges relate to how they
work. The CCFL light source is classified as an
electronic component, and is a gas-discharge light
source, which produces output from a stimulated
phosphor coating inside the glass lamp envelope.
The typical CCFL is a hollow glass cylinder,
coated inside with a phosphor material composed
of rare earth elements and sealed with a gettered
UPDATE UPDATE
Backlights evolution for human
machine interface (HMI) panels
technology
White LEDs show high-temperature advantages for touchscreen HMIs or operator
interface backlighting compared to cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) backlit
liquid crystal displays (LCDs).
ONLINE
Read more on this topic, with
additional diagrams at
http://bit.ly/JD8Jlu
Also see:
www.uticor.net
www.avg.net
http://flash.ezautomation.net
Comparison of CCFL vs.
white LED backlight life
measured against tem-
perature. Courtesy: AVG
Automation
White LED backlighting
from AVG Automation is
available in 4, 6, 8, 10,
and 15-in. Uticore and
EZTouch touchpanel
PCs; 15-in. shown.
Courtesy:
AVG Automation
Relative humidity tolerance of CCFL backlit
HMIs. Note: The area under the curve represents
safe region, and over the curve is the unsafe
region of CCFL backlit HMI operation. Courtesy:
AVG Automation
Relative humidity tolerance of white LED backlit
HMIs. Areas under the plot represent a safe
region whereas areas over the plot represent
unsafe regions of operation for white LED backlit
HMIs. (Compare to the smaller safe region for
CCFLs in Figure 2.) Courtesy: AVG Automation
Continued on p. 26
CTL1205_TechUpdate_V3msFINAL.indd 18 5/2/12 2:42 PM
Scalable controller and I/O
Powerful industrial PCs
User-friendly HMI and SCADA
Energy-efficient drive technology
Open PROFINET communications
Integrated safety technology
Single software environment in
TIA Portal
A complete solution makes the
best machines
2
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SOFTWARE & SERVICES POWER DISTRIBUTION ENCLOSURES CLIMATE CONTROL IT INFRASTRUCTURE
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Hundreds of options
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(206-A-10155)-15.75x3.5.indd 1 4/17/12 4:46 PM
To identify the most energy-effi-
cient pneumatic and electric automa-
tion, a technology-neutral comparison
is required. After considering differ-
ent alternatives, a German automotive
components supplier adopted a ready-
to-install energy-efficient handling
system. When consumers look for an
energy-saving washing machine, they
simply buy the device with the best
energy-efficiency rating. For manu-
facturers of washing machines, things
are more difficult. If they want the
most energy-efficient production facil-
ity, they realize that no certification of
energy-efficiency classes is available.
Energy efficiency in automation
is dependent on the industrial applica-
tion in question, explained Festo ener-
gy-efficiency expert Dr. Axel-Andreas
Gomeringer.
The only reason it is possible to
classify washing machines into ener-
gy-efficiency classes is that the usage
scenario of a washing machine as a
closed system is precisely known. For
example, all devices can be compared
easily on the basis of their standard
cotton program with a 60 C wash tem-
perature. For machinery and installa-
tions, however, the system parameters
are not clear. Should only the drive be
assessed, or the control chain, or the
entire factory?
Define tasks clearly
Any industrial application has its
specific requirements for technical
criteria such as speed, load capacity,
power to weight ratio, accuracy, control
behavior, rigidity under load, and effi-
ciency or robustness, and also for eco-
nomic criteria such as the purchase cost
(price, commissioning, installation) and
operating costs (maintenance, durabil-
ity, energy costs). In any application,
energy efficiency depends on the spe-
cific task. The task must be clearly
defined before the user chooses a drive
technologyelectric, pneumatic, or
a combination of the two, explained
Gomeringer, head of innovation and
Efficiency needs a system approach,
depends on individual applications
NEWS NEWS
industry
Tiny details matter
http://bit.ly/IT9jsv
...or HMI?
http://bit.ly/ITCR7D
CSIA record
http://bit.ly/KPiJIs
Real world engineering Video game... System integrators
High rigidity and low moving mass: The
pyramid-shaped, enclosed design makes
the robot highly dynamic. At the same
time, the handling unit is more accessible
and allows faster production. One mil-
lion relays a year are produced reliably
in different shifts using the Delta robot.
Courtesy: Festo
CTL1205_News_V5msFINAL.indd 20 5/2/12 5:42 PM
technology management at Festo.
With engineering software, a com-
mon dimensioning process for mechan-
ical drive and transmission components
and motors prevents a duplication of
safety factors, which would result in
oversized electric drive systems and
a waste of energy. Calculations have
shown that, with consistent use of siz-
ing software, energy costs can be
reduced by as much as 70%.
Often success stories about ener-
gy-optimal solutions really get started
with complete handling systems and
control technology. Supplied ready-to-
install and fully pretested, lightweight
handling systems such as a high-speed
handling robot can be delivered directly
to users applications. The low weight
of the robot, with its rod kinematics
made up of standard electromechani-
cal components and ultralight carbon
fiber rods, ensures the efficient use of
drive technology. With a gantry design
with wide dynamic motion, stationary
motors for the X- and Y-axes ensure
lower moving masses. In control tech-
nology systems, for example, a double
motor controller with coupled interme-
diate circuits exploits braking energy
for recovery purposes.
The Tripod robot design needs
less space and design time than a han-
dling gantry and is also faster than a
SCARA (selective compliant articulat-
ed robot arm). That is how Gerd Ulmer,
general manager of G. Ulmer Automa-
tion GmbH, summarized some advan-
tages of the new handling system. He
has installed two Tripod handling units
on an assembly machine for the auto-
motive components supplier.
On a machine that assembles safe-
ty relays for diesel engines, two Delta
robots equip the relay bodies with
seven to nine contacts, depending on
the type of relay required. The compo-
nents were previously produced abroad
and are nowprimarily in the interests
of better qualityto be produced on a
fully automatic machine which includes
automatic test stations, explains the
client, a special machine builder. The
machine comprises 24 stations and was
ordered from Ulmer by a component
supplier to the automotive industry.
ONLINE: Photos, details on qual-
ity, teach-in, controlers and other
technologies at Ulmer Automation
- Christopher Haug is with Festo.
www.festo.com
www.ulmergmbh.de
Smart sand
http://bit.ly/ITDcqX
M. Scott Brauer photo courtesy of MIT News Office
Micro robotics
Video: Tips for
engineering service
contracts
Service and maintenance agreements
are important for engineers and system
integrators who can provide those services.
Those involved should carefully define war-
rantees, scope, deadlines, and payment
structure.
Mark Voigtmann, general counsel for
Control System Integrator Association
(CSIA), and attorney with Faegre Baker
Daniels, outlines key points to remember
when considering maintenance and service
contracts for automation, controls, or oper-
ations engineering. Voigtmann made the
comments after a presentation on the same
topic at CSIA 2012, the 19th Annual Execu-
tive Conference, in May, in Scottsdale, Ariz.
http://controleng.com/videos
(About 3:00 minutes.)
- Mark T. Hoske is content manager, CFE
Media, Control Engineering.
www.controlsys.org
Search Legalities atop http://contro-
leng.com for more from Voigtmann, includ-
ing the articles below.
Legalities: Not All Automation Standards
Are Equal
Legalities: 8 ugly contract clauses
Legalities In Automation: Know Your
Project Delivery Method
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To identify the most energy-effi-
cient pneumatic and electric automa-
tion, a technology-neutral comparison
is required. After considering differ-
ent alternatives, a German automotive
components supplier adopted a ready-
to-install energy-efficient handling
system. When consumers look for an
energy-saving washing machine, they
simply buy the device with the best
energy-efficiency rating. For manu-
facturers of washing machines, things
are more difficult. If they want the
most energy-efficient production facil-
ity, they realize that no certification of
energy-efficiency classes is available.
Energy efficiency in automation
is dependent on the industrial applica-
tion in question, explained Festo ener-
gy-efficiency expert Dr. Axel-Andreas
Gomeringer.
The only reason it is possible to
classify washing machines into ener-
gy-efficiency classes is that the usage
scenario of a washing machine as a
closed system is precisely known. For
example, all devices can be compared
easily on the basis of their standard
cotton program with a 60 C wash tem-
perature. For machinery and installa-
tions, however, the system parameters
are not clear. Should only the drive be
assessed, or the control chain, or the
entire factory?
Define tasks clearly
Any industrial application has its
specific requirements for technical
criteria such as speed, load capacity,
power to weight ratio, accuracy, control
behavior, rigidity under load, and effi-
ciency or robustness, and also for eco-
nomic criteria such as the purchase cost
(price, commissioning, installation) and
operating costs (maintenance, durabil-
ity, energy costs). In any application,
energy efficiency depends on the spe-
cific task. The task must be clearly
defined before the user chooses a drive
technologyelectric, pneumatic, or
a combination of the two, explained
Gomeringer, head of innovation and
Efficiency needs a system approach,
depends on individual applications
NEWS NEWS
industry
Tiny details matter
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Real world engineering Video game... System integrators
High rigidity and low moving mass: The
pyramid-shaped, enclosed design makes
the robot highly dynamic. At the same
time, the handling unit is more accessible
and allows faster production. One mil-
lion relays a year are produced reliably
in different shifts using the Delta robot.
Courtesy: Festo
technology management at Festo.
With engineering software, a com-
mon dimensioning process for mechan-
ical drive and transmission components
and motors prevents a duplication of
safety factors, which would result in
oversized electric drive systems and
a waste of energy. Calculations have
shown that, with consistent use of siz-
ing software, energy costs can be
reduced by as much as 70%.
Often success stories about ener-
gy-optimal solutions really get started
with complete handling systems and
control technology. Supplied ready-to-
install and fully pretested, lightweight
handling systems such as a high-speed
handling robot can be delivered directly
to users applications. The low weight
of the robot, with its rod kinematics
made up of standard electromechani-
cal components and ultralight carbon
fiber rods, ensures the efficient use of
drive technology. With a gantry design
with wide dynamic motion, stationary
motors for the X- and Y-axes ensure
lower moving masses. In control tech-
nology systems, for example, a double
motor controller with coupled interme-
diate circuits exploits braking energy
for recovery purposes.
The Tripod robot design needs
less space and design time than a han-
dling gantry and is also faster than a
SCARA (selective compliant articulat-
ed robot arm). That is how Gerd Ulmer,
general manager of G. Ulmer Automa-
tion GmbH, summarized some advan-
tages of the new handling system. He
has installed two Tripod handling units
on an assembly machine for the auto-
motive components supplier.
On a machine that assembles safe-
ty relays for diesel engines, two Delta
robots equip the relay bodies with
seven to nine contacts, depending on
the type of relay required. The compo-
nents were previously produced abroad
and are nowprimarily in the interests
of better qualityto be produced on a
fully automatic machine which includes
automatic test stations, explains the
client, a special machine builder. The
machine comprises 24 stations and was
ordered from Ulmer by a component
supplier to the automotive industry.
ONLINE: Photos, details on qual-
ity, teach-in, controlers and other
technologies at Ulmer Automation
- Christopher Haug is with Festo.
www.festo.com
www.ulmergmbh.de
Smart sand
http://bit.ly/ITDcqX
M. Scott Brauer photo courtesy of MIT News Office
Micro robotics
Video: Tips for
engineering service
contracts
Service and maintenance agreements
are important for engineers and system
integrators who can provide those services.
Those involved should carefully define war-
rantees, scope, deadlines, and payment
structure.
Mark Voigtmann, general counsel for
Control System Integrator Association
(CSIA), and attorney with Faegre Baker
Daniels, outlines key points to remember
when considering maintenance and service
contracts for automation, controls, or oper-
ations engineering. Voigtmann made the
comments after a presentation on the same
topic at CSIA 2012, the 19th Annual Execu-
tive Conference, in May, in Scottsdale, Ariz.
http://controleng.com/videos
(About 3:00 minutes.)
- Mark T. Hoske is content manager, CFE
Media, Control Engineering.
www.controlsys.org
Search Legalities atop http://contro-
leng.com for more from Voigtmann, includ-
ing the articles below.
Legalities: Not All Automation Standards
Are Equal
Legalities: 8 ugly contract clauses
Legalities In Automation: Know Your
Project Delivery Method

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news
The first new operating license in 34
years was approved in early February
2012 by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) for two reactors at
Southern Nuclear Operating Co.s Vogtle
power plant located near Augusta, Ga.
Other license approvals are pending. The
industry is at a crossroad with positive
and negative developments.
On Feb. 9, 2012, the NRC approved
a new era combined operating license
(COL)which is a construction permit
and operating license in onefor the
first of two reactors at Southern Nucle-
ar Operating Co.s power plant locat-
ed in east-central Georgia, near Augus-
ta. (Southern Co. heads a consortium of
utilities operating in the region.)
The new construction is on the site of
the companys two-unit Alvin W. Vogtle
electric generating plant. Westinghouse
Electric Co. (a unit of Toshiba Corp.) is
the supplier of the two AP1000 pressur-
ized-water reactors (PWRs), each with
1,100 megawatt (MW) net output. The
reactors represent advanced Generation
III+ design. Commercial operation of
Vogtle Units 3 and 4 is expected in 2016
and 2017, respectively.
A number of new nuclear plant appli-
cations are being processed but approv-
al has slowed due to renewed safety
concerns and economic and political
issues. Response to safety and reliabil-
ity concerns is key to approval of any
new reactor design. AP1000s reliabil-
ity enhancements include various pas-
sive safety systems that do not require
operator actions to mitigate design-basis
accidents, according to Westinghouse.
Gravity, natural circulation, and com-
pressed gas are used to actuate functions
of the safety systems. That eliminates
the need for ac power, diesel generators,
pumped cooling water, or other active
safety-support systems inherent to a typ-
ical nuclear power plant. If plant power
is lost (or a safeguards actuation sig-
nal is received), AP1000 is designed
to automatically align and actuate a few
basic valves, which start up the safety
systemsusing only Class 1E battery
power (Ref. 2, online).
After the March 11, 2011, came the
accident at J apans Fukushima Daiichi
nuclear power plant created repercus-
sions. An indicator of stronger regulatory
oversight is NRCs March 2012 authori-
zation to issue three orders to U.S. com-
mercial nuclear reactors to implement
several reactor safety recommendations,
based on Fukushima lessons learned.
Order 1 requires the plants to improve
protection of safety equipment installed
after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and to
have enough equipment available to sup-
port all reactors at a given site simulta-
neously. Order 2 mandates installation
of enhanced equipment to monitor water
levels in each plants spent fuel pool.
These orders affect every U.S. commer-
cial nuclear power plant. Order 3 applies
only to boiling-water reactors (BWRs)
with Mark I or II containment design.
These reactors must improve their vent-
ing systemsand in the case of Mark II
reactors install new venting systemsto
help prevent or mitigate core damage in
case of a serious accident.
Read more: http://bit.ly/IVfLNO
Frank J. Bartos, PE, is a Control
Engineering contributing content spe-
cialist. Reach him at braunbart@sbc-
global.net.
www.nrc.gov
www.westinghousenuclear.com
U.S. nuclear power update
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Imagine you are in a meeting with your companys chief
financial officer, and he says spending must increase at a sig-
nificantly slower rate than you expected this year. Now what
do you do about those process improvements? The good news
is that despite the economy, there are a number of core trends
that will help you be more selective with spending in 2012
and can help you optimize your role in the company.
One: Wireless technology -- If you havent already
invested in wireless technology, now is the time to do so to
reduce plant costs and to improve business productivity.
Two: Phased migration -- The drive to replace aging
equipment and technology continues to be a key trend among
manufacturers in the U.S.
Three: Upfront engineering -- Best-practice organiza-
tions use database-driven controls hardware and software to
seamlessly move through all stages of the design and manu-
5 control market trends for 2012: Wireless, migration...
facturing process; identifying errors up-front costs less.
Four: Energy usage management -- Energy consump-
tion is a rising percentage of the overall cost of goods.
Five: Safety -- Risk evaluation is an ongoing trend for all
manufacturers.
- Larry Turner is president and chief executive officer of
Hannover Fairs USA.
A plant manager involved in manufacturing
success, a top manufacturing analyst, and presi-
dent of a manufacturing group will deliver key-
notes at the 2012 Industrial Automation Summit,
presented by CFE Media and Hannover Messe and
sponsored by Beckhoff, Sept. 12-13, part of the first Indus-
trial Automation North America show at the 2012 IMTS Show,
Sept. 10-15 in Chicago. The 2012 Industrial Automation Sum-
mit keynote speakers are: Billy Taylor the plant manager at
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Companys Fayetteville, NC plant,
Karen Kurek, who heads McGladreys National Manufactur-
ing Industry consultancy, and Douglas Woods, the president
and CEO of the Association for Manufacturing Technology.
See more at www.imts.com/education/ianaSummit.html
Diverse voices to keynote
Industrial Automation Summit
Correction In the Control Engineering North American print edition, April 2012, p. 8,
Peter Herzhoffs name was spelled without an h.Control Engineering regrets the error. See
extended online article: http://bit.ly/ITxGVi.
There are no short-cuts to innovation.
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Control Engineering International
CFE Media asked engineers for
global engineering project advice.
Paul Bearn, PE, electrical services
engineer, KlingStubbins, Philadelphia:
Cultural differences become apparent
quickly. One is quickly warned that to
drink water during Ramadan would be
insultingeven during an all-day pre-
sentation. Stories about presentation
of business cards in China and J apan,
now clich here, still hold true. For-
eigners are usually afforded more lee-
way with such slips of social etiquette
than natives. Theres typically interest
on both sides to learn more about each
others culture and language. Exploring
differences can build relationships and
put everyone at ease. Areas of greater
concern.[include] differences in whats
implied by a contract. An American
project manager [may discover] that a
contract signing is only a formality, sig-
nifying the start of renegotiations.
Erin McConahey, PE, LEED AP,
principal, Arup, Los Angeles: Local
codes and practices; generally a proj-
ect refers to a specific countrywide
code like the British Standards (BS),
or European standards (EN), etc., but
little is stated or written of what local
authorities may expect and/or require.
Sometimes multiple codes are stipulat-
ed which may conflict with other codes.
Mehdi Jalayerian, PE, LEED AP
BD+C, executive vice president, glob-
al practice, Environmental Systems
Design Inc., Chicago: Often... local
codes and standards cannot be effec-
tively applied to modern projects envi-
sioned. Lack of applicability of local
codes presents a challenge [and] oppor-
tunity to help the local community of
building authorities, utility companies,
fire brigades, contractors, and owner-
operators to become familiar first-hand
with solutions, typically outside the
scope of local codes and experience.
ONLINEMore in a World of Dif-
ference tutorial, via Consulting-Speci-
fying Engineer. http://bit.ly/IFdj0m
Global engineering tips
While engineering is a language spoken globally, this advice
can help when working on your next international project.
Energy, data management, and
effective maintenance were three over-
arching themes from the 2012 Han-
nover Messe in Germany April 23-27.
The strength of U.S. manufacturing
global leadership was highlighted in
the 5-day event. With Europe strug-
gling to gain a more solid financial
foothold and Asia wrestling with qual-
ity, safety, and productivity issues, the
focus of the worlds admiration was on
the United States. The countrys ability
to emerge from recession and the rela-
tive strength of its economy were the
envy of global manufacturers at Han-
nover Messe this year.
When you look more in-depth
at the business, the patterns have
changed, said Michael Ziesemer,
COO and board member of German-
based Endress+Hauser. The U.S. busi-
ness climate is absolutely great.
As the 2012 Partner Nation at Han-
nover Messe, China attracted much
attention. Chinese premier Wen Jiabao
said, in part, China is confronted
with major challenges and problems
with industrialization, including an
inefficient model for industrial devel-
opment, lack of market competitive-
ness, weak capacity for scientific and
technological innovation, and low effi-
ciency in the use of resources.
Hannover officials said more than
25% of show attendees came from
outside Germany.
U.S. manufacturing
renaissance
The 2012 Hannover Messe focused on
energy and data management, but the
underlying strength of U.S. manufactur-
ing also was a major topic.
letter.indd 1 2/17/2012 5:02:10 PM
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(impurity-free) electrode at both ends.
A CCFL backlit LCD requires a sup-
ply voltage of more than 1000 V, typi-
cally 1,200-1,500 V. A power-hungry
inverter board drives the CCFL back-
light. Despite the name, cold cathodes
dont remain cold as they operate; they
can get painfully hot. High backlight
temperatures reduce life span and can
cause erratic operation. HMIs in India,
Mexico, China, and the Middle East are
subject to ambient temperatures of 45 C
(113 F) with 95% humidity. For longer
life and higher reliability, high-end man-
ufacturers are turning to high-efficiency
white LEDs, solid-state devices.
Unlike CCFLs, white LEDs do not
have gases and phosphors requiring
high voltages but can operate in the
range of 5 V to 24 V without an inverter
board, generating less heat than CCFLs.
White LED backlit LCD displays gen-
erally last twice as long as CCFL back-
lights75,000-100,000 hr without
temperature effects (see first graph).
CCFL backlit LCD displays have 25
C operating temperatures; white have
LED-based backlights capable of operat-
ing up to 60 C (140 F) in humidity up to
95% (see last graph).
LED-based lighting has high effi-
ciency as measured by light output per
unit power input. Brightness is often
measured in NITS (lumens / sq meter).
An HMI with white LED backlights nor-
mally exhibits roughly 500 nits, com-
pared to the CCFL backlit LCD displays
at roughly 200-300 nits. White LED
backlight life span increases twofold,
and brightness increases.
Redundancy helps. When a CCFL
bulb fails, the LCD goes dark. With the
white LED backlit HMI, if one of many
LEDs burns out, the display dims in pro-
portion, but it still can be used. Read
more at http://bit.ly/J D8J lu ce
- Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content
manager, CFE Media, Control Engineer-
ing, with information from Vikram Aditya
Kumar, vice president, AVG/Uticor.
UPDATE UPDATE
technology
Inception: Retrofit engineering a
white LED for backlighting
I
nspiration for white
LEDs throughout an HMI
product line had a hot
beginning.
Shalabh Kumar, AVG
Automation CEO, said, I
got the idea for [LED back-
lighting] when landing in
Ahmedabad, India, and
the pilot said it was 42 C
[108 F] at 7:30 p.m. I asked
what the temperature was
during the day, and it was 48 C [118
F]. In a manufacturing plant, a panel
can easily be subjected to 60 C [140
F], which rapidly decreases operating
life. Then we talked to manufacturers
whose machines use operator inter-
faces using CCFL displays. A year and
a half life for a screen is not unusual.
While some screen manufactur-
ers try to make the bulbs easy to
replace, no one we talked to actu-
ally replaces them in the field. They
replace the entire operator inter-
face [OI], which adds considerable
expense, Kumar said.
Operator panels using white LEDs
last up to 6 years, com-
pared to 1.5 to 3 years maximum for
CCFLs, with a much higher operating
temperature range; in rugged environ-
ments, especially in high-temperature
areas, the higher initial cost is eas-
ily made up by avoiding multiple OI
replacements during the same operat-
ing period, he suggested.
Kumar said, in the March 14 inter-
view, that AVG is the only company in
the world that offers white LED back-
light as standard, throughout its Uticor
Tough Panel line of HMIs.
- Mark T. Hoske is content manager,
CFE Media, Control Engineering.
http://controleng.com/hmi
Shalli Kumar, AVG Auto-
mation CEO, shows a cold
cathode fluorescent lamp
(CCFL) removed from a
backlit liquid crystal display
(LCD), which is then retro-
fit with an LED array for a
Uticor Tough Panel HMI.
CFE Media photo by Mark
T. Hoske
Continued from p. 18
CTL1205_TechUpdate_V3msFINAL.indd 26 5/2/12 2:42 PM
www.ia-na.com
at
To register for IANA and IMTS, please visit industrialautomation-na.com
s
International Trade Show for Factory, Process and
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September 10 - 15, 2012 McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois
INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION
NORTH AMERICA at IMTS 2012
NEXEN
is the leading manufacturer of precision motion control components,

power transmission and web tension control products. They are showcasing their
products at IANA 2012! Visit them at booth E-4306 or www.nexengroup.com.
For more information, please contact
Aryan Zandieh at (312) 924-1688 or azandieh@hfusa.com.
Partner: Organized by:
When integrating machine vision and motion control, start
with the integration type, based on the machines automa-
tion tasks. Machine vision can solve many applications with
automation solutions that can improve manufacturing efficiency,
lower costs, and increase customer satisfaction with nearly
zero defects and recalls. To maximize machine-vision benefits,
integrators must focus on integrated system design. Whether
used for basic automated inspection or for precise vision-guided
automation, a well-conceived and developed design is key to
achieving a high return on investment (ROI). Gain advantages
by integrating the vision subsystem with a motion subsystem.
Design emphasis provides an early and accurate bill of materials,
mitigates risk from incompatible motion and vision components,
reduces integration time and costs, and lowers the total cost of
ownership while delivering machine-vision benefits.
In an integrated machine vision system, the motion and the
vision systems can have varying levels of interaction, from basic
information exchange to advanced vision-based feedback. The
level of interaction depends on the requirements of the machine,
that is, the sequence, the accuracy and precision, and the nature
of the tasks that must be performed by the machine. Depending
on the level of interaction between the motion and the vision sys-
tems, a design can be based on one of four types of integration:
synergetic integration, synchronized integration, vision-guided
motion, and visual servo control. For a high ROI, the machine
must meet the specified requirements at deployment and must
scale well with next-generation process and product improve-
ments. Integrators must identify current and future requirements
then determine the type of integration best for the application.
Synergetic integration
Synergetic integration is the most basic type of integration.
In this type of integration, the motion and the vision systems
Machine
Vision
Focus on Quality
A well-designed machine vision system enables
manufacturers to improve product quality, enhance
process control, and increase manufacturing effi-
ciency while lowering the total cost of ownership.
Considering vision as part of the machine design brings additional benefits. The machine
vision design tutorial and applications provide ideas for your next automation project. Use
the links at the end of each section to see more details and images. Look for the video links.
See http://controleng.com/machinevision for more.
- Mark T. Hoske is content manager, CFE Media, Control Engineering, mhoske@cfemedia.com
cover story
Design tips for machine vision
Vision-guided motion design follows the control loop:
sense, decide, and actuate. NI LabVIEW software inte-
grates machine vision, motion, and other elements.
Courtesy: National Instruments
CTL1205_F0_MachineVision_V8msFINAL.indd 28 5/2/12 2:45 PM
Machine vision cuts
assembly time
Photovoltaic (PV) assembly is among industries benefit-
ting from a machine-vision enhanced automated soldering
system, with shorter cycle times, higher product quality, and
enhanced equipment usability.
PV manufacturers are using more automation to increase
competitiveness. In a fully automated soldering system from
Mondragon Assembly of Stockach, Germany, the intelligent
vision system optimizes the process of soldering the cross-links
between photovoltaic modules. Important factors in creating a
perfect soldered joint are the largest possible contact area, the
high strength of the compound, and a small contact resistance.
These criteria largely determine the conductivity and current flow,
thus ensuring a high degree of efficiency in the completed solar
module.
Parallel workflow saves time. The quality inspection of the sol-
dered joints themselves is performed by the automated soldering
machine. With machine vision, Mondragon Assembly achieved
cycle times of 80 seconds for cells with three busbars and mod-
ules with six strings, significantly faster than manual production.
See more application details and benefits: Machine vision cuts
PV module assembly time.
http://bit.ly/IkM774
- John Lewis is market development manager, Cognex Corp.
www.cognex.com/in-sight
www.mondragon-assembly.com/photovoltaic-technology/?lang=en
exchange basic information such as velocity or a time base. The
time to communicate between the motion and vision systems
is typically on the order of tens of seconds. A good example of
synergetic integration is a web inspection system, where the
motion system moves the web, usually at a constant velocity. The
vision system generates a pulse train to trigger cameras, and it
uses the captured images to inspect the web. The vision system
needs to know web velocity to determine the rate for triggering
the cameras.
Synchronized integration
In synchronized integration, the motion and the vision systems
VIDEO: Machine
vision is syn-
chronized with
high-speed sort-
ing, drawing a
line on quality.
In digital edition,
click above or see
http://controleng.
com/videos.
Courtesy: National
Instruments
Diagrams show synchronized integration in high-speed sorting. Courtesy: National Instruments
Hot applications in machine vision: Mondragon Assembly
uses a Cognex In-Sight 5100 intelligent vision system to
optimize the process of induction soldering the cross-
links between photovoltaic modules. Courtesy: Cognex
Continued on p. 33
Automated oil tool assembly: Machine vision locates
parts for picking by one robot and checks the diameter and
location of the pipe before it is threaded by a second robot,
without fixturing or accurate locating. The application may
lead to a new generation of vision-enabled robots to improve
productivity and quality for oil tools.
Installing a thread protector onto exposed threaded pipe on
oil tools is a difficult and time-consuming job. No known automa-
tion technologies performed this operation in industry prior to
this because of the complexity of the operation and the many
sizes and styles of thread protectors and pipes. J MP Engineer-
ing worked with an oil industry manufacturer to develop a flexible
automation process that uses two robots guided by machine
vision to process a wide range of parts and that can easily be
configured to handle future variants without programming.
The key to the success of the application is the use of
machine vision to locate parts for picking by the first robot and to
check the diameter and location of the pipe before it is threaded
by the second robot, said Scott Pytel, project manager at J MP
Engineering, which integrates machine vision and robots to
handle applications where parts are not precisely located, not
fixtured, and not clearly separated.
Thread protectors are installed on oil and gas pipes to prevent
them from being damaged during shipping. The family as a whole
is assembled at relatively high volumes but no part number has
the volume normally needed to justify automation. The oil tool
manufacturer wanted to assemble thread protectors at a rate of
about three per minute. High-torque pneumatic tools help, but its
physically demanding.
In the bin picking operation, thread protectors are packed in
bins in layers divided by cardboard sheets. The machine vision
system rides on the robot arm. The vision system consists of
an industrial machine vision camera that interfaces over a high-
speed machine vision communication interface standard for
industrial cameras with a frame grabber card on an industrial
personal computer. A light emitting diode (LED) in the camera
enclosure generates red light that helps overcome ambient light-
ing to capture the image.
J MP programmers wrote a graphical user interface for the
workcell in Microsoft Visual Basic that performs vision operations
by calling vision tools from
a machine vision software
library, which provides
preconfigured, tightly inte-
grated acquisition support
for industrial cameras and
video formats.
A multifunction robot with
55.2-in. horizontal reach
and 80 kg payload capacity
moves the camera above
the bin and signals that it is
in position to take a picture
of the bin. The PLC passes
a request to the vision sys-
tem to take a picture. The
camera takes the picture
and the vision tool identifies
the location of each thread
protector in the bin, identi-
fies the thread protectors in
the image, and calculates
locations. The Visual Basic interface converts from pixels in the
camera image to millimeters for the robot control system.
A PLC directs the robot to pick one of the thread protectors
from the bin. The thread protectors come in 11 sizes, 4 to 8 in.
dia. The vision system, trained on each part number, identifies
the location of good parts and detects the presence of parts of
the wrong size, intermingled with good parts.
The robot gives the part to a second robot (same model) that
assembles the thread protector to the pipe. The PLC stores part
positions in one layer of the bin and commands the robot to pick
Vision-Guided Robots Add
Productivity
Two robots work together, with the threader on the left and
the bin picker on the right. Courtesy: Cognex, JMP Engi-
neering
The robot picks thread
protectors from the bin,
in layers divided by card-
board sheets. Courtesy:
Cognex, JMP Engineering
cover story
up each. When the bin is empty the robot removes the cardboard
divider and the camera takes an image of the next layer.
The second robot carries the thread protector over to a fixture
with the oil tool assembly, exposing the sections of pipe where a
thread protector is to be installed.
An industrial machine vision camera attached to the second
robot locates the pipe for thread protector installation. A brick red
light shines on the pipe at an oblique angle to create a shadow
that enables accurate pipe diameter measurement. Machine
vision software checks pipe diameter to ensure it matches the
thread protector and more accurately determines pipe location.
The robot arm has a compliance device that allows the pipe
thread to pull the arm and the thread protector as it screws onto
the pipe.
The most recent camera image is displayed on the screen
along with results, such as the sizes the thread protector and
pipe. The part-picking robot image and results appear on the
left side of the screen and the thread assembly robot image and
results appear on the right. A configuration menu enables the
operator to configure the camera.
Pytel said the application may lead to a new generation of
vision-enabled robots that will help improve productivity and qual-
ity in the oil tool industry.
More application details and benefits, including oil tool manu-
facturing automation, traditional pattern matching versus geo-
metric pattern matching, calibration, and commissioning: Vision-
guided robots automate oil tool assembly.
http://bit.ly/I6TfqJ
- John Lewis is market development manager, Cognex Corp.
www.cognex.com
www.jmpeng.com
http://controleng.com/machinevision
ONLINE
More photos, diagrams, product URLs
Technology checklist for oil tool automated assembly
Machine vision technologies for photovoltaic soldering
Video: Machine vision-motion system draws a line on quality
Machine vision cameras, controllers, software
All linked at http://controleng.com/machinevision
Screen capture from the CognexVisionPro application shows
(left) the picture of the bin and (right) the pipe. Courtesy: Cog-
nex, JMP Engineering
Screen capture shows a Cognex VisionPro picture of
the thread protector bin. Courtesy: Cognex, JMP Engi-
neering
This shows the bin-picking robot from the parts point of view;
camera is upper right. Courtesy: Cognex, JMP Engineering
The threader robot approaches a pipe. Courtesy: Cognex, JMP
Engineering
Cost-effective, high-performance machine vision tools
help machine builders increase accuracy and throughput on
a new machine design using four cameras, one controller,
and high-speed communications.
If you havent integrated machine vision on an automation line
or machines recently, you could
be missing some powerful and
cost-effective solutions. Andy
Wright, manager of automation
engineering at Istech, helps the
company provide turnkey custom
automation solutions for a variety
of industries using advanced
computer and automation
technologies.
Istechs first project using a
new vision platform vision con-
sisted of designing and building
a custom assembly machine
for Conductive Technologies,
in the medical device industry.
The machine applies lidsclear
plastic strips that come on a roll
and peel off like labelsto sheets of plastic substrates. Each
sheet has six silk-screened substrates, or coupons, on it. To
apply the lids reliably and accurately to meet production goals,
a series of features on each lid must be aligned with each cor-
responding coupon. Plant floor personnel had performed this
process by hand; however, this method lacked consistency, was
time consuming, and did not provide the required throughput
and accuracy. As a result, Istech engineers designed a machine
vision system into the assembly machine. Four high-resolution,
GigE cameras connect to an industrial controller, which provides
expandable Gigabit Ethernet camera interfaces to decrease
system costs for multicamera applications. Two cameras are on
opposite sides of the sheet; two more are at each end of the lid.
After a sheet is loaded onto a moving vacuum table, the sheet
cameras identify and locate the six coupons. The lid cameras
identify and locate the corresponding features on each lid. Vision
system software performs calculations and provides X, Y, and
rotational correction values. These values are transferred to
an Epson robot, which positions the lid on each coupon. Heat
sealers then attach each lid, and when six are complete, the
sheet is offloaded to a stack for further processing. The machine
vision systems ability to process information asynchronously
was essential to the success of this application. To achieve the
required cycle rates, Istech programmed the robot to work ahead.
As one sheet is being taken off the vacuum table, a new lid is
ready to go as the next sheet is loaded. Normally, the vision val-
ues are completed first for a given coupon; however, during the
sheet exchange sequence, the lid data is calculated first. Infor-
mation from the cameras must be transmitted asynchronously.
The algorithms in this application were straightforward, and
data handling is what made the machine vision system success-
ful. Human assemblers at Conductive Technologies (Istechs cus-
tomer) required several minutes to align and apply lids to each
sheet. Our spec was to run one sheet in 30 seconds, and we
were able to beat that rate, Wright said. The installed machines
lid placement accuracy far exceeds initial project goals. The
machine vision software provides an extremely powerful set of
programming tools in a cost-effective product, Wright said.
See video at www.youtube.com/user/ISTECHInc. More details
and benefits: Build better machines with machine vision.
http://bit.ly/I5eTVe
- Maureen Clancy is marketing project manager, Teledyne
Dalsa. www.teledynedalsa.com
www.conductivetech.com
www.istech.us.com
www.robots.epson.com
Build Better
Machines With
Machine
Vision
Istech provides turnkey custom
automation solutions for a variety of
industries using advanced computer
and automation technologies. GigE
cameras identify and locate the cou-
pons and lid features.
Teledyne Dalsa Sherlock vision soft-
ware performs calculations and pro-
vides X, Y, and rotational correction
values, which an Epson robot uses
to position the lid on each coupon
accordingly.
Courtesy: Teledyne Dalsa
cover story
Design tips for machine vision
are synchronized through high-speed I/O triggering. High-speed
signals wired between the motion and the vision systems are
used to trigger events and communicate commands between the
two systems. This I/O synchronization effectively synchronizes
the software routines running on the individual systems. A good
example of synchronized integration is high-speed sorting based
on color, shape, or size differences.
With high-speed sorting, the vision system triggers a camera
to capture the image of a part moving across the camera. The
motion system uses the same trigger to capture the position of
the part. Next, the vision system analyzes the image to determine
if the part of interest exists at that position. If it does, that position
is buffered. Because the conveyor is moving at a constant veloc-
ity, the motion system can use the buffered position to trigger
an air nozzle later on the conveyor. As the part reaches the air
nozzle, the nozzle blows the part to a different conveyor, sorting
colored parts. Food industry sorts product types and discards
defective products using high-speed sorting. It achieves a high
throughput, lowers labor costs, and reduces defective shipments.
Vision-guided motion
In vision-guided motion, the vision system helps guide the
motion system, such as part position or the error in part orienta-
tion. More advanced integration types add a layer of interaction
between the motion and vision systems, such as high-speed I/O
triggering. Flexible feeding is an example, where parts exist in
random positions and orientations. The vision system takes an
image of the part, determines part coordinates, and then pro-
vides coordinates to the motion system. The motion system uses
coordinates to move an actuator to the part to pick it up or correct
orientation prior to placing, which eliminates need for fixtures to
orient and position parts before a pick and place. Overlap inspec-
tion steps can overlap placement tasks. The vision system can
inspect the part for defects and provide pass/fail information to
the motion system; the actuator can discard the defective part.
Online, read more, including design challenges, integrated
vision software programming, and visual servo control with more
diagrams, photos, and video: Machine vision: Focus on design.
http://bit.ly/IccyOe
- Priya Ramachandran is a senior engineer at National Instru-
ments. www.ni.com/vision ce
Continued from p. 29
Vision-guided motion block diagram includes a control
loop, sense, decide, and actuate. Courtesy: National
Instruments
H
eres a common situation: You need
to find a new TV and DVD player
for your home entertainment system.
At your local big box retailer you
find lots of individual components
and a few offerings that incorporate all the parts
into one unit. Which do you choose? An all-in-one
package is convenient, uncomplicated, and mini-
mizes the size of the system, but may not offer
all the features or flexibility of individual compo-
nents. Maybe you want a Blu-ray player but its
not available. Now, change the circumstances and
make the same selection for your
conference room at work. Does a
different application cause you to
make a different choice?
If you are working on an appli-
cation that will require selecting a
PLC and HMI (human-machine
interface) to control a machine or
part of a process unit, you might
go through the same thought
process. While the controller
and interface traditionally would
have been separate items, increasing processor
power combined with lower electronics costs
make it practical to offer integrated PLC/HMI
units in one package. These can offer a high level
of simplicity and convenience in the right applica-
tions, but they arent suitable for everything.
Combination units typically include a range of
elements:
HMI, including a display that is probably a
touchscreen plus separate buttons
PLC, with an appropriate level of processor
power and functionality, and
I/O, with appropriate numbers and types.
Some offer expandability using additional add-on
modules.
Proponents of such designs make the point that
they are very convenient and minimize the amount
of cabling and cabinet space. All the wiring goes
to one point to simplify troubleshooting. Even the
software is simpler in that there does not need to
be separate programming for the PLC and HMI.
When you have the PLC and the HMI all built
into one, you only need one piece of program-
ming software to program both the PLC function-
ality and the HMI functionality, says Sam Schuy,
engineering manager, Maple Systems, Inc. So
from the standpoint of the learning curve, it short-
ens the amount of time required to learn how to
use and program the product.
A limited selection
Like finding a combination TV and DVD, your
choices in an integrated unit will be far more lim-
ited than individual components. Consequently,
your ability to enjoy the convenience will depend
on whether your application can operate with-
in those constraints. For supplier companies that
want to offer such products, its a matter of deter-
mining which combination of capabilities will be
the most universal and therefore marketable. One
size does not fit all, but manufacturers like to keep
Peter Welander
Integrated HMI/PLC Packages
Offer Convenience, but Only
in the Right Applications
Choices of controllers that include an integrated HMI in one package are growing.
These promise greater simplicity if the combination of elements works in your situation.
Integrated control devices
ONLINE
http://iom.invensys.com
www.maplesystems.com
www.usa.siemens.com/auto-
mation
The quantity and function of the push buttons
can be selected to suit the specific application.
Courtesy: Maple Systems
Most integrated control-
ler and HMI packages
have relatively small
displays. Adding mem-
brane push buttons
allows for more func-
tions without a touch
screen.
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the number of product
variations as low as
possible. Since those
selections are driv-
en by applications, it
can come down to
choosing particular
markets. For exam-
ple, if you are aiming at packag-
ing machinery, you can identify common
needs and fulfill those.
Its a matter of knowing the mar-
ket that youre trying to address with an
integrated unit. If you say, These are
the OEMs and applications where were
going to go, they will sell like popcorn,
says Tom Elswick, manager of the prod-
uct management group, automation sys-
tems factory automation for Siemens
Industry. His experience said that the
hardest combination to get right was the
CPU and display. For general applica-
tions, it was easier to integrate I/O with
the CPU and make the HMI separate.
Elswick adds, With the I/O and CPU
built together we have a much better hit-
rate of meeting the application. We allow
the customer to say, I want a 15-in.
screen, or I want a 10-in. screen. That
was the mix piece that we struggled with.
For certain people, we hit the sweet spot,
and it was great. But from a broad-based
standpoint, typically the amount of I/O,
the type of I/O, and the type of CPU is
a much closer correlation. With the HMI,
you might have a very powerful CPU,
but you really want a small HMI because
youre connecting with a SCADA system
where its doing more of the bigger-pic-
ture processing. Or, you want a lower-end
CPU without much I/O or much function-
ality, but you want a really nice graphi-
cal front end with lots of diagnostics and
functionality.
Convenient yes,
but a good idea?
There are conceptual issues with an
integrated platform that make some users
uncomfortable. Most people, when they
look at their PLC, they see it as dedicat-
ed to safe, efficient, and effective control.
Thats it, says J ohn Krajewski, director
of product
management for
HMI supervisory, Invensys Operations
Management. They dont want it doing
anything else, and they dont want there
to be other functions bringing down that
performance, particularly when it relates
to safety. If you have a common CPU,
and you start doing things in the HMI
that start utilizing that CPU so that its
no longer available for control, that can
be a bad situation. You dont want people
using it to make calls to a database that
could have the CPU very busy for a time,
when its also responsible for ensuring
that its going to be doing interlocks that
are responsible for safety. Thats been the
common argument against bringing them
together.
Krajewski acknowledges that poten-
tially hazardous applications probably
wont use an integrated solution to begin
with, given the complexity of those sys-
tems, but the same idea could apply to
discrete manufacturing situations that
depend on fast response from the PLC.
Whos using the HMI?
Integrated units typically have mod-
est screen sizes, although product offer-
ings are evolving. To a large extent that is
driven by the expectation of where such
equipment will be deployed. A skid that
is built with a pump, strainer, flowmeter,
and control valve for installation in a larg-
er process unit will almost certainly be
connected to a larger control system and
operated from a central control room. A
human operator may only interface with
the skids HMI when there is a problem,
so elaborate graphics would rarely be
enjoyed.
On the other hand, in some appli-
cations, such as packaging or food and
Some units offer modular
I/O blocks that allow variable
counts and types. Courtesy:
Maple Systems.
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beverage plants, a local operator may
be working with that device almost con-
stantly. Krajewski explains, If youre in
an industry like food and beverage, its
much more common to have operators
right there because they will need to add
material or make sure everything is mov-
ing forward, so they tend to be more co-
located with the equipment. Other areas
it may not be practical. If you think about
water and wastewater, there may be many
miles between systems.
Appealing costs for OEMs
Siemens Elswick says that most of
the purchasing activity hes seen on inte-
grated units comes from OEM accounts
that are serving discrete industries, or
discrete applications in process environ-
ments. Theyre building a specific piece
of equipment, and theres a definite pur-
Some integrated devices have more spe-
cific purposes, such as this temperature
controller. It includes extensive historian
capabilities. Courtesy: Invensys Opera-
tions Management
Even a small screen can display useful
graphics, but will that device be used to
operate the machinery on a daily basis?
Some will only be used for troubleshoot-
ing. Courtesy Maple Systems.
Control Engineering covers relevant
topical articles in a variety of e-Newsletters
each and every month:
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ctl201204_eNewsLtr_fillerHLF.indd 1 3/21/2012 11:47:49 AM
pose, he says. An OEM thinks, Im
going to build 200 of these this year. I
know what my I/O looks like, I know
how many I/O points,
and I know what my
screens look like.
Thats when this kind
of device fits perfect-
ly with the right price
and performance
ratio.
While all types of
users are cost con-
scious, OEMs have to
be especially aware
of how much cost any com-
ponent or manufacturing step adds to a
product. An integrated unit offers a very
effective way to avoid the labor costs
related to mounting a larger number of
components and buying those items. A
single unit can be installed more quick-
ly, probably in a smaller enclosure, and
avoid the need for additional cables and
accessories.
When you look at how an OEM
prices up a machine, theyre going to
count every little item, every cable,
every wire tray, everything that they
have to do, because they all add to the
cost, Krajewski says. At the end of the
day, its the economics that drive these
decisions.
The limits of practicality
As mentioned earlier, integrated units
tend to be at the lower end of the func-
tionality spectrum. As applications move
into higher I/O counts and greater pro-
gramming complexity, the practicality of
offering an off-the-shelf unit that fits such
an application is much smaller and suppli-
ers dont see the benefit. Still, some pro-
ducers feel they have yet to see the full
extent of the market.
Schuy believes there is still room to
expand the product line. Maple Systems
initial integrated offerings have used rela-
tively small screen sizes of 3.5- and 5.7-
in., while the companys separate HMIs
go as high as 15-in. New integrated units
with 7- and 10-in. screens are being eval-
Integrating HMIs with PC-based control
is also a growing trend. The concept
of a soft PLC built into an industrial PC
can provide much versatility. Courtesy:
Siemens.
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Motion
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I/O
IPC
uated, but he thinks those are pushing
useful limits. Once you get into the larg-
er screens, the cost difference between
conventional components and a combi-
nation HMI/PLC gets closer together, he
says. The majority of the cost is in the
display itself. Thats the most expensive
part. If a customer wants a larger screen,
say 10-, 12-, or 15-inch, theyre probably
going to go ahead and do it separately.
I/O options are also limited. A user
that wants to install a system in a pro-
cess manufacturing plant using smart
instrumentation via HART or a fieldbus
network will find few if any integrated
options. The greater availability of I/O for
discrete sensors reflects the slant toward
discrete applications.
Other types of integration
As Elswick already mentioned, Sie-
mens finds it easier to integrate I/O and a
PLC without the HMI. Invensys and Sie-
mens both see growing opportunities for
integration of HMIs with PC-based con-
trollers rather than more traditional PLCs.
Krajewski reports more OEMs are ask-
ing for HMIs that can be laid on top of
those controllers, now that technology
has caught up with the concept of using
soft PLCs. We had entered the PC-based
control market back in the late 1990s with
the Wonderware InControl product, and at
that time it was too early. There werent
embedded operating systems and those
kinds of things. Back then we were talk-
ing about Windows 95 and 98, and people
didnt trust those for control.
Evolving technologies are going in
a wider variety of directions than ever
before, so users can select an offer-
ing precisely aligned with the needs of
a given application. The greatest chal-
lenge is often sifting through the dizzy-
ing range of choices. ce
Peter Welander is a content manag-
er for Control Engineering. Reach him
at pwelander@cfemedia.com.
When the display is
large enough, a touch
screen allows for
the most flexibility of
virtual knobs and but-
tons. However, these
have minimum space
requirements for
practicality. Courtesy:
Invensys Operations
Management
Its a matter of
knowing the market
that youre trying
to address with an
integrated unit.

All control panel design activ-
ity must start with an awareness of
the enclosures working environ-
ment, according to David McCar-
thy, president and chief executive
officer, TriCore Inc., who offered
the following advice.
Follow the National Electronics
Manufacturers Association (NEMA)
standard environmental ratings for
the area for all components in the
panel. For example, in many food
plants all external surfaces are coat-
ed daily with sanitizing foam pro-
ducing airborne corrosives, and
then rinsed with 80 lb force of hose-
directed water. This area requires
NEMA 4x rated equipment. Using
a NEMA 12 enclosure, which provides some
protection against water ingress from dripping
or light splashing, would not meet the require-
ments of this area. Dont mix and match com-
ponents within an enclosure, in particular for
externally mounted devices on the panel.
Where risk of arc flash exists, panels should
be externally stickered, alerting workers of the
risk. Requirements for working in such panels
should include wearing appropriate personal
protection equipment for the panel.
When dealing with pneumatic equipment
in the panel, always exhaust the air outside the
panel. A recommended practice is to put the
pneumatic penetrations low in the panel. Mois-
ture in pneumatic air is a common problem, so
placing the entry low will insure there are no
drips on electronic equipment, should moisture
ever become a problem. It is also a good idea
to use a low micron prefilter for biologics and
some water, coupled with a coalescing filter, to
remove the majority of water in the air.
To better protect equipment, wiring conduit
penetrations should never be at the top of the
panel. Moisture and water in conduit lines are
not that uncommon. Penetrations near the bot-
tom are the safest from an equipment protec-
tion standpoint but will be harder to work with
for the electricians. Mid-level side-mount pen-
etrations are a common compromise.
While not necessary, systems will be easi-
er to maintain with true earth grounds versus
floating grounds. This can help mitigate panel
equipment damage in the event of inadvertent
cross-connects between two potential levels.
A good practice is to segregate signal types.
TriCore engineers group discrete I/O and ana-
log I/O by voltage type. Always run analog
signals in shielded cable. It is a good practice
to minimize interference as combining dif-
ferent voltage types in internal panel wiring
ducts. (Conflicting voltages should cross at
right angles to minimize interference.)
Read more: http://bit.ly/J NYw3D.
www.tricore.com
www.nema.org
Control Panel,
Enclosure Design Advice
Design considerations for enclosures include ratings, filters, input and
output, networking, safety, heating and cooling, and access.
tips and tricks
An environment such as hot and sunny rooftop in
California must be taken into account before select-
ing a material. Stainless steel, polycarbonate, and
composite materials are among options. Courtesy:
SpecTech, Stalin
Control panels,
enclosure designs
Control enclosure design
considerations include
ratings, filters, input and
output, networking, safe-
ty, access, heating and
cooling. Consider materi-
al selection for electrical
components and control
enclosure design; should
you use metal, plastics,
or composites? Con-
trol, electronics, network,
and data center enclo-
sures require temperature
control techniques for
reliable performance. Iso-
lating high-temperature
components is an increas-
ingly popular method.
Smaller components
packed into enclosures
generate the same amount
of heat. Proper cooling
can boost system longev-
ity and reliability, reduc-
ing risk of failure. Heat
exchangers are among
options for sealed elec-
tronic enclosures.
- Edited by Mark T.
Hoske, content manager,
Control Engineering.
CTL1205_F2_Enclosure_V3msFINAL.indd 40 5/2/12 2:53 PM
By gaining an understanding of materials
used for electrical enclosures, the designer or
specifier can choose the material that will best
meet product performance goals, according to
Roger Schroder, director of SpecTech Enclo-
sures & Materials. He offered guidance.
Materials used to protect electrical compo-
nents can be metallic or nonmetallic, but it must
serve its function of protection for the life of the
installation. Durability and longevity are key.
Three typical types of materials are available:
metal, plastic, and composites.
Common metal material choices include car-
bon steel, stainless steel, and aluminum. Car-
bon steel, the most prominent choice based on
its low initial cost, is typically galvanized or
painted to prolong the service life. Premium
metals, such as stainless steel and aluminum,
are used where long life, corrosion resistance,
and weatherability are critical, such as protect-
ing controls for junction boxes for utility power
photovoltaic (PV) installations.
Thermoplastics such as polycarbonate, poly-
ester, and polyvinyl chloride offer corrosion
protection beyond painted carbon steel. Ther-
moplastics are more susceptible to ultraviolet
(UV) and weathering degradation over time.
UV degradation rate varies by heat, humidity,
and latitude of installation. Additives and for-
mulations can help reduce failure. Thermoset
materials (such as polyester resins combined
with glass) create a durable, weather-resistant
composite fiberglass-reinforced polyester. FRP
can replace many stainless steel applications
and perform better than metal and plastics in
extremely harsh environments.
SpecTech offers two days of materi-
als instruction for 16 accredited Professional
Development Hour credits, in Belding, Mich.
For more on comparing material options,
see: http://bit.ly/IKFiLg.
www.spectechedu.com
Equipment enclosures for controls, elec-
tronics, network equipment, and data cen-
ters require cooling for reliable performance.
Brian Mordick is senior product manag-
er cabinets, Pentair Technical Products
Hoffman Brand, supplied the following
information.
Applying the appropriate cooling configu-
ration requires considering the total-cost-of-
ownership (TCO) requirements. Cooling TCO
costs are not limited to capital expenses associ-
ated with purchasing and implementing cool-
ing equipment. Data center managers must also
include operational costs and additional design
features that can lead to significant savings.
Cabinet configuration goal for simple or
complex configurations is the same: help deliv-
er the necessary amount of cool air to each
server.
n Hot aisle/cold aisle cooling systems are
designed to separate hot exhaust from cold
intake air. Hot exhaust exits through cabinet
rears and is directed to computer room air con-
ditioner and computer room air handler (CRAC/
CRAH) units, which remove the heat and redis-
tribute air to the cold aisles.
n Chimney cabinet cooling solutions consist
of a cabinet with top ductwork, which directs
hot exhaust air to an above drop ceiling or duc-
twork that further directs the airflow to the
intakes of the CRAC/CRAH unit.
n Containment systems erect a barrier to
segregated airflowspreventing them from
mixing, which reduces energy costs, minimizes
hot spots, and improves the data centers car-
bon footprint. A 2007 Pacific Gas and Electric
study said containment systems can provide
an average of 20% savings in chiller operating
costs. This allows them to decrease the energy
needed to move cold air by 75%, according to a
study completed by Lawrence Berkley National
Laboratory.
n In-row cooling: Dedicated cooling units
placed between cabinets allow in-row cooling
to capture exhaust air and neutralize it before
it mixes with cold air. In-row cooling solutions
can result in an estimated 82% utility savings.
More details and images online, include cab-
inet design tips, how to avoid excessive utility
expenses, images, graphics, and tables on chim-
ney cabinets, containment systems, in-row cool-
ing, data center cooling, and an annual savings
chart. http://bit.ly/J ggB6A
www.pentairtechnicalproducts.com/prod-
ucts_hoffman.html
www.hoffmanonline.com
Hot aisle/cold aisle
systems are designed
to separate hot
exhaust from cold
intake air, improving
operating efficiency
in a data center. Cour-
tesy: Pentair Technical
Products
Heat exchangers are com-
pact, efficient thermal
management solutions for
sealed electronic enclo-
sures. This kind of air-to-air
heat exchanger is installed
through the cabinet wall,
with half the system inside
the cabinet and the other
half located outside. Air
circulates in each half,
transfering heat from inside
the enclosure to outside.
Courtesy: Thermacore
Materials matter
for enclosure design
Cooler enclosures
As equipment designers have reduced the
size of electronic components and retain or
increase power, the control cabinet also has
shrunk, which saves space on an oftentimes
crowded factory floor, but smaller electronic
components generate the same amount of heat,
in a much tinier space, explained W. John
Bilski, senior engineer, Thermacore Inc. He
offered the following advice.
Properly cooling the electronics, which
have varying levels of temperature sensitiv-
ity, boosts system longevity and reliability, and
reduces the risk for failure. In a smaller cabi-
net, where there is less surface area to dissipate
the heat, there is a greater need for a thermal
management solution.
A thermal management solution like an air-
to-air heat exchanger helps ensure that elec-
tronics are working properly. Accurate sizing
as part of the design process is key and var-
ies by type and number of heat-generating
components.
An electronics cabinet for an outdoor appli-
cation, like a cell phone tower, is also heated
by the sun. If the enclosure is not insulated,
sunlight adds to
the heat that is generated by the components
inside the cabinet. The heat exchanger would
need to be larger to compensate for the extra
solar heat load.
When trying to determine heat loads, many
customers may overestimate, for future equip-
ment. If components generate 1,000 W of
energy, some customers double the cooling
requirement to accommodate future poten-
tial growth. With more heat load, the size of
the heat exchanger required to dissipate that
extra heat also grows larger, and more space
in the electronics cabinet must be devoted to
the exchanger. Doubling the heat load approxi-
mately doubles the size of the heat exchanger.
An air-to-air heat exchanger keeps the tem-
perature of the air inside the cabinet warm-
er than ambient air. An electronics cabinet
may function normally if the temperature is
20 degrees above the outside ambient air. But
if the desired temperature difference is 10
degrees so that the other 10 degrees is a safety
margin, the size of the heat exchanger doubles
to meet that new requirementand the custom-
er will need to pay a lot more for something
that is not really needed.
When the maximum external
ambient temperature equals or is
higher than the maximum tem-
perature inside the enclosure, an
air conditioner is required to cool
the air inside the enclosure below
the external ambient tempera-
ture. Air conditioners (with con-
densation drains, compressors,
and seals that can leak) can cost
more to operate (due to higher
electrical usage and higher main-
tenance costs).
Online, read more about con-
vection, fans, cold plates, heat
exchangers, temperature moni-
toring, alarms and reliability.
http://bit.ly/J 3J Wnz
www.thermacore.com
Cabinet electronics: Thermal calculations
More accessibility with less
access decreases risk
P
anel interface connectors (PICs) or access ports
enable a user to test and maintain equipment
without opening the panel. This arc mitigation solu-
tion alleviates the need for personal protection
equipment (PPE) and the need for a trained electri-
cian to de-energize the system.
Panel interface connectors mount to the out-
side of the control panel. A typical PIC will contain
a power supply (single, duplex, GFCI) and one or
more connectors commonly used for programmable
devices. These connectors include D-Sub, RJ45/Eth-
ernet, USB, DeviceNet, and others. Often there will
be a 3-amp reset as well.
While there are situations when a system needs to
be shut down for full access, using a PIC saves time
and money and allows for testing and maintenance
in an energized state. Making adjustments to equip-
ment and network systems and having the ability to
monitor changes in short order is a huge time sav-
ings. http://bit.ly/IxaQFl
- Lynne Keener is marketing coordinator at Men-
com, www.Mencom.com. ce
Industrial electri-
cal connectors can
reduce risk by avoid-
ing having to open an
enclosure or control
cabinet. Courtesy:
Mencom Corp.
ONLINE
4 articles on these topics include more advice, images, and
graphics. See links after each section.
See more about system integration at
http://controleng.com/integration.
tips and tricks
D
eciding whether to keep an auto-
mation integration project or pro-
cess control services in-house or
out-source some or all, depends on
many criteria, perhaps most obvi-
ously workload, but also risks of an implemen-
tation gone awry if inside experts bite off more
than they can chew.
While it may seem logical to keep as many
services in-house as possible, factors to consid-
er include workload, forecasting work, schedule,
deadlines, expertise, design quality, liability, and
risk, according to J ohn Koehler, director of sales,
and Melissa Striet, technical marketing coordina-
tor, Process Plus.
It may seem like common sense to keep as
much work in-house as possible, Koehler and
Striet noted. Why would you hire someone to
complete work that you can do yourself? If auto-
mation and operational engineering services are
your core competencies, then keeping those ser-
vices in-house may make sense, they said.
However, if these are services that do not
make up the majority of your business, Koehler
and Striet said, you may want to reconsider.
Providing a service that is not at the core of
your business practice may detract from your
bottom line.
You need to consider factors such as over-
head costs for these employees, cost-effective-
ness, as well as missed opportunity costs related
to your staff who are not contributing to your
core competency, they said.
With every design project, there are two
basic cost elements: the cost of the services, and
the overall lifecycle cost of the project. Hired-
out engineering costs equal the price of the pur-
chase order. In-house costs are more than just
Mark T. Hoske
System Integration Services:
In-house or Hired Out?
Should automation and process control services and system integration projects be
performed in-house or hired out? Advice follows from system integrators working on
the front lines of project management for automation and process control.
services
Smaller companies may
benefit the most from sup-
plementing in-house staff
for automation services
or project-based support.
Courtesy: Optimation
CTL1205_F3_ServicesV3msFINAL.indd 43 5/2/12 2:55 PM
salaries and benefits, depending on accurate
record-keeping of time spent on the project, and
other activities associated with the project, such
as travel and supplies, profit, as well an accurate
estimate of overhead. Comparison can be diffi-
cult over a projects lifecycle, Koehler and Stri-
et said.
Considerations, said Koehler and Striet,
include the following.
Workload peaks, valleys
Project schedule and capacity
Project expertise
Quality and innovation
Liability and risks
For more details on each, read this article
online at http://bit.ly/IcBIMO. Also see Con-
siderations checklist for services.
Outsourcing business case
Make a business case for getting help with
automation support services and ensure you get
the right skill sets for the processes and technol-
ogies needed, said Cherri J Schmidt, strategic
account manager, TEC Systems Group.
As the manufacturing environment becomes
increasingly automated, companies often focus
their investments on improving the skills of
the production team to use the new technolo-
gies, Schmidt said. But what about the skills
and knowledge of the resources that have to sup-
port and maintain these new systems? The elec-
tricians, technicians, and engineers who make
up the plant services organization are frequent-
ly left behind, often overlooked during the plan-
ning stages of the new solution, and the last to
receive training, she said. And career advance-
ment opportunities are limitedunless they are
services
Considerations checklist for services: In-house or hired out?
Use this checklist to help decide if automation engineering services should be in-house or hired out.
Yes No Consideration questions

Are automation and operational engineering services a core competency for your company?

Do automation and operational engineering services make up the majority of your business?

By taking on this project in-house, will there be missed opportunities to take on more profit-
able projects?

Considering your current workload and staff size, can your in-house staff support this
project?

Does the one-time cost of a hired-out consultant outweigh the cost of hiring additional in-
house staff?

Does your in-house staff have the ability to meet the critical deadlines dictated by the project
schedule?

Is the project schedule flexible enough for the work to be forecasted to help fill in gaps in
your in-house workload?

Does your in-house staff have the special expertise or specific project experience necessary
to complete the project?

Will you receive the same quality of work in-house as you would by hiring out the engineering
services?

Are you willing to take on the risk and potential liability associated with this project?

TOTAL
If the majority of answers are yes, then you may consider keeping the service in-house. If the majority of
answers are no, then consider hiring out your engineering services, suggests ProcessPlus,
www.processplus.com.
A hybrid
approach
keeps the
mission-critical
engineering
skills in-house
and outsources
more general
purpose
services.
Best practices when outsourcing

system integration: Manage risks
1. Treat existing employees with respect
2. Keep the mission-critical work in-house
3. Use clearly defined, performance-based contracts
4. Preserve your best resources
5. Choose a reliable and established service provider
6.
Hedge your bets: Consider keeping at least two
service providers on long-term contract
Courtesy: TEC Systems Group
willing to move out of their chosen field and into
the mainstream of the companys business. Out-
sourcing these highly skilled electrical and auto-
mation support services is growing in popularity
as a way of improving quality and responsive-
ness of these services while reducing the total
cost of acquiring them.
In-house, outsourced, hybrid
Faced with these challenges, manufactur-
ers have a variety of staffing options available,
Schmidt said.
At one extreme, they keep all of the elec-
trical and automation engineering, for capi-
tal projects and maintenance, in-house. At the
other extreme, they outsource nearly all such
services. Increasingly, however, the most suc-
cessful companies have seemed to settle on a
hybrid approach, keeping the mission-critical
engineering skills in-house and outsourcing the
more general purpose services.
For more justification citing product variety,
customization, cost, quality, safety, regulations,
and enterprise resource planning integration,
debunking in-house arguments, and helping
human-resources, managing outsourcing risks,
read this online: http://bit.ly/Ifxu5Z.
Process control maintenance services
System integration and maintenance servic-
es for process control systems and IT infrastruc-
ture extend through the full lifecycle of a project.
When deciding between in-house or hired-out
integrator, consider the quality and type of ser-
vices available, and ask the following questions,
according to Vladimir Morenko, director-general,
Industrial Automation Systems LLC (Insist Avto-
matika), Russia.
What does the customer receive if he gets an
engineering company involved in service mainte-
nance at all stages of a control system lifecycle?
What essential components determine the qual-
ity of services? What criteria should be used to
choose service contractor? What to choose: ser-
vices of an automation vendor or services of an
independent system integrator? How can one rec-
oncile requirements for the independence of the
system integrator and his loyalty to the vendor?
Morenko, drawing on input from Andrey
Perminov, Sergey Faruntsev, and Elena Kholi-
na, offers the following process control system
contractor services checklist to help with the
decision.
Anatomy of service quality: What should a
contractor be able to do? Based on service main-
tenance experiences, the following tasks should
be fulfilled at the stage of process automation
systems, information systems, and instrumenta-
tion operation:
Minimize risks related to control systems
of various levels (instrumentation, field facilities
control, supervisory control level, manufacturing
control)
Secure the required level of accessibility
and reliability of control systems
Minimize downtime of main process equip-
ment (production, injection wells, booster pump
stations, central processing facilities, pipelines,
etc.)
Increase energy efficiency and equipment
productivity
Increase quality of products
Minimize repair time and ensure high qual-
ity of repair
Reduce cost of equipment maintenance
Continuously modernize system hardware
and software, responding quickly to changes
in technologies and requirements of regulating
authorities
To reach these goals a service contractor
should have the experience and resources to:
Schedule preventive maintenance of pro-
While oil-field storage tanks provide a repository for products, system integrators can provide steady
stream of process control, services, and project management talent. Courtesy: Industrial Automation
Systems LLC (Insist Avtomatika), Russia
ONLINE
For 4 full-length articles from these
sources, click the short URLs after
each section. Sources sites follow.
www.industrialsystems.ru/en
www.optimation.us
www.processplus.com
www.tecsystemsgroup.com
www.controlsys.org
http://controleng.com/integration
http://controleng.com/integrators
N
eed automation engineering services?
Value and involve in-house automation
engineers, select the right outsourced team,
help the hired system integrator understand
the business, and play an active role with
everyone focused on clearly defined proj-
ect results for preserving value of control
systems, one of the most important parts
of your plant. Whats the right balance of
inside or hired-out services? Optimation
system integrators explain when it makes
sense to maintain a team of your own, and
when to seek assistance.
When considering whether or not to hire
your own automation engineers, consider
the benefits of keeping this capability
in-house.
An in-house staff will be familiar with
specific manufacturing operations and com-
pany requirements better than an outside
firm, said Jim Cummings, general manager
of Optimations Philadelphia office.
That familiarity can be a valuable asset to
companies with sensitive information, such
as trade secrets, new products in develop-
ment, and special processes.
An in-house team can be leveraged to
keep proprietary information internal to
the company, said Mike Triassi, business
development manager at Optimation.
While secrecy may be a factor for some
companies, size may be a concern for oth-
ers. Smaller companies probably find that
the smaller in-house staff will not have all
of the capabilities to do a wide range of
short-term projects with specific technical
needs, said Greg Gacioch, regional sales
manager for Optimations Minnesota office.
Dan Purvis, general manager of Optima-
tions Southwest offices, recommends, a
small group of people that really know
their way around it all. But your automation
needs will ebb and flow. You may hire up
for a major implementation project, but then
after thats complete, then what?
Cumming cautioned that internal staff
may not be able to keep up with the latest
technologies as easily as an outside firm.
Even with an in-house team, consider
schedule and project complexity, the two
biggest reasons to hire out, said Purvis.
And when the new project needs outpace
the capacity of internal resources, the
choice is to hire more staff, delay projects,
or contract services.
Therefore, the outsourced team selection
process should include a review of project
methodologies and evidence of adherence
to best practices, such as those advocated
by the Control System Integrators Associa-
tion (CSIA). They will often leverage proven
efficiency techniques, such as require-
ments traceability and risk mitigation
documentation, conferencing capabilities
for design and system reviews, and remote
webcam witnessing of factory acceptance
tests.
In the end, Cummings, Gacioch, Purvis,
and Triassi concede that even the best
outsourced team with the greatest skills is
still going to have a learning curve when
it comes to understanding your business,
over and above the in-house staff. The
key to a successful project with an outside
firm is to play an active role every step of
the way, with all team members focused on
clearly defined project results.
Online, see how to use the expertise of
an outside firm, benefit from best practices,
and take the right approach to outsourcing:
h t t p ://b i t .l y /I f v Su H.
- Jennifer Palumbo is marketing commu-
nications specialist, Optimation Technology
Inc.
cess automation systems, information systems,
and instrumentation
Do unscheduled repair work
Perform system modification including
design, manufacturing, supply, assembly, start-
up, and checks
Start up facilities operations
Investigate equipment failures
Maintain operating documents and manuals
for maintained systems
Maintain reasonable levels of spare parts
and components
Submit reporting documents for performed
work
Online at http://bit.ly/It0B2h see more oil-
field project lifecycle details, document check-
list, service quality criteria, and examples. As
of this submission, Insist Avtomatika said it is
the only Russian member of the Control System
Integrators Association (CSIA). ce
- Mark T. Hoske is content manager, Control
Engineering, at mhoske@cfemedia.com.
Finding the right balance: In-house or hired out?
Play an active
role every step
of the way, with
team members
focused
on clearly
defined project
results.
services
www.controleng.com CONTROL ENGINEERING MAY 2012 P1
T
he industry debate over the vir-
tues of distributed control systems
(DCSs) versus programmable logic
controllers (PLCs) has been going
on for at least the past four decades.
However, as the technologies have evolved, so
has the discussion. The choice used to be more
clear-cut, but as the functionality differences nar-
row and price points align, the arguments for and
against each system have become increasingly
murky.
Central to understanding the argument
between the two is grasping the fundamen-
tal differences between the two platforms. For
instance, DCS architecture originated from an
overall system approach with a focus on dis-
tributing control on a network so that operators
could monitor and interact with the entire scope
of the plant. Coordination, synchronization, and
integrity of process data over a high-performance
and deterministic network are at the core of DCS
architecture.
PLC architectures, on the other hand, focus
on very flexible and fast local control, and recent
advancements in PLC technology have added
process control features. When PLCs and HMI
software packages are integrated, the result looks
a lot like a DCS but is still very much a do-it-
yourself (DIY) approach, meaning engineers
must oversee the assembly of their system from
the ground up. While this is a flexible approach
to control, the DIY option usually comes with
increased technical risks in networking and per-
formance as well as added costs that are not
Tim Sweet
Buy or Build Your
Process Control System
One DCS supplier makes the case for buying a comprehensive control system to run
your process unit rather than a do-it-yourself PLC-based approach.
inside process
ONLINE
www.honeywellprocess.com
At www.controleng.com/
archive, read the story of a
water utility that built a DIY
system and liked it: Water
Treatment Plant Upgrades
Automation, Nov. 2011.
CTL1205_InsideProc01_V7msFINAL.indd 1 5/2/12 2:58 PM
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always immediately apparent.
In the past, a DCS was typically more
expensive to purchase than PLC-based
systems, and many plants had lower
demands in terms of production rates,
yield, waste, safety, and regulatory com-
pliance than what they experience today.
Thus, PLC-based systems were appeal-
ing because they offered a lower capital
investment and, from a functional point
of view, performed adequately. But times
have changed. Across the global market-
place, the demands on
manufacturing compa-
nies have risen while
the purchase price of
a DCS has decreased.
As a result, many con-
trol system engineers,
maintenance manag-
ers, and plant manag-
ers are taking a fresh
look at the trade-offs
between a DCS and
a PLC-based con-
trol system architec-
ture as they plan their
automation capital
expenditures.
With all that in
mind, there are sev-
eral issues to consider
when evaluating a DCS versus building
a DIY distributed control system using a
PLC-based architecture.
Network performance
Good network performance starts
with proper network planning, which can
only be done with an intimate knowledge
of the communication behavior of each
network node and the protocol used to
carry network messages. Major process
automation suppliers have taken care of
this requirement. They provide best prac-
tice information so the user starts with
a sound network design for the control
system. Contrast this to the DIY world
where the application engineer might
well be the first to put a particular net-
work topology together.
Once the network planning and
installation are complete, the next step
is gauging how the network performs.
The same network topology can be sub-
jected to a wide variation in communi-
cation traffic based upon the amount of
data acquisition, alarm reporting, his-
tory compilation, peer-to-peer messag-
es, and backup tasks that go on at any
given time, which can be taken care of
through comprehensive maximum topol-
ogy testing.
Assuming that the user has planned
and installed his or her network, the
plant has reached its maximum produc-
tion capacity, and everything is work-
ing as expected, a common challenge
is maintaining that smooth network
operation.
One solution is to
implement fault-tol-
erant Ethernet (FTE)
at the outset, a redun-
dant industrial Eth-
ernet networking
technology utilizing
inexpensive off-the-
shelf components to
provide a high-avail-
ability solution. FTE
continuously cares
for the process con-
trol network by pro-
viding ample network
diagnostics that are
tracked and reported
as a part of the base
DCS.
Additionally, the
plant must qualify the functionality and
performance of service packs and hot
fixes before they are loaded into the pro-
duction system. Seasoned network engi-
neers know that every single device on
the network needs to behave properly as
a part of a functioning network commu-
nity, as one bad actor can spoil the per-
formance of the entire network.
Control performance
Good process control is built upon
reliable and repeatable execution of the
control strategy. The process controllers
that are a part of classic DCS architec-
ture have fundamentally different oper-
ating philosophies than found in a PLC.
While the PLC runs relatively quicker,
the process controller favors repeatabil-
ity. This means that the control strate-
gy runs on fixed clock cyclesrunning
faster or running slower is not tolerat-
ed. Repeatable control on every cycle is
designed to support repeatable quality,
repeatable yield, and repeatable results
for the plant.
inside process
Times have
changed.

Across
the global
marketplace,
the demands on
manufacturing
companies have
risen while the
purchase price
of a DCS has
decreased.

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Clock cycles are not the only secret. Other
system services are also designed to give prior-
ity to solving the controller configuration. For
instance, controller-generated alarms can be
throttled if they are interfering with control and
recovered later when process disturbances slow
down. This can only be managed effectively by
tightly coordinating the control generating the
alarms, as well as the alarm and event subsys-
tems that collect, store, and report those alarms.
Again, a system approach from the onset is cen-
tral to the operation of a DCS.
HMI graphics
Suppliers of HMI software packages typi-
cally boast about how easy it is to design graph-
ics for the operator. But designing graphics, no
matter how impressive, is not how a plant makes
money. Imagine a process control environment
where one doesnt need to build graphics because
theyre provided pre-built.
In a system where the control and opera-
tor environments are designed and built togeth-
er, often 90% of what is needed to run a process
plant can be made standard. Some DCS plat-
forms can provide hundreds of standard face-
plates, group displays, and status displays that
are vital to safe and efficient plant operation and
are provided out of the box.
Control algorithms
Object-oriented function blocks are used pri-
marily to specify the properties of any given
user function. By creating function blocks with
a complete set of parameter-based functions, the
user can develop and fine-tune control strate-
gies without designing control functions, while
ensuring that all necessary functions are avail-
able and documented as configurable selections.
The application engineer simply assembles the
blocks into the desired control configuration
with minimal effort. A self-documenting, pro-
gramming-free controller configuration is what
makes the DCS architecture efficient to engineer
and troubleshoot.
As an example, lets look at a commonly used
process control functionthe PID block. Using
a DCS-style global data model, all aspects of the
PID function can usually be accessed via a single
configuration screen where various algorithms
that have proven the test of time are available
for easy selection. Parameters used for alarm-
inside process
In a system
where the
control and
operator
environments
are designed
and built
together, often
90% of what is
needed to run
a process plant
can be made
standard.

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ing, trending, and history in the HMI are
easy to find and configured in one loca-
tion. Its no longer necessary to con-
figure these parameters to populate the
HMI configuration.
Application software
In the 20- to 30-year lifespan of an
automation system, its important to con-
sider how often typical users will need to
expand or modify their systems and how
often they will want to add a new control
technology to them.
In the world of DIY, its possible to
find all the applications needed to run a
plant merely by looking through catalogs
from PLC and HMI vendors and plac-
ing an order. Licenses, DVDs, down-
loads, and other usable content will
begin to arrive shortly after that, provid-
ing an array of materials. However, its
easier to order one model number and
receive everything needed at once via
the same content. One license can sup-
ply all the controlware, a data historian,
trend objects, business integration soft-
ware, and graphics needed to run a pro-
cess plant. With the capabilities of DCS
architecture, all control applications
load correctly, are guaranteed to be the
correct version, and are tested to work
together.
Data management
When the DIY DCS is pieced togeth-
er, multiple data models can spawn
multiple data elements representing the
same piece of information. And when
piece parts are brought together to form
a system, the various data models must
be synchronized and maintained. A bur-
den exists on application engineers and
system administrators to accomplish
this task.
In the world of the DCS architec-
ture, the entire data model has been
conceived to cover all parts of the sys-
tem. Hence, one data owner can provide
a piece of information to any applica-
tion or service anywhere in the system.
The issue here isnt the number of data-
bases. The key is having a single data
model so that no matter where a data
element resides, it can be used by any
element of the architecture and that par-
ticular data element is never duplicated.
A comprehensive data model doesnt
necessarily mean one database, but it
does mean only one location for any
given element of data.
Batch automation
The comprehensive nature of DCS
architecture has long been a favorite for
batch automation projects. More than
anywhere else, batch requires careful
coordination between phases, units, rec-
ipes, formulas, and so on. Even classic
DCS architecture has been challenged
to provide a complete packaged solution
because of all the various and diverse
elements in a batch environment. For
this reason, many batch automation proj-
ects have resorted to a myriad of packag-
es brought together to form the solution.
However, the batch-data model is no
longer as daunting as it once was, and
inside process
A large-scale DCS, regardless of the
manufacturer, should offer versatility for
control strategy along with an ability to
communicate with all manner of field
devices and networking strategies. The
final installation should be straightfor-
ward, both physically and functionally.
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P8 MAY 2012 CONTROL ENGINEERING
It is also important to choose the con-
trol solution that will allow a seamless
addition of enterprise solutions onto the
control layer. Because information-rich
applications will most likely be expect-
ed right around the corner, it is important
to consider elements like manufacturing
execution systems (MES), asset man-
agement, reporting packages, statistical
process control (SPC), downtime track-
ing, or a variety of other enterprise layer
solutions.
Simulation technology
Control strategies need a thorough
ringing out before they are deployed
to control the actual process. Because process control is so
focused on repeatability, it is necessary for a simulation envi-
ronment to run the control strategy without alteration. Timing
is essential in process control, and a simulator must replicate
the process execution timing in a faithful manner.
With that in mind, DCS suppliers offer advanced simulator
technology to support improved performance throughout the
lifecycle of a plant. This ranges from off-line use in steady-
state design simulation, and control check-out and operator
training, to online use in control and optimization, performance
monitoring, and business planning.
Process history
Thorough process improvement relies on good process data,
which means that history collection must be coordinated with
the plant automation system functioning so it does not inter-
fere with more urgent control requirements. Yet, if it becomes
necessary to suspend the collection of history, the history must
be recovered since incomplete history is unacceptable. Plants
need a reliable solution for archiving history data, and also for
retrieving it for use in trending and quality analysis.
With this in mind, most current DCS platforms now include
robust process history functionality built in directly, enabling
engineers and plant management to analyze performance of the
entire operation from a single location. Redundant data collec-
tion mechanisms also ensure speedy fail-over to a secondary
collector upon loss of a primary.
Making the decision
Every plant, of course, will have unique requirements when
it comes to automation and control, and neither a DCS nor
PLC will be a catch-all solution for every facility. Ultimate-
ly, specific applications and operational needs must be con-
sidered carefully when determining which technology is most
appropriate for process control. There is a growing case to be
made, though, for the value of a DCS, even in smaller applica-
tions. Taking into account the possible issues examined above
can give operators and engineers a blueprint of DCS and PLC
capabilities and provide deeper understanding of what to con-
sider when choosing between the two. ce
Tim Sweet is solutions manager for small systems for Hon-
eywell Process Solutions.
the various aspects of a batch automa-
tion solution can now be captured in a
single DCS data model. For instance, all
elements needed for batch management
and execution are run in the process con-
troller, or a redundant pair of controllers
when robustness is desired. This means
that there is no longer a need for a PC
operating as a batch server. Because all
batch elements are handled in the control-
ler, batch execution is faster, cycle times
are reduced, and throughput is increased.
Further, operators learn one consistent
environment for alarms, security, and dis-
plays so that fewer errors are made. From
an engineering and maintenance perspec-
tive, the advantage is in learning and supporting one tool with
no duplication.
Open connectivity
Rarely are todays process plants run by a single brand of
controller. Thats why classic DCS architecture also serves to
bring third-party devices into the same data model employed
by the DCS. This incorporation of existing controllers means
that operators can view information from various brand con-
trollers in a consistent fashion.
inside process
Because process
control is so focused
on repeatability,
it is necessary
for a simulation
environment to run
the control strategy
without alteration.

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U
.S. Bottlers in Charlotte, N.C., is
a manufacturer of high-speed liq-
uid packaging equipment used by
the food, pharmaceutical, chem-
ical, and automotive industries.
Our products include rotary cleaning, filling, and
capping machines that operate at speeds from 20
to more than 1,000 bottles per minute. In 2012,
U.S. Bottlers will celebrate its 100th anniversary.
Over the years, the liquid bottling industry
has moved from mechanical fillers and weigh-
scale fillers using load cell technology to flow-
meter-based fillers. The flowmeter filler is now
the preferred style over the weigh-scale filler.
In fact, many mechanical and weigh-scale filler
customers have been converting older machines
to flowmeter-based fillers for more modern sup-
port and better bottle han-
dling control.
To meet the demand for
new and upgraded liquid
filling machines, U.S. Bottlers uses magnetic and
Coriolis flowmeters from Endress+Hauser on all
its filling machines. These families of flowme-
ters were selected after significant research and
rigorous comparison to competitive products on
a variety of attributes.
Inside a liquid bottling machine
Liquid bottling machines are available in sev-
eral styles including pressure gravity, vacuum,
piston, electronic weigh scale, flow, and mass
measurement. All have advantages and disadvan-
tages in various applications butin general
flowmeter-based filling machines have emerged
as the first choice for most of our customers.
In a flowmeter-based system, an external
tank system moves liquid product to the roof of
the filler for disbursement
through a distribution man-
ifold. Empty containers are
fed onto a rotary table,
separated, and then posi-
tioned on individual filling
stations under custom-
designed filling valves.
When a container is posi-
tioned under the valve, the
filling process begins at a
rate designed to suit the
containers particular shape and dimensions, and
the products flow characteristics. Once the target
fill volume is achieved, the filling process stops.
The ability of the meter to measure the liquid
flow properly is the most critical step in the fill-
er cycle. The selection is influenced significant-
ly by the flow characteristics of the product, any
pulp or particulates, foaming tendencies, as well
as sensitivity of the liquid ingredients.
We have the ability to program the stages of
filling in a fast or slow mode. In a two-stage fill,
it can be programmed to start fast and slow down
at the end; for example, with a small tapered
neck container. Or it can start slow, gradually
inside process
Tom Risser
Filling Bottles:
Go with the Flowmeter
As bottle-filling machines look for greater speed and consistency, some users move from
older weigh cell technology to flowmeter-based systems, but its a tough application.
ONLINE
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Modern bottling machines allow high-speed filling of a variety of containers
with a wide range of liquids.
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control systems is fundamental to a healthy bottom-line. Less obvious are the advantages you gain
from a deeper team of proven process engineers and programmers. Smarter HMI displays mean
smarter operators. Better recipe management means better batch consistency. And greater
savings mean greater prots. Simply put, weve got what youre craving. Learn more at tricore.com.
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Monitor differential pressure, temperature
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Early Warning system alerts you
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3 CRITICAL
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speeding up to avoid splashing and foaming, like
pouring a foaming beer in a glass. Sometimes
with a handled container we will slow down half-
way to let air get out of the handle area. And,
thanks to the flowmeter accuracy, we can dribble
feed the last 10% for better filling accuracy.
The best way to measure flow
To obtain the best accuracy, we use magnet-
ic and Coriolis flowmeters in a variety of sizes
with sanitary flanges. Our first choice is a mag-
netic design assuming the product is conductive,
but we will switch to a Coriolis when necessary.
Magnetic sensors are typically smaller and easier
to fit into the tight spaces of a filling machine.
Typically, meters are mounted at the manifold
so the valves can move up and down, with an
individual sensor for each filling head. We use
3/4- and 1-in. ID flanges, and the flow rates can
range from 0.5 to 4 gpm. The flowmeters send
pulse output signals to the PLC (programma-
ble logic controller) on the filling station, which
shuts the fill valve when a container is full.
The PLC uses our proprietary algorithm to
determine volume from the flow signal. The
algorithm originated with our weigh scale fillers
and has been tweaked to work with signals from
a flowmeter instead of with totalizing values
from load cells. Since the flow starts and stops
within seconds, there is no time to wait for the
flowmeter to stabilize. The piping design must
also ensure that there are no bubbles or slugs of
air in the line and that the pipes and sensor are
always completely filled with liquid.
We cannot guarantee a precise liquid level
or filling accuracy thats equal to the accuracy
the flowmeters because the total tolerance stack-
up is affected by valves, solenoids, pneumatics,
vibration, and pressure swings that dont allow
filling accuracies to be that tight. However, the
accuracy of flowmeters currently in use is bet-
ter than any previous sensor technology for liq-
uid filling, making our machines among the most
accurate on the market.
Because flowmeter-based filling machines
are so accurate, they dont need an overflow to
establish a liquid fill level, as with mechanical
fillers. Thus, a flowmeter system requires about
half the total amount of piping, hoses, nipples,
manifolds, etc. It also doesnt require as much
pressure, cleaning solutions, and time to clean
as a mechanical filling system. Flowmeter-based
inside process
Coriolis mass flowmeters
measure flow on this bottling
machine that fills motor oil
containers.
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
Pepperl+Fuchs, Inc.
Twinsburg, Ohio
330.486.0002
www.pepperl-fuchs.us
The Endurance To Withstand
The Environment
Pepperl+Fuchs is the clear choice for industrial-grade
at panel monitors. Our visualization systems are
available from component general-purpose monitors to
fully integrated Class I, Division 1 systems with purge.
Manufactured with industrial-rated components, a full
family of high-performance display panel monitors is
available with 10 to 22 inch diagonal active viewing
areas and touchscreen options.
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hazardous area protection expertise, and global support
are unsurpassed. When you need safe, reliable, and
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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OPERATION
Only Winsted control room consoles combine the conguration exibility you need
with the robust performance you demand. From modular to custom, Winsted consoles
offer an array of options and modications that optimize aesthetics, function and
ergonomics. Bring your ultimate control environment to life with our FREE WELS 3D
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AND CONTROL
systems also promote a noncontact valve
design, which means no contact with the bot-
tle finish, allowing for aseptic options. Corio-
lis and magnetic flowmeters have no moving
parts or obstructions, which makes them easy
to clean and flush.
The addition of a flow sensor may seem
like expensive complexity at first glance, but
it leads to savings in overflow, return pumps,
and extra control systemsnot to mention a
more sanitary and cleanable design through-
out. With a flowmeter system, changing prod-
uct doesnt require calibration as we simply store
recipes based on empirical data from previous
runs to allow quicker switching between bottle
sizes and ingredient change.
Retrofitting older machines
Liquid filling machines can last for years,
requiring only periodic updates and parts
replacement. U.S. Bottlers rebuilds its older
machines, which can involve replacing valves,
rotary unions, silicone hoses, fittings, slide
rods, bushings, rollers, and roller blocks. We
also repair the main drive motor, bearings, gear-
boxes, and belts as needed. In most cases, cus-
tomers also ask us to convert weigh-type filling
machines to flowmeters.
One of our unusual observations is that it
appears that when rebuilding an older weigh-
filler into a flowmeter machine, the new fill-
ers appear to be more accurate over and above
what would expected by the improvement in
flow measurement. Part of the reason could be
that during the conversion process, the entire
machine is given an overhaul and brought into
spec; or it could be that the flowmeter is less sus-
ceptible to vibration and electrical noise in a bot-
tling plant.
The flowmeters success is measured in two
ways from our perspective: First, every one of
our fillers equipped with E+H flowmeters not
only meets all of our quoted accuracy guarantees,
but is as good as any filler weve produced in
the history of our company. Secondand prob-
ably more importantmany customers that pur-
chased a flowmeter-based filler have come back
for repeat orders since improved liquid measure-
ment is a large part of overall customer satisfac-
tion. ce
Tom Risser is president of U.S. Bottlers,
Charlotte, N.C.
inside process
This is an old weigh filler
for a motor fluid product
converted to Coriolis mass
flowmeters.
PRODUCTS PRODUCTS
& software
Advantech, an embedded com-
puting provider, has released its
Quiet Industrial Computer line
with a full range of selections
featuring acoustic and thermal op-
timization. The smart fan adjusts
rotation speed while addressing
both cooling and noise issues.
Complying with the ISO 7779
standard, noise level is controlled
down to as low as 35 dBA. The
new family supports the latest
in computing technology, Intel
second-generation core i7 proces-
sors and DDR3 memory modules,
along with two form factors, 4U
rack-mount enclosure, and com-
pact wall-mount enclosure.
Traditionally, industrial comput-
ers were placed in manufacturing
sites or outdoors environments
tolerant of noise. However, as
industrial computer applications
have become more diverse, these
computers are also being used in
environments more sensitive to
noise, such as in network commu-
nications, POS, medical systems,
or systems that are placed in of-
fices, including measuring instru-
ments, flight safety consoles, etc.
Accordingly, Advantech is intro-
ducing its Intelligent IPCs, Quiet
Industrial Computers. ISO 7779
is the test specification Advantech
is currently using, and the system
idle noise level is controlled down
to as low as 35 dBA. Both form
factors support Advantech indus-
trial-grade ATX and MicroATX
motherboards, the AIMB-781,
AIMB-767, and AIMB-581 series.
Advantech
www.advantech.com
Input #200 at www.controleng.com/information
Galil Motion Control has announced a stepper motor
drive option for its DMC-30000 Pocket Motion Con-
troller Series. The DMC-30017 combines a single-axis
motion controller with a 6 A micro-stepping drive for
operating a two-phase bipolar stepper motor. The drive
produces 256 microsteps per full step or 1,024 steps
per full cycle which results in 51,200 steps/rev for a standard 200-step motor. The
maximum step rate is 3 million microsteps/second. The unit drives motors operating
at up to 6 A at 20 to 80 Vdc. There are four current settings: 0.75, 1.5, 3, and 6 A.
Other features of the family include PID compensation with velocity and accelera-
tion feed-forward, multitasking for simultaneously running up to four programs, and
I/O processing for synchronizing motion with external events.
Galil Motion Control
www.galilmc.com
Select Wago 2002 Series Topjob S terminal blocks
now carry three jumper slots for greater exibility. New
DIN-rail disconnect/test with mechanical interlock,
mini-automotive blade-style fuse, and fuse disconnect
with pivoting holder (5x20 mm) accommodate one
output and two input potential common connecting.
This provides convenient in-circuit current testing and
potential distribution on both sides of the block ideal
for process measurement applications. The third jumper slot permits test and mea-
surement via plugs/taps without distributing machine wiring. For example: Test 4-20
mA signals or record data by disengaging the knife/pivoting disconnect, or removing
blade-style fuse. This routes the circuit to a plug/data recorder in the third slot.
Wago Corporation
www.wago.us
Emerson has released its Rosemount Ana-
lytical 6888 in-situ O2 analyzer. This analyzer
provides accurate measurement of oxygen remaining
in ue gases coming from combustion processes such as boil-
ers, incinerators, kilns, process heaters, and industrial furnaces. By
maintaining the ideal level of oxygen, optimal efciency is achieved and
the lowest levels of NOx, CO, and CO2 are produced. The new design places
a zirconium oxide sensing element directly into a ue gas stream. Probe lengths
are available from 18 in. to 12 ft, and a slip mounting option permits mounting a
long probe at any insertion depth. Signal conditioning electronics reside in the head
of each probe, eliminating the need for expensive signal cable. The 6888 is fully
eld-repairable. All active components can be replaced including the diffuser/lter,
sensing cell, heater, thermocouple, and all electronics cards.
Rosemount division, Emerson Process Management
www.emersonprocess.com
Industrial computer
platforms reduce noise
and manage temperature,
can move into an office
Single-axis pocket motion controller
includes a micro-stepping drive for a
two-phase bipolar motor
Terminal fuse blocks with three jumper
slots add control cabinet flexibility for
process measurement applications
Combustion flue gas analyzer
helps reduce emissions and
improve combustion efficiency
CTL1205_Products_V4msFINAL.indd 61 5/2/12 4:34 PM
PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE
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Acromag_CE_ProdLitShowcase2.indd 1 5/31/2011 5:25:27 PM
Fluke Corporation, a manufacturer
of portable electronic test and mea-
surement technology, has released its
430 Series II, three-phase power qual-
ity analyzers. The company is charac-
terizing these as the rst tools to use a
patented algorithm to measure energy
waste and quantify its cost. The series
helps facilities reduce electrical power
consumption and improve the performance and lifespan of
electro-mechanical equipment by providing ROI justica-
tion to mitigate power quality distortion. Electricians, utility
technicians, electrical engineers, eld service technicians,
and energy consultants can automatically determine how
much power is being wasted and calculate exactly what the
extra consumption costs are with a single handheld tool. For
example, this analyzer allows facilities to assess the impact
of new energy-efcient, electronically-driven systems. While
these new systems consume less energy as individual installa-
tions, they can increase the level of power quality disturbance
in the overall electrical system, increasing waste energy due
to harmonics and reducing the total potential energy savings.
The analyzer calculates the cost of that waste energy.
Fluke
www.uke.com
Alpha Wire has added industrial Ethernet to its grow-
ing family of Xtra-Guard cables. The new Cat 5e cables
enable Ethernet communications with the durability and
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Peter Welander
Paul Baran
was a visionary
and imagined
systems like the
Internet long
before most
people did.
O
ne of the things we take for granted
every time we look at something on
the Internet or an industrial control
system is that our networks can send
and receive data from any number of sources at
the same time and it all seems to work. It wasnt
always like that, and we have the technology of
data packets to thank for it.
In the early days of digital computing, devices
communicated with each other using point-to-
point serial communication. Basically the data
flowed from device A to device B like water
flowing through a pipe when both ends open the
appropriate valves. It was crude, but it worked
within its limitations. Early on that was tolerable
because there were so few computers that had to
communicate.
By the early 1960s, computers were becom-
ing more numerous and the kind of data that was
being communicated more critical. Paul Baran,
who was working for the Rand Corporation, con-
cluded that if data could be broken into chunks
rather than a continuous flow, it could support
a more robust system that could tie together far
more devices via a common network. It might
even be capable of withstanding a nuclear attack,
which given that Cold War era, was a valid con-
cern. Baran was a visionary and imagined systems
like the Internet long before most people did.
What is a packet?
To return to the water flowing analogy, instead
of sending water down a pipe, if you put it in a
bottle, you can send it anywhere. Others compare
data packets to letters, where a message is put in
an envelope and carried by the post office.
A packet is a framework of a spe-
cific size and structure. It has a header
and trailer at the beginning and end
that identify who sent it, where its
going, etc. In the middle there is a
space for the message itself, or pay-
load. For a given type of network,
the payload has a length limitation
so a longer message may have to be
broken into multiple packets. If the
message is short, the other parts of the
packet dont get any smaller. Various
networking protocols do the details
differently, but the basic concepts are
largely the same. Applications on the
sending and receiving ends put the data in packets
for transmission and unpack it when it arrives.
Networking protocols are rated on their effi-
ciency, or the amount of message payload com-
pared to the overall packet size. If too much
of the packet size is taken up with the header,
trailer, and other overhead, that protocol is con-
sidered inefficient. Part of the argument against
using Ethernet for field instrumentation is the
idea that it has too much overhead for the small
amount of data these devices generate.
One of the benefits of breaking larger data
into smaller units is that it is possible to verify
the accuracy of a message using an error check-
ing protocol such as a cyclic redundancy check
(CRC). In basic terms, all the information in the
message in a given packet has a numerical value
attached to it. The protocol adds up all those val-
ues and divides the sum by another number. The
remainder from the calculation is assigned to that
message. The receiver does the same calculation
and verifies that it got the same remainder value.
If it didnt, it knows that some of the data in the
message contained in that packet must have been
corrupted and it flags that packet.
Ethernet application
Ethernet communication depends on pack-
ets, or as they are more typically called, frames.
Many variations have been created, but there are
typically seven parts to a complete frame:
Preamble (used for bit synchronization)
SFD (start of frame delimiter)
Destination MAC address
Source MAC address
Length or specific type
Message or data payload, and
FCS (frame check sequence).
The size of each of these elements is fixed,
except for the payload. This can vary as need-
ed for the information being sent, but there is a
maximum of about 1.5 kB. This article, set in
plain text, would likely require three packets to
transmit.
As technologies go, its difficult to think of
one that has been used and adapted in so many
ways, and one that we depend on in so many
applications. ce
Peter Welander is a content manager for Control
Engineering. Email him at pwelander@cfemedia.com.
BASICS BASICS
Data Packets
back to
Putting data in packages is basic to virtually all our networking concepts.
ONLINE
At www.controleng.com,
follow the system integra-
tion channel for networking
coverage.
Ethernet frame
62 bits
Preamble used for bit
synchronization
2 bits Start of frame delimiter
48 bits
Destination of Ethernet
address
48 bits
Source Ethernet
address
16 bits Length or type
46-1,500
bytes
Data payload
32 bits
Frame check
sequence
CTL1205_BackBasics_V4msFINAL.indd 64 5/2/12 4:34 PM
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