Students from The Infinity Math & Science Academy and Glenbrook South High School presented their Illinois Innovation and Technology Challenge solutions to Bison Gear and Engineering. The schools each proposed new ideas, identifying potential applications for Bison's new ServoNOW® motor.

Bison Gear and Engineering worked closely with associates from the Illinois Math and Science Academy (IMSA) as well as teachers from the participating high schools to bring this year's ILIT challenge to life. Each school was given a $250.00 stipend, a ServoNOW motor and tasked with producing a working prototype solution to a real-world application. Mike O'Donnell, a Bison servo expert, acted as a technical adviser. While the students took the lead on the project, Mr. O'Donnell was able to troubleshoot any issues the schools faced during the design process.

With only a few weeks to create a finished product, the students had to work fast to take their designs from initial concepts to working prototypes - both of which were inherently different. Using the ServoNOW to control the rotation of an extended output shaft equipped with special tooling for cutting, the students from Infinity Math, Science and Technology High School created a flavored ice maker where users could control not only the flavor of the ice, but also the size of drinks made.

The students from Glenbrook South took a different approach. They created a fun and unique gumball machine. Their design uses single and multi-axis movement, driven by the ServoNOW, to kick a gumball towards a pre-determined point into a waiting cup that was also driven by ServoNOW - adding a bit of entertainment while customers wait for their candy to be dispensed.

Both schools proposed their design in a creative, multimedia presentation where they highlighted what factors led to their idea, the challenges each school faced, the data they collected to test and refine their design and finally suggestions on how to market the product.

Bison Vice President of Business Development, Matt Hanson, reflected, "Since we wanted to introduce the ServoNOW as an easy way to integrate motion control into an application, it seemed like the perfect design challenge opportunity for the students. They came up with great ideas and even had suggestions for improvements to the product. All in all, it was a great experience for everyone involved."

Dissecting Stuxnet. How it works with PLCs and VFDs.

Eaton's SmartWire-DT came from its European business. Here's the original promotional video for German-speakers.

Post 2010, after the infamous Stuxnet attack in Iran, cyber threats have gained considerable attention from all sections of the industry, from automation and device vendors at the plant-floor to management personnel in boardrooms.

The need for implementing security initiatives is increasingly becoming a regulatory compulsion. A practical projection of current trends indicate that regulations and standards governing cyber security is likely to surge in future, reflecting the urgency and opportunity for automation vendors to invest in this emerging market space.

This briefing will try to understand:

• the history of cyber threats
• significance to automation vendors
• contemporary security initiatives

It will provide automation vendors with an insight into some of the popular industrial perceptions towards cyber security, offering viable recommendations for security initiatives in future enterprises.

WHEN: 16 May 2012 at 2pm BST

WHERE: Online, with free registration

For more information, and to register online go to: http://www.frost.com/prod/servlet/analyst-briefing-detail.pag?mode=open&sid=259433753

“Now we are able to collect data everywhere from our environment, infrastructures, businesses and even ourselves, and this huge amount of information is generating a new ecosystem of business opportunities around its storage, analysis and accessibility” says Libelium's CEO Alicia Asín.

The exponential growing number of objects connected to the Internet is changing completely our world. What new business models will appear? Which processes can be optimized? How many vertical markets are benefited? Libelium, a - wireless sensor networks platform provider - has released the document “50 Sensor Applications for a Smarter World. Get Inspired!” covering the most disruptive sensor and Internet of Things applications.

The list is grouped in 12 different verticals, showing how the Internet of Things is becoming the next technological revolution. It includes the most trendy scenarios, like Smart Cities where sensors can offer us services like Smart Parking – to find free parking spots in the streets– or managing the intensity of the luminosity in street lights to save energy. Climate change, environmental protection, water quality or CO2 emissions are also addressed by sensor networks and are just some of the examples included in the Smart Water and Smart Environment sections included in the document.

Other sections such as Industrial Control, Logistics or Retail cover applications more focused in process efficiency like providing information for restocking the shelves and even product placement for marketing purposes. The list is completed with applications in the verticals of Smart Metering, Security and Emergencies,  Smart Agriculture, Animal Farming, Domotic and Home Automation and eHealth.

Full document is available for download at: http://www.libelium.com/top_50_iot_sensor_applications_ranking

How to map devices in Modbus

How to map devices in Modbus

The Sercos International user organization announced at Hannover Fair that it will soon release a powerful diagnostic tool for Sercos III automation bus networks and offer it as a free download on the Sercos websites. The diagnostic tool allows a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the data traffic in Sercos III networks.

The Sercos Monitor supports the Windows XP and Windows 7 operating systems and is based on the WinPcap interface. The tool allows both retroactive evaluation of stored network records in the pcap file format and an analysis of the network traffic in real time. A user-friendly interface plus overview functions for the typical features of a Sercos III network, such as topology, communications phases and service channel transmission, enable a fast and targeted launch of the analysis process. Experienced users are additionally provided with comprehensive protocol and analysis functions. Different views and filter mechanisms allow the customized evaluation of Sercos III real time telegrams and other Ethernet telegrams based on the individual requirements of the user. Users can add additional functions to the Sercos Monitor via user-specific plug-ins, if needed.

The Sercos Monitor was developed by Steinbeis Transferzentrum Systemtechnik in Esslingen, Germany, in cooperation with numerous providers and users from the Sercos community. Prof. Reinhard Keller, Director of Steinbeis-Transferzentrum Systemtechnik, explains: “The Sercos Monitor supports the users of a Sercos III network in various ways. Service staff and system integrators can utilize a great number of tailor-made functions. The tool not only provides detailed information about the data that is exchanged within the network, but also presents it to the user in clearly structured and easily comprehensible units. This greatly facilitates troubleshooting in Sercos III networks.”

The first practical results of the machinery initiative, which was launched jointly by Sercos International, ODVA, and OPC Foundation in April 2011, were announced at the 2012 Hannover trade fair.

“We are convinced that today's great variety of automation technology requires a new conceptual approach to simplify integration of machinery in manufacturing,” said Peter Lutz, Managing Director of Sercos international. “For this reason, we have cooperated with ODVA and the OPC Foundation in identifying topics that result in considerable technical and market synergies for users and providers.”

Specifically, the deliberations focused on how to implement a joint network infrastructure in which the different network protocols can coexist and the devices of different manufacturers can be operated together. This approach is intended to support mechanical engineers and users in reducing the complexity and costs of device integration in machines and systems. It also enables mechanical engineers and users to select preferred product providers and to utilize their devices.

Because the infrastructure required for EtherNet/IP and Sercos III includes the physics and data link layers of Ethernet, Sercos telegrams, CIP messages and TCP/IP messages can coexist within a network without requiring additional cables. To keep the cyclical and clocked communication of Sercos III intact, the CIP messages and TCP/IP messages are transmitted in the Unified Communication Channel (UCC). This channel sits directly on the Ethernet layer without tunneling, allowing the connection of users who do not have Sercos III, but instead support a different Ethernet-based protocol.

This approach allows the combination of Sercos III devices, EtherNet/IP devices and other Ethernet devices in a joint network infrastructure in a machine or system. The existing Sercos III and EtherNet/IP specifications do not have to be modified, as the respective communication mechanisms have already been integrated in the Sercos III transmission process.

By late 2012, the providers aim to create an implementation guide that describes the planning and set-up of such multi-protocol networks. Initial prototypes are expected to be presented at the SPS/IPC/DRIVES 2012 show as a demo system.

GIL 2012: Europe -- The Global Community of Growth, Innovation and Leadership Annual Congress (www.gil-global.com/europe) is scheduled to be held in London on 9th May. TechVision 2020 - one of the highlights of this year's GIL Global 2012 events - will delve into technologies that are set to dramatically transform industries, strategies and businesses.

The selected technologies that will be discussed at the congress spread across nine sectors - Advanced Manufacturing & Automation, Sensors & Controls, Microelectronics, Materials & Coatings, Information & Communication Technology, Clean & Green Environment, Sustainable Energy, Health & Wellness and Medical Devices & Imaging Technology -  and represent the bulk of R&D and innovation activity today.

Assessing intelligence on several emerging and disruptive technologies and innovations from around the globe, Frost & Sullivan's analysts will nominate the top 50 technologies which it believes have the maximum potential for global adoption and possess significant commercial potential.

In the fields of Industrial Automation & Process Control and Measurements & Instrumentation, particular attention will be given for instance to breakthrough microelectronics innovations such as flexible electronics. With global CAGR expected to increase by 19% by 2014, this technology finds use in a variety of potential markets with connected needs: consumer electronics, supply chain, food packaging, medical devices and the military sector.

Wireless power transmission and smart sensor technologies will also be analyzed, as well as digital manufacturing -- or e-manufacturing. The latter refers to the use of simulation tools, product lifecycle management (PLM) software and ICT solutions to achieve higher productivity in manufacturing, thereby increasing competitiveness through collaborative new product design, agile manufacturing, and supply chain integration.

TechVision 2020 showcases each selected technology, closely assessing the potential of a given technology platform to understand the true market opportunities, while evaluating the risk-reward elements. It appraises technology maturity and adoption ratings, possible year of impact and patent landscape, examines private and government funding trends, and explores future technology and application roadmaps.

The focus at GIL 2012: Europe is on sharing, engaging, and inspiring a continuous flow of new ideas and fresh perspectives which leverage innovation as a resource to help address global challenges. This event is designed to fuel creativity and offer access to best practices, tools and strategies that will drive growth and inspire innovation.

To read more about GIL 2012: Europe please go to http://www.gilcommunity.com.