Latest Communication & Security Articles

Increasing use of autonomous robotics in hospital and patient care environments means more careful examination of…

Increasing use of autonomous robotics in hospital and patient care environments means more careful examination of security risks - and immediate measures to patch vulnerabilities when detected.

Advanced features such as programmable limits, diagnostics, and remote configuration are available with IO-Link devices.…

Advanced features such as programmable limits, diagnostics, and remote configuration are available with IO-Link devices. Learn how to connect an example IO-Link block into an actual PLC project.

With the increasing appearance of “web-based” HMIs, we investigate these devices, learn how they differ from the…

With the increasing appearance of “web-based” HMIs, we investigate these devices, learn how they differ from the graphical HMIs, and see implications for our modern control system architecture.

Commander S series of variable frequency drives from Control Techniques enables parameter upload and download as well as…

Commander S series of variable frequency drives from Control Techniques enables parameter upload and download as well as performance monitoring through secure NFC, app-based communication.

ASRock Industrial announces the new iEP-5000G family of IoT controllers with power inputs, tolerances, and IO…

ASRock Industrial announces the new iEP-5000G family of IoT controllers with power inputs, tolerances, and IO communication capabilities designed for the factory floor.

Modbus is a communication protocol stemming from the early days of Modicon PLCs, but is still common today. These two…

Modbus is a communication protocol stemming from the early days of Modicon PLCs, but is still common today. These two example implementations of Modbus transactions will get you started.

Beijer Electronics recently announced the M Series of distributed I/O to provide on-machine control with a variety of…

Beijer Electronics recently announced the M Series of distributed I/O to provide on-machine control with a variety of communication options for system flexibility.

We've read about the capabilities of collaborative robots, but often, one question still remains - how do you program a…

We've read about the capabilities of collaborative robots, but often, one question still remains - how do you program a cobot? Last week, I got a chance to get my hands on a cobot for the first time.

The fourth pillar of effective statistical process control (SPC) is the use of designed experiments used to learn as much…

The fourth pillar of effective statistical process control (SPC) is the use of designed experiments used to learn as much as possible from a limited number of experiments, yet remain statistically relevant enough to be useful.

Recently, our Control.com staff got a chance to chat with the software team at A&E Engineering, Inc., for an interview to…

Recently, our Control.com staff got a chance to chat with the software team at A&E Engineering, Inc., for an interview to discuss the MAX system and learn behind the scenes about how a cloud approach to data analysis is a powerful tool for manufacturing and processing facilities.

Statistical process control (SPC) allows for continual improvement process (CIP), a method of optimizing a process driven…

Statistical process control (SPC) allows for continual improvement process (CIP), a method of optimizing a process driven by data and statistical methods.

In honor of Women's History Month, we explore the ways in which computer science is integral to the design of control…

In honor of Women's History Month, we explore the ways in which computer science is integral to the design of control systems and how women of the past have shaped the field of control systems today.

Industrial automation is only possible when the various system components can communicate with each other using physical…

Industrial automation is only possible when the various system components can communicate with each other using physical cable connections. In this article, learn about some of the most popular communication cables and connectors used in the industry.

Robots as a service (RaaS) can open the door to automation for small to mid-sized companies that are looking to automate…

Robots as a service (RaaS) can open the door to automation for small to mid-sized companies that are looking to automate a process without a large upfront capital investment.

This article covers the definition of warehouse management systems (WMS), describing the basic functions and benefits.

This article covers the definition of warehouse management systems (WMS), describing the basic functions and benefits.

Opto22 provides a solution for monitoring energy consumption using the popular Groov RIO system, enabling monitoring of…

Opto22 provides a solution for monitoring energy consumption using the popular Groov RIO system, enabling monitoring of machine health for the prevention of unplanned downtime.

Big players in the tech industry providing artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions to the industrial…

Big players in the tech industry providing artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions to the industrial automation sector are committing to OPC-UA adoption to enhance interoperability.

This article reviews and compares some of the most prominent industrial Ethernet protocols.

This article reviews and compares some of the most prominent industrial Ethernet protocols.

We’re all familiar with information technology, or IT. The computer systems, hardware, internet, and various software…

We’re all familiar with information technology, or IT. The computer systems, hardware, internet, and various software we use in our own homes and offices are mostly IT. But when it comes to industrial workplaces, the rules are different.