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DC Bus Fundamentals in Industrial Motor Drives

DC Bus Fundamentals in Industrial Motor Drives

Learn about precharge circuits, inrush current, and understand why VFD and servo drives may trip during power-up.


How Combustible Dust Hazards Affect Automated Process Control

How Combustible Dust Hazards Affect Automated Process Control

Learn how to integrate fail-safe logic and explosion-proof design to keep your processes running safely and smoothly.


Industrial Connectivity and DataOps: Work Together to Unlock Your Manufacturing Data

Industrial Connectivity and DataOps: Work Together to Unlock Your Manufacturing Data

Working with data is no simple task. It requires a solid understanding of how to acquire the data, process it, and then use it to deliver tangible benefits to the operation and the company.


Working With Data: Looping Through Arrays In A PLC

Working With Data: Looping Through Arrays In A PLC

Arrays can handle large amounts of data, but when you need to extract a portion of that data, you might need to execute a loop. Learn a few examples and tips for creating loops in PLC logic.


Obtaining System Values in a PLC

Obtaining System Values in a PLC

It’s easy to obtain I/O values for local and remote modules and network nodes. But what about system data that’s built into the PLC? How can we access and use that information?


Analog vs. Fieldbus Systems | Comparisons and Advantages

Analog vs. Fieldbus Systems | Comparisons and Advantages

Learn about electrical signalling systems for process control. What advantages may be provided by choosing analog systems vs. advanced modern fieldbus protocols?


Ask an Engineer: Universal Robots Shares Four Physical AI Predictions

Ask an Engineer: Universal Robots Shares Four Physical AI Predictions

Physical AI, where technology is applied to real-world devices like robots, is set to have a major impact over the next few years. UR Shares some predictions, along with some exclusive deeper insights.


MQTT vs. OPC UA: Protocols From an OEM Perspective

MQTT vs. OPC UA: Protocols From an OEM Perspective

MQTT and OPC UA are very different, but they accomplish essentially the same thing: push data from one device to another. Which method to use relies on understanding how each process is accomplished.


How to Measure Resistance with a Multimeter

How to Measure Resistance with a Multimeter

When the power is removed to a circuit, the common measurements of voltage and current prove meaningless. The only remaining option is to use resistance testing to determine which components and conductors are working.


New to PLCs? Five Critical Features Every Beginner Should Know

New to PLCs? Five Critical Features Every Beginner Should Know

Learn five essential features to consider when selecting a controller, from I/O and software licensing to networks and web access.


First Test Run: Getting to Know the Bosch Rexroth ctrlX CORE

First Test Run: Getting to Know the Bosch Rexroth ctrlX CORE

Get a first look at Bosch Rexroth’s ctrlX CORE, an industrial PC that unifies PLC, motion, and HMI through an app-based automation platform.


Using Factory I/O With a Virtual Siemens S7-1200 PLC

Using Factory I/O With a Virtual Siemens S7-1200 PLC

Learn how to control the Factory I/O PLC system simulator using a virtual Siemens S7-1200 PLC, a great tool for testing, training, and automation development without hardware.


Creating and Running a Robot Program for a Meca500

Creating and Running a Robot Program for a Meca500

This tutorial explains how the Meca500 executes stored motion programs triggered by a PLC.


Tutorial: Setting up an Inovance HMI With A Mitsubishi PLC

Tutorial: Setting up an Inovance HMI With A Mitsubishi PLC

This guide shows you how to create a simple Inovance HMI project and connect it to a Mitsubishi PLC using serial and Ethernet methods, including practical setup steps and common mistakes to avoid.


Synchronized Motion for Servos | Coordinated Axes

Synchronized Motion for Servos | Coordinated Axes

Coordinating motion in three or more axes is a difficult manual process. For more advanced gantry or articulated robots, this motion type solves the complex calculation of a set of related joints.


The Role of Sensors and Control Systems in Smarter Conveyor Design

The Role of Sensors and Control Systems in Smarter Conveyor Design

Conveyor technology is rapidly advancing thanks to the close integration of mechanical machines and electrical controls, but it’s important to understand how feedback improves that relationship.


Operator Actions and Interventions In Functional Safety

Operator Actions and Interventions In Functional Safety

Learn how to assess risks and determine SIL by understanding operator actions as initiating events, independent protection layers, or a part of the safety instrumented function loop.


Building Smarter, Faster Fault Handling with Real-Time Data

Building Smarter, Faster Fault Handling with Real-Time Data

Even highly automated control loops struggle with fault handling. Safe, effective response requires understanding each alarm’s cause and severity and clearly communicating actionable information to operators.


Set Up For Success | Scheduling Tasks in PLC Programs

Set Up For Success | Scheduling Tasks in PLC Programs

When setting up a new program in a Rockwell PLC, task scheduling is an important and often overlooked issue where errors appear as inconsistencies, often incorrectly attributed to random faults.


Modernizing Septic Systems with Proactive Innovation

Modernizing Septic Systems with Proactive Innovation

Tackling some of the world's most hostile environments with real-time data. That’s the mission of Septilink, supported by WAGO, in this prime example of predicting failures to avert disaster.