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Control.com Readers’ Choice Awards 2025

Control.com Readers’ Choice Awards 2025

Welcome to the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026! We’re excited to see where the industrial automation world takes us in this new year.


Synchronized Motion for Servos | Cam Profiles

Synchronized Motion for Servos | Cam Profiles

Cam profiles are a great way of strictly controlling two servo axes to follow a predefined path. Follow along as we dive into setting up and programming an electronic cam profile.


Electrical Cabinet Best Practices: A Field Guide for New Integrators

Electrical Cabinet Best Practices: A Field Guide for New Integrators

A practical, experience-driven guide to designing and wiring electrical cabinets for machine-tending robotic cells.


Inside the Smart Factory: How Diagnostics Redefine Uptime

Inside the Smart Factory: How Diagnostics Redefine Uptime

The common narrative is that data-driven predictive maintenance can greatly reduce downtime costs. Learn about one critical feature of data collection that can enable manufacturing effectiveness.


Synchronized Motion for Servos | Gearing Profile

Synchronized Motion for Servos | Gearing Profile

Synchronized motion has become an industry standard with robots, gantries, and pick and place automation. Follow along this three-part series as we discuss methods of synchronizing servo motors.


Introduction to Common Network Protocols in Industrial Automation

Introduction to Common Network Protocols in Industrial Automation

This article provides an overview of the OSI models, IT/OT industrial protocols, and key applications behind the networking capabilities that drive modern industrial and process automation systems.


Automation Questions: Why Do We Choose Certain Control Voltages?

Automation Questions: Why Do We Choose Certain Control Voltages?

You’ve seen it a thousand times: 24 volts powering a device or representing a trigger signal, but what makes 24 VDC such a versatile voltage, and what about the other voltages in control cabinets?


The Perils of Palletizing Automation and Columbia/Okura’s Solution

The Perils of Palletizing Automation and Columbia/Okura’s Solution

Stacking items on a pallet seems a minor part of the manufacturing process, but it actually requires speed, precision, and flexibility to relieve a heavy burden placed on employees.


How to Choose the Right Industrial Power Supply for Your Cabinet

How to Choose the Right Industrial Power Supply for Your Cabinet

A clear overview of industrial power supply types, specs, and design factors for building dependable control cabinet systems.


The Upgrade Adventure: Dataflow Management for Existing Systems

The Upgrade Adventure: Dataflow Management for Existing Systems

Modernizing legacy plants requires careful dataflow design. See how audits, protocol choices, edge computing and security layers can unify old and new systems for better insights and operations.


Tutorial: Design a Temperature Controller Using Node-RED

Tutorial: Design a Temperature Controller Using Node-RED

Not every control system requires an expensive PLC. This tutorial will introduce Node-RED, a popular programming environment that can be installed on a low-cost single-board controller.


The Importance of Development: Creating a Strategy for Dataflow Management

The Importance of Development: Creating a Strategy for Dataflow Management

Smart greenfield design unlocks clean, scalable dataflow. Learn how defining KPIs, choosing open architecture, contextualizing data, leveraging edge computing, and using the cloud wisely can transform operations from day one.


The Role of Electrical & Automation Products in Modern HVAC Systems

The Role of Electrical & Automation Products in Modern HVAC Systems

Electrical and automation components drive modern HVAC efficiency and reliability. Sensors, relays, and controls enable predictive maintenance and efficiency while keeping systems running smoothly.


Understanding PLC Tags: Controller Scope vs. Program Scope

Understanding PLC Tags: Controller Scope vs. Program Scope

Is it best to ‘controller scope’ or ‘program scope’ your tags? This is the question asked by many new PLC programmers, and it often comes down to personal preference.


Node-RED and a Low-Code Approach to Automation

Node-RED and a Low-Code Approach to Automation

Looking for a way to create IIoT applications for your factory without hiring expensive developers or spending months on the computer? Take a look at Node-RED’s approach to low-code applications.


Industry Insights: The Challenges of Automating Data Centers

Industry Insights: The Challenges of Automating Data Centers

Data centers have been a focus of industrial automation in recent days. Control.com spoke with experts at Weidmuller to learn more about how control technology can solve data center challenges.


The Process of Evolution: How Automation Systems Enable Agile Operations

The Process of Evolution: How Automation Systems Enable Agile Operations

Automation is evolving. Today, this is marked by a shift towards more efficient, sustainable operations, enhanced by closer collaboration between humans and machines, enhancing safety and profitability.


Tutorial: Driving a Mecademic Industrial Robot with a Rockwell PLC

Tutorial: Driving a Mecademic Industrial Robot with a Rockwell PLC

Learn how to drive a compact Meca500 industrial 6-axis robot with a CompactLogix PLC over an Ethernet connection, transferring direct TCP set points in joint and world coordinate systems.


A New Way to Robot: A Teach Pendant Feel With Structured Text Language

A New Way to Robot: A Teach Pendant Feel With Structured Text Language

Meet the Meca500 6-axis arm, a robot known for its ultra-high precision and compact footprint. Learn how to use the web server for programming and 6-axis jogging with a structured text interface.


All About The Legendary Stack Light

All About The Legendary Stack Light

The stack light has a simple but powerful purpose: to report the status of the equipment. Follow along as we take a deep dive into the venerable illuminated signal tower.