Latest Communication & Security Technical Articles

Data centers have been a focus of industrial automation in recent days. Control.com spoke with experts at Weidmuller to…

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.

Automation is evolving. Today, this is marked by a shift towards more efficient, sustainable operations, enhanced by…

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.

Learn about OT resilience strategies, including SSH, authentication, port blocking, and MAC address binding, methods that…

Learn about OT resilience strategies, including SSH, authentication, port blocking, and MAC address binding, methods that can be employed to protect network switches.

Networked remote I/O allows machine centers to operate while physically separated from the rest of the system, and often,…

Networked remote I/O allows machine centers to operate while physically separated from the rest of the system, and often, the solution can drop right into place.

What is the purpose of a variable frequency drive? How do they work? And why would we prefer using VFDs over basic motor…

What is the purpose of a variable frequency drive? How do they work? And why would we prefer using VFDs over basic motor starters for heavy loads?

This article introduces Modbus, an industrial protocol that laid the foundation for fieldbus communication in industrial systems.

This article introduces Modbus, an industrial protocol that laid the foundation for fieldbus communication in industrial systems.

Network switches are the key components in the production network for secure communication and real-time data sharing…

Network switches are the key components in the production network for secure communication and real-time data sharing between RTUs, PLC frontend servers, workstations, and HMIs.

Learn about some of the basic Boolean logic gates using the graphical PLC language of function blocks, recreating ladder…

Learn about some of the basic Boolean logic gates using the graphical PLC language of function blocks, recreating ladder logic and other IEC languages with a digital flair.

I had some questions about firewalls for industrial networks, topics like selecting, configuring, and updating the…

I had some questions about firewalls for industrial networks, topics like selecting, configuring, and updating the software, so I turned to some experts for a little advice.

IO-Link technology keeps improving, and with the recent introduction of Safe IO-Link, the automation world is going to…

IO-Link technology keeps improving, and with the recent introduction of Safe IO-Link, the automation world is going to get a whole lot more modular.

Handshaking between robots can be handled in many ways, one of them being GE-FANUC’s protocol called “Ethernet Global…

Handshaking between robots can be handled in many ways, one of them being GE-FANUC’s protocol called “Ethernet Global Data,” or EGD. Learn how to set up EGD on a pair of FANUC robots.

This article will explore CC-Link and how it is used in industrial automation. Learn its history, uses, and how to…

This article will explore CC-Link and how it is used in industrial automation. Learn its history, uses, and how to implement it in control systems.

Learn how SPE and Power over Data Line are enabling advanced developments in industrial and building automation,…

Learn how SPE and Power over Data Line are enabling advanced developments in industrial and building automation, robotics, processing, infrastructure, and energy.

In this article, we’ll connect a Festo CMMT to a Rockwell CompactLogix PLC, and as a bonus, we’ll add an HMI to…

In this article, we’ll connect a Festo CMMT to a Rockwell CompactLogix PLC, and as a bonus, we’ll add an HMI to provide some basic on/off and positional targeting controls.

Learn how to configure a single motion axis using Festo’s Automation Suite, a servo motor drive, and a simple electric…

Learn how to configure a single motion axis using Festo’s Automation Suite, a servo motor drive, and a simple electric linear slide assembly.

Previously reserved for personal and commercial deployments, learn how cellular IoT connectivity technologies are…

Previously reserved for personal and commercial deployments, learn how cellular IoT connectivity technologies are influencing industrial trends, organizations, and integrators.

Some new factories are networked from stem to stern, ready to roll. But sometimes, it’s just you and a new PLC, so it…

Some new factories are networked from stem to stern, ready to roll. But sometimes, it’s just you and a new PLC, so it won’t really matter how you set things up, it’ll probably work just fine, right?

A common field-level protocol for automation is ASi or AS-interface–a method used to convey actuator and sensor data…

A common field-level protocol for automation is ASi or AS-interface–a method used to convey actuator and sensor data and commands between I/O devices and the PLC control system level.

After we explored the initial configuration, it’s now time to see exactly how to implement IO-Link in a simple PLC…

After we explored the initial configuration, it’s now time to see exactly how to implement IO-Link in a simple PLC project, explaining how to interpret process data bytes for input and output.