And the Award Goes to... Opto 22 SNAP I/O for Allen-Bradley Systems!
Case Study: Using the SNAP PAC System for Energy Research
Hot Tips from PSG: Updating Tags and Modifying Controllers in PAC Display
Do You Twitter?
And the Award Goes to... Opto 22 SNAP I/O for Allen-Bradley® Systems!
Voted 2008 Engineers' Choice by readers of Control Engineering in the I/O Systems category, our SNAP I/O for Allen-Bradley Logix Systems—which we call IO4AB—gives our customers and OEMs the opportunity to integrate with the largest installed base of automation systems in the U.S.
IO4AB also lets A-B users choose the best I/O for their application. In many cases, that's our I/O.
CompactLogix™ users, for example, will find channel-to-channel isolation in some SNAP analog I/O modules. And they can get a wide variety of analog inputs, from current and voltage to thermocouple, rate, even pH/ORP and load cell inputs.
And since our SNAP PAC EB brains automatically handle many I/O processing tasks independently of a controller—whether PAC or PLC—A-B PLC users can add new I/O points and features without slowing down scan rates or putting additional stress on the system.
Control Engineering's readers were asked to choose exceptional products based on the criteria of technological advancement, service to the industry, and market impact. Our thanks for their votes!
Read more about the Engineers' Choice Award
Read more about IO4AB
Case Study: Using the SNAP PAC System for Energy Research
Where is this scoop of pulverized coal going? Into an entrained flow reactor, where it will be burned and analyzed.
A few weeks ago we mentioned the OptoGreen Grant given to University of California, Irvine (UCI) Scientist Dr. John Garman to help in his research on coal and biomass combustion.
Now you can read the details about what he and his team of engineering students are doing in our new case study.
The researchers control feed rates, monitor thermocouples, and log data on combustion, emissions, and operating conditions -- all with the help of the SNAP PAC System they received in the OptoGreen Grant.
Read the case study.
Hot Tips from PSG: Updating Tags and Modifying Controllers in PAC Display
Opto 22's Product Support Group (PSG) develops some helpful tips as they work with customers who contact them for free product support.
Today we have two tips about PAC Display:
1. the easy way to update database tags, and
2. why you should always modify rather than delete a controller configuration
Tip 1: Updating Database Tags
AutoCorrect Tags is a handy tool when you're developing or changing an HMI project in PAC Display.
AutoCorrect Tags validates all your dynamic attributes by comparing them against the PAC Control tag database. If you've changed the name of a tag in the strategy or re-added a deleted tag, for example, the tool will automatically correct references in PAC Display.
We recommend you use AutoCorrect Tags any time you change a PAC Control strategy or a PAC Display project. In PAC Display Configurator, just choose Tools>AutoCorrect Tags.
NOTE: If you've deleted an unused tag in PAC Control, but the tag is referenced in PAC Display, the AutoCorrect Tags tool cannot automatically fix it. But it will point out the problem so you can fix it yourself.
Tip 2: Changing Controllers in PAC Display
By the way, it's always better to modify a controller referenced in PAC Display than to delete it and add a new one.
PAC Display assigns an internal ID to each controller as the controller is added to the project. This ID is then used in all dynamic attributes related to that controller’s strategy. If you delete the controller, all these references break.
But if you just modify the controller configuration, the ID remains the same and the references still work.
Questions? Contact Opto 22 Product Support.
If you're familiar with Twitter, we now have an Opto 22 Twitter account. Feel free to follow us: www.twitter.com/opto22