Industrial Solutions

Scope and aims of ipcas industrial solutions

The example to follow serves to show that there is simply no end to the list of potential applications of ipcas industrial solutions. And there are no limits to applying ones ingenuity to discover new applications or invent additional combinations of ipcas products with other devices to induce network ability and raise industrial processes control to a higher level. In a nutshell, all this adds up to a major trend in industrial processes development towards …

… and ipcas industrial solutions are geared to play a pivotal role in
promoting this trend.

This contribution is the first in a series to highlight the great opportunities involved in implementing ipcas industrial solutions products in special applications, possibly in combination with other appliances, to advance the above aim.

Interesting new application

These considerations have been prompted by a sharp increase in sales of the ipcas Data/Event Logger with Digital I/O. Apparently printing companies are reaching out to upgrade their machine equipment, and the respective machine suppliers want to enhance their products with added functionality. Asking for the background story I heard through the grapevine that some companies devised the means of combining the ipcas data logger with a light barrier device to computer-count paper sheets in printing applications.

Implementation

How is it done? – A customary light barrier device is simply attached to the paper conveyer on the output side. The data logger is then connected to the device and to the industrial network or PC. The data logger converts analog light signals into digital data for further computer processing. An idea of what the monitoring mask might look like can be gleaned from a Windows.Form application among many possible others (see Application range of included software).

Benefits

Online/network paper sheet counters are obviously used to improve material
planning and logistics of a company. This added functionality

• optimizes material utilization in general
• supports company conservation plans to identify sources of paper waste and reduce rejects (saves material costs)
• helps companies to plan material supplies and processes correctly to prevent machine idling and time waste (increases productivity)
• serves to streamline production lines by enabling continuous monitoring
• can be used to identify, alert, warn against, and thus to prevent malfunctions, bottelenecks, etc. or at least to remedy in time to avoid further damage or waste
• supports environmental protection aims by promoting waste prevention
• raises TQM standards (increased reliability, productivity, environmental protection)

Of course, these benefits can be fully utilized in combination with the corresponding ipcas material planning software FAMOUS.

Application potential

What has been said for the printing industries can be applied to all kinds of mass production wherever high piece numbers are involved. With other kinds of sensor devices the ipcas Data/Event logger also can be used to log other important PDA (production data acquisition) parameters such as temperature, humidity, pressure, tension, etc. Besides, with new combinations perhaps using other ipcas products, this applicability can be extended to MDA (machine data acquisition) or even to the purpose of correlating process data with machine data (e.g. for testing new products in research and development) … and more …

Used as an event logger it can also be widely applied on site, for example, for TDC (time data capture) in connection with turnpikes, turnstiles, etc. or CAQ (computer-aided quality) applications.

In the entries to come I would like to give you a better idea of the scope of applications and potential functionality of the data logger as well as other ipcas products partly used in combination with specific third-party appliances.

For further information, please go to ipcas Data/Event Logger specifications.

Some time ago (Refer to "Get your PLC’s …) I introduced our Serial-Ethernet Converter as the device to link up your old machines, devices and interfaces to an Ethernet or other network (including the Internet!) for all kinds of control or data acquisition applications.

For all those of you who might have some qualms about the connectivity, installation, or configuration and the time, costs, or expertise that might be involved to do the job, I’ve got good news for you!

Immediately installed – Serial-Ethernet Converters

Are Serial-Ethernet Converters difficult to install? Not in the least! Since most devices are already equipped with RS232 interfaces, Serial-Ethernet Converters offer cost-effective and quick solutions for linking up even older machines and systems with modern networks and computer systems. Ready to run. No complicated or time-consuming driver installations required.

Here’s an example how to network your equipment:

Use a Serial – Ethernet Converter to Connect a Simatic S7 PLC to the Ethernet!

Easy to configure – Serial-Ethernet Converters

But now let us get down to the important details! Here is an example how to install and configure a PLC (e.g. Simatic S7-200, test motor) with a network terminal by interconnecting a Serial-Ethernet Converter (e.g. ipEther232).

This is how easy networking can be – judge for yourself!
View the instruction path: Serial-Ethernet Converter networks a Simatic S7 (PLC)

In case you haven’t already gleaned from our website, ipcas also designs software.

One of its major software products is centered around a tool which will help you profile software performance and trace instabilities with amazing speed – much to the delight of both software developers and testers.

I am talking about the SpeedTrace Profiler and Tracer for .NET applications designed by ipcas GmbH.

is a profiler tool that helps developers and testers to analyze the performance of .NET applications fast and transparently. Users of SpeedTrace can expect to reduce costs in .NET projects substantially and thus increase revenue, ROI and customer satisfaction. Here are some of the salient features this new diagnostics and development tool provides:

• SpeedTrace
  leads the user to the very core of
  software/firmware problems by supplying highly accurate information in
  a transparent form.
• SpeedTrace
  provides more functionality than
  other profilers such as filters and triggers because it focuses on
  specific areas or components of an application instead of getting lost
  in issues of internal third party software implementation with poor
  results (e.g. due to using irrelevant methods).
• SpeedTrace
  offers tracing capabilities that help users to bug trap applications
  and to examine the data flow sent to and from a function.
• SpeedTrace
  provides user extended functionality (callback API) in order to modify
  function parameters concerning performance, e.g. fault simulations.
• SpeedTrace
  is a profiler and tracer for .NET applications designed to disclose
  weak points, software problems (e.g. synchronization) and performance
  issues (bottlenecks).
• SpeedTrace
  has been acknowledged by large
  companies such as Siemens where it is said to be used as favorite toolkit by their
  developers and testers.

For more information, please visit our Features page:

You may also get into direct contact with its developer through the specific Dot.net Profiler weblog.

A couple of weeks ago I introduced the ipcas RS232-to-USB Converter and the Centronics-to-USB Converter as gap-filling solutions to link up legacy port equipment with modern USB and network technology. Both legacy port servers are based on ipcas’s Linux Box LB1 hardware design.

This is just to tell you we got some excellent coverage in LinuxDevices.com

The other day I mentioned that ipcas released a new embedded systems product this year – Linux Box 2.

The enormous range of applications the open source LINUX-based embedded system supports
– in short: its amazing versatility, ubiquitous connectivity, and its cost-effectiveness – make this new technology increasingly popular among all kinds of users and account for its speedy success on the global market.

"In just a few short years, Linux has exploded onto all aspects of the computing scene, offering a low cost, open source solution with strong support for open standards, networking, communications, Internet, graphics, … and more all the time." (Linuxdevices)

This leads me on to introduce another of ipcas’s embedded system solutions:

The budget-priced, low power input, and compact LINUX Box LB1

has been specially designed for peripheral tasks and connecting various devices and machines to the Ethernet.

LINUX Box LB1 with
extreme versatility

The integrated LINUX operating system and the combination of 32-bit CPU, various interfaces, real-time clock, and USB ports make the compact LINUX Box LB1 ideal for the implementation of peripheral tasks with wide-ranging functionality – from open- and closed-loop controlling, data acquisition, and remote maintenance, through to protocol conversion, and embedded computing.

LINUX Box LB1 with
wide-range network ability

The other crucial feature the LINUX Box LB1 offers is network ability, thus opening the gates to the new world of high-end online working environments. To network your machines/devices, LINUX Box LB1 additionally enables the user to benefit from immediate access to a wide range of network services such as the HTTP, FTP, SSH, PPP, and TELNET servers as well as the FTP, SSH, and DHCP clients. Of course, users also have the option to develop their own software solutions for specific applications wherever required.

The LINUX operating system and extensive network services such as the web server HTTP, SSH, FTP, and Telnet are all pre-installed. And, that goes without saying, the LINUX Box LB1 is immediately ready to run without time-consuming software installations. Last but not least, the embedded system provides fast boot times and safe operation. See for yourself and view the specifics of LINUX Box LB1

Do you still rush to all of your machines, devices, or appliances and back again every time you want to monitor parameters, log processes, or change settings?
What if they don’t work properly – how do you know unless you take another trip back again to find out?

How much time and resources are still being spent on worrying, scheduling, and moving back and forth, sometimes over long distances, to monitor and set equipment?

Networked operating environments
through Serial-Ethernet Converters

Just think: with a Serial-Ethernet Converter

you could be doing all these things comfortably from your home or office PC and have all this time to yourself for your leisure or for more creative and productive tasks.

In the meantime being networked has become a global standard and a benchmark of competitiveness. Wherever large stakes are involved, it is an absolute must! And Serial-Ethernet Converters are the easy way to do it!

Costs/Benefits of Serial-Ethernet Converters

Are they expensive? No, not really – Serial-Ethernet Converters are well below the lower price range of normal PCs. And just think of all the time, work, and energy resources you could be saving. Enjoy the competitive edge you’ll gain! Savor the thrill of stepping into the age of intelligently networked environments! Save time and money. Reap the benefits!

For specifics view Serial-Ethernet Converter

In our last Industrial Solutions entry (Refer to "Old interfaces …")we tried to show you how convenient it is to connect your old serial interfaces to modern printing technology with the RS232 to USB Converter, enabling you not only to link up and print but also to network your log data.

But what if you have or need parallel interfaces to be linked up?
Well, fortunately we’ve got good news for you!
The ipcas Centronics – USB Printer Converter does just the job allowing you to connect your legacy parallel interface equipment to modern USB printers.
Here are some of the advantages of the Centronics – Printer USB Converter:

• Supports virtually unlimited selection of USB printers, graphics, formats, etc.
• No machine/interface refitting!
• No time-consuming installation drivers required!
• Easy to configure – no IT expertise required!
• Dynamic data buffer memory – no more data loss!
• USB Stick to configure, retrieve and/or output log data on your office PC!
• Optimized printing process helps you save paper!
• LAN 10/100 BaseT Ethernet interface enables network access to print data!

For details view
Centronics – USB Converter