The Siemens Industry Automation division has developed a new controller for extreme environmental conditions. Siplus S7-1500 has the same performance characteristics as the newest standard controller family Simatic S7-1500 for mid-level and high-end machine and plant automation. Other outstanding features of the new controller Siplus S7-1500 are reliable operation under extreme medial loads such as humidity, corrosive vapors, salts or dusts.In an extended temperature range, the Siplus S7-1500 functions reliably during cold starts as well as in continual operation. This saves energy costs for the user because no additional air conditioning is necessary.

Robust, enhanced modules make it possible to safely use the system everywhere from offshore plants and harsh industrial environments up to applications at extreme altitudes. The new device is protected against condensation and corrosive gasses, as well as aggressive and saline atmospheres. The Siplus S7-1500 controller has the same performance and efficiency characteristics as the Simatic S7-1500, the new standard controller generation from Siemens. Its characteristic features include outstanding system performance and a host of functions integrated as standard, including Motion Control, Security for maximum possible plant security, and Safety for safety applications that are easy to implement. Greater efficiency is represented in particular by the innovative design for simple commissioning and safe operation, the configurable diagnostic functions for the plant status and the integration into the TIA Portal for simple engineering and low project costs.

Product Webpage

National Instruments has announced four new R Series boards (USB-7855R, USB-7856R, USB-7855R OEM and USB-7856R OEM) with USB connectivity, which help engineers add FPGA technology to any PC-based system using one of the most widely adopted buses on the market. These products, based on the LabVIEW RIO architecture, are a result of the company’s continued investment in the R Series product family.

The LabVIEW RIO architecture is an integral part of the NI graphical system design platform. A modern approach to designing, prototyping and deploying embedded monitoring and control systems, graphical system design combines the open NI LabVIEW graphical programming environment with commercial off-the-shelf hardware to dramatically simplify development, which results in higher-quality designs with the ability to incorporate custom design.

“Using these new USB R Series devices, engineers and scientists can create highly customizable measurement and control systems using standard PC technology,” said Jamie Smith, director of embedded systems marketing at National Instruments. “They are ideal for high-performance medical, life science and semiconductor machines.”

Key features:

• Xilinx Kintex-7 FPGA: Implement tasks like custom timing and triggering, synchronization, multirate sampling, high-speed control and onboard signal processing.

• Improved I/O: Take advantage of analog input and analog output rates of up to 1 MHz for closed-loop control tasks, as well as digital I/O (DIO) rates of up to 80 MHz.

• Selectable Logic Levels From 1.2 to 3.3 V: Adjust DIO levels to meet specific application requirements.

• Selectable Gain for Analog Input Ranges: Get more resolution at lower voltage ranges.

• OEM Options Available: Get the same power in a board-only form factor with the flexibility to create your own I/O interface.

Inspired by input from panel builders, system integrators and end users around the world, Rockwell Automation engineers developed the new Allen-Bradley E300 electronic overload relay. The E300 overload relay integrates communications, including EtherNet/IP, patented current-measurement technology, and time-saving I/O options, all in a modular design. The modularity provides users with the flexibility to tailor the device to meet their exact needs, thereby enabling their motor-driven processes to perform more efficiently and profitably.

“As adoption of electronic-overload-relay technology has risen over the past decade, so have practical expectations,” said Bill Martin, global product manager, Rockwell Automation. “Customers told us they value the technology’s remote monitoring and predictive trip alerts, but they also want designs that simplify programming, preserve network nodes, save wiring time, ease maintenance and minimize catalog numbers.”

Features include:

• Standardized EtherNet/IP communications ease installation and use

• Intelligent integration and operation

• Expansion I/O reduces wiring time and network node count

• Patented current-measurement technology within modular design expands versatility

Product Webpage

Badger Meter announces the introduction of the Vision Series turbine flow meters, which comply with lead-free provisions of the United States Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and are bisphenol A (BPA) free. The compact meters are designed for flow measurement of low-viscosity and non-aggressive liquids, including de-mineralized water, alkaline solutions, oils, fuel, beverages, water solutions and coolants.

The Vision turbine flow meter is intended for use in diverse applications found in the food, medical products, chemical, pharmaceutical, automotive and general industrial fields. Many of these applications are affected by the SDWA, which authorizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set health-based standards to protect against both naturally occurring and man-made contaminants in the nation's drinking water supply.

The Vision Series consists of two turbine flow meter models: the V1000 for measuring liquid flow as low as 0.026 gallons per minute (gpm) and up to 0.65 gpm, and the V2000 for measuring liquid flow as low as 0.13 gpm and up to 9.2 gpm. The flow meters provide accuracy of ±3 percent with resolution up to 70,000 pulses per gallon (ppg), depending on the model. They have a temperature range of –4…212° F and withstand operating pressure up to 362.50 pounds per square inch (psi).

For more information about the Vision turbine flow meter, please visit Vision Series