New AS-I Master Communication Module Expands Applications for SIMATIC S7-1200

The introduction of the AS-i master CM1243-2 communication module enables field sensors and actuators to be quickly connected via the AS-Interface network to Siemens SIMATIC S7-1200 controller. This significantly expands the application reach of the SIMATIC S7-1200 controller at both the lowest process instrumentation as well as MES Levels. With a capability of connecting 62 AS-i slaves or 992 inputs and outputs, the AS-i master communication module automatically organizes data... Read More

Siemens and SPSU Collaborate on Mechatronics Education

Major grant and technology donations support development of Mechatronics Engineering program Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU) is a residential, co-educational member of the University System of Georgia. Located on 203 acres of naturally wooded landscape in the historic and vibrant city of Marietta, SPSU is just 20 minutes from downtown Atlanta. Approximately 5,500 students from 36 states and 64 countries study here. Focused on the practical study of science and technology... Read More

Understanding Usability Implications When Selecting Engineering Software

Picking the right software helps improve efficiency and profitability When it comes down to a final analysis of automation systems, “usability” is perhaps the ultimate goal. It covers all aspects of user requirements, from speed and functionality to ease of use and size. When integration and design teams are analyzing the software they’ll use for automation systems, usability comes down to a handful of core issues. First, the programs must do the jobs they have, and it must... Read More

Software Trims Energy Consumption for Industrial Users

Industrial users can save money and help their companies reduce their carbon footprint by closely monitoring energy usage. The Siemens Industry Automation Division has extended two energy management products to run on more industrial systems. Version 4.0 of the Simatic powerrate software, which measures and monitors energy values in production, is now also suitable for Simatic S7-315 controllers and PC-based solutions using Simatic WinAC RTX 2010. Already available for the Simatic... Read More

Turning Water into Oil

HydroWatch system monitors water used in oil shale drilling America’s need for energy continues to cause concerns for politicians and consumers as well as those who pull oil and gas from the earth. Demand for these natural resources continues to rise while prices fluctuate wildly and the uninterrupted availability of foreign oil remains uncertain. Fluctuations in supply and rising prices have driven oil and gas suppliers in the U.S. to focus more on domestic supplies. That’s... Read More

SINEMA Server Software Removes Complexity of Network Troubleshooting

SINEMA Server software from Siemens simplifies network troubleshooting by enabling quick and easy identification of communication problems in Industrial Ethernet networks and connected terminal devices. By shortening response times to industrial network problems, manufacturers are capable of reducing or even avoiding downtime. The information collected by SINEMA Server can be viewed at any time on standard Web browsers like Internet Explorer or Firefox. The information can also... Read More

Whitelisting vs. Blacklisting: A more Secure Approach for Preventing Malware Attacks

Traditional blacklisting approach allows any software to run unless it’s identified as bad by the antivirus software. Whitelisting turns this paradigm on its head, and permits only those patches and software that have been verified by the user. With blacklisting technology, the user can do anything he wants unless the antivirus software says it is “bad.” The antivirus program indicates that the file that has been downloaded appears to be infected with a virus, and that the... Read More

New Diagnostic Tools Cut Downtime

New functionality in Siemens TIA Portal enables technicians to better pinpoint root causes on the production floor to get systems up and running more quickly. For manufacturing engineers worldwide, the pressure is on. Fueled by the manic intensity of global competition, manufacturing facilities face immense and increasing pressure to keep throughput levels consistently high. Any unplanned machine downtime can cause agitation for the engineering staff supporting the production... Read More

Siemens, Intel, and Microsoft Team Up to Envision Production Line of the Future

At the heart of the new Innovative Production Line (IPL) proof of concept is an end-to-end enterprise connectivity architecture that extends to cloud services. Green manufacturing, immersive 3D user interfaces, continuous optimization, and energy management all play a role. Industrial automation is rapidly evolving as information technology drives new levels of efficiency and productivity.  As a result, customers in the industry are demanding solutions that are both innovative... Read More

Enhanced Programming Editors Increase Efficiency

Simatic Step 7 V11, an engineering system for configuring, programming and diagnosing all Simatic controller families, has been upgraded with a new central engineering framework. The programming editors S7-SCL, S7-Graph, LAD, FBD and STL from the Siemens Industry Automation Division have been completely newly developed to provide increased efficiency and ease of operation so users can solve all their automation tasks quickly and intuitively. This includes the optimized SCL Compiler... Read More