Choosing the Right Path: Greenboard Controllers or COTS Controllers?

Once upon a time OEMs only had one approach to planning and commissioning a build project and nowhere in that approach was there a multiple choice option for controller selection. You had to design and develop your own “green board” based on your technological requirements. To be sure, this approach has its advantages. For example: a proprietary, custom designed controller will be tightly focused on the project’s exact requirements. However, it has its disadvantages too... Read More

Controllers Now Handle Safety and Machine Functions

Making equipment safe for operators has always been a difficult task, but it’s becoming much easier. PC-based controllers can now be used to program safety features and functions, eliminating much of the complexity associated with segregated safety systems and buses. Siemens has unveiled what it says is the first PC-based software controller, the SIMATIC WinAC RTX F. Expanding the SIMATIC line to include safety simplifies the task of engineers who want to meet the most demanding... Read More