Q3 2008 Issue Preview

Ad Closing: July 9, 2008 | Material Closing: July 16, 2008

Cover Story
Your First Network
Executive Editor Jim Montague examines the journey several end users are making from point-to-point hardwiring to their first digital monitoring, automation and/or control network, charting their migration and experiences, offering advice to others with legacy networks who aren't quite as far along the learning curve and looking at available technologies and new tools for getting a digital network up and running.

Software
OPC and Industrial Networks
For more than a decade now, OPC data access (OPC-DA) has provided a more-or-less-standard interface that allows software applications to capture dynamic data from different vendors’ intelligent devices. This issue will include Part I of a two-part examination of OPC-UA, in which Contributing Editor Paul Miller explains how it differs from its predecessor OPC-DA and how users can determine its value to them

Network Implementation
Case History
An early adopter of fieldbus technologies overcame startup and commissioning issues and qualified a control system that gave the company outstanding instrumentation and controls functionality and reliability. In the second part of this case history, Gary Forrest, PhD, Wyeth Research, gives us a step-by-step narration of the multi-year project.

Physical Media
Hubs, Routers and Switches: Product Roundup
This issue’s Product Roundup focus is hubs, routers and switches. Email us information on your most recent, most important product offering [one product only]. Indicate “INDUSTRIAL NETWORKING Roundup Q3 2008, [Company Name]” and attach a 300 dpi (at 2x2 in.) JPG, EPS, or TIF graphic. Direct it to INRoundup@putman.net.

Bandwidth
New wireless infrastructure hardware and security protocols give managers unprecedented monitoring and control of processes in challenging situations. A company’s choices in wireless infrastructure hardware and transmission frequency depend greatly on the necessary transmission speed, the amount of data transmitted, distance and signal obstructions. Don Talend looks at some of the security that recently has become available to safeguard it.

Parity Check
The HART Foundation recently approved a standard for wireless HART, and one of the benefits for end users is the ability to access stranded diagnostics. Since many end users have a significant number of intelligent devices whose diagnostics are accessible only when a handheld device is attached, John Rezabek explains how to look at the price breakpoint for installing an antenna on a HART-capable transmitter and start viewing and recording diagnostics on your asset management system.

Terminator
Power over Ethernet has begun to gain some traction in the industrial arena, but many still find it just as experimental as ever. Our guest columnist takes a look at an application of PoE and offers some insights.

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Advertising Information

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