Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition

Web Service Gateway, a solution for cross-application data communication developed by Advanced Control Systems (ACS), Norcross, Ga., has been certified by MultiSpeak(R) under that group’s Version 3 interoperability specification. ACS is the first SCADA vendor to achieve this milestone.

MultiSpeak announced earlier this year the release of its Version 3 specification, which offers real-time systems integration using Web services. This popular transport method can tightly integrate functions from different software providers and improve productivity. MultiSpeak is a collaboration between the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and more than 30 software providers and consultants serving electric utilities.

“MultiSpeak offers an exciting new level of data exchange and application integration,” said Terence Fernandes, manager of enterprise development for ACS. “Our Web Service Gateway provides an ideal way for utilities to deliver on-demand access to real-time operations information across their enterprise. Now that it has passed an interoperability test against MultiSpeak’s testing harness, cooperatives and utilities of all sizes can move ahead with confidence”

The ACS Web Service Gateway is a dynamic link for the cooperative’s real-time systems: SCADA, distribution automation and energy and distribution management, and any compatible system that needs real-time information.

The MultiSpeak Initiative has always provided independent, third-party verification of interfaces, but the introduction of Version 3 marks the first time that MultiSpeak has used interoperability testing.

Source and more info: primezone

RTG001 is a fully-featured USB-connected ready-to-go FPGA design solution complete with software APIs, tools, and tutorials, enabling users to implement out-of-the-box FPGA designs quickly. Example projects are included to quickly access hardware features with guaranteed timings and protocols. Systems connect to a PC using High-Speed USB. Users can download their FPGA design and then exchange data between FPGA and PC at up to 40Mbyte/s.

RTG001 is a programmable USB2.0-connected fast data acquisition and FPGA processing system. RTG001 offers two channels of 210Msample/s 12bit A/D conversion, two channels of 160Msample/s 16bit D/A conversion and eight user programmable digital I/Os combined with a 1.5M gate Xilinx Virtex-II FPGA. 3M gate FPGA option is also available. Each ready-to-go system is delivered complete with USB-connected FPGA/DSP hardware of choice, USB cable, I/O cables to interface to the peripherals, power supply unit and a CD of all documentation, software tools and examples. The only additional item the user needs are FPGA- or DSP-specific development tools. RTG001 is ideal for both FPGA/DSP beginners and experts alike, for rapid prototyping or entry level use. For FPGA projects we recommend Xilinx ISE. RTG001 Ready-To-Go Kit is a feature-rich and powerful programmable system which offers a flexible approach to off-the-shelf systems at a very competitive price.

Source and more info: dsp-fpga

Oracle Corporation, the world’s largest enterprise software company, today announced that Thames Water Utilities Ltd is to adopt Oracle Spatial at the heart of its asset data management programme. Thames Water has chosen the Oracle technology due to its proven enterprise-level robustness and ability to scale to support all of its’ customer facing applications. It will enable Thames Water to centralise asset information into one integrated repository, thereby enhancing customer service and helping to ensure it meets its regulatory obligations.

Managing asset data, especially geographic and spatial data, is critical to utility companies. Historically Thames Water built up a disparate portfolio of departmental tools and databases that made it difficult to obtain a consistent view of all its assets and made it costly to implement new applications. Consequently, in 2003 when the Ordnance Survey announced a new background map format, MasterMap, Thames Water decided to fundamentally re-organise its asset information management architecture.

The primary objective was to obtain a single view of all its asset information, so the company embarked on a programme to reduce the number of databases from 23 to one and create a single data repository. This approach will enable the company to respond more accurately and consistently to regulatory requirements, as well as improving operational performance. By integrating all its asset information it will be able to achieve a range of improvements: increasing visibility of the performance of its water network, improving capital planning, operational reporting and asset lifecycle analysis.

Source and more info: directionsmag

Non-Clogging pressure transmitters are for all types of dust collectors, baghouses and powder processes. Designed as a reliable alternative to typical tube style mechanical gauges that clog, FilterSense’s non-clogging pressure transmitters feature a large, ceramic diaphragm that is durable and won’t clog.

Both differential and static configurations are available in ranges to as low as 0-10”WC. A 4-20mA output is provided from the all stainless steel, heavy duty package.

FilterSense manufactures a range of instrumentation, particulate CEMs, PLCs, diagnostic controllers, HMI/SCADA and EPA Compliance software. FilterSense is renowned for fabric filter leak detectors, dust emission monitors, baghouse diagnostics and plant-wide automation solutions for cost reduction and MACT compliance.

Source and more info: powderandbulk

InduSoft Web Studio v6.1 SP1 offers an advantage that few other HMI/SCADA software systems can claim: It runs on various configurations of Windows platform, from powerful redundant workstations using the latest Intel processors and Windows server software, to simple handheld PDAs and “smart phones” that use Windows CE/Windows Mobile technology. It also runs on diskless embedded processors and Panel PCs, and supports web-based applications.

The same InduSoft Web Studio HMI display can run on a desktop PC, a panel PC, and a handheld device. InduSoft Web Studio software is running in the diskless PDA, supporting Visual Basic scripts and database access programs.

For OEMs, machine builders, systems integrators and end users, InduSoft Web Studio simplifies the HMI/SCADA development process. By using a single development tool, engineers can generate operator displays, Visual Basic scripts, trends, alarm, logs, and other functions that can run on desktop computers, panel-mounted displays and handheld devices, and be accessed from web-based PCs and handhelds. No other tools are required to make applications run in all these environments.

InduSoft’s laboratory certification tests prove that the software runs on a wide variety of industrial computers from a host of vendors, including Advantech, Arista, Bosch-Rexroth, Maple, Woodhead and many others. In fact, InduSoft Web Studio HMI/SCADA software is offered by many industrial control vendors under license from InduSoft, often under private labels. See the accompanying release for a complete list of Windows CE certified hardware vendors.

InduSoft Web Studio 6.1 SP1 provides Visual Basic (VB) scripting that can be ported to Windows CE devices such as PDAs or viewed on Web browsers. To our knowledge, no other HMI/SCADA software allows Visual Basic scripts to be executed in a handheld device or a diskless panel PC.

Source and more info: nestor

Increasing complexities in electronic circuit, component, and system designs drive the need to make equally complex, application-specific measurements. Such custom measurements require engineers to use more than out-of-the-box acquisition and analysis capabilities provided by vendors of instruments or other data acquisition equipment. Because of this, MathWorks (Natick, MA; www.mathworks.com) will present a seminar entitled “Making Customized Measurements using Matlab” on Thursday, April 20 from 9:00 to 12:00 at the Burlington Marriott (Burlington, MA; marriott.com/property/propertypage/BOSBU). At the free, half-day seminar, attendees can learn about techniques and tools for building customized calculations, how to use the Matlab package to acquire and analyze data from data-acquisition devices, and how to develop interactive and automated measurement systems.

Data Translation (Marlboro, MA; www.datx.com) has been selected by The MathWorks as the seminar’s featured hardware provider. During the event, Data Translation will show it’s USB and PCI hardware and how Matlab can be used to analyze measurements and build test systems with Data Translation hardware. At the seminar, LeCroy (Chestnut Ridge, NY; www.lecroy.com) will also discuss how to make customized measurement using on digital oscilloscopes.

Source and more info: pennnet

Invensys Process Systems has been selected to provide advanced SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems for Abu Dhabi Gas Industries Ltd. (GASCO), who is managing the Habshan gas plant expansion project, OGD-III, on behalf of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).

Located in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), the Habshan complex is one of the largest gas processing plants in the world. The expansion is designed to process an additional 1,306 MMSCFD of condensate-rich gas at the Habshan complex.

The new systems will be used to monitor and control all gas wells and remote manifold stations associated with the Habshan complex. This includes replacement and expansion of existing SCADA systems with the latest Foxboro SCADA (www.foxboro.com) technology.

As part of the SCADA contract awarded by Eastern Bechtel Co. Ltd, the EPC contractor appointed by GASCO for the project, Invensys will provide professional services for project management, engineering, design, development, integration, testing, and on-site support, as well as training services for engineering and operating personnel.

The new SCADA project is designed to meet GASCO’s main goals of maximizing the reliability and availability of gas well production and the inherent requirement for frequent cyclic polling of all critical production data. Overall project completion is scheduled for April 2008.

The Invensys SCADA architecture will employ a Wonderware (www.wonderware.com) kernel specifically configured for oil and gas applications and utilizing the award winning InTouch software as the foundation for the human machine interface (HMI). Field data and controls will be managed by remote sub-systems based on systems from the Foxboro RTU (Remote Terminal Unit) family. The RTUs will be located at more than 180 sites for existing and new gas production wells, remote manifold stations (RMS) and gas re-injection wells associated with the complex.

Source and more info: businesswire

InduSoft Web Studio runs on PC workstations, PDAs and everything between

Austin, TX – March 20, 2006 – InduSoft Web Studio v6.1 SP1 offers an advantage that few other HMI/SCADA software systems can claim: It runs on various configurations of Windows platform, from powerful redundant workstations using the latest Intel processors and Windows server software, to simple handheld PDAs and “smart phones” that use Windows CE/Windows Mobile technology. It also runs on diskless embedded processors and Panel PCs, and supports web-based applications.

The same InduSoft Web Studio HMI display can run on a desktop PC, a panel PC, and a handheld device. InduSoft Web Studio software is running in the diskless PDA, supporting Visual Basic scripts and database access programs.

For OEMs, machine builders, systems integrators and end users, InduSoft Web Studio simplifies the HMI/SCADA development process. By using a single development tool, engineers can generate operator displays, Visual Basic scripts, trends, alarm, logs, and other functions that can run on desktop computers, panel-mounted displays and handheld devices, and be accessed from web-based PCs and handhelds. No other tools are required to make applications run in all these environments.

InduSoft’s laboratory certification tests prove that the software runs on a wide variety of industrial computers from a host of vendors, including Advantech, Arista, Bosch-Rexroth, Maple, Woodhead and many others. In fact, InduSoft Web Studio HMI/SCADA software is offered by many industrial control vendors under license from InduSoft, often under private labels. See the accompanying release for a complete list of Windows CE certified hardware vendors.

Source and more info: thomasnet

Empress Software, developers of EMPRESS, “The Embedded Real-Time Database”, announces a mutually cooperative partnership for supporting research in computer vision and robotics with the Laboratory for Active and Attentive Vision, part of the Centre for Vision Research at York University.

The Laboratory for Active and Attentive Vision specializes in computer vision, the study and application of methods that allow computers to “understand” image content or content of multidimensional data. This specialized ability is a skill that comes naturally to humans, however computer vision is a complex, evolving field of study. There is vast potential for applications using intelligent robotics, medical image processing, manufacturing, surveillance, and more.

Source and more info: tmcnet

Emerson Process Management today announced that the performance of the Rosemount Analytical Model WQS water quality monitoring system has been verified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Technology Verification program. The EPA program facilitates the deployment of innovative environmental technologies in the industry through evaluation and verification of product performance and effectiveness. The Rosemount Analytical Model WQS multiparameter water quality monitoring system was evaluated along with four other water monitors. Not only was the performance of the model WQS verified by the evaluation, but the system required no scheduled operator maintenance during the testing.

The goal of the Environmental Technology Verification program is to further environmental protection by accelerating the acceptance and use of improved and innovative technologies. The program seeks to achieve this goal by providing high-quality, peer-reviewed data on technology performance to those involved in the design, distribution, finance, permitting, purchase and use of environmental technologies.

Source and more info: automation