Hardware
9 articles
Siemens' SINAMICS G drive line-up, from the programmer's side
All five Siemens SINAMICS G drives, G200 to G220, with Siemens' own pictures: what each one is for, how they compare, and what the manuals say about telegrams, ports, the web server, safety and security.
Three ways to move a micron: Jenny Science, PI and Zaber
Linear motors, piezo and hexapods, screw and linear motor stages: what Jenny Science, PI and Zaber are each known for, from the makers' own figures, and how to compare them fairly.
OMRON agrees to buy industrial PC maker OnLogic for $675 million
OMRON has signed a deal to buy OnLogic and its parent Interlogic, a Vermont maker of rugged, build-to-order industrial PCs. The terms, the numbers from OMRON's notice, what both sides say stays the same, and what I'd watch.
Balluff's new SmartLight Rigid is a signal light just 20 mm wide
A slim status light for places a full signal tower won't fit: 20 mm across, diffuse light over 180°, six versions on 24 V or IO-Link. What Balluff says, and what I'd check before ordering.
Contrinex's cylinder sensors now count cycles and watch temperature too
Teach the piston end position, count switching cycles, flag over-temperature and send it all over IO-Link, with operating pressures up to 500 bar.
Omron wants your devices out of the control cabinet
Tough terminals, power supplies, disconnect boxes and connectors you mount on the machine instead of in the cabinet. Omron's claims, the seven products, and what I'd check first.
Festo CMMT-ST Servo Drive — EtherCAT Integration with Omron Sysmac Studio
A practical step-by-step guide to configuring the CMMT-ST in Festo Automation Suite and commissioning it as an EtherCAT axis in Omron Sysmac Studio.
Omron NX-TC2406 — Intelligence Built Into the Card
No PIDAT blocks, no tuning, no alarm logic. The NX-TC2406 runs its own PID engine internally — your PLC just writes a setpoint and reads a process value.
Festo VTUG Valve Manifolds — A Complete Historical & Technical Review
From the world's first valve terminal in 1987 to the modern VTUX platform — a full technical review of the VTUG covering architecture, connectivity options, and when to use it.