Over the past year, I’ve spent a lot of time speaking with manufacturers about their digital transformation projects. They all have very different stories to tell because their application needs are distinct. But whether it’s a food manufacturer, a beverage producer, an automaker or a machine builder, they all have one thing in common: The…

As mentioned in Part 5 and at the top of this series, software that unifies various aspects of automation development is key to IIoT connectivity. Such software typically provides what’s called a universal engineering environment or more commonly an integrated development environment (IDE) to let engineers connect machinery with IT and other facility architectures. In […]

Reconsider the actuators, sensors, and other edge devices covered in Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3 of this series. Such components are fundamental to edge computing. Supported by gateways and controllers with dedicated connectivity functions, these components use their logic resources to process data before sending it onward to controls, the cloud, or […]

As we explored in Part 1 and Part 2 of this six-part series, machine designs are evolving with wireless connectivity, cloud-based operations, and open programming. In this installment, we explore how Ethernet has continued its expansion in industrial connectivity. We also detail increasingly useful cable types for IO-Link and HIPERFACE … as well as cross-network […]

Today microcontrollers can be found in almost any technical device, from washing machines to blood pressure meters and wearables. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems IMS have developed AIfES, an artificial intelligence (AI) concept for microcontrollers and sensors that contains a completely configurable artificial neural network. AIfES is a platform-independent machine…

Researchers in South Korea have developed extremely fast information processing technologies that can help usher in the next generation of the Internet. Researchers at the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) in South Korea have developed technology capable of sending packets of digital information at 25 Gb/s (gigabits per second) – 10 times faster than…

Whether a piece of information is private, proprietary, or sensitive to national security, systems owners and users have little guarantees about where their information resides or of its movements between systems. When a user enters information on a phone, for example, it is difficult to provably track that the data remains on the phone or…

Orchestrating traffic is a crucial component of operating a data network. Modern networks may interconnect thousands of servers, storage units or switches that in turn run tasks like device booting and configuration, anomaly and intrusion detection, monitoring and diagnostics. These tasks must be managed to keep the network operating smoothly. As these networks become increasingly…

Airgain, Inc. announced the release of a toolkit of new embedded antenna solutions designed to provide enhanced performance and reduced time-to-market for WiFi 6 wireless systems. Airgain is determined to lead the market in terms of WiFi 6 antenna system technology and integration expertise, having worked with the top chipset manufacturers on WiFi 6 reference designs,…

Zyxel Communications, a leading provider of secure broadband networking, Internet access and connected home products, will debut at CES 2019 an LTE-A outdoor router that utilizes the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) band to offer high-speed broadband using LTE technology. The Zyxel LTE7480 LTE-A Pro Outdoor Router enables network operators to cost-effectively provide high-speed connectivity to customers…

A scientist involved in expanding quantum communication to a network of users, is continuing his work at the University of Bristol. The enhanced cyber security offered by quantum communication has been historically limited to two partner exchanges. Now, for the first time, scientists have connected multiple users simultaneously on a quantum encrypted network without using trusted nodes. Researchers from the Institute…

Siemens announces the launch of its Sinamics V20 Smart Access web server module, designed to mount directly onto the drive, transforming a mobile device or laptop into a virtual operator panel for drive control.  By providing a wi-fi hot spot, the wireless connection on this module facilitates setup, programming, commissioning, production monitoring and maintenance on…

Machine-to-machine communication in the Internet of Things (IoT) requires reliable data collection and uninterrupted data transmission. For taking full advantage of the ubiquitous mobile networks, Infineon Technologies AG (FSE: IFX / OTCQX: IFNNY) provides the world’s first industrial-grade embedded SIM (eSIM) in a miniature Wafer-level Chip-scale Package (WLCSP). Manufacturers of industrial machines and equipment ranging…

A terahertz laser designed by MIT researchers is the first to reach three key performance goals at once — high constant power, tight beam pattern, and broad electric frequency tuning — and could thus be valuable for a wide range of applications in chemical sensing and imaging. The optimized laser can be used to detect…

An electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, emitted by a nuclear weapon exploded high above the United States could disable the electronic circuits of many devices vital to military defense and modern living. These could include complicated weapon systems as well as phones, laptops, credit cards and car computers. Also in trouble might be home appliances, gas…

At Beijing’s strategic conference, Chinese company LinkSure Network announced an ambitious goal—its “LinkSure Swarm Constellation System” satellite network program. Developed independently by LinkSure, the program aims “to solve internet access in areas not covered by terrestrial networks through satellite communication services and solutions,” according to the company, with the ultimate goal of a “free satellite network…

In recent years, invisibility has become an area of increasing research interest due to advances in materials engineering. This research work by the UEx, which has been published in Scientific Reports by the Nature Group, has explored the electromagnetic properties of specific materials which can make certain objects invisible when they are introduced into its interior, in…

ASTRALiTe, Inc., successfully demonstrated its 2-in-1 Topo-Bathy LiDAR flying on a DJI Matrice 600 Pro UAV during three separate missions over the course of a month. “This is a significant achievement in miniaturization! Bathymetry from a medium-sized UAV platform is now just as easy to perform as topographic LiDAR surveys,” said Gerald Thompson, VP of Operations…

Now that the first mobile network operators have rolled out nation-wide LTE Cat M1 and NB-IoT communication networks, device manufacturers are busy developing solutions to meet emerging market demand. Successful solutions will benefit from globally capable smart devices configurable to the best-suited cellular technology and networks and exploit power-optimized device management and communication protocols that…

Designed with the highest efficient video compression technology, users can save time and money by streaming their highest quality video with half the bandwidth. Zixi Feeder™ is enabled to tackle lossy transmission situations. In addition, closed captioning can be integrated in video streaming and broadcasting applications.  “We are excited to offer our customers a new…

Global technology leader Laird Connectivity has announced the new 60 Series System on Module (SOM) and the Summit Software Stack at the electronica trade fair in Munich, Germany, November 13th – 16th, 2018. The Summit Software Stack is an enterprise-grade software update that unlocks the full potential of Laird Connectivity’s 60 Series modules. Understanding that…

Electromagnetic interference (EMI), which can harm smartphones, tablets, chips, drones, wearables, and even aircraft and human health, is increasing with the explosive proliferation of devices that generate it. The market for EM-blocking solutions, which employ conductive or magnetic materials, is expected to surpass $7 billion by 2022. Andre Taylor, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the NYU…

A cheap, compact technique for analyzing samples at infrared wavelengths using visible-wavelength components could revolutionize medical and material testing. Infrared spectroscopy is used for material analysis, in forensics and in the identification of historical artifacts, for example,—but scanners are bulky and expensive. Visible-wavelength technology is cheap and accessible in items such as smartphone cameras and laser…

Hacking into communication networks remains a danger for companies and institutions during this digital age. In the search for more secure communications technologies designed to prevent hacking, a team of researchers in Stony Brook University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy created a technology that uses quantum memory applications at room temperatures to securely store and transfer information.…