Big Hopes for Big Data

Yurii Shirokov

p.6

IoT and Big Data are increasingly moving from the commercial sector to industrial automation. The article discusses the reasons behind the need to integrate IoT and Big Data functionality into industrial automation systems and how this can be done using the products and systems available today.

Epidemic Insurance: Advanced Technologies Help Businesses Cope with Crisis

Yulia Garsia

p.16

The spread of COVID-19 increases the need for state-of-the-art automation and accelerates digital transformation. The article discusses examples of modern software and hardware solutions from Siemens and Advantech to increase the flexibility and efficiency of key industrial enterprises.

New Embedded PCs in AdvantiX Series: from AI to Data Acquisition

Dmitriy Kabachnik

p.26

The article discusses the latest offerings of the Russian industrial computer manufacturer AdvantiX, LLC, presented in 2020. The update also affected several of the most popular models – the company's bestsellers. Readers would be wise to pay close attention to the ER-8100 fanless embedded system, which can operate in a wide temperature range, and their latest development, the ER-G800, designed for edge computing.

EtherCAT Technology in Advantech Automation Systems

Elena Mikhaylenko and Andrey Krasnov

p.32

The article provides a brief history of fieldbus development and, in particular, the Ethernet standard, as well as the EtherCAT technology based on it. Its main aspects, features and advantages are discussed. The most popular EtherCAT controllers, associated I/O modules, as well as PCI/PCIe cards from Advantech, one of the leading suppliers of reliable innovative products and solutions for embedded systems and industrial automation are given as examples of the EtherCAT-based equipment implementation.

Getac B360: Exceptional Performance and Speed

Marina Voskresenskaya

p.40

In June 2020, Getac, the world's leading manufacturer of rugged mobile equipment, announced the release of a completely new product – the ultra-rugged B360 laptop, a full technical overview of which is provided in this article. All technical characteristics of the new device, its key advantages, and areas of application are discussed.

WiFiScope – Universal Tool of the Industry 4.0 Era

Yurii Shirokov

p.44

In this article, we continue to acquaint readers with the latest developments in measuring equipment. TiePie engineering USB oscilloscopes now have LAN and Wi-Fi interfaces, which, combined with good functionality, have made them a measurement tool with unique properties that are highly demanded in modern enterprises, transportation, medicine and research.

For All Occasions: Industrial Input Devices for Extreme Conditions. Part 1

Elena Mikhaylenko

p.50

This article, which consists of two parts, discusses the main types, technologies and features of industrial data input devices. The problems of the necessity and importance of their application in industrial, medical, military and other areas are also touched upon. The first part of the article provides an overview of the most popular models from the three leading manufacturers: iKey, NSI and InduKey.

Apacer Industrial Memory Modules

Nina Protserova

p.56

User applications are becoming more demanding on the computer system as a whole, and RAM plays an important role, since the speed and reliability of operation depend on it. The article discusses various RAM options from the Taiwanese manufacturer Apacer, which, being one of the leaders in the segment of industrial memory modules, offers reliable solutions designed for harsh operating conditions.

Safety First

Yurii Shirokov

p.60

Currently, in over 140 countries around the world, Pepperl+Fuchs, established back in 1945, presents equipment with unique characteristics for process automation in conditions of danger to the life and health of personnel and increased explosiveness. This equipment is in demand in many industries, and we will give several examples of successful solutions in the fields of safe positioning, explosion protection and overvoltage protection.

Video Surveillance and Video Analytics Systems in Transport Infrastructure

Marina Voskresenskaya

p.66

The article discusses the main directions of video surveillance in the transport infrastructure: video surveillance at stations, as well as on ground and rail transport. The basic requirements for the software and hardware complex for building a video surveillance system are discussed, and examples are given based on Vivotek and AdvantiX equipment using Revisor Lab software.

Metrological Support of Automated Process Control Systems

Aleksandr Klepov

p.70

Modern automated production facilities are based on the widespread use of measuring equipment, including a variety of sensors with analog and digital outputs, actuators and programmable controllers with appropriate input-output modules. The article discusses a number of issues related to the metrological support of automated process control systems and the creation of precision measuring instruments necessary for the calibration and verification of measuring equipment, based on the example of the development of a portable loop calibrator SK-01.

Creation of a Distributed Control System and Emergency Protection

Oleg Silantiev

p.74

The system integrator Fort Dialogue, JSC, created the DCS and EP automation systems at the silica gel production unit under construction at the Salavat Catalyst Plant. These systems are based on Honeywell equipment. The project was completed on a turnkey basis.

Benefits of Ultra Low Latency Video Streaming

James Stafford

p.76

Remotely controlled interactive systems often require provision of real-time video feed to the operator. Without this, in particular, it is impossible to effectively control drones, robotic complexes, autonomous deep-sea vehicles. Unfortunately, the real-time video transmission can be limited by the low bandwidth of communication channels. This article discusses the capabilities and benefits of hardware video stream compression.

Touchscreen Kiosks: Classification and Prospects

Oleg Kharlamov

p.82

The article discusses touchscreen kiosks, which have become common equipment that have come into our lives. The current classification of these devices, the main growth factors and development trends of the Russian and Western markets for this equipment are given; the prospects of using biometrics, which will make it possible to move to a fundamentally new level of services provided, are also discussed.

Meet: Soft Gold

p.86

This is a short essay about the Tula-based company Soft Gold, which withstood economic periods difficult for the whole country and occupied a worthy niche in domestic and foreign construction design software markets.

One of the Methods for Choosing a Processor for a Computer System

Aleksei Kochengin

p.88

A number of difficulties arise in the design of computer systems with proprietary software. In particular, it is advisable to start by estimating the platform performance required for the operation of a special application. An incorrect estimate can lead to underperformance or unnecessary costs. The article discusses a method for calculating processor performance for a specific computational task.