by Gary Mintchell | Apr 19, 2024 | Automation, Sensors, Technology
Computer vision technology and application seemed to have been in a long lull until semiconductor advances of the past few years. Now companies are unleashing new products at an astonishing pace. This is an updated product from Digi International—a company I covered a long time ago who became less interesting to me and now has returned to my view.
Digi International introduced the wireless and highly power-efficient Digi ConnectCore MP25 system-on-module (SOM) at Embedded World 2024. Featuring AI and machine learning capabilities, with an integrated neural processing unit and image signal processor, Digi ConnectCore MP25 is designed for next-generation computer vision applications in critical sectors such as industrial, medical, energy and transportation. The module provides highly reliable wireless connectivity and time-sensitive networking (TSN) making it perfect for smart portable devices and Industry 4.0.
Based on STMicroelectronics’ STM32MP25 MPU processor, Digi ConnectCore MP25 is engineered to streamline application development under demanding requirements to improve efficiency, reduce costs, boost innovation and improve end-customer satisfaction.
With an innovative architecture, Digi ConnectCore MP25 features two Cortex-A35 cores operating at 1.5GHz supplemented by a Cortex-M33 core and a Cortex-M0+. Enhanced with an AI/ML neural processing unit (NPU) delivering 1.35 TOPS and an image signal processor (ISP), the SOM provides accelerated machine learning capabilities for advanced applications. Its comprehensive connectivity options include 802.11ac Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.2 wireless technologies, along with seamless cellular integration for expanded possibilities. The ultra-compact Digi SMTplus form-factor (30 x 30 mm) and industrial temperature ranges (-40 to +85 °C), ensure reliability in the harshest environments, making it an excellent choice for a wide variety of IoT applications.
by Gary Mintchell | Apr 15, 2024 | Automation, Business, Manufacturing IT, Process Control, Software, Technology
Emerson has gone through a process of divesting companies and adding others, such as NI (nee National Instruments) becoming overall more of an automation company. Much like years ago when Rockwell shed aerospace and trucks and other industries becoming Rockwell Automation.
Its tagline in press releases for some time has included software as an emphasis. Now, they’ve announced the new DeltaV Automation Platform adds SCADA, MES and operations management software technologies. The idea is to promote smarter, safer, optimized and more sustainable operations.
One of my more popular podcasts asked the question why industrial technology vendors are moving to software.
As part of its Boundless Automation vision for helping organizations deliver more seamless operations, global automation technology and software leader Emerson is evolving its DeltaV brand into the DeltaV Automation Platform. The newly expanded automation platform will include supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, manufacturing execution systems (MES) and operations management software alongside the distributed control (DCS) and safety systems (SIS) and other technologies that have been part of the brand for decades. The evolution builds a more comprehensive automation platform to make it easier for users to deliver smarter, safer, more optimized and more sustainable operations.
Organizations across nearly every industry including life sciences, specialty chemical, mining and extraction, food and beverage, energy and more are experiencing new complexities as they face the modern challenge of improving throughput, performance and quality while simultaneously increasing sustainability of operations. Navigating this increased complexity requires seamless mobility of data, reliable performance and advanced control strategies from the plant floor to the corporate boardroom. The comprehensive nature of the new DeltaV Automation Platform will empower users to move away from “plant-by-plant” strategies to “site-by-site” or even enterprise automation solutions—the more advanced, integrated automation strategies that are increasingly necessary to compete in a complex global marketplace.
This, of course, is an ideal way to perpetuate, and indeed increase, vendor lock-in of its customers. Why go anywhere else for all your hardware and software needs?
“In an era of increased demand and higher sustainability targets, today’s organizations are looking for ways to manage and contextualize data across the many software solutions they use to help unlock easier, faster and safer decisions,” said Nathan Pettus, president of Emerson’s process systems and solutions business. “The DeltaV Automation Platform will combine a flexible, fit-for-purpose portfolio of DCS, SIS, SCADA, MES and operations management software with unmatched application and cross-industry expertise to help cross-functional teams across the enterprise more easily achieve their goals.”
With an extensive portfolio unified under one brand, users will have access to a comprehensive technology ecosystem that provides a broader suite of solutions. Organizations will more quickly and easily find the right solutions to meet their specific needs and will gain easier access to service, training and support.
All solutions in the DeltaV Automation Platform will be seamlessly supported through the Guardian digital customer experience.
by Gary Mintchell | Apr 3, 2024 | Automation, Robots, Software, Technology
Vision software for guiding robots news goes along with the burst of robot news. In this case, AI meets vision software.
AI software company Micropsi Industries today announced MIRAI 2, the latest generation of its AI-vision software for robotic automation. MIRAI 2 comes with five new features that enhance manufacturers’ ability to reliably solve automation tasks with variance in position, shape, color, lighting or background.
What sets the MIRAI 2 AI-Vision Software apart from traditional vision solutions is the ability to operate with real factory data without the need for CAD data, controlled light, visual-feature predefinition or extensive knowledge of computer vision.
Gary Jackson, CEO of Micropsi Industries, noted, “Recognizing the complexities of implementing advanced AI in robotic systems, we’ve assembled expert teams that combine our in-house talent with select system integration partners to ensure that our customers’ projects are supported successfully, no matter how complex the requirements.”
MIRAI is an advanced AI-vision software system that enables robots to dynamically respond to varying conditions within their factory environment, including variance in position, shape, color, lighting and background. What sets MIRAI apart from traditional vision solutions is the ability to operate with real factory data without the need for CAD data, controlled light, visual-feature predefinition or extensive knowledge of computer vision.
The five new features that will be available to MIRAI 2 users are:
Robot skill-sharing: This new feature allows users to share skills between multiple robots, at the same site or elsewhere. If conditions are identical (lighting, background, etc.), very little or no additional training is required in additional installations. MIRAI can also handle small differences in conditions by recording data from multiple installations into a single, robust skill.
Semi-automatic data recording: Semi-automatic training allows users to record episodes (of data) for skills without having to hand-guide the robot, reducing the workload on users and increasing the quality of the recorded data. MIRAI can now automatically record all the relevant data—users only need to prepare the training situations and corresponding robot target poses.
No F/T sensor: Training and running skills is now possible without ever connecting a Force/Torque sensor. This reduces cost, simplifies tool geometry and cabling setup, and overall makes skill applications more robust and easier to train.
Abnormal condition detection: MIRAI can now be configured to stop skills when unexpected conditions are encountered, allowing users to handle these exceptions in their robot program or alert a human operator.
Industrial PC: The MIRAI software can now be run on a selection of industrial-grade hardware for higher dependability in rough factory conditions.
by Gary Mintchell | Mar 27, 2024 | Automation, Industrial Computers, Operator Interface, Technology, Workforce
Still more catching up on news from the recent MODEX trade show in Atlanta. Zebra Technologies has grown from a specialty printer company that I used for a couple of projects in the 90s to an interesting automation solutions company. It has introduced extensions to its wide range of mobile compute and connectivity devices. This news details a number of new products designed to enable quality work from your front-line workers.
First a note about some research the company conducted. None of these findings shock me.
Operations leaders in the manufacturing, warehouse, retail, and transportation and logistics industries worldwide continue to grapple with fostering resilient supply chains amid heightened omnichannel demands for speed and accuracy, ongoing labor shortages, and economic uncertainty. Recognizing the criticality of an optimized supply chain, 89% of decision-makers surveyed in Zebra’s 2023 Global Warehouse Study say if their organizations do not invest in technology to improve operations, they will not meet their business objectives.
According to Zebra’s study, eight in 10 decision-makers and frontline workers said using more technology and automation would help meet or exceed productivity goals. In addition, decision-makers (54%) and workers (49%) agree addressing worker comfort and ergonomics is a top workforce initiative.
And something about a number of new products.
Zebra’s new RS2100 wearable scanner – the industry’s smallest back-of-hand (BOH) scanner – enhances productivity and delivers new levels of comfort to workers. The unique mount on the RS2100 leaves the palm completely unobstructed, providing greater freedom to handle items.
Zebra will also launch the WT6400 and WT5400 wearable computers. Engineered to streamline hands-free workflows while enhancing comfort, the WT6400 and WT5400 provide more flexibility for picking orders, sorting items, and managing inventory with greater efficiency and accuracy. With a larger display and integrated keyboard, the WT6400 is easily accessible for right- and left-handed workers, and its integrated angled camera captures images to document damaged items or completed tasks. The WT6400 is designed for demanding environments, including freezer operation (-30°C), while the WT5400 introduces a new class of wearable computers for hands-free retail workflows.
A new addition to Zebra’s TC5X series are the TC53e/TC58e/TC53e-RFID mobile computers. Designed to meet today’s latest standards, the TC5Xe series offers 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, integrated RFID, premium security features and contains 25% post-consumer recycled plastic by mass. The TC53e-RFID offers integrated short-range UHF RFID, enabling associates to take inventory in the backroom, validate tickets at a concert or verify all items in a shopping cart from up to nearly 4 ft/1.2m away with the same device ergonomics as the standard TC53e.
The TC5Xe series, WT6400 and WT5400 are all powered by the Qualcomm QCM4490 processor and Qualcomm QCS4490 processor which provide long lifecycles and more processing power compared to previous generations. These devices can run multiple applications including apps powered by augmented reality and AI, apps designed for voice and line of business as well as simple ‘green screen’ legacy apps.
Beyond its new wearables and mobile computers, Zebra will also showcase its recently launched MC9400 series, the ultra-rugged mobile computer designed to enhance workflow efficiency and device security across the retail, warehouse, manufacturing, and transportation and logistics industries.
by Gary Mintchell | Mar 25, 2024 | Software, Technology
Kevin Rose interviews Chris Dixon recently. Dixon provides a good overview of the current status of blockchain. I really haven’t heard much about that technology for years. A speaker at a Siemens event maybe five years ago extolled the future of pharmaceutical supply chain data through blockchain. That may have been the last I heard. Check out the podcast for an update.
Meanwhile, according to research from Global Data, “The blockchain industry, although volatile and nascent, has made significant progress in a short span of time, driven by remarkable innovation. Global blockchain platform and services revenue is set to grow from $12 billion in 2023 to $291 billion in 2030. This growth trajectory reflects a more delineated and specialized expenditure pattern, with specific areas such as asset tokenization, blockchain development, and infrastructure services serving as primary drivers of market expansion.”
GlobalData’s latest report, “Thematic Research: Blockchain,” reveals a pivotal shift from the technology’s broad, indiscriminate application to more focused, strategic uses. The industry is witnessing a quiet but steady increase in blockchain adoption, concentrating on its practical benefits. This trend is supported by a growing understanding that blockchain’s applicability is not universal and that a robust digital infrastructure is crucial for its successful deployment.
by Gary Mintchell | Mar 13, 2024 | Automation, Embedded Control, Process Control, Standards, Technology
- Targeted at Open, Modular Process Control Systems
- Modular compute, switch, and I/O architecture enables interoperable standard for industrial PCs, PLCs, and distributed control systems.
- Supports IEC 61499 and IEC 61131 for compatibility with a wide range of automation systems.
- Hot-swappable modules can be replaced or upgraded while the system is running, minimizing downtime and maintenance costs.
I am trying to understand this one. Reading it for the third time, I guess the Open Process Automation Forum decided that one of its defined components among its “standard of standards” needed to be a standard. Although this “open, modular process control system” sounds eerily familiar. I hope it does help move the industry forward.
PICMG, the consortium for open hardware specifications, announced the release of InterEdge, a modular architecture for process control systems (PCS). The IEC 61499 and IEC 61131-compatible InterEdge specification promises to revolutionize the industry with an interoperable, multi-vendor alternative to proprietary Industrial PCs (IPCs), Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), and Distributed Control Systems (DCSs).
Given that the OPAF initiative was begun by ExxonMobil engineering leaders, this quote is informative:
“Business needs evolve at an ever-increasing rate,” said Francisco Garcia, Americas Regional Instrument Lead at ExxonMobil Technology & Engineering Company and member of the InterEdge technical working group. “InterEdge delivers an interchangeable base hardware standard for industrial manufacturers looking to adapt to changing business needs. As a result, providers can deploy and scale dedicated physical assets and focus on value-added software and services.”
And from the press release:
InterEdge defines a vendor-neutral, open standard for edge computing and I/O module hardware. It segments hardware into Compute Modules, Switch Modules, and I/O Modules. All of these modules are connected via a common backplane, enabling easy customization and expansion of industrial automation functions.
An overview of the specification and an architecture diagram are available here. The full specification is available to purchase.
And the reason for the standard:
By replacing proprietary edge devices, InterEdge eliminates vendor lock-in, simplifies integration and maintenance, and enables online upgrades, all of which contribute to significant cost savings.
