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Check out Automation Minutes with Editor in Chief Gary Mintchell. Taking its name from Apple’s iPod, this is an Internet-based audio program. You can go to http://automation.libsyn.com and listen on your Windows Media Player. Or, you can go to iTunes (or your Internet music source) and subscribe to the RSS feed (http://automation.libsyn.com/ rss) to directly download to your iPod. Now you can catch some automation thoughts while you work out in the morning or on your drive to work.

Wireless Communication Standard Released

I had a nagging feeling I was missing an announcement, and here it is. The long-awaited process device level wireless standard from Hart.

The Hart Communication Foundation (HCF) has completed the draft specifications for WirelessHart Communication and their release to HCF member companies for review and approval. WirelessHart is the first open and interoperable wireless communication standard designed to address the critical needs of the process industry for reliable, robust and secure wireless communication in real world industrial plant applications. Read more

Further Device Connectivity Convergence

In the last piece of network-related news from Hannover, FDT Group and EDDL Cooperation Team reach agreement to develop a unified solution for device integration. Read more

Ethernet Implementation Guides

Rockwell Automation and Cisco announced at the Hannover Messe they are working together on reference architectures, detailed design guidelines and education for the use of common networking technologies across the production and enterprise network. The intent is to address two industry challenges-greater efficiency and visibility. The validated, lab-tested architectures part of Cisco's "Ethernet to the Factory" solution, will enable the successful deployment of Ethernet-based production networks and secure integration with the rest of the enterprise. Read more

Schneider Electric Boosts ODVA Presence part two

When I wrote last Tuesday about the Schneider Electric / ODVA announcement being major, here is a sense of how major. I had about four conference calls regarding it. Between that news and some other news I'll write about next, getting some Automation World Webcasts organized plus interviewing for my May article (now past due), seems like I spent the whole week on the phone. Read more

Blogging

Book publisher Joe Wickert asks "Should small companies blog?" Read more

Device integration

Convergence momentum is building in the industrial networking space. Electronic Device Description Language (EDDL) is code embedded in devices that make them easier to find, configure and report data over digital networks-principally Foundation Fieldbus and Profibus. Field Device Tool (FDT) was developed because many system vendors and device manufacturers felt they needed better display technologies. But the technologies were supposed to be complementary. Read more

Schneider Electric Boosts ODVA Presence

Remember I told you that I was alerted to several major announcements in networking coming from Hannover. Here's one that sprang a little early. And it is pretty significant.

This is significant because it represents some convergence in industrial networking. Schneider Electric is raising its profile in ODVA by becoming a principal member and will help the effort toward interoperability of Modbus/TCP and EtherNet/IP (or the CIP networks). Read more

Leadership lessons

I took the weekend off to visit "the newlyweds" (my daughter and her husband) and had only intermittent Internet access. Also visited the Chicago Art Institute and saw a good Impressionist special exhibit. The CAI is a great place to visit if you have a little spare time during a Chicago stay. I did catch up on a little reading. There's a nice article on GE's retiring HR chief, Bill Conaty in Business Week. You may remember GE's famous policy under Jack Welch of identifying the bottom 10% performers ever year and letting them go. Conaty says they are not so anal about the exact number any more, but that leaders should always know their poorest performers and do something about them. This goes at every level. "There's nothing like a bit of anxiety and the knowledge that you're being measured against peers to boost performance. We want to create angst in the system." Read more

Network organizations plan announcements

I'm making a bunch of trips and couldn't work in a trip to Hannover (Germany) this year. Shame, because it looks like there will be some major (that's what the press invites say) networking announcements. There will be EDDL news--and the FDT Group is featured prominently. Do you suppose that there is a little "kiss and make up" going on in that camp? Pretty much everyone but Emerson is in the FDT camp, and I finally got some background on why. It was a private conversation and I don't know enough to report all the details, but I have a better understanding about why everyone else needs another layer. Read more