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December News in Brief
Published:  01 December, 2007

º   The IEC has approved Sercos III, the real-time Ethernet version of the Sercos high-speed interface, to become part of the IEC 61784-2 (digital data communications in control technology) and IEC 61158 (field bus for industrial control systems) standards. Sercos III is the third generation of the interface and integrates the open Ethernet protocol with data transfer at 100Mb/s.

º   ODVA has published a specification for integrating Modbus devices into its CIP (Common Industrial Protocol) architecture. The extension will give Modbus.TCP users a path to CIP-based networks such as DeviceNet and Ethernet/IP, while protecting their automation investments.

º   Three Polish universities have installed more than €25,000-worth of CC-Link open fieldbus technology, partly in recognition of how much manufacturing and machine-building is now being undertaken in the Far East, where CC-Link is the dominant industrial networking technology. Much of the equipment was donated to the universities of Warsaw, Gliwice and Krakow by members of the CC-Link Partners Association.

º   Microsoft has released a new version of its Windows CE Embedded operating system (CE 6.0 R2), which includes a plug-and-play technology called "Web Services on Devices" (WSD). This recognises connected Ethernet devices automatically and integrates them into a system.

º   The Echelon and Altera corporations are collaborating to extend Echelon’s LonWorks networks to controllers used in industrial, building and home applications. Echelon’s LonWorks protocol is being ported to Altera’s Nios II embedded processor. This is expected to expand the market for high-end LonWorks-based controllers, allowing manufacturers to include more functions and processing power at a lower cost.

º   Texas Instruments claims to have introduced the first single-chip, interleaved power factor correction control circuit for multi-kilowatt applications. The UCC28070 chip, a two-phase, average current mode controller, will allow designers to simplify their power designs, boost reliability, and achieve power factors of at least 0.9

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