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Cover Story continued
ers can apply their current skillsets while growing their technical staff with new employees who would prefer to work on modern open source platforms.
Endless Applications
As industrial open source gains momentum, users will continue to find new applications. A basic way to use an open controller, even for those who are new to C++, is to configure it as an inexpensive data logger. OEM equipment manufacturers can use open controllers as an all-in-one solution for operating their machinery, while incorporating more advanced algo- rithms and data handling than they would with a PLC.
Open source can be a great fit for var- ious semi-industrial applications like en- vironmental controls or laboratory equip- ment monitoring. More consumer-oriented applications such as automated smoker grills, home automation, and agricultural projects suddenly be- come viable with industrialized open source platforms.
For instance, a gardening hobbyist might con- figure a microcontroller to operate the vegetable hot- house and irrigation in their backyard. At work they could use these same concepts to automate much larger scale agricultural systems and equipment. Simi- larly, someone using a microcontroller in their home to remotely control light and other devices could extend the same concepts to automate lighting and environ- mental controls at commercial or industrial facility.
Conclusion
The proliferation of consumer-grade mi- crocontrollers might be a tempting automa- tion choice, especially for machine manufactur- ers, due to the low hardware cost. However, any solution that is unable to withstand an industri- al environment will quickly become a drain on support budgets because up to 20% of their oper- ating expenses are typically maintenance related.
Now that PLC and PAC technology has evolved to include industrialized open source hardware options, end users can incorporate the modern automation sys- tems they want using the robust platforms they need.
About the Author
Bill Dehner has spent the majority of his fourteen-year engineering career design- ing and installing industrial control systems for the Oil and Gas, Power, and Pack- age Handling industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering with an associate’s in Avi-
onics from the USAF and is currently working for AutomationDirect as a technical marketing engineer.
Cover Story www.automationnotebook.com | Issue 45
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