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1 week ago | 
control.com | David Peterson
As we have seen many times before, it’s fairly easy to set up an introductory PLC program using nothing more than the PLC itself, a single push button, and the built-in I/O indicator lights. Setting up a simple motion axis, on the other hand, requires a lot more careful input, even for just a simple bench test.
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4 weeks ago | 
control.com | David Peterson
Hot opinion: calculus class would be a lot more fun if they brought motors into the classroom. I didn’t understand any practical applications of integrals and derivatives until learning about feedback in motion controls. Proportional and integral controls are relatively easy to understand (and they have been demonstrated previously), but the derivative term can be a bit more tricky to visualize in a real system. Figure 1.
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1 month ago | 
control.com | David Peterson
The ProMat trade show was filled with exciting technology, and it was all moving! Conveyors, AMRs, robots… Keeping the supply chain in motion with over 1000 exhibitors and demonstrations. Our team at Control.com has been excited to share exciting updates from manufacturers in the supply chain world as we explored all kinds of new vision, sensor, motion, and robotic technology with some of the exhibitors at the ProMat show in Chicago this week.
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1 month ago | 
control.com | David Peterson
The first two days of the ProMat trade show in Chicago have been a huge success, with the many forms of material handling technology stealing the show. Storage racks and shelving stretch to the ceiling, with AMRs and automated forklifts transporting boxes, and even bipedal robots assisting in the tasks of picking and placing crates. The Control.com team has been busy meeting with exhibitors and learning about the newest technology.
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1 month ago | 
control.com | David Peterson
Control.com will begin the 2025 trade show season at ProMat in Chicago with industry leaders such as Agility Robotics, Schneider, NORD Drivesystems, and many more! Trade shows are the best place to see equipment live and up close, chat with engineering vendors, and explore the wide range of solutions options for your next project or design.
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1 month ago | 
control.com | David Peterson
Back in engineering school, I wish I had learned calculus more thoroughly. I think I understood the calculations and how to get (many of) the right answers, but I didn’t really grasp how the terms would be put to use in future life. I could figure out the surface area of a shape between two graphs or the rate of change of a filling tank, but it wasn't until I worked with motion control systems that I actually learned how these algorithms shape automation.
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1 month ago | 
control.com | David Peterson
Have you built a lot of custom cables for automation projects? If so, you’ll appreciate the latest innovation from Banner Engineering: a new series of M12 connectors with a simple slide-lock connection mechanism. The connectors are available in 4-pin and 5-pin straight and right-angle varieties. Screw terminals have been the most popular connection style for field-wireable connectors over the last few decades.
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1 month ago | 
control.com | David Peterson
There was so much great industrial news from February 2025. Join us as we recap some of the highlights from among the most trusted names in automation. Techman Robots announced the signing of an MOU with ASMPT, a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing. Techman, a solid leader in the cobot space, will lend robotic system expertise to accelerate innovation in the semiconductor industry.
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2 months ago | 
control.com | David Peterson
In the world of automation, communication protocols exist at different implementation levels, and each one has a specific purpose that defines its complexity. At the very lowest level, a network shares signals and commands between physical I/O devices and the host controller (like a PLC). Historically, this is commonly accomplished by directly wiring the devices to a PLC remote I/O module with discrete and analog signal wires.
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2 months ago | 
control.com | David Peterson
When installing any new type of network device, you have a relatively short time to move from initial installation to final running status. Understanding exactly how to set up and run the I/O devices in an IO-Link network can be tricky, but this article will walk through the exact steps required to get a system up and running. For this example, we will be using a Rockwell CompactLogix PLC (specifically, an L32E running with version 20 firmware).
