Take Some Basic Steps with pH Measurements / B. Patel and F. Kohlmann - Chemical Processing / July 2008 - Tips on getting accurate pH measurements.

Improve batch reactor temperature control / M. Coughran - Chemical Processing / July 2008 / Causes and solutions for control problems

Transient protection - B. Webb - Intech / June 2008 - The basics. For more info see Surge Suppression

Back to the Basics: Basics of Level Measurement / Walt Boyes - Control /June 2008 - A video describing the basics of level measurement and how to choose the right technology for the application

7 Technologies for Steam Flow: Pros & Cons of Leading Measurement Methods / J. Yoder - Flow Control /May 2008 - A discussion of flow meter technologies in steam measurement applications.

Improve your job security / C.L. Smith - Chemical Processing/June 2008 - Putting professional developement courses to work for you

Control of pH in Water Treatment: Part 2 / G. Horne - Process West / May 2008 - Why controlling pH is hard and what to do about it

Behind the scenes of steam flow measurement - J. Yodder - Intech/ May 2008 - Part of the automation basics series, basics of measuring steam flow.

Light curtains: Hazardous machines mash and mangle / N. Sheble - Intech / May 2008 - Basics of Light Curtains

Make the most of WirelessHART /G. Johnston and A. Munns -
Chemical Processing / May 2008 - Benefits of Wireless Hart

Back to Basics: DP Flow Measurement / Walt Boyes - Control.Global / May - Part of the Back to the Basics series

A Primer on Flowmeter Calibration Techniques / M. Evans - Flow Control Network / March 2008 - Techniques for calibrating flowmeters

Power to the fluids / P. Nachtwey - Intech / March 2008 - Hydraulic system basics

Control of pH in Water Treatment: Part 1 / G. Horne - Process West / April 2008 - Basics of pH control with applied to water treatment. Watch for more in teh series next month.

Wireless Temperature Measurement / S. Hollander - Industrial Heating / March 2008 - A discussion of wireless technology applied to temperature sensing

Make Controls Kaboom-Proof / L. Shaum - Control Design / March 2008 - A quick look at pressurizing contol panels.

Oil Pipeline Leak Detection & Location / M. Dingman - Flow Control Network / Feb, 2008 - Using clamp on ultrasonic flow meters for leak detection

Isolate the noise, not the signal / G. Feliks, (Moore Industries) - Plant Engineering / Feb. 2008 - Applying loop isolators

Rethink batch-manufacturing alarm systems / Joseph S. Alford - Chemical Processing/ March 6, 2008 - Hints for designing alarm systems for your process

Buying a vision sensor: 10 questions you must ask / J. Lewis and N. Sheble - Intech / February, 2008 - Consideration factors when selecting vision systems components.

Pressure Sensor Technologies / P. Welander - Control Engineering - Theory and proper application

Make the most of automation upgrades / J. Dolenc - Chemical Processing - Avoid these common mistakes that sabotage control upgrade projects

Design to humans: Lessons in HMI - Intech / January 2008 - Considerations for effective HMI design

Why WirelessHART? The Right Standard at the Right Time - Chemical Processing / Feb. 2008 - What are it's merits?

Ethernet focuses on floor, control / R. Lounsbury - Intech/ January 2008 - Ethernet developments for control applications.

16th Annual Readers' Choice Awards - Control / January 2008 - The best manufacturers and products as voted on by equipment users.

Aunt Judy: Beware relatives' repairs / H. Johnson - EDN / November 2008 - Good practical suggestions to keeping the relatives happy!

No contact means ultra level measurement / D. Gillum - Intech / December 2007 - Ultrasonic level detector details

Who's Winning?/W. Boyes and L. O’Brien - Control Global / December, 2007 - Which companies lead the controls industry.

Trends in Process Temperature Measurement / M. Cushing (Siemens) - Flow Control Network / Nov 2007 - Excellent application considerations for applying RTDs vs. thermocouples.

Stand on Guard / I. Brough - Manufacturing Automation - Machine guarding techniques.

Primer on programmable controllers / T. Hughes - Intech - Nov 2007 - Part of the Automation Basics Series that runs each month

Topologies for Wireless Instrumentation / P. Welander - Control Engineering / Nov. 1, 2007 - Practical solutions for connecting wireless devices

Collecting data from distant facilities / Stuart A. Boyer - Intech / October 2007 - The basics of SCADA

Be a Good Boss - Canadian Consulting Engineer /October/ November 2007 - Tips on bringing out the best in your staff

More Details, Details, Details! / David W. Spitzer, P.E. - Flow Control / October - David Spitzer regularly writes articles illustrating principles and lessons learned in his many years of industry experience.

The High Cost of Counterfeiting - EDN/ October 11 - Be aware of the problem so you don't get burned (Flip 4 pages ahead into the pdf file)

ISA, HCF agree on WirelessHART, ISA100 integration path -Plant Engineering / Oct. 24, 2007

Innovations in Fluid Flow: 6 Men that Shaped the World of Flowmetering /G. Livelli - Flow Control / March 2007 - A short description of some of the principles of flow measurement and the men who discovered them.

Why Use Temperature Transmitters? - Process West / September 2007 - Reasons why you should consider using a temperature transmitter

Back the PAC- S. Herb & T. Walter - Intech / Sept 2007- An introduction to Programmable Auotmation Controllers (PACs)

Fuzzy Neural Control Systems — Explained / C. Masi - Control Engineering / Sept. 2007 - A clearly written description and advantages of control systems using neural networks and fuzzy logic

RFID yes, UPC no and probably not - Nicholas Sheble - Intech / August 2007 - A brief discussion of RFID.

Technology Review Level Measurement of Bulk Solids in Bins, Silos and Hoppers /Joseph D. Lewis, Sr. - Control /Sept 2007 - A review of technologies for measuring the level of solids in tanks

Verifying Flowmeter Accuracy /G. Livelli - Flow Control Network / August 2007 - Techniques for calibrating flow meters

Fieldbus: Where do we stand / R. Caro - Intech / April 2007- Fieldbus Technology & trends

Wireless: A Field Guide to Industrial Wireless - Control / August 2007 - Insights and trends on wireless technology

Anatomy of a Red Team Attack / W. Iversen - Automation World / June 2007 - What you learn from a group of "good guys" who are paid to breach security systems may help secure your plant.

Choosing Level Sensors / P. Welander -
Control Engineering / June 2007 - How to pick the level sensor to match the application

Pricey is this process piece of equipment/W. Brown and S. McDougall - Intech / July 2007 - An introduction to gas chromatography

Flowmeter Technology Library - ControlGlobal.com - Descriptions of the numerous flowmeter types with technical articles, whitepapers, and industry news regarding flowmeters.

The truth about problem valves /P. Nachtwey -
Hydraulics & Pneumatics / June 2007 -
Valuable insights on control valves applied to hydraulic control systems.

Properly protect control systems / Ian Verhappen, MTL Instruments - Chemical Processing / July 2007 - Build automation and business control systems with safety and security in mind.

A Primer on Primary Elements
Understanding a Key Aspect of DP Flow Measurement  / J. Yoder - Flow Control Network / May 2007 - A primer on differential pressure flow measurement primary elements including orifice plates, pitot tubes, venturi tubes, flow nozzles, wedge elements, and others.

Who Puts the 'Industrial’ in Ethernet? / M Hoske - Control Engineering /June 2007 - Industrial strength products for your next industrial ethernet.

Putting Fourier theory in focus / Edson da Costa Bortoni -
Intech / May 2006 - Insights into Fourier theory.

Lorenz-force motors / Elisabeth Eitel - Motion System Design - July 2006 - A description of Lorenz Force Motors

Eye on Hazardous Area Sensors / Jeanine Katzel - Control Engineering / May 2007 - The author sheds some light on hazardous location classifications and the numerous international standards that address them

Flowmeter Piping Requirements - How Much Straight Run Is Enough? / G. Livelli - Flow Control Network - Minimizing flow distrubance to obtain accurate flow meter readings.

Seven rules for writing specs  /M. Voigtmann - Control Engineering /April 2007 - Legal wisdom for writing specs

The 12 Most Common Mistakes when Specifying Circuit Protection for Equipment / ETS - Control Design / May 2007 - Suggestions for properly selecting and specifying equipment circuit breakers

There's a place for mass or volume measurement / N. Sheble - Intech / April 2007 - The basics of volumetric and mass flow. This is one of the articles in the "Automation Basics" series regularly featured in Intech magazine

Flow Control Vendor Directory - Flow Control/ April - The manufacturer's directory of 450 fluid control products and 1000 associated companies will make sourcing your equipment easier!

The ABC's of Internet Protocol / Contemporary Controls - Control Design / May 2007 - TCP/IP as it applied to networks

Temperature Measurement – A Solution to Type-K Virtual Junction Problems / D. Barberree - Industrial Heating / Jan. 2007 - A discussion of how virtual junctions can create errors in thermocouple readings.

Please note, you may have to register (for free) with Industrial Heating to view this article.

Wireless sensor networks / T. Enwall - Manufacturing Automation - Questions to ask before implementing a wireless network.

Get full value from partial stroking / P. Gruhn - Chemical Processing / March 2007 - A discussion of partial stroking valves in safety instrumented systems

Connecting in the Broadest Sense/ K. Keong - Intech / March 2007 - Optical wireless communications originally developed for military applications shows promising new commercial potential.

Tutorial: Clamp on Ultrasonic Flowmeters / P. Welander - Control Engineering / January 2007 - A quick tutorial on using clamp on ultrasonic flowmeters

From the Glass Thermometer to Fiber Optics
An Overview of Leading Sensor Technologies & Applications / J. Yodder - Flow Control Network / Feb. 2007 - Technology & trends in temperature measurement

Waylay weight woes / R. Titmas (Sartorius North America) - Chemical Processing / Jan. 2007 - How to avoid load cell inaccuracies

Opening the Gateway to Industrial Data Transfer / M. Volz - The Industrial Ethernet Book / Feb. 2007 - A very clearly written article describing how basic components such as converters, repeaters, switches, servers, and gateways work with respect to the OSI 7 layer model to communicate data.

Flowmeter Sleuth / D. Dunn and M. Klein - Intech/ Feb.07 - Coriolis meters sense density to separate water from oil.

Correlation flowmeters expand technology / David W. Spitzer - ControlGlobal.com / Spitzer and Boyes - Yet another type of flow meter technology is revealed!

The ins and outs of I/P transducers / M. Levine, ControlAir Inc - Control Design - I/P transducers convert electric to pneumatic signals. This article gives insights into principles of operations and factors to consider when selecting one for your application.

Understanding Pressure Instrumentation / P. Welander - Control Engineering Dec 2006 - Presure measurement terms, gauges, transmitters, and component selection guidelines.

2007 Readers' Choice Awards - ControlGlobal.com - Which control companies did users select to be the best in the business. Find out here!

Measurements Need Help to Enter the Cyber world - Intech/January 07 - A discussion of the basics of signal conditioning

Industrial Ethernet Protocols / J. Katzel and M. Hoske - Control Engineering /December 2006 - Ethernet on the manufacturing plant floor

Industrial Ethernet du jour / D. Caro in Manufacturing Automation /Nov.-Dec. 2006. How to determine which version of ethernet to use for your industrial applications.

Harmonic Mitigation in AC Drives /R. Hoadley, Rockwell Automation in Control Engineering /Sept. 2006. Harmonics are common trouble spots in industrial, commercial and institutional power systems. Learn how to deal with them effectively

Networking 101:Make the Network(s) Fit the Application /P. Welander in Control Engineering / Dec. 2006 - Thinking about your first industrial network? This article will point you in the right direction.

The Skinny on Signal Conditioning / InTech / Sept 2006 - The Basics of Signal Conditioning

Evolution of Magnetic Flowmeters / J. Yoder in Flow Control Network /Nov. 2006. How magnetic flowmeters work, their strengths, and their limitations.

An Introduction To Fieldbus inProcess West / October 2006 - Although there is obviously some bias to the manufacturer's products, the article gives gives excellent insights into the operation, advantages, and limitations of both Foundation Fieldbus H1 and Profibus PA.

Auto-Tuning Control Using Ziegler-Nichols - V. VanDoren in Control Engineering / Oct. 2006. Insights into traditional methods and automatic tuning of process controllers.

Download the new control valve handbook /Emerson Process Management in ControlGlobal.com / November 2006. Download one of the most comprehensive valve reference guides on the web!

Keep Measurements on the Level / J. Boisvert, (Siemens Energy & Automation) in Chemical Processing / November 2006. Guidance for choosing between six popular level sensing technologies.

Avoiding Motion Control Pitfalls / C. Radley in Design News / April 2006. How to avoid many common pitfalls that snag many motion control designers!

Choosing the Right Contract / D. Willard in Chemical Processing . A man of experience discusses contracting methods. Remember, financial success on a project may make or break your future!

Measure Up with Machine Vision / M. Hoske in Control Engineering / Sept. 2006. This article discusses advantages of using machine vision and lists many best practices for successful implementation of vision control systems.

Workday Control in Canadian Consulting Engineer / August-September. Good suggestions for handling those daunting, time consuming tasks at work. It will help you go home sooner, with your work done!

Practical methods for protecting industrial networks
/J. Montague in ControlGlobal.com / Sept. 2006. What to do about protecting networks from hackers and other malicious characters!

Evolution of Ultrasonic Flow Measurement /S. Yon ( Faure Herman Meter Inc.) in Flow Control Network / August 2006. How ultrasonic flow meters work work and how to use them.

Become Your Own Boss Without Quitting / R. Coleman in Electrical Business / August 2006. The author provides good basic career advise relevant to every employee!!! You have to download the August edition and scan to page 16, but is worth the effort.

Boiling water is easy as one, two, three, four / D. Spitzer in ControlGlobal / August 2006. Strategies and instrumentation for good boiler control!

Specifying pressure gauges / N. Sheble in Intech /August 2006. The basics of what to include in your specifications for pressure gauges.

Cutting the Wires of Communications / W. Boyes in Controlglobal.com / August, 2006. Important issues for consideration before going wireless!

Getting Machine Vision in Focus / E.Diaz (Edmund Optics) in Motion System Design. Lens selection, the most important step in vision system design.

Fluid power in industrial applications / B. Trinkel in Hydraulics & Pneumatics / August 2006. Chapter 1 in the series describes basic pneumatic & hydraulic principles.

Level transmitter — art not science / D. Willard in Chemical Processing / July 2006. The author presents his experiences and several tips for accurate measurement

Non-Contact: A Story of Radar Level in Intech / July 2006. Advantages and disadvantages of radar level measurment.

Optimize HVAC and Process Systems / A. Kugi in Plant Services / July 2006. A brief survey of flow measurement technologies for HVAC and process control applications

Tuning servomotors / C. Lewin (Performance Motion Devices Inc.) in Motion System Design / June, 2006. Tuning methods for PID servo loops

Rx for Instrumentation /P. Cleaveland in Control Engineering / June, 2006. Expert advice for keeping process instrumentation operating effectively! It starts with making the correct initial equipment choice.

Noncontact Temperature Sensors: What You Need to Know Up Front / R. Peacock in Sensors Online/April 2006. Tips for selecting and using non-contact temperature sensors

Network, Organize Thyself / G. Sierra, D. Carlson, B. Karschnia, B. Robinson in Intech. Essential issues of wireless networks.

Unraveling the Complexities of Level Detection / Turck Inc. in Controlglobal.com. A brief discussion of different level sensing techniques.

10 Tips for Simplifying your DPI Installation / M. Lueck in Flow Control / May 2006. 10 practical suggestions for ensuring your next differential pressure instrument installation is trouble free.

Avoiding Motion Control Pitfalls /C. Radley, (Danaher Motion) in Design News / Apr. 10,2006.  For a successful motion control project, be sure to avoid these pitfalls.

Choose the right temperature sensor / C. Swanson (Watlow Mfg.) in Chemical Processing. One of the best articles we have seen describing the application of thermocouples, RTDs, and thermistors to temperature measurement systems.

The Eyes of Motion / G.Hollows & G. Archer in Motion System Design. How vision systems operate and how to select vision system components

Correlation flowmeters expand technology / D. Spitzer in ControlGlobal.com /April 2006. A "new" type of flow meter technology!

15 Case-in-points of Common Control Myths / G. McMillan & S. Weiner in ControlGlobal / April 2006. Modern control myths from two industry experts.

HMI: A review of design fundamentals /J. Katzel in Control Engineering / March 2006. Points to consider when considering your next Human Machine Interface (HMI).

Level Measurement in Bridles /K.Martyn in Process West / Summer. Understanding principles essential for accurate level measurements.

How many phases are enough? / N. Johantgen & C. Ludwick/Oriental Motor in Motion System Design / March 2006. A discussion of 2 and 5 phase stepper motors

Management lessons from the U.S. Navy / R. Merritt in ControlGlobal.com / March 2006. Profitable management concepts!

Knowledge Discovery from Sensor Data / Dr. Pang-Ning Tan, Michigan State University in Sensors Online /March 2006. Data mining valuable information from data you already collect.

Flow Meter Focus in Chemical Processing/ March 2006. Numerous articles (reprinted) regarding flow meter topics including coriolis, mag meters, pitot tubes, parshall flumes and others.

Variable Frequency Motor Drives - Pitfalls and application considerations/G. Horne (Camenex Control Systems). Process West/Winter 2005. A simple straight forward article covering VFD application pitfalls and considerations.

Applying encoders / S. Riffe (Encoder Products, Co.) in Motion System Design / Jan. 2006. A short concise article discussing encoder application issues

Lasers come to level measurement / D. Spitzer, (Spitzer & Boyes LLC) in ControlGlobal / Feb. 2006. Considerations for using laser level measurement

Directory of Lost Companies /W. Boyes, with S. Edvi in ControlGlobal.com / Feb. 2006. A listing of old familiar control company names that evolved into new names in todays marketplace.

On Unequal Ground Comparing Flowmeter Performance / D. Spitzer in Flow Control Network / Jan. 2006. Help comparing flowmeter accuracy specifications.

Choosing an Optical Filter for Vision Systems / J. Dougherty (Midwest Optical Systems) in Vision Systems Design. Understand when and how to utilize filters in machine vision systems

Process Control Network Security - Reference Architecture /Invensys in Chemical Processing. Best practices to provide network security

How To Assess Risk / M. Hoske in Control Engineering. Applying safety integrity levels at manufacturing sites

Design Tips for Selecting Sensing Probes by Delta Controls in Chemical Processing. How to select and install the correct sensing probe for level applications

AC motors / E. Eitel in Motion System Design / Dec. 2005. Design techniques and application tips to maximize service life.

Subtleties of basic bridge circuit performance / P. McCurdy and D. Mathews in Control Design / Dec. 2005. Excitation and performance of bridge circuits.

Resistance Temperature Detectors / D. Cigoy in Control Engineering.  Pros and cons of RTD's.

Alarm Management Blunders ...12 costly mistakes to avoid /M. Marvan in Process West / Dec. 2005. Sound advice for implementing an effective alarm management strategy

Optical Technologies for Sensing Voltage and Current by K. Lefebvre in Sensors Online / Dec. 2005. Principles enabling optical fibers to sense voltage and current

Comparing Flowmeter Performance by D. Spitzer in Flow Control Network/ Nov. 2005. How to compare differeing flowmeter accuracy specifications.

Sensor selection 101:Optimal temperature sensor selection by C. Swanson in Control Engineering / Nov. 2005. Hints for applying thermocouples, thermistors, and RTD's to maximize accuracy.

Heavy Blow to Overflow by Dr. C. Rompf from Endress+Hauser in Intech. Vibronic point level measurement advantages when applied to overfill protection.

Measuring process fluid flow: an exacting task /D. Johnson in Control Engineering/ June 1, 2005. Industry trends in Flowmeter selection and application

Problem solvers in signal conditioning/ P.McCurdy & D. Mathews in InTech / Sept 2005. Why is signal conditioning essential? This is part of the series of monthly (almost) control system fundamentals articles

Specifying Industrial Fieldbus Networks for Automation/C. Kinnaird in ControlGlobal.com & TI /Sept. 2005. A comparison of some common field buses and their constraints to help choose which one is right for your application

Tuning the Motion Control Loop -- How-To for Techies / P. Nachtwey in Design News & Delta Computer Systems / Sept. 2005. Good practical advice (In a good practical magazine!) for setting gains in PID loops.

Keep safety in mind when designing control panels / L. Berke in Machine Design. Practical advice for designing control panels

What Venture Capitalists Won't Tell You About Wireless / M. Fahrion & J. Werb in The Industrial Wireless Book. A sobering look at cost and compatibility.

Subtleties of Servoamps / J. Woodward in Machine Design / Sept. 2005. Choosing the correct power supply for optimal operation

Electro-hydraulic system design / P. Nachtwey in Chemical Processing, Aug. 2005. Selecting hydraulic system components and tuning the controler for best results

Optimal Temperature Sensor Selection/C. Swanson in ControlGlobal Aug. 2005 - Solutions for achieving accurate temperature measurments using thermocouples, thermistors, and RTDs

DCS Meets PLC - S. Neil in Managing Automation. The article investigates developments and distinctions between PLC's and distributed control systems

Lets Get Physical - I. Verhappen in Manufacturing Automation/
June 2005 - Ian Verhappen consistently writes relevant timely controls related articles in a very clear and concise manner. Make a point of checking out his column called Columnbus in every edition!

Design Tips for Selecting Sensing Probes - Chemical Processing/Delta Controls - July 2005

Let it Flow - Intech/ISA -June 2005

Bacnet and Ethernet: Partners for Building Automation - The Industrial Ethernet Book - J.Butler - Issue 12 Supplement

Interpersonal skills could be key to career advancement - Chemical Processing.com - D. Dierking - July 2005 - As we strive for technical excellence, we must remember to hone our non-technical skills for the benefit of our peers, company, and self.

Driving data node to node - Intech - E. Policastro - June 2005 - A discussion of industrial wireless communications

Control 2005 Buyers Guide - Control

Vision Precision - Intech - E. Fussell - May 2005

How to read P&IDs - Control Engineering - Aug 2000 - D. Harrold. While this isn't a new release, it explains fundamental principles essential to understand process control systems. It was also one of Control Engineering's most read articles.

Basics of Motion Control and Motion Controllers - Machine Design/Penton Media - May 2005. A collection of well written articles addressing basic technical motion control issues.

The Weakest Link ...in the control system chain - Process West - May 2005 - For maximum reliability, remember to consider terminal block selection when designing and installing your next control system.

Calibration Calisthenics - Intech/ISA - M. Cable - May 2005

Wilson's Websites - Vision Systems Design - A. Wilson - April 2005. This is a set of links to vision related web resources that includes tutorials, technical articles, associations, and products

Do Your Level Best - Chemical Processing/Control Magazine - W. Boyes - April 2005

Lightning Protection: Protecting Communications Equipment in Substations - Utility Automation and Engineering/Positron Inc. - K. Siciliano - April 2005

Machine Vision: Look to the Network for a New Production View - The Online Industrial Ethernet Book - S. Winchester - Issue 25

Ultrasonic is on the Level - Intech/ISA - N. Sheble - March 2005

Tips to help you select fieldbus sensors - Manufacturing Automation - I. Verhappen, Mar/Apr. 2005.

PACs for industrial control: The future of control - ControlGlobal.com - Mar. 2005

Motion Control System Design - Motion System Design/Penton, Feb. 2005 - Lesson 3: Multi-Axis Coordinated Motion

Is it time to replace PID? - Intech/ISA - Mar. 2005 - Advantages of Model Predictive Control