Page 3 - AutomationNotebook-Issue43-flip

Editor's Note
It was dark, early morn- ing, and
This issue of NOTEBOOK is
loaded with infor- mative content such as the Tech Thread, which takes a closer look at open- source control- lers and the new ProductivityOpen CPU. We also have a great Cover Story
as I drove my
daily commute
I suddenly
became aware
of a long white
streak form-
ing across
the black sky.
Is something
on fire? Are we
under attack?
I immediately
tuned to the local news station which was receiving numerous calls from concerned listeners. The
news station reported that Boeing was testing their new Starliner astronaut delivery spacecraft. It had launched that morning from Cape Canaveral and was visible for a large part of the eastern coast. It’s awesome how space travel is being revolutionized by companies like Boeing and SpaceX and pretty cool to get to see it, even if by accident. But it got me thinking about the many innovations that have changed our everyday lives. How many people have VCRs today or know the name Blockbuster? When’s the last time you turned a key to start a new car? Who knows where the nearest pay phone is
or has the change in their pocket to use it? I could go on and on and that’s just the consumer world. Industrial automation has also changed quite a
bit over the years with many advancements still to come. But no matter what new innovations develop in the industrial automation realm, you can trust AutomationDirect to make them affordable and accessible to everyone.
The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft at the company’s Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility in Florida, undergoing inspection after its Orbital Flight Test. (Photo Credit: NASA/Frank Michaux)
on the bene- fits of connecting PLCs to the Internet. The User
Solution shows how the CLICK PLC brought new life to an ageing roller coaster, and our Student Spotlight showcases the University of British Columbia (UBC) Student Rocket Team and their Productivity2000-based rocket design test stand. In the What’s New section, you can see a roundup of our newest eBooks and video content, the New Product Focus details the new ProductivityOpen controller, cut-to-length cable additions, and thou- sands of newly added Hammond enclosures,
and the Business Notes section discusses many of the happenings here at AutomationDirect.
As always, the Break Room is stocked with fun brainteasers so see how many puzzles you can solve. Don’t forget to check out our library site (library.automationdirect.com) for more amazing content and visit our store (www.automationdirect.com) to see all our current and new product offerings.
Go to Article
Editor's Note
New Product Focus
- Headless C-more Remote HMI without attached display
- Continuous Flexing Profinet Cable
- ProductivityOpen Arduino-compatible Controller
- Hammond Industrial Enclosures
Tech Thread
Productivity®Open - Maker In, Industrial Out
Business Notes
Cover Story
Does Your PLC Talk JSON?
What's New
User Solutions
Roller Coaster Overhaul
Student Spotlight
Industrial Automation with a Mission
Break Room
Brain Teasers
Editor's Note www.automationnotebook.com | Issue 43