Automation Page

Index

• Alarm systems
• Home automation
• Process automation

Process automation

General

Automation resources

• Azure's AutomationNET - Database for Finding Products, Systems Integrators and Automation Engineering Consultants in the Automation Industry
• CAN in Automation (CiA) - international users and manufacturers group
• Control Engineering Virtual Library
• Embedded Control & Instrumentation Related Internet Resources
• SCADA Sources on the WWW

Automation buses

• A tale of three buses: DeviceNet, Profibus-DP, Foundation Fieldbus - the best of buses for one industrial-automation application can be the worst of buses for another
• CAN Resource Center -
• Field Buses
• LonWorks® technology - platform for developing open control systems offering distributed network intelligence
• IEEE 802.4 / Manufacturing Automation Protocol (MAP) - a token-passing bus running at either 5 or 10 Mbps
• Network vendors agonize over fieldbus standard
• Romilly's HART® and Fieldbus Web Site - site specialises in the digital communication protocols used in industrial automation, with special attention to HART

Communication interfaces

• Current Loop Application Note - information on current loops
• Interfaces for industry - short introduction to V.11, RS-422, RS-485, RS-232, TTY, current loop and balanced current loop
• The problem of interference - up to 70% of all interference during data transmission is due to defective installation or interference from sources near to the equipment, such as neighbouring machinery or cables
• UARTs make possible low-cost networks of embedded systems - article contains the information you need to design and evaluate UART-based protocols for embedded-system networks
• What is a ground loop ? - describes basic idea of groundloop lately, example from process industry

Instrumentation interfaces

• 4 to 20 mA Analog Current Loop - introduction to current loop technology
• HART® 4 to 20 mA Current Loops

Automation software information

• Build Com Objects In Visual Basic For Your Embedded System Applications - VB developers can easily deploy COM applications for test and measurement, as well as many other client-server design projects
• SCADA Sources on the WWW
• Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)
• Virtual Instrumentation - a look at how computers and workstations are increasingly being used as a genral purpose display and control interface for instrumentation

Machine control logic programming

• State Language for Machine Control - a white paper from Control Technology Corporation
• When Technology Standards Become Counterproductive - adoption of technical standards in a high-technology environment must be carefully weighed against the costs of so doing, example case here is PLC programming languages

Design guides

• Designer's Guide to Isolation Circuits
• How To Reduce Lightning And ESD Damage To Transducers - article was published in the January 1997 issue of Sensors Magazine, also available in pdf format

PID controlling

• A Brief History of Feedback Control - philosophies of classical and modern control theory, also available at http://www.theorem.net/lewis1.html
• Control Theory and Engineering Links from Theorem.Net
• PID and Servos - introduction to Proportional, Integral and Differential control
• PID Control Technical Notes
• PIDSIM - simulation program for simulating PID controller operation
• The PID Algorithm - good article about PID algorithm, not just the basics

Fuzzy logic

• Fuzzy logic: an enabling technology
• Fuzzy logic The µP of tomorrow? - when used appropriately, fuzzy logic allows us to eschew the obfuscation that often crops up in engineering design

Measurements

• Sound Cards Work in Some Data-Acquisition Applications - comparing a generic sound card to an industrial data-acquisition card to find out when you can digitize signals with hardware you already have

Circuits for process control

Current loop applications

• Current Loop Interface - very simple circuit to interface a current loop sensor to an input which is designed for a voltage
• Single Supply 4-20mA Current Loop Receiver - application note document from Burr-Brown Corporation in pdf format, industrial current-loop data acquisition systems ate on a 24V or 28V single supply, you can make a single-supply current loop receiver with voltage output with the RCV420

Relay circuits

• Modular Relay System - simple transistorised relay into which can be plugged 'personality modules' to turn the base unit into a timer (pulse, delay on energise or delay on de-energise) or a latching relay or whatever is required
• Switching Solenoid Driver

Signal isolation

• Analogue Opto Isolator - use a standard, low quality opto isolator to transfer an analogue signal with reasonable linearity and without complicated feedback loops to monitor and linearise it

Other circuits

• Analogue Pulse Counter

Home automation

General information and resource pages

• Access Glossary - glossary of home security device terms
• Home Automation Index - quick links to home automation related information in the web
• Home Automation Library and Ezine
• Home-Automation.org - home automation link collection
• Home Automation Times
• Home Toys Tips And Tricks Archive - compilation of the best entries in the Home Automation Tips and Tricks Contest
• Integrated Building Technology: Teaching and Self-learning Materials
• Penetration rates of major consumer products in U.S. Households
• Powerline communications links
• Redoak - about designing an energy efficient home, the X-10 computer control system, integrated networked computers and entertainment system controlling
• Residential Alarm Systems - consumer information

Articles

• Home Automation Standards - introduction and overview
• http://www.act-solutions.com/uncle.htm - article series originally written for the Home Automation E-zine for educating readers about powerline carrier devices
• Residential Alarm Systems
• The Use of Structured Cabling Systems in Intelligent Buildings

Standards

X10

X10 is a communications protocol for remote control of electrical devices. It is designed for communications between X10 transmitters and X10 receivers which communicate on standard household wiring. Transmitters and receivers generally plug into standard electrical outlets.

• X10.com
• X10 FAQ
• X-10 Suppliers

Lonworks

• Echelon - the LonWorks company, technology also know as EIA-709 standard
• Talotekninen tiedonsiirto (LON) - information on LON network in Finnish

Other

• European Installation Bus (EIB)

Project pages and software

• Computerize Your Room/House - computer based home automation project
• Steve Walz's X-10 files - software, circuits and documents
• MultiSens - software for controlling PC based home control system from mobile phone, 30 minute demo version available
• Supervisory Control And Data Aquisition project (for Home Automation and Security) - details of project including IR control, relay control and general system plan
• The Automated by FreeBSD Home Automation Page - X.10 controlling, IR controlling, automated telephony, diskless freebsd
• XPress - home automation program for Windows 95/NT, freely downloadable trial version

Alarm systems

General information

• Chris Home Page - free expertise of burglary alarm systems

Circuits

Alarm systems

• 5 Zone Alarm System - a complete alarm system with 5 independent zones suitable for a small office or home environment
• Doorknob alarm - metal chain attached to a box holding the electronics is placed around the inside doorknob of a wood door, anyone grabbing the knob from the outside is detected by the electrical capacitance change that occurs from the human hand contact between the knob and the box, operates years from set of batteries, pdf file
• Gate Alarm System
• Loop Alarm - basic alarm system based on loop type sensor arrangement
• Luggage Security System - simple circuit to alarm you when somebody tries to cut the chain which you use for chain-and-lock arrangement

Sensor circuits for alarms

• Audio Perimeter Monitor - using a single cable such as speaker wire or doorbell cable, this circuit can be remotely positioned to detect all sound in that area
• Crystal Locked Ultrasonic Movement Detector - sensitive circuit with few components, pdf file
• Infra Red Barrier with Transmitter and Reciever 12V - kit from Amazon Electronics
• IR Light Fence/Door Minder - Set up an invisible infra-red light beam to monitor doorways or any other area. When the beam is broken a relay (maims rated) is tripped which can be used to sound a bell or alarm.
• Light Alarm - Detects very small amounts of light and sounds the piezo alarm, pdf file
• Ultrasonic Radar 9-12 VDC - movement detector circuit based on ultrasonics, kit from Amazon Electronics, check also ultrasonic transducer datasheet
• Ultrasonics: remote control and Intruder detector

Alarm sound circuits

• 110 dB beeper using 74C14 and piezo beeper
• 9 to 12V Piezo Screamer - Powerful 9V to 12V piezo alarm. Uses 556, auto-transformer and two piezo alarm elements. Circuit will deliver 108-110dB at 1M. Uses sweep circuit so there is no need to trim the circuit to match the cavity resonant frequency.
• 9V Siren - A surprisingly loud siren for such a simple circuit. Uses voltage controlled oscillator, 1/2 Watt, 8 ohm speaker and operates form 9V DC. Ideal to attach to an alarm system which needs an sound module.
• Alarm Siren Driver - This kit is based on the ZSD100 siren driver chip from Zetex. With the addition of a few external components, this chip will produce an ear piercing 120dB siren using an 8 ohm horn speaker. It will operate from supplies of 4V up to 18V, making it ideal for security systems in battery powered applications, burglar alarms and car anti-theft systems.
• Automotive and Household Siren Driver Circuits - application note in pdf format
• Inexpensive LED drives flash-and-beep circuit
• Very loud beeper circuit - but generates a continuous tone, delivers about 110db (12 inches away) from a 9v battery using a single inexpensive C-MOS IC and off-the-shelf piezoelectric beeping device driven at resonance, pdf file
• Very loud piezo alarm beeber - sweeps the drive frequency slightly to produce a very annoying sound, uses a transformer to increase the drive voltage across the piezoelectric device to more than 200 volts peak to peak, cranks out an ear splitting 120db when measured at 12 inches, pdf file
• Piezo device generates buzz, beep, or chime

Electronic lock circuits

• Combination Lock - A basic but fully working combination lock. Separate touch pad with 9 pads. Lock is reset if an incorrect digit is pressed.
• Electronic Card-Lock System - electronic lock based on punched hole card keys
• Electronic Combination Lock - opens the lock when you press the switches in correct sequence
• Simple Code Lock - electronic combination lock for daily use
• Simple Low-Cost Digital Code Lock
• Smart Lock - locking system based on two 12C508 chips, one for the lock and the other one for the key

Other circuits

• Wireless Alarm FM Trasmitter Module

Related pages

• Electrical wiring
• Electronic controlling circuits
• Lighting and light controlling
• Robotics page