Why automating factories has never been easier

The latest innovations in programmable logic controllers (PLCs), PCs and communication networks has made the task of automating factories easier than ever. PLCs have become less proprietary with open architectures that support network standards such as DeviceNet, Profibus-DP and Genius buses. PC-based controls use Windows-based software that make programming easier and are less expensive than PLCs. The newest communications structures, such as master/slave and multimaster configurations, allow greater authority to an element or group of elements.
More features and seamless communications make the latest generation of controllers, I/O devices, and networks the best ever. Designing and implementing factory-automation systems is getting easier. That's because the three [...]