Control systems and automation
ROUND UP
E
TAP Real-Time, the software solution for the online operation
and optimisation of electrical power systems, has come of age,
celebrating the 21
st
anniversary of its maiden deployment. Widely
used in SouthAfrica and distributed and supported locally by
Applied
Energy Solutions
, ETAP RealTime is renowned for its revolutionary
approach to power systems engineering. It all began in 1992 when
Texaco, one of the world’s largest oil producers, commissioned ETAP
to develop the first ‘PC-based’ online predictive power management
and control system, as part ofTexaco’s Los Angeles Refinery (Texaco
LAR) Plant Modernisation project. Together, the two companies en-
visioned a state-of-the-art management center for industrial power
systems. The delivered system, ETAP PowerStation (since renamed
ETAP Real-Time), was developed to provide Texaco with an intelli-
gent, forward-looking view into their facility-wide power operations,
a highly ambitious undertaking given the technology available two
decades ago. It enabled Texaco to gain unprecedented control and
predictability over its operations, by:
• Aggregating the data being generated by on-site monitoring and
telemetry systems
• Instantaneously comparing data values back to the engineering
model of the refinery in real-time
• Performing analysis on any variations between the live data
and design model specifications that might suggest an anomaly
somewhere in the power infrastructure
ETAP offered the power system operators a real-time training and
predictive simulation system to verify that the control actions such
as switching, adding or reducing generation, etc. would not have
an adverse effect on the operation of the plant before the proposed
change was actually made. Today, ETAP Real-Time, is a fully inte-
grated enterprise solution that maximises the entire production
process, reduces losses and increases customer’s financial bottom
line through continuous monitoring, simulation, and optimisation of
electrical infrastructure. In the years that followed, it has been utilised
in demanding mission-critical operations by leading companies in a
wide range of industries.
Enquiries: Sherry Arnoldi.Tel. 011 781 9513 or email sherry@etapsa.
com.
D
iversified industrial manufacturer
Eaton
Corporation proudly markets the new
XC152 compact PLC which supports intel-
ligent and modular automation concepts
with local PLCs and various communication
interfaces such as SmartWire-DT, CANopen,
RS232, RS485 or Profibus and Ethernet.
As a cost-effective solution, the new
compactly designed XC152 covers all high
performance PLC applications with a need
for interface flexibility. The XC152 runs on
theWindows CE 5 operating system.The CPU
is implemented with a 32-bit 400 MHz RISC
processor. In addition to a 64 MB internal
memory (OS, program, data), an SD slot is
also provided for external storage. A Run
Stop switch, an Ethernet interface and a USB
Host are also provided onboard. The PLC is
shipped from the factory with either a CAN-
open (master/slave) or Profibus (DP/MPI mas-
ter) interface, and an optional SmartWire-DT
master device is also available.The compact
PLC with WEB/ remote server features an
RS232 and/or RS485 interface depending on
the communication interface variant.
Users from the modular machine building
sector with standard automation solutions
will appreciate the XC152 PLC on account
of its high performance (with the CoDeSys-
based xSoft-Codesys-2 programming system
2, programmable as a PLC in accordance with
IEC61131-3), its compact design (100mm x
155mm x 40mm HxBxT) and its wide range
of communication options. SmartWire-DT
particularly supports Eaton's Lean Automa-
tion concept which offers several significant
benefits in line with the Lean Solutions
strategy. With SmartWire-DT the I/O level is
integrated directly in the switching devices.
This therefore enables the PLC to access the
digital and analogue data directly from the
control circuit device right through to the
circuit-breaker. Gateways and I/O level are
no longer needed.This allows you to create
flexible, streamlined automation solutions
with fewer components and little engineering
outlay. Eaton calls this concept LeanAutoma-
tion, which offers you the freedom you need
for creative and economical solutions.
Enquiries: Danie Scholtz.Tel: 011 824 7400 or
email
.
T
he latest version of
Moxa
’s industrial
network management software, MXview
2.3, is now available. Major updates include
more supported devices, newly-added OPC
tags for overall network health diagnostics,
and easier collaboration with third-party
network management software. In addition
to Moxa’s edge to core Ethernet switches,
MXview 2.3 now supports wider range of
Moxa products that includes NPort series
device servers, ioLogik series I/O devices,
and MGate series Ethernet gateways, with
no separate plug-in kits necessary. MXview
2.3 adds support for a new group OPC tag,
which diagnoses the overall network health
to be one of three states: Normal, warning,
and critical. System operators can easily get
an overall network summary on the SCADA
through an OPC interface, empowering
them to efficiently manage the network with
minimal SCADA integration cost. Greater
integration with third-party NMS is also now
possible with MXview 2.3. Through SNMP
traps, network operators can easily integrate
MXview with their legacy network manage-
ment software.
Enquiries: RJ Connect.Tel. 011 781 0777 27 or
email
.
Simulation system – 21 years of age
Cost efficient integration in modular machine building
New industrial network management software
Electricity+Control
July ‘13
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