Control Intelligence

Factory OT uses wireless networks regularly to interface the physical world and the digital world. Transducers make this connection possible. A transducer is a component that converts one form of energy to another. Industrial controls capitalize on this device by utilizing the convenience of wireless in safety, remote and environmentally challenged environments. In this episode of Control Intellig...

Using vibrational analysis tools that can sense wear, imbalance, noise or harmonics can help identify machinery issues prior to failure. This allows for correcting those issues at a more convenient time, such as scheduled downtime, and avoid costly catastrophic failure. In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore shares how variable-frequency drives can be used for physi...

Sometimes motors can run at 175% of their rated load continuously, but the conditions should be specified within boundaries of the system. When we talk about running a motor at 175% continuously, it means the expected current load or the torque will be at roughly 175% of its rated full load Amps. In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, Mike Bacidore e...

Beckhoff’s XTS linear transport system, No Cable Technology and EcoLine motor modules are part of the Beckhoff mechatronics portfolio, which is under the supervision of Jeff Johnson, mechatronics product manager at Beckhoff USA.

In this episode of Control Intelligence, Mike Bacidore is rejoined by Dr. Brian Romano, director of technology development at Arthur G. Russell Company. With more than four decades of experience in industrial automation and control systems engineering, Romano's career has centered around innovation, leadership and a forward-looking commitment to advanced technology in manufacturing. His work inclu...

Machine vision has long been used in factory automation for quality inspections, the final checkpoint separating acceptable parts from the rework pile or the scrap bin. Today, vision systems are no longer just inspectors. They are becoming adaptive, data-driven participants in the manufacturing process, capable of influencing outcomes rather than simply recording them. In this episode of Control I...

There is a growing trend to use laser scanning to create 3D images of the plant floor, of machine locations and of intricate areas that are congested with plant infrastructure to allow integrators to visualize how they can install new equipment or modify old equipment. In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses how...

In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore spoke to Robert Little, founder and executive advisor of Robert Little Robotics in Raleigh, North Carolina, and the 2026 application winner of the Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Award. He will be recognized at the awards dinner during the Automate Show in Chicago the week of June 22. With more than 40 years of experience in rob...

Whether they’re used for position detection on gantries, for detecting parts for assembly or for innumerable other cases, the use of non-contact presence sensors has been a mainstay of industrial controls since the development of the first versions in the 1950s. In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses non-contact...

In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore is joined by an important figure in the controls and automation world, Dr. Brian Romano, director of technology development at Arthur G. Russell Company. With more than four decades of experience in industrial automation and control systems engineering, Romano’s career has centered around innovation, leadership and a forward-lo...

Control Design editor in chief Mike Bacidore spoke Mark Arisman, manager of business development for control products at Nord Drivesystems, about Nord's advancements in drive technology and the digital twin.

The space shuttle had three computers and needed a two-of-three voting system to determine if a sensed variable was real or phantom. This would be a good thing regarding a leaking door seal on the capsule. Safety sensing isn’t a new technology, but it seems that understanding what a safety system function is might be lacking a bit. In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing e...

Controls engineers are surrounded by protocols. Proprietary protocols are less common today than before, but they are still around. In this episode, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, Editor-in-Chief Mike Bacidore discusses how to choose between Ethernet IP and SSI.

In most factory lines, the soft PLC and PAC are commonly based on Industrial PC hardware. It is this hardware platform that has quietly become one of the most important components of a factory line’s control hardware. In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses fanless controller housings.

In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch and originally aired in March 2025, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses the similarities and differences between PLCs and PACs.

It’s the beginning of the new year, and everyone’s capital budget is going to be reset and revised. People will come out with their five-year and 10-year and 20-year plans, and once again plant management will ask the question: “Can we upgrade the control systems?” In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses when to...

In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses on-machine sensing and IIoT implementation. Once you’ve finished listening to the podcast, take Control Design's quiz about on-machine sensing and IIoT implementation.

Many electrical engineers will ignore mechanical properties of a machine because it’s not their specialty. Control systems engineers cannot do that. Controls require an understanding of the electrical and mechanical interface. In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses how to monitor and manage the health of hydrau...

During commissioning and after, if you hear three definitions of I/O checkout and then get residual failures after a down and an install because no one is going off a commissioning plan, writing up a test plan or adhering to a commissioning plan, then there is a problem. In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses m...

With the advent of common communication platforms, new layers of automation devices became available to control systems on the plant floor. In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses the impact of I/O on the interoperability trend.

In factory automation, safety systems are no longer the peripheral add-ons of the past. They are integral to the design, operation and long-term viability of production lines. As automation increases and machinery becomes more interconnected, engineers are routinely tasked with specifying safety controllers, networks, sensors and safety I/O devices that carry a defined safety integrity level (SIL)...

In this episode of Control Intelligence, which was written by contributing editor Shawn Cox in June of 2023, more than two and a half years ago, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses the predictions for control systems. Cox’s article was revisited by many as we closed out 2025, and it became one of Control Design's most popular reads in December. Let’s revisit his thoughts from the summer of 202...

Control systems engineering requires a broad knowledge base of many components. Why? Applications of all shapes, sizes, functionality and needs are brought to machine-builder tables, and automation is requested to provide solutions to manufacturing problems. In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses motor starters...

Did Industry 4.0 go away? No. It seems that, behind the scenes, the open-source platform community is just working along, developing the next go-around of competitive devices for the traditional automaton folks to keep up with. In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses Ethernet-APL.

Integration of PLCs and robots has become standardized. Standard robot command interface is a means for robots to increase its interface capacity with programmable logic controllers, but SRCI has been around for a while. In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses the standard robot command interface.