March 2020

68 March 2020 www.drivesncontrols.com n DESIGN DATA AND MULTIMEDIA The EtherCat Technology Group (ETG) has produced a free poster that provides a visual overview of the technology and the EtherCat Device Protocol (EDP). The poster depicts the functional principles of the protocol, the structure of the frame, and its processing in EtherCat slave controllers (ESCs). It also provides information on the registers used by ESCs, object models and references to specification documents. It is aimed mainly at device developers, but will also be helpful to others – for example, students – wanting to delve into EtherCat technology. The poster will be available in a printed form from ETG exhibition stands and seminars. A digital version can be downloaded from theWeb address below. www.ethercat.org/poster IIoT forum offers a platform for exchanging ideas and discussing problems The Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) has launched a forumwhere the IIoT community can exchange ideas, discuss problems and network. The IIC Community Forum is intended to be the go-to discussion environment for users, vendors, integrators, researchers, governments and academics. It will also offer IIC members a vehicle for collecting feedback and soliciting ideas on where their expertise should be applied. The community is organised into categories – technology, security, business and industries. Anyone can post a question or start a discussion about IoT-related topics, ask IIC experts for help, or simply network with others. End-users are being encouraged to join, participate in threads and initiate new discussions. https://community.iiconsortium.org Microsite offers bearings expertise and information Brammer Buck & Hickman , the UK distributor of MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) products and services and part of the Rubix Group , has launched a specialist Web microsite devoted to bearings. The Rubix-branded site offers bearings- based knowledge in three sections: case studies; resources; and industries. In the case studies section, visitors can view projects by industry and bearing types. In the resources section, they can expand their bearings knowledge through resources including pictures and videos. And under the industries tab, they will find information affecting their fields. https://bearings.rubix.com Online tool will help to choose drive systems Faulhaber has announced an online tool for selecting the best drive systems for an application. Users input information such as speed and torque, and a list is generated showing possible options. This can be reduced using an intelligent filter until the most suitable drives are found. There is a comparison function for up to three variants. The tool takes into account changes to the electrical characteristics caused by the heating of a motor. Once users have found the systems that meet their needs, they can contact Faulhaber. The tool is being developed gradually, with more drive types, products and functions being added. www.faulhaber.com/en/driveselection EPTDA launches ‘future- ready’ Web site EPTDA (EMEA Power Transmission Distributors Association ) has relaunched its Web site to meet the needs of the mobile-first digital era. The site now includes a dynamic newsroomwith social media feeds, making it easier for visitors to access market insight reports, press releases and other resources published by EPTDA, as well as news of events and initiatives led by EPTDA. The site will also offer more content to the Association’s members. EPTDA executive vice-president Hans Hanegreefs says that the easy-to-navigate new site will be“instrumental in helping us propel faster and smarter towards our ultimate goal”. www.eptda.org Hub is starting point for power system knowledge RS Components has created a new power systems technology hub for design engineers and students on its DesignSpark Web site, offering them free design tools as well as product and system development information. The DesignSpark Power Technology Hub is designed to act as a starting point for getting to grips with the latest in power devices and systems. It includes learning materials, application examples, new products, reference designs and free software tools. The hub is sponsored by Maxim Integrated. www.rs-online.com/designspark/home Connections catalogue runs to 799 pages Würth Elektronik has issued a 799-page catalogue of electromechanical components including connectors, assemblies, switches and keys. New products in the Electromechanical Components 2020 publication include prefabricated cables with SKEDD connectors, and fast connectors for loads up to 16A. Würth has expanded its portfolio of durable USB plugs and micro-SD card interfaces for industrial applications. There are also shielded jacks for 5G to 10G Ethernet, as well as SMT- mountable miniature pushbuttons and super-flat switches. The vibration-resistant, high-current Redcube terminal family has been expanded. The catalogue can be ordered in printed form, opened in an iOS app, or downloaded as PDF. www.we-online.de Casebook shows how 71 hydraulic failures were solved Dave Howell of Newport-based DG Howell Hydraulics has written a book that analyses 71 examples of hydraulic system failures, explaining how the root cause of the failure was determined in each case, and how it was fixed in way that would minimise the risk of the failure occurring again. The Casebook of Hydraulic Failures , which costs £25, outlines a fast-track method for understanding and fixing hydraulics problems. www.dghowellhydraulics.co.uk/product-category/books Free poster shows how EtherCat works