Latest Military/Aerospace Technical Articles

It's important to keep your system up and running without regular intervention. While every system requires maintenance,…

It's important to keep your system up and running without regular intervention. While every system requires maintenance, never overlook the critical importance of tools and training for the operators.

Every method of connecting to an industrial device—USB, serial, or Ethernet—poses challenges. For Ethernet, we often…

Every method of connecting to an industrial device—USB, serial, or Ethernet—poses challenges. For Ethernet, we often must adjust the IP address of our PC, not only the device itself.

As we approach the conclusion of Python data structures, we’ll examine the tuple. Used less frequently than lists and…

As we approach the conclusion of Python data structures, we’ll examine the tuple. Used less frequently than lists and dictionaries, tuples do serve some handy use cases where immutability is a critical requirement.

Learn how to get started with Phoenix Contact’s PLCnext and Engineer software, a platform that ultimately provides a…

Learn how to get started with Phoenix Contact’s PLCnext and Engineer software, a platform that ultimately provides a PLC environment for plant control as well as an OS for more advanced IIoT projects.

Every automated cell requires a ‘brain’ in order to achieve the required tasks. How do you determine the necessary…

Every automated cell requires a ‘brain’ in order to achieve the required tasks. How do you determine the necessary I/O, communication protocols, and processor necessary for controlling your system?

Learn how to write a ladder logic program to assign a string value to a data register and share that register with any…

Learn how to write a ladder logic program to assign a string value to a data register and share that register with any HMI compatible with Mitsubishi’s MELSEC PLC series.

This section will dive into the world of data structures used within the Python programming environment, starting with…

This section will dive into the world of data structures used within the Python programming environment, starting with one of the more commonly used structures called ‘lists.’

Detecting objects is the first field-level task that must be considered before any feedback-based control can happen.…

Detecting objects is the first field-level task that must be considered before any feedback-based control can happen. Choosing from among the nearly unlimited proximity sensors can be challenging!

Creating custom alarm systems can be complicated and overwhelming, but they can also be very beneficial for equipment…

Creating custom alarm systems can be complicated and overwhelming, but they can also be very beneficial for equipment builders and integrators. Follow along as we build a custom alarm handling system.

We know what a circuit breaker is meant to do: stop the flow of electricity in case of a fault or failure. But just like…

We know what a circuit breaker is meant to do: stop the flow of electricity in case of a fault or failure. But just like fuses, breakers and overloads respond differently depending on the load.

What is pressure? Everybody knows about this important quantity, but how do you define it? How do you measure it? Where…

What is pressure? Everybody knows about this important quantity, but how do you define it? How do you measure it? Where does it come from? In this article, we’ll learn about the basics of pressure.

Many sensors, like prox, optical, and ultrasonic, are familiar to control engineers. More and more modern devices are…

Many sensors, like prox, optical, and ultrasonic, are familiar to control engineers. More and more modern devices are incorporating advanced motion profiles requiring motion sensing in many axes.

This article investigates the basic components and wiring conventions for common three-phase motor starter…

This article investigates the basic components and wiring conventions for common three-phase motor starter configurations, including direct online, reversing, and star-delta.

Complete wiring guide for 3-phase motor starters with and without overload (OL) relays.

Complete wiring guide for 3-phase motor starters with and without overload (OL) relays.

This article investigates the basic qualities that make up a safety PLC, what distinguishes a safety PLC from a standard…

This article investigates the basic qualities that make up a safety PLC, what distinguishes a safety PLC from a standard model, and the reasons for which a safety PLC may be critical.

Electrical and mechanical measurements are often labeled with "RMS" and "True RMS." Aside from the simple math…

Electrical and mechanical measurements are often labeled with "RMS" and "True RMS." Aside from the simple math definitions we learned in electronics class, why is this distinction actually important?

Have you ever heard of a relay? Of course you have. There are many different kinds, plus hundreds of different trade…

Have you ever heard of a relay? Of course you have. There are many different kinds, plus hundreds of different trade lingo names. What are some of the most common, and how do we use them?

Within motors, two very different types of resistance are evident. The resistance of the windings is measured with a…

Within motors, two very different types of resistance are evident. The resistance of the windings is measured with a normal multimeter. But what is insulation resistance, and how is it measured?

In order to trace control system problems to the core, the ability to read and interpret various resources, from…

In order to trace control system problems to the core, the ability to read and interpret various resources, from facility-level diagrams to machine-level wiring layouts, is critical.