AX Control, Inc.

Bring Legacy Equipment to the Industrial Internet of Things Age

Tube Bender — This photo of industrial equipment by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay

There are reasons to bring legacy equipment into the Industrial Internet of Things (IIot) Age.

Most manufacturers work with older equipment. A 2017 McKinsey report notes factory machinery and tools have an average age of 11 years. Industrial equipment lasts by design; we even use the term “industrial strength” to attribute higher-than-usual durability and power to everything from bug spray to boots. And when something is still working–and working well–a full upgrade to something new can be a difficult sell.

But many of these older legacy systems were created before the age of connected manufacturing systems, which bring with them a number of added benefits. A connected “smart factory” can mean higher productivity, increased flexibility, a safer manufacturing floor, and lower costs.

One option that bridges the gap between a full upgrade and missing out on all these benefits is to perform a retrofit of connected IoT gateway and data feedback devices. But until recently, this kind of upgrade was a complicated and costly affair. But it doesn’t have to be anymore, and more options are available.

What is the Industrial Internet of Things?

IIoT or the Industrial Internet of Things is the industrial extension of IoT. Automation in a traditional factory improves through the use of interconnected smart sensors. Other instruments work with sensors to take advantage of data collection and analysis. This happens on a networked (Internet) platform.

Options for Connecting your Factory Floor

There are several options now available for connecting your legacy systems to the IoT. These include

Retrofitting IIoT Connectivity. IoT gateways use software, sensors, and industrial-based control systems to provide a simple connection that can send data in real-time.
Using Video Cameras. Video analytics allow cameras to recognize objects, people, or issues on your floor automatically.
Using Edge Devices. Data can be accessed via local devices. This can improve security and provide access to process data more quickly.
Using Biometric Devices. Your employees can become part of your data acquisition through the use of biometric wearables or tags. This works in conjunction with additional upgrades.

Infographic: Bring Legacy Equipment Into the IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) Age — Download a higher quality PDF of this graphic with the link below.

Legacy-Equipment-to-IIoT-Age-1-1 Download

Printed Circuit Board Basics

Learn about PCBs, how they work, and how to read them.

Close-up of a PCB and its mounted components. — Close-up image of a printed circuit board’s surface

What is a PCB?

A PCB, or printed circuit board, is one of the most fundamental components in electronics today. They are used in everything from everyday items like cell phones, computers, appliances, vehicles, and musical equipment to jets and nuclear power plants. PCBs allow electricity to travel between components across pathways etched into the surface of the board rather than use wires, allowing a significant simplification and reduction and size. Printed circuit boards have become so commonplace even the cheapest electronics now often have some sort of board component.

Understanding Speedtronic Mark VI and Mark VIe Part Numbers

When working with any legacy system it’s important to understand naming conventions of the part numbers and how those part numbers may have changed through various part runs. AX Control sells many legacy systems, including several of the Speedtronic series like the Mark I-II, Mark IV, the Mark V, as well as the Speedtronic Mark VI and Mark VIe series boards.

When we look at GE’s Speedtronic Mark VI and Mark VIe as an example, we can see how this works. They have designed their part number so it gives the user a significant amount of information–if you know how to break down that information properly. Let’s look at one example.

An IS200AEAAH1CPR1 board from GE's MKVI Speedtronic line for gas and steam turbine control. — The IS200AEAAH1CPR1 Mark VI Turbine Control Card, available on AXControl.com

If we take the above IS200AEAAH1CPR1 board, we can break the number down into several different parts that will each tell us something about the board: IS/2/00/AEAA/H/1/C/PR1