Kepware® Technologies announced today the release of KEPServerEX® 5.10. Significant in the release is the new ABB TotalFlow communications driver, additional support to the Electronic Flow Measurement (EFM) option, and EFM support to the Fisher ROC and ROC+ drivers for the Oil & Gas industry. Drawing on its legacy as one of the industry's most respected industrial automation software providers, Kepware also made enhancements to its entire library of communication drivers covering all industries to ensure optimal performance and reliability and enhanced the KEPServerEX communications server platform to streamline management and diagnostics of devices.

"Connecting disparate automated devices and systems is our business, and we excel at identifying and deploying the right solution to meet the specific challenges of every industry we serve," said Tony Paine, President and CEO of Kepware Technologies. "The experience we bring to the Oil & Gas industry is backed by our proven interoperability, centralized communications and scalability."

Keeping track of who provided how much product to a pipeline is a laborious and difficult task associated with custody transfer in the midstream and upstream markets. Kepware's KEPServerEX helps streamline the delivery of information across the Oil & Gas supply chain by automatically polling the pipeline's Flow Computers and collecting their historical flow data. This data is then formatted properly and stored locally for input to the industry's leading flow analysis and accounting solutions such as Flow-Cal and PGAS, via KEPServerEX's enhanced EFM Exporter. The EFM Exporter now includes the ability to export user-configurable CSV files for use in custom flow-analysis solutions, operational monitoring and analysis, as well as easy data storage.

Kepware continues to enhance its core server with a focus on deployment, management, and diagnostics. All drivers in Kepware's EFM Suite now offer both EFM and real-time data, allowing customers to consolidate their data into a single-server communications platform. Additional KEPServerEX 5.10 features include:

• New driver for ABB Totalflow devices.
• New EFM support to the company's existing Fisher ROC and ROC+ drivers, further enhancing communications to Flow Computers.
• Added COM port sharing for serial-based drivers. This new feature serializes multiple communication protocols over a single network in order to streamline telemetry over radio or modem systems. This functionality is particularly relevant for telemetry applications, including Oil & Gas, Water/Waste Water, and Power Distribution.
• New organizational views in the server Configuration enables more efficient management of large projects. The added feature enables users to "Organize by Driver" and "Organize by Connection," helping individuals efficiently diagnose and correct network issues. In addition, users now have the ability to view shared connections as well as what Network Interface Cards and virtual networks are being used.

Aside from Kepware's new products for the Oil & Gas industry, the company is also announcing its preparation for Rockwell Automation's ControlLogix v21 firmware update. Kepware is working closely with Rockwell in order to implement the new Symbol Instance Addressing, which replaces the Direct Memory Access (DMA).

National Instruments announced NI LabVIEW support for the new USB3 Vision camera standard through the NI Vision Acquisition Software driver package. The standard offers significant performance and usability improvements compared to USB 2.0 cameras and popular interfaces, such as GigE Vision, with faster bandwidth up to 400 MB/s and 4.5 W to directly power cameras. USB3 Vision cameras also offer plug-and-play functionality and ease of use through a standardized catalog of functions.

“More than 30 machine vision vendors have participated in the standardization of USB3 Vision,” said Eric Gross, chair of the USB3 Vision standardization committee and senior software engineer at National Instruments. “USB 3.0 ports are becoming mainstream on consumer and industrial computer products and, with this new standard, users can easily adopt cutting-edge technology for a wide array of vision applications.”

René von Fintel, product manager from participating camera vendor Basler adds, “With the easy connections and adherence to a clear standard, USB cameras are aimed at conventional industrial applications as well as medical systems, motion analysis and microscopy.”

The USB3 Vision standard supports easy camera connectivity to newer off-the-shelf computer products with built-in USB 3.0 ports, including the new NI PXIe-8135 embedded controller. Engineers and scientists can also take advantage of powerful image processing libraries from National Instruments with the NI Vision Development Module, which includes new 3D vision functionality, and NI Vision Builder for Automated Inspection, the stand-alone configuration software environment for machine vision applications.

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) announced today the launch of its new 8.4-, 10.4- and 12.1-inch TFT-LCD (thin film transistor liquid crystal display) industrial-use modules in both SVGA and XGA color versions. The six models, in addition to featuring high brightness and wide viewing angles, have a LED driver embedded in the circuit board to help reduce the size and cost of final products. Sales will begin successively from December 1 through Mitsubishi Electric global offices.

Product Features:

• Circuit board-embedded LED driver for compact product design
• High brightness, wide viewing angles and broad operating temperature range for diverse applications
• LED backlight with long life of 100,000 hours
• Environmental design

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/ICONICS, a provider of Web-enabled, industrial visualization software for Microsoft Windows® operating systems, has announced the release of Energy and Facility AnalytiX version 10.71, a complete set of applications that monitor and analyze energy Cost, Consumption and the discharge of Carbon into the environment. Designed to be BACnet, OPC, and Modbus/IP complaint, Energy and Facility AnalytiX includes universal data connectivity and integrates with a wide variety of BMS systems, building equipment and electric meters.

Energy AnalytiX delivers the insight facility managers need to take decisive action, to reduce and manage utility costs and to minimize their carbon footprint. Energy AnalytiX provides an easy-to-deploy calculation, aggregation, analysis and visualization toolset. It is unique in that it not only integrates to all metering data, but can integrate to all building automation systems, lighting systems, security/access control data, and IT Data, and aggregates and correlates to find relationships that effect energy use. Users gain insight into energy consumption patterns as well as the causes of consumption and can access information from the office, home or phone, as visualization is delivered via the latest Windows 8, Web 2.0 and Microsoft Silverlight® technologies.

Energy and Facility AnalytiX are off-the-shelf energy management solutions that focus on energy data analysis to increase efficiency and reduce overall operational costs. Facility AnalytiX, with it’s built in Fault Detection and Diagnostics technology, provides continuous commissioning capabilities for any building or manufacturing automation project.