Schneider Electric Releases New Programmable Automation Controller 

施耐德電氣發布新型可編程自動化控制器

July 11, 2007 -- Schneider Electric yesterday announced the release of its Telemecanique-brand Modicon M340 programmable automation controller (PAC), featuring communication, motion, database, and manipulation capabilities, in addition to the Modicon line's real-time logic-solving platform for industrial environments.

7月11日消息——施耐德電氣昨天發布了其TE電器品牌的Modicon M340可編程自動化控制器(PAC)產品，除了具有Modicon產品線適用于工業環境的實時邏輯解決平臺功能之外，還具有通信、運動、數據庫以及處理功能。

The Modicon M340 PAC is intended to make its mark in the growing mid-range automation controller market, the company said, and will complement some of Schneider's existing products in this market segment. The M340's primary differentiator, said Richard Hutton, senior automation marketing specialist at Schneider's North American Operating Division, is its use of Schneider's Unity application development software. In addition, he said, the Modicon M340 PAC will be a replacement option for current Modicon Compact984 PLC applications where compatible requirements exist.

施耐德電氣表示，Modicon M340 PAC 目地在于涉足快速發展的中端自動化控制器市場，以及補充施耐德在這個市場現有的一些產品。施耐德北美運營部高級自動化營銷專家Richard Hutton表示，M340的主要區別地方，是其使用了施耐德的Unity應用開發軟件。他表示，此外，Modicon M340 PAC還將是目前有兼容需要的Modicon Compact984 PLC應用的一個替代選擇。

One aspect of the M340 that separates it from competing products, according to Schneider, is the availability of as many as two communication ports in addition to a high-speed USB port. "Since there are multiple CPU versions that embed the open standard Ethernet protocol Modbus/TCP, we have enabled companies to benefit from direct, simple collaborative control and communications with all currently available Modicon PLCs, plus many third-party devices as well," Hutton said.

依據施耐德的介紹，M340與其競爭產品的一個不同之處就是其具有兩個通信端口以及一個高速USB端口。Hutton表示：“因為有多種嵌入了開放式標準以太網協議Modbus/TCP的CPU版本，所以我們可以使客戶公司受益于目前所有可用的Modicon PLC以及許多第三方設備的直接、簡單的協同控制和通信。”

Other features of the M340 include fast execution of both Boolean processing and floating decimal calculations, 4 MB of internal memory, and an internal Flash memory and SD-based memory card. The unit can accept from four to 12 modules with a maximum density of 64 channels per module.

M340的其他特點包括Boolean處理和浮點十進制運算的快速執行，4MB的內存，以及一個內置閃存和SD記憶卡。一個M340可以接受四到十二個模塊，而每個模塊最大可容64個通道。

Some examples of shop floor machines that can benefit from the M340's PAC features include conveyors, sorters, wrappers, packers, elevators, boxers, filtration and pumping systems, injection and other machines, automated assemblers, and transportation wash systems, Hutton said.

Hutton表示，可以受益于M340的PAC特點的車間機械包括傳送機、分揀器、包裝機、電梯、裝箱機、過濾和泵系統、注塑機和其他機械、自動化組裝機以及運輸洗滌系統等等。

Other members of the Modicon family include the Modicon Premium and Modicon Quantum programmable logic controllers (PLCs). Users of traditional PLCs are beginning to demand PAC-type functionality from the automation suppliers that have provided PLCs for years, ARC Advisory Research Director Craig Resnick said, especially in hybrid environments — including food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and life sciences industries — in which process applications such as temperature level control and packaging applications such as material handling are managed simultaneously.

Modicon家族的其他成員還包括Modicon Premium 以及 Modicon Quantum可編程邏輯控制器(PLCs)。ARC咨詢研究主管Craig Resnick表示，傳統PLC的用戶已經開始向其供應了數年PLC的自動化供應商要求PAC功能，尤其是在衛生環境，包括食品和飲料、制藥以及生命科學工業，在這些領域，如溫度水平控制等過程應用以及如材料處理等包裝應用是同時管理的。

PAC systems feature a single database that stores and maintains data from several applications — whether process or discrete — simultaneously.

PAC系統具有一個單獨數據庫同時儲存和維護數個過程或者離散應用數據的功能。

"PAC makes life easier for companies running separate systems for disparate control applications because there's only one platform to maintain and one HMI," Resnick said. "It really lowers total cost of ownership for the user when they need maintain only one system."

Resnick表示：“PAC使應用分離的系統用于不同控制應用的公司變得輕松多了，因為他們只有一個平臺需要維護，而且只有一個人機界面。在只需要維護一個系統的情況下，用戶確實減低了總成本。”

Other automation vendors offering PAC products include Rockwell Automation and GE Fanuc, Resnick said. Automation vendors that offer PAC-like functionality with their PLCs include Mitsubishi, Omron, and Siemens, he added.

Resnick表示，其他提供PAC產品的自動化供應商還包括羅克韋爾自動化和通用電氣發那科。在其PLC產品帶有類似PAC功能的自動化供應商包括三菱、歐姆龍以及西門子。

ARC sees a strong market for both PACs and PLCs moving forward, with PLCs maintaining their popularity in process plants that don't necessarily require the extra functionality of a PAC.

ARC預計PAC和PLC市場將持續強烈增長，PLC在不需要PAC額外功能的過程工廠保持著高普及度。

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