Meetings

Industrial Process Control Networks

William D. Latura
Ondeo Nalco

Tuesday Nov 26th 2002 at 7:00pm
College of DuPage - OCC 128(a,b)

Abstract

Industrial process control networks allow the sharing of resources and information among the elements of a manufacturing or distribution process much the same way that traditional LAN's increase the productivity of front office and back office operations. The elements of such a network, the type of data that is transmitted, the protocols that are used, and the applications that are run have significant differences, however.

This talk will describe the various component parts of an industrial control network, network hierarchies and architectures, and the unique requirements that make control networks different from a typical office LAN. The strengths and weaknesses of protocols such as HART, Modbus, DeviceNet, Profibus, Foundation Fieldbus and Ethernet/IP will be discussed, as well as the roles DCS, SCADA and enterprise-wide systems play in an overall factory automation system.

Speaker Bio

Bill Latura is a Project Manager with the Automation Research group at Ondeo Nalco in Naperville, IL. He spends his time designing and implementing process automation systems, and developing cost-effective methods of process data collection, including the use of 802.11b, infra-red and Bluetooth wireless. He is also the system administrator for a Linux box being used as a file and internal Web server running Apache and SAMBA. Bill has been working with PC's in one form or another since the early 80's. Currently his home network include four boxes running a combination of Linux and Windows 2000 connected via fast Ethernet.

Bill's first exposure to Linux was in the pre-1.0 kernel days of 1993. He's been a Red Hat fan since summer '95, though he has also worked with the SuSE, Slackware, Debian and Caldera distributions.

Bill has been the Treasurer of UniForum Chicago for the past six years.

Getting to the meeting

The next general meeting of UniForum Chicago will be from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Tuesday, November 26th, 2002, at the College of DuPage, OCC - room 128(a,b).

        College of DuPage
        Building OCC
	Rm 128(a,b)
        22nd and Lambert
        Glen Ellyn, IL 60137-6599

Take 355 to Butterfield Rd (Rt 56). Take Butterfield West to Lambert Rd,
then Lambert Rd North to 22nd St. Turn left and look for lot 10 on the left side of 22nd St.
Walk to building K, room 161 is on the first floor, on the east side of the building.

All UniForum Chicago general meetings are open to the public free of charge.

Contact Scott Nemec at (630) 990-6265 for additional information.

For more information about UniForum Chicago contact nemec@xnet.com.