ЖУРНАЛ «СТА» №4/2002

TABLE OF CONTENTS CTA 4/2002 The author surveys Euromechanics subunits, cross-panels and equipment cases, describing the design features that make them universal, their high level of integration and their reliability. Particular attention is paid to the issue of electromagnetic protection. The article describes the basic principles of the Euromechanics standard, showing its advantages, its prospects for further development and its connections with other standards. ENGINEER'S NOTEBOOK 60 Level-control radar systems By Aleksei Barmin 66 Protecting automation equipment and systems from high voltage power surges By Victor Zhdankin 74 Fundamentals of fiber optic technology By Valeriy Yakovlev EXHIBITIONS, CONFERENCES, SEMINARS 82 PTA 2002: showing off industrial automation By Mikhail Lavoshnikov 84 PROSOFT's fall seminars: where professionals meet 84 QNX-Russia 2002: sixth international conference SHOWROOM 88 SYSTEM INTEGRATION PROJECTS IN BRIEF 93 News 86 REVIEW/ Industrial Networks 6 Industrial networks: goals and tools By Konstantin Kruglyak This article examines issues relating to building distributed automated process control systems using current hardware, software and networking solutions. The author discusses the main trends in the development of distributed control systems and the tools for setting up such systems. The article includes examples using several new products from the firms Advantech, WAGO, Pepperl+Fuchs, Hilscher and others. 18 Basic concepts and primary components of the AS interface By Victor Polovinkin This article examines a serial data transmission system based on the AS interface used at the lowest level of an automated process control system. The review of the system's basic components provides an understanding not only of their interaction but also of the system's operating algorithms as a whole. 30 Building industrial networks using the AS interface By Konstantin Kruglyak The author describes the structure of a solution for the lower level of an automated process control system using an AS interface (AS-i), a universal, cost-efficient and intelligent network for industrial applications, designed to allow for the direct connection of sensors and actuators to the enterprise's general information and control network. This description is accompanied by a review of the appropriate networking equipment, with examples from among Pepperl+Fuchs products. REVIEW/ Hardware 40 Power converters for high-speed digital systems By Victor Zhdankin This article examines the new point-of-load (POL) converters, the latest evolution of power converters. The increasingly common requirement to access power sources with varying ratings within the context of a single printed-circuit card has created the need for such products. POL converters, as opposed to traditional DC/DC-converters, make it possible for the developers of electronic systems to create less expensive, more flexible and more reliable power systems. 52 Euromechanics cases for OEMs By Mikhail Berdichevskiy CD-ROM in this issue Siemens СТА 4/2002 www.cta.ru 96