Practical guides for the factory floor.
PLC programming, machine vision, robotics and hardware teardowns — written by engineers who commission this kit for a living.
★ FEATUREDKeyence's new CG-R could be a game changer for robot vision
A six-eye 3D camera with its own near-infrared light, for robot guidance and AI inspection. What Keyence's CG-R series is, the five cameras, Keyence's claims, and what I'd check first.
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OMRON agrees to buy industrial PC maker OnLogic for $675 million
OMRON has signed a deal to buy OnLogic and its parent Interlogic, a Vermont maker of rugged, build-to-order industrial PCs. The terms, the numbers from OMRON's notice, what both sides say stays the same, and what I'd watch.
Balluff's new SmartLight Rigid is a signal light just 20 mm wide
A slim status light for places a full signal tower won't fit: 20 mm across, diffuse light over 180°, six versions on 24 V or IO-Link. What Balluff says, and what I'd check before ordering.
Contrinex's cylinder sensors now count cycles and watch temperature too
Teach the piston end position, count switching cycles, flag over-temperature and send it all over IO-Link, with operating pressures up to 500 bar.
Omron wants your devices out of the control cabinet
Tough terminals, power supplies, disconnect boxes and connectors you mount on the machine instead of in the cabinet. Omron's claims, the seven products, and what I'd check first.
Basler goes 10GigE, and brings RDMA with it
Compact ace 2 cameras on 10GigE with PoE and RDMA, plus matched network cards and pylon software. What's in the system, why RDMA matters, and what I'd check first.
CODESYS 4 Is Out — Here's What Actually Changed
Version 1.0.0.0 released September 24, 2026 — a web-based, file-based IEC 61131-3 IDE built for CI/CD and library development, running alongside CODESYS 3. What's new, what's missing, and whether it's worth your time now.
Adopt Automation is heading to VISION 2026 in Stuttgart
We're attending VISION 2026, the world's leading trade fair for machine vision and image processing — 480+ exhibitors, 6-8 October, Messe Stuttgart. Here's why we go, and what's on our list this year.
Cognex ↔ Keyence — A Two-Way Machine Vision & ID Equivalence Guide
Match any Cognex camera or code reader to its Keyence counterpart — and the other way round. Vision sensors, smart cameras and barcode readers lined up category by category.
Introducing AdoptVision — Industrial Machine Vision Built for Real Factories
A complete vision inspection platform with free Studio licensing, fair per-station Runtime pricing, and ready-made PLC function blocks for all major brands. Beta opens September 2026.
Festo CMMT-ST Servo Drive — EtherCAT Integration with Omron Sysmac Studio
A practical step-by-step guide to configuring the CMMT-ST in Festo Automation Suite and commissioning it as an EtherCAT axis in Omron Sysmac Studio.
Omron NX-TC2406 — Intelligence Built Into the Card
No PIDAT blocks, no tuning, no alarm logic. The NX-TC2406 runs its own PID engine internally — your PLC just writes a setpoint and reads a process value.
Festo VTUG Valve Manifolds — A Complete Historical & Technical Review
From the world's first valve terminal in 1987 to the modern VTUX platform — a full technical review of the VTUG covering architecture, connectivity options, and when to use it.
COMING SOONKeyence IV4 — Smart Vision Sensor for Industrial Inspection and Multifieldbus Friend
A practical guide to setting up a Keyence IV4 vision system for real-time quality control in industrial automation environments.
COMING SOONMeca500 — The World's Smallest Six-Axis Industrial Robot and TIA Portal Power!
The Meca500 is the world's smallest, most precise six-axis industrial robot. Built for high-accuracy micro-assembly, it fits where no other robot can.
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