Abstract :
Downtimes from automation system failures cause high secondary costs in industrial production. PC-based automation solutions are now becoming increasingly popular due to their flexibility. The PC is based on widely used software standards, is open to hardware expansions and offers a familiar user environment. Automation solutions are based on computers that have high operational reliability. Around the clock they are subject to vibration, cold, dust, heat, steam, and even operator control errors. Traditional solutions such as programmable controllers (PLCs) or Operator Panels have proven themselves a thousand times over but, when appropriately equipped, PC-based systems also offer a high degree of robustness and system reliability.
