Industrial Data Xchange

This year IDX took part at AUW 2015 at the Convention Centre in Cape Town. We were part of a group of emerging export companies that belong to the SOUTH AFRICAN ELECTROTECHNICAL EXPORT COUNCIL  and had a stand plus access to shared meeting area (see below).  Our stand was very simple but after doing AAF 2015 at the Dome in Johannesburg the previous week it was a pleasure to not have lots of equipment to handle.  Set-up was on Monday 11th, the conference and exhibition were Tuesday to Thursday.  Then on Friday we did some arranged trips to interesting "power or clean energy" projects. Power to dwellings comes from here (a) The "backyarder" project - visited an area where municipal houses are rented and there are 1 to 3 shacks in the backyard with each having an independent pay-as-you-go single phase electricity supply. The meter is mounted on a pole outside the property and the backyarder tenant just has a keypad to enter his electricity voucher de

What is Building Automation? Let’s define building automation, Automation refers to the capability to program and schedule actions for the devices on the network. The programming may include time dependent commands, for example having your lights turn on or off at specific intervals each day. It can also include non-scheduled or time dependent events, such as turning on all the lights in your home when your security system alarm is triggered, or turning on a specific light in a room when you enter it. What kinds of things can be part of a home automation system? In theory, anything that can be connected to a network can be automated and controlled remotely and from a central location. However in actual practice, outside of research labs and the homes of the rich and famous, home automation most commonly connects simple binary devices. This includes "on and off" devices such as lights, power outlets and electronic locks, but also devices such as security sensors which hav

Spreading the word of the PROFIBUS to a new group of potential Certified PROFIBUS Installers at Rand Water in Vereeniging, South Africa. You can just see their confidence (and competence) in PROFIBUS growing!