Communication requires some mutual standard – a shared language – and this is as true of electronic devices as it is of us humans. Among the most enduring and universally accepted standards or languages by which electronic systems communicate is the Modbus serial protocol, formulated in 1979 by Modicon (which organization was eventually acquired by…

This is the third post inspired by Advantech’s white paper, Industrial Bus & Network Standards. The previous two entries explored the dynamics which favor standardization in general, some obvious and some not, and then the Ethernet standard specifically. This installment will delve into the paper’s revelation of just where the greatest cost of implementation of…

I introduced Advantech’s white paper, Industrial Bus and Network Standards, in a previous blog post and highlighted the overriding advantages that standardization brings to industry as: Maximized Economies of Scale Constructive Specialization Facilitation of Strategic Alliances When it comes to enterprise and home computing technology, there is no better example of each of these advantages…

I like the white-paper form of business-to-business reporting, and Advantech has served up a perfect example of why with, Industrial Bus and Network Standards. Not only does it add interesting historical context to the communications formats that are by now so familiar to us all, but it reminds us just how critical such standards are…