Control Intelligence
Welcome to Control Intelligence, a ControlDesign.com podcast that goes deep inside the automation and technology that machine builders, system integrators and end users rely on to keep production humming efficiently
Episodes
In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore spoke to Adrienne Meyer, CEO of the Control System Integrators Association, about the experience she brings from the Open DeviceNet Vendors Association and her MBA studies at the University of Michigan.
In this interview, Meyer shares what she’s learned over the course of more than a year at the helm of CSIA, most of which she’s spent visiting and sp...
In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore spoke to Jagannathan Raghunathan, director of cyberphysical security services at Bureau Veritas, about the recent CISA alert.
Raghunathan is also co-chair of the PLC Security Top 20 List. In this interview, he outlines how the PLC Security Top 20 List addresses programmable logic controller (PLC) vulnerabilities by offering practical, engineering-focused guidanc...
The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an alert on July 30 regarding a significant increase in cyber threat actors targeting programmable logic controllers (PLCs) in the water/wastewater sector.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, Control Design’s longest standing columnist, automation industry veteran Jeremy Pollard, spoke with Mike Bacidore about the vulnerabilities of PLCs; the evolution ...
A terminal block is a place to connect a wire to another wire and create a junction point. Picture a terminal block as an intersection on a two-way or four-way highway.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses terminal blocks.
Hardware independence is what PC-based control promised back in the 1990s. You can run any software on any hardware you choose.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor in chief Mike Bacidore compares the uses of PLCs and industrial PCs.
Factory OT uses wireless networks regularly to interface the physical world and the digital world. Transducers make this connection possible. A transducer is a component that converts one form of energy to another. Industrial controls capitalize on this device by utilizing the convenience of wireless in safety, remote and environmentally challenged environments.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing edito...
Using vibrational analysis tools that can sense wear, imbalance, noise or harmonics can help identify machinery issues prior to failure. This allows for correcting those issues at a more convenient time, such as scheduled downtime, and avoid costly catastrophic failure.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore shares how variable-frequency drives can be used for physical-asset condition monitoring.
Sometimes motors can run at 175% of their rated load continuously, but the conditions should be specified within boundaries of the system. When we talk about running a motor at 175% continuously, it means the expected current load or the torque will be at roughly 175% of its rated full load Amps.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, Mike Bacidore explains when a motor should be allo...
Beckhoff’s XTS linear transport system, No Cable Technology and EcoLine motor modules are part of the Beckhoff mechatronics portfolio, which is under the supervision of Jeff Johnson, mechatronics product manager at Beckhoff USA.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, Mike Bacidore is rejoined by Dr. Brian Romano, director of technology development at Arthur G. Russell Company.
With more than four decades of experience in industrial automation and control systems engineering, Romano's career has centered around innovation, leadership and a forward-looking commitment to advanced technology in manufacturing. His work includes control systems architecture, e...
Machine vision has long been used in factory automation for quality inspections, the final checkpoint separating acceptable parts from the rework pile or the scrap bin. Today, vision systems are no longer just inspectors. They are becoming adaptive, data-driven participants in the manufacturing process, capable of influencing outcomes rather than simply recording them.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributin...
There is a growing trend to use laser scanning to create 3D images of the plant floor, of machine locations and of intricate areas that are congested with plant infrastructure to allow integrators to visualize how they can install new equipment or modify old equipment.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses how to combine 3D tools with engineeri...
In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore spoke to Robert Little, founder and executive advisor of Robert Little Robotics in Raleigh, North Carolina, and the 2026 application winner of the Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Award. He will be recognized at the awards dinner during the Automate Show in Chicago the week of June 22.
With more than 40 years of experience in robotics, automation and manufacturing...
Whether they’re used for position detection on gantries, for detecting parts for assembly or for innumerable other cases, the use of non-contact presence sensors has been a mainstay of industrial controls since the development of the first versions in the 1950s.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Ba...
In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore is joined by an important figure in the controls and automation world, Dr. Brian Romano, director of technology development at Arthur G. Russell Company.
With more than four decades of experience in industrial automation and control systems engineering, Romano’s career has centered around innovation, leadership and a forward-looking commitment to advanced ...
Control Design editor in chief Mike Bacidore spoke Mark Arisman, manager of business development for control products at Nord Drivesystems, about Nord's advancements in drive technology and the digital twin.
The space shuttle had three computers and needed a two-of-three voting system to determine if a sensed variable was real or phantom. This would be a good thing regarding a leaking door seal on the capsule. Safety sensing isn’t a new technology, but it seems that understanding what a safety system function is might be lacking a bit.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor ...
Controls engineers are surrounded by protocols. Proprietary protocols are less common today than before, but they are still around.
In this episode, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, Editor-in-Chief Mike Bacidore discusses how to choose between Ethernet IP and SSI.
In most factory lines, the soft PLC and PAC are commonly based on Industrial PC hardware. It is this hardware platform that has quietly become one of the most important components of a factory line’s control hardware.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses fanless controller housings.
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch and originally aired in March 2025, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses the similarities and differences between PLCs and PACs.
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