Industrial Automation vol. 1 - Basics on Automation

This Series on Industrial Automation, aimed primarily at small and medium-sized companies, is dedicated to operators involved in the control, monitoring and supervision of machinery, industrial plants and utilities, management processes and measurement and data acquisition in Building Automation. The first volume is intended to provide an overview of the components of an automation system for manufacturing processes, buildings or public utility networks, starting from a standard model (the so-called ‘automation pyramid’), which allows an organic approach to the argument and its many facets. Then, the main techniques of signal acquisition from the field, processing and command, control, communication and supervision are described, with references to new developments and technology trends in progress.