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E-Notes from Captain's Log aboard AutomationDirect.com
Volume 3 Issue 1

Welcome to our semi-regular e-mail update of what's new and happening at AutomationDirect.com. You are receiving this e-news because you subscribed to the AutomationDirect.com newsletter. Just go to http://notify.automationdirect.com/newsletter if you wish to unsubscribe.

Happy New Year! Welcome to the 2001 edition of the AutomationDirect.com e-mail update. This year's newsletter will bring you even more useful information about AutomationDirect.com and our products. We have some exciting things in store for 2001 and we look forward to sharing them with you!

WIN A "SMILEY GUY FUN PACK"!
Our new catalog has been shipping for several months now and many of you have been providing us with some great feedback. To help us continue to make the catalog a great tool for your buying needs, we'd like you to take a few minutes to fill out our catalog survey. Complete the survey and you will be entered in a drawing to win one of ten smiley guy fun packs, which include a smiley guy T-shirt, calculator and frisbee. We look forward to hearing your comments!
To complete the survey, click here.

And while we're on the topic of surveys...
Interested in completing another survey for a chance to win even more prizes? Control Engineering magazine is conducting a "service and support" survey that gives you the chance to provide feedback about your suppliers. If you complete the survey, you'll be entered in a drawing to win one of five $200 e-gift certificates.

For more information and to complete the survey, click here.

Ferrules, crimp terminals and connectors for your wiring needs!

Our new ferrules consolidate wire strands in order to eliminate wire fraying and resulting shorts, and allow for easier insertion and removal of wires from terminal blocks or other termination devices, especially in areas of confined space or when using small wires.

Crimp terminals come in ring or fork models and feature a special easy entry wire guide design to speed and ease wiring. Butt and end connectors are also available. Our industrial quality crimping tools are manufactured from pressed steel and have plastic insulated handles. They also feature a controlled cycle ratcheting mechanism to guarantee uniform quality in every crimp.

For more information on new wire termination products, click here.

New Manual Starter/Protector

Our new manual motor starter/protector (MSP) allows for manual switching of motor loads and protects against sustained motor overload, short circuits and phase loss. A simple push on/push off manual control disconnects power from the motor. A lock out/tag out hole allows a motor's power to be locked out for maintenance purposes. The MSP can also be used with a contactor for remote motor control and protection. Undervoltage trip, shunt trip and auxiliary contacts are also available for use with the MSP.

Click here for more information on the MSP

New design for flat panel industrial LCD monitor

Our flat panel industrial LCD monitors (models FPM-120 and FPM-120-TS) now feature a new slimmer design. The units are nearly 2 inches thinner, resulting in an installed depth of less than 2.5". The monitors also now support auto-adjust capability, an automatic video image optimizing feature that is also found on AutomationDirect.com's 15" units and other higher-end panels.

For more information about the enhanced LCD monitors, click here.

EZTouch panels are now shipping!

Our new touch panels are now shipping! Six new EZTouch operator panels are available in 6", 8" and 10" sizes, priced from $399 to $1,699. Five of the EZTouch panels come with 512 K of battery-backed RAM, which can be upgraded to 1 MB with removable flash memory cards. The panels also feature a 1/4" O-ring gasket and eight mounting studs for easy mounting and superior panel seal. The panels connect serially to many brands of PLCs, including Allen-Bradley, GE Fanuc and AutomationDirect.com PLCs.

Click here for more information about EZTouch operator panels.

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Think & Do Studio offers OPC, productivity tools and VISIO support

Priced at $1,895, Think & Do Studio offers control, HMI, productivity analysis tools and enterprise connectivity in one package. The software is built on Microsoft Visio 2000 technology, an industry standard drawing technology for logic and HMI development. Studio uses captured data for the productivity analysis tools to report and analyze process downtime, production capacity and cycle time. OPC 2.0 client and server capabilities simplify the import of live data into manufacturing and office applications. For more information on Think & Do Studio, click here.

To check all the latest product news, go to http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Overview/Catalog/What-s-s_New

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Ethernet Remote Master for DL205 Systems

Coming soon, an Ethernet Remote Master (H2-ERM) module will be available for use with the company's D2-240 and D2-250 PLCs. The module connects the local CPU bases to remote slave I/O over a high-speed Ethernet link. Each module can support up to 16 additional DL205 Ethernet bases, 16 Terminator I/O drops, four fully expanded DL405 Ethernet-based I/O stations, or any combination of the three. One version of the module will connect to a control network using Category 5 UTP cables and cable runs up to 100 meters. Repeaters can be used to extend the distance and expand the number of nodes. A fiber optic version uses industry-standard 62.5/125 ST-style fiber optic cables and can be run up to 2,000 meters. The first modules available will be for the D2-240 and D2-250 PLCs. Modules for WinPLC Windows( CE CPUs are planned for later in the year.

For general information on the DL205 PLC, go here.

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Have a question for tech support? Our online database of Frequently Asked Questions is a good place to look for an answer! Currently, we have about 600 questions in our FAQ database, and our goal is to reach 1000! FAQs are listed by product in the database and a search function is also available. To view our database of FAQs, click here.

And don't forget about our FREE shipping and handling for online orders. See bottom of newsletter for terms and conditions.

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Choosing between DL 205 and Terminator I/O

Terminator I/O is now shipping! But how do you know if this new product is right for you? The DL 205 PLC I/O offers low cost and easy configuration, but for some applications, Terminator I/O may be the best solution. If your application requires more than 48 discrete and 24 analog points, or you require terminal blocks or ZIPLinks for each point, Terminator I/O could be for you. Terminator I/O is also great for applications that require fused discrete outputs, hot-swap I/O, Class 1 Division 2 conformance, or for applications with small panel space requirements for I/O and terminal blocks.

This PDF guide offers more information on deciding between Terminator I/O and DL 205 I/O

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Rocketsports Racing team owner Paul Gentilozzi has welcomed Johnny Miller to his Trans-Am team for the 2001 race season. Johnny finished seventh in the points standing for 2000, and will now enter his sixth full season of racing as a member of the two time Trans-Am championship team. His new car will be built by the Rocketsports team and will continue to be sponsored by AutomationDirect.com.

During the 2000 season, Johnny scored his first career Trans-Am win, collected four top-five finishes, and captured two pole positions. In an effort to concentrate on driving, Johnny has sold his Miller Racing team and he and Gentilozzi will now be teammates and competitors. The 2001 Trans-am season begins on March 16th at Sebring International Raceway. Best of luck to Johnny and his new team!

For all the latest racing news, click here.

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