M2M : Machine to Machine

Blog Move

2007-03-27T01:00:00.000-07:00

I am moving the blog to a hosted platform as the Blogger platform was limited in what it allowed me to do. The new URL is
http://m2m.orangeom.com
Please continue visiting and sending in your comments from this new location.
Thank you.

M2M Tutorials

2007-03-26T10:59:00.000-07:00

M2M Tutorial European Commission Leonardo da Vinci Community action programme maintains a web site for wireless technologies in the field of M2M (Machine-to-Machine) communication. This site requires registrations and a great set of introductory articles on what is M2M.

http://www.m2m-elearning.com/

By using mobile networks (GSM/GPRS) various devices and machines can be controlled and reported in buildings and industries with wireless M2M systems. Devices like Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), CPU devices and building automation systems as well as data networks will be interfaced together with wireless technologie

Remote Wireless Sensors for M2M Applications

2007-03-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

M2M Module Supplier - t-Mac provides always on GPRS data collections end points to monitor assets.

t-mac Technologies Ltd in partnership with FAW Electronics Ltd manufactures, markets and distributes the t-mac device, a leading intelligent system for remote, Internet monitor and control of assets including heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R), plant and machinery, fire and security systems, energy management as well as consumables such as water, air, gas and electricity.

The t-mac product collects and uploads information as to asset conditions, status and alerts via GPRS to a central server to which users log-on, via any Internet enabled PC, to view live and historic readings.

M2M System Compromised??

2007-03-23T12:30:00.001-07:00

Can your M2M deployment be compromised?

There is widespread agreement on the benefits that are provided by M2M applications. You see a lot of buzz around cost saving, new service initiatives, Customer Satisfaction and more. M2M now puts your asset on the network – intranet, corporate web, Internet. In the past there were a limited number of people who had access to the asset. Now anyone on the network has access to the asset and has the potential of accessing data that they should not be looking at. This problem becomes acute when information is being sent over the Internet.

Does this mean I should not implement M2M services?

Certainly not!! You need to take the right precautions that you would normally take to protect your corporate network. All the best practices that are in place for securing and fortifying you network apply to any M2M deployment. In addition to that you need to identify security holes that are unique to you application. These are dependent on the technology you use for communicating to your asset, the level of remote access you provide and the network safeguards that you have placed around your Remote services.

I came across this article that talks about how thieves are using wireless doorbells to jam remote locking systems on vehicles. The doorbell transmitters are used to block the signal from the motorist's key fob, leaving the car unlocked Crooks wait until the owner has walked away and can then take the car or steal anything the owner may have left inside the vehicle।

M2M

M2M Expo

2007-03-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

M2M Expo will be held in Chicago from May 22 - May 24

2007 Event

4th year defining M2M (Machine-to-Machine)
The first and only M2M Expo reaching global issues and subjects with global players
Held in partnership with Harbor Research, the thought leader in M2M and Pervasive Internet

Target Audience

Technologists, product and component makers as well as system and service providers
OEM adopters and industry experts from the breadth of M2M application segments
Integrators, IT consultants and M2M-centric service providers
Thought leaders in the evolution of M2M, Pervasive Internet and the second generation Internet

Expected Demographics

Executive-level stakeholders (CEO, Presidents, Vice Presidents and divisional / area managers)
Strategic decision makers, with high-level buying authority
Experts in device-centric technology from IT, Wireless, device management and applications

2007 Conference Topics

Focus on Service enabling products and technologies
Applying M2M in energy and sustainability issues
M2M as a Grand Integration methodology of multiple industry segments
Strong case studies and success experiences from thought leaders in many segments
Discussions on new and relevant technologies for M2M applications

M2M Paper

2007-03-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

Goals - Plan to publish at least one paper a month on the emerging M2M trends focusing on

Why shoudl you care about M2M?
M2M value Chain - How does this fit into your overall Corporate ecosystem
M2M Security
M2M Hurdles
Technology Trends that Support M2M
M2M Case Studies , Examples of live M2M Deployments.

Remote Control for Untility companies

2007-03-22T13:40:00.000-07:00

Came across this company that uses rudimentary technology to enable remote monitoring. THe beauty lies in its simplicity. The company creates a box that plugs into your asset. The black box has a built in pager that responds to pages that it receives. Based on the page that it received it performs an action - turn of the power supply, turn on the power supply, turn the motor on etc. I am sure they must have built in some sort of security mechanism - could not find any information on that on the website.

System like this that are simple are much more likely to succeed in the short term than sophisticated mesh systems. The reason for this type of set up to succeed more than other M2M applications is that it is an incremental evolution in the existing infrastructure. Customers get it, Minimal changes to their operations and you are able to see the benefits at a much lower price point. They offer solutions for telecoms, Utility companies and Amber alert systems.

Quote - The NH100 allows a user to remotely control power to any device that can be plugged into a standard household outlet. Simply page the unit just as you would an ordinary pager—it’s completely wireless, no phone line is required. The NH100’s smaller size makes it perfect for rebooting and simple on/off applications. Convenient installation options include an audible alarm and serial data port allowing for printed messages which makes it a popular choice for emergency notification applications.

Cellular Modems for M2M

2007-03-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

Data Remote Inc provides cellular modems that allows you to connect your asset via the cellular network. They have customized vertical specific solutions such as -

Remote Meter Reading
Fleet Management
Power Station Monitoring Control
Gas Water and Oil flow Monitoring
Cellular ATM transactions and more

Cellular Modems from DataRemote, Inc. have consistently been at the forefront of cellular data transmission technology since 1991. Our self-contained CDMA, GPRS cellular, PCS and analog Cellular Modems have been successfully deployed across diverse applications including automatic meter reading (AMR) remote telemetry, SCADA, automatic vehicle location (AVL) and remote point of sale (POS). And as one of the first companies to design, build and market cellular modems that operate on CDMA and PCS networks, we use cutting-edge technology to tailor our solutions to the individual needs of our customers. Our cellular modems and other real-time technologies provide communication capabilities that are cost-effective, flexible and efficient. Plus, not only do we provide these outstanding cellular modem solutions, but we back them up with the most reliable, skilled technical support in the industry.

M2M provider expands into the US Market.

2007-03-22T13:23:00.000-07:00

ConnectOne a provider of IP connectivity for IP based M2M applications has opened up a branch office in the US.

Connect One manufactures semiconductors and device servers that facilitate easy, reliable and robust Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity for machine-to-machine (M2M) applications. The firm is positioning itself to secure a leading role in the US M2M market, which analysts predict will account for approximately 40% of the $63 billion worldwide M2M market by 2009.

Connect One is a major contributor to the widespread adoption of IP-based communication in M2M applications. It has become a major player in the M2M industry, with over 1,000,000 iChip™ IP controller chips deployed in more than 50 countries — many of them installed in point-of-sale (POS) terminals, medical devices, security systems, and fleet management terminals. Connect One’s field-proven embedded chips, modules and external device servers enable manufacturers of non-PC devices to easily, quickly and cost-effectively IP-enable new and existing designs.

Connect One Semiconductors’ new office is located at 560 Winchester Blvd., Suite 500, San Jose, CA 95128. Tel: 408-572-5675, Fax: 408-572-5601.

The cost of automation - M2M vs Manual Inspection

2007-03-21T17:25:00.000-07:00

The question posed in one of the blogs is the cost of Automation - M2M is automating the collection and analysis of data. The author give s a great example of Qualtiy Vs Quantity.
Quote >>

Many photographers like to develop their film by hand too. If Hillman Curtis did that with his movie, for every frame, he’d definitely get a richer result. He’d also never finish.

I think it comes down to a simple trade-off — every time you flick an “auto” switch off, development time goes up, but quality goes up too - people always do things better than machines. Which switches you flick is a judgment call that has to be made for each switch and for each project.

M2M Systems face the same problem . Where do we draw the line between autonomous machine communicaitona nd decision making versus applying physical human inspection - see, touch and feel the asset to diagnose the problem. A truly successful M2M Application will balance out the above conflicting needs..

M2M Deploymenet challenges - Vending Industry

2007-03-21T17:16:00.000-07:00

Cantaloupe systems provides M@M services to the vending industry. The concept is very simple - you as a customer have hundreds of vending machines at various locations. Cantaloupe provides the infrastructure where by you can get realtime upddates on these vending machines - are they out of stock, which is the fast moving product in the machine by location, Which machines have operational problems (mechanical etc). HAs a unique value proposition for the vending industry.

The only problem is that the vending industry is a mature industry and has the old way of doing thing - I have delivery guy that does the rounds on schedule and restocks the machines. The work load is know in advance and all the operations can be scheduled. This works for the industry - why invest in new technology that is cutting edge($$).

In addition to this the field operations would need to be realigned with the M2M system to be reactive as opposed to the current system where everything is routine? This is the biggest challeng of any M2M deployment.

Company Profile:
Cantaloupe Systems specializes in providing wireless, technical solutions for the vending industry. Wireless systems are crucial for the continued success of the vending industry. By tracking and analyzing data seamlessly wireless systems will help the vending industry become increasingly efficient and help implement cost saving procedures.

CalAmp : M2M Consolidation

2007-03-21T16:58:00.000-07:00

CalAmp firms ups its position in the M2M space by acquiring AirIQ. CalAmp Corp. (Nasdaq: CAMP), a leading provider of wireless communication solutions, announced today that it has agreed to acquire the Vehicle Finance division of AirIQ Inc. (TSX:IQ), a leader in global wireless security, for cash consideration of $19 million. The transaction is expected to close today. The Vehicle Finance division, which generated 2006 revenues of approximately $15 million and currently operates under the Aircept brand, sells Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) and cellular-based wireless asset tracking products and services to vehicle lenders that specialize in automobile financing for high credit risk individuals. The acquisition is expected to be accretive to CalAmp after excluding amortization of intangible assets arising from the acquisition.

About CalAmp M2M/MRM : CalAmp is a leading provider of embedded cellular transceivers and GPS modules for Machine-to-Machine (M2M) applications. You may think of our transceivers as cellular phones for machines, where they keypad and earpiece are replaced by a serial interface optimized for a machine/processor to communicate with. Our modules are industrial hardened and designed for the unique rigors of machine environments. CalAmp's Skybility brand is recognized as a pioneer in M2M communications, having enabled partners throughout North America to deploy solutions that monitor and control assets across the continent.

In addition to embedded wireless modules, CalAmp offers design and development services, as well as manufacturing services, leveraging our experience with cellular, WiFi, satellite, MMDS, and other wireless technologies.

MWA Intelligence

2007-03-21T16:51:00.000-07:00

Here is a company that provides solutions for the making the customer service process more effecient by providing - automated data collections, Replenishment Service, Meter Reading, Service Dispatch and more. This is a spin of from a company that has a patent on the Print Controller - in your printer. So every printer that gets made gives back a few $$ to EFI .. Good business to be in..

MWA intelligence is a spin off from EFI that provides remote management services.
MWA Intelligence solutions include asset and resource management tools and related software, hardware and communication technologies to manage your employees, assets and business operations in a more efficient manner. Our Intelligent Service and Intelligent Workforce modules enable remote management of mobile workers, dispatch automation, service operation automation, business information reporting for executive management and more. These modules leverage wireless and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) communication technologies to deliver greater operational efficiencies, reduce expenses and increase customer satisfaction.

M2M connectivity

2007-03-21T15:59:00.000-07:00

I was referred to this website by a friend of mine. Reviewing their product portfolio it looks like they provide the necessary elements that connect your assets to the enterprise. Their Technology offering is based on bringing the following 3 elements together

Embedded Computing
Wireless Networking
Web Services

Quote >>
Arch Rock Primer Pack is a complete, out-of-the-box wireless sensor network (WSN) that allows for the rapid development and deployment of pilot networks. It is simple enough to be deployed in an hour, yet sophisticated enough to be seamlessly integrated into enterprise applications as a set of standards-compliant web services. With its service-oriented architecture (SOA), Internet Protocol (IP)-based services and tools, and responsive, low-power mesh networking, the Primer Pack provides seamless integration with the IT enterprise. Users can now realize the power of wireless sensor networks immediately.

Why is M2M important for you?

2007-03-21T10:10:00.000-07:00

Remote Management / Remote monitoring is the the way of the future. There are plenty of reasons as to why a company would want to integrate a M2M system into their corporate eco-system. A company in UK recently rolled out a System that allows employees to work securely when they are away form the office.

Business Continuity and flexible working requirements are among the key drivers which have prompted the Institute of Directors (IoD) to begin rolling out secure remote working technology from policy-based networking leader AEP Networks.

Here are some threats that were listed as the driver for the Remote Management system. Some of these are also applicable to any M2M / Remote management system.

"We face a number of potential threats, partly as a result of our location in Pall Mall, Central London," said Richard Swann, the IoD's IT Infrastructure Manager. "They range from terrorist activity blocking off access to our offices, through to poor weather and the everyday transport problems that can affect a big city. The possibility of an avian flu epidemic is another emerging risk we are aware of and we wanted to have effective remote working systems in place as a contingency. We are also keen to encourage flexible and home working."

Train Telematics

2007-03-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

Stone India is working on a prototype that allows a on board telemetry control device to monitor 24/7 the brake performance on the train. What this could do is instead of the periodic inspections of the brake system now you have a continuous feed on the health of the braking system and be able to identify problems by looking at the data and schedule repair. The next extension to this would be to integrate the data collected to other sub systems on the train.

This device is an advanced solid-state telemetric safety product and is interfaced with existing air brake system, for which the company is a prime supplier. This system not only improves the brake system integrity but has a number other added advantages - viz continuous brake system performance monitoring & data logging, brake application at the end of the train by the train driver, remote GPS / GSM communication, train parting information etc. In addition, the system can replace the brake van at the end of the train with a wagon, thereby generating additional revenue for Railways.

If found successful, Indian railways plan to install such a system in all the goods train over a period of time. This is one of the major future products of the newly formed railway electronics division of the company.

Mind-Controlled M2M System

2007-03-21T09:09:00.000-07:00

This is not truly related to M2M but the concept of using your thoughts to control a network of assets remotely sounds so good. As I am commuting to work my thoughts are transmitted to my M2M Application - Replenish the consumables on all printers before 9:00 AM, Issue commands to run self diagnostics on machines that are reporting failure etc etc .. :) :)

Duke researchers on the other hand have more practical uses for this - Using the brain signals to control weapons in nearby locations. Here is the patent that Duke recently acquired
"In "Apparatus for acquiring and transmitting neural signals and related methods," researchers at Duke University are laying claim to a device that can use the brain's thoughts to control an array of mechanical and electrical devices, up to and including weapons:"

Broadband growth extends non-PC threats - M2M Bots

2007-03-19T22:05:00.000-07:00

I seem to be on a roll - identifying potential pitfalls that one needs to be aware of with M2M deployments. The next one on the list is Remote Assets being used as Zombies to spam / Generate Denial of service attacks. Here is an article in the Australian Press that talks baout the threat of viruses and malicious code extending beyond the traditional PC environment to internet connected devices..
Quote >>

Broadband internet's growth to include devices beyond the PC will make Australians increasingly vulnerable to a range of net nasties, a report says.

Software security vendor Symantec's Internet Security Threat report for the second half of 2006 has flagged a number of threats on the horizon that extend beyond the home and office network.

While Australia's lagging high-speed internet services have been something of a defence against widespread cyber attacks, new advances in connectivity could herald a new wave of malicious attempts on devices.

He said the push forward in third generation mobile technology in Australia presented a new, vulnerable front for consumers with many devices inadequately protected.

Bots can be set up on any piece of hardware to generate spam or malicious code to be sent out across the network.

The report said the growth of bots had helped establish a large infrastructure network that was able to support a widespread black trade in credit card numbers and identity theft.

With faster and smarter mobile devices now able to perform a wider range of functions such as email, browsing and file download, the pick-up in traffic is expected to carry more bits of nasty software with it.

Securing enterprise endpoints

2007-03-19T21:44:00.000-07:00

When you deploy a M2M system you need to also consider how you are going to secure your remote assets. This is a challenge in the traditional IT environment of today with a significant amount of corporate data being stored on and viewed via mobile devices – laptop’s, Smart Phones, PDA’s and Mobile Storage devices (USB Drives etc). This challenge that IT managers face in managing their mobile data points gets amplified in a M2M deployment.
The challenges of today’s distributed IT end point includes

Enforcing the right policies
Enforcing the Right Access Controls
Enforcing the integrity of the Device has not been compromised
Updating the device with patches
User access and control of the Device after it has been released to the field.

The above listed elements are all items that are relevant to the M2M Asset that you plan to deploy in the field.

How do you ensure that the M2M end point is reporting the right data, Has not been compromised, Has the latest version of the software and more..

Food for thought..

M2M going too far and the Big Brother Syndrome

2007-03-19T13:52:00.000-07:00

In one of my recent posts I had looked at the short comings and risks associated with M2M. I decided to follow up on that post with a review of what would a end to end M2M system mean to a car driver of the not so distant future where majority of the Car Operations can be monitored via Telemetry.

Let’s start by looking at some of the major elements of a car that are/can be monitored

Cruise Control – Vanilla cruise controls of today are replaced by location aware cruise controls that react and adapt to Road Speed Limits, Weather Conditions and Other vehicles on the Road. Negatives – A Machine knows what is best for you Good and Bad

Navigation Systems – Now you have a personalized guide by your side as you cruse along the roads and it helps you get most effectively from point A to Point B and along the way might serve up location based advertisement for restaurants, entertainment, etc. Cons’ – Big Brother knows where you are driving and is force feeding/enabling you to get information that is relevant at the moment. This also ties into point one – based on your location the GPS system will tell the cruise control system how to govern the speed limit. Here we start seeing the cascading effect of introducing new technology to what was once a simple system.

Road Monitoring – Here in California there are cameras at most major intersections to capture traffic signal violators. Similar cameras can / will be installed on most major freeways and transportation corridors. Most of these cameras will be semi-autonomous taking pictures, video footage of you as you merrily drive by. In the old days you were the only one who knew where you were now everyone who gets access to this Road Monitoring system – Legal (Law Enforcement) and Illegal Elements – can now get to you. A field day for Stalkers..

Creating Safe Corridors – Some time in the future there will arise a need to enable only emergency vehicles to use certain roads and restrict vehicular access to other users. Another view of it is – premium roads – if you have the capacity to pay for the road use you can drive on it or else you are free to use the old clogged roads. Good and Bad – Allow emergency crew to go where they need to go in a short span of time, At the same time we could end up creating a divided society where rich travel I style and middle class gets stuck in daily traffic jams. Something like this is present would be of great use in Iraq and other conflict zone for the reigning power to create “safe corridors”

And more and more…

The net is with more and more systems being interconnected there is a ever present danger of a large organization using its resources to gather data from disparate sources to piece together your life and know more about you than you know about your self. The challenge is that pulling these pieces of information together is a difficult and technically challenging task. As long as we don’t; have any more major break thoughts in computing –our privacy will be safe till then.

Best Practices for Deploying Remote Support Solutions

2007-03-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

Came across this Article that talks about the challenges of deploying a Remote Support System in a ever changing Network environment. The challenges laid out for todays Remote IT support systems also apply to any M2M deployment. Here are some questions raised - which when answered shoudl help ease the pain of a M2M deployment

HOW DO REMOTE SUPPORT SOLUTIONS AFFECT TODAY'S ENTERPRISE ENVIRONMENT?
Your M2M system is part of an Enterprise Eco-System. How does it change the process of Support and Diagnostics, Integrate with your CRM and /or ERP systems.

WHAT ARE SOME VITAL COMPONENTS TO LOOK FOR WHEN SELECTING A REMOTE SUPPORT SOLUTION?
What is the physical network environment going to be like. What the critical moving parts of your M2M deployment - The device, The Network, Policies, How do you handle changes as they occur in your ecosystem and react to it.

WHY IS CROSS PLATFORM SUPPORT IMPORTANT?
Today your M2M deployment is for a particular Device/Asset Type. As you succeed you need to adapt and evolve to support a heterogeneous mix of assets that interact with one another.

WHAT TYPES OF MANAGEMENT TASKS DO REMOTE SUPPORT SOLUTIONS PROVIDE?
M2M parlance - What administrative control does the system provide to you. Does it address your present needs and provide the flexibility to grow as your systems evolve.

LASTLY, WHAT CAN A REMOTE SUPPORT SOLUTION DO ?
Here is your ROI question. What will be the benefits of this system to you and your customers.

Consumer M2M

2007-03-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

I got an email form a friend of mine that pointed me to Chumby..
Chumby what?? Chumby is a small low cost wireless internet device. The device platform is open and hackable which means you can reprogram it to collect / operate based on your needs.

One way to view this product is as a natural extension of the automated collected world coming into your personal space. Now you can personalize the experience you desire of by setting this up as say your bedside clock that allows you to get

Personalized RSS feed ( Throw away the old news paper)
Your updated Photo Frame
Your schedule
Your email viewer
Your Daily Horoscope (For the superstitious among us)
Your traffic report
Your local weather
and more...

Rephrase M2M -Man to Machine :)
Let the Machine be programed to be of service to you and give you a rich personal experience..

M2M Risks

2007-03-19T10:20:00.000-07:00

In most of my posts I am very bullish on M2M and its positive impact on the way we operate. As with all things good there are some downsides as well. In one of my previous posts I have listed the benefits of M2M and potential Business Opportunities associated with it. Here are some of the drawbacks that I can perceive with M2M.

Security – Potential for some one taking control of your remote assets, Designer Viruses, etc.
Functional – M2M interferes with the operations of your machine
Faulty Data Recording – Costs associated with incorrect M2M data recording
The cost of Automation – Human and Technical
Loss of Control – Machines gone wild. M2M systems operate on define rules – Similar to auto trades on the stock market on the day the market drops thousands system will kick into auto-mode and execute trades – some good some bad.
Support Cost increase – Poorly defined/Designed M2M modules could be a source of support calls
Lawsuits – If there are problems with the design / operations of your machine the courts can look at the factual data provided by M2M to hold your company liable. In the past there was limited to no data available for these type of litigations.
Big Brother Syndrome – There is always someone watching you (other than your conscious)
Extreme scenario – The machines intelligence knows more than its Human Operator and we are not able to determine why things are operating in a way they are – What was once a simple operation is now a series of interdependent processes..

And more..

Having said this I do believe that some of the thoughts listed above are surmountable with the right tools and processes.

M2M Revenue Generation Ideas

2007-03-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

As with any project there are multiple stages

Is the M2M project feasible for my company?

Technical Challenges
Environmental Challenges
Political Challenges
Customer Sensitivity
and More

Implementation of a M2M project

New Product/Service development Challenges

Getting Benefits out of your M2M Investment
Growing your M2M business Organically.

Lets assume you overcome the first 2 hurdles, and now you need to plan for how are you going to generate returns on your M2M investment?

Some M2M revenue generation ideas

Sell Remote monitoring service as a product
Pay per use based model to sell your product
Automate Consumable Replenishment
Usage based service of the equipment
Condition based self Service
IP Benefits to you - Build your knowledge repository of machine operation parameters from data int eh field

Mean Time between Failure

Yield Maximization : Use Collected information to Increase the yield from you Machines.
Access to new Markets - M2M allows you to provide Remote Support in new Markets in Asia/ Africa/ Latin America at a lower cost than traditional support systems.
Cost Saver - Remote Trouble Shooting (Operator Error's, Training, Equipment configuration, etc)
Cost Saver - Remote Software Update delivery
Cost Saver - Warranty enforcement
Let your appliance do the talking and more ideas will flow ...

And More ..
Will add more suggestions under Ideas as they come to me...

Industrial M2M Evolution

2007-03-16T09:06:00.000-07:00

The 1768 CompactLogix programmable automation controllers (PLC's) have been enhanced so that they can be access via TCP/IP which allows for a simplified way for Machine builder to access device data and provide Remote Diagnostics services. This is the classic M@M evolution in the Industrial Automation world - where the OEM's are upgrading existing products and retrofitting it with system that allow for unified data access which opens up a host of new opportunities in M2M applications

Securely integrate your device into existing Networks (No more need get tied down proprietary networks)
Rapidly build and integrate new applications
Ease of Data collection
Remote Diagnostics
Integrate with existing Web Based applications

ERP
CRM
Billing
Pay Per Use
Support and Training
Upgrades

With the EWEB module, machine builders can create custom Web pages containing control system data, and set different access levels for different groups of users to access or manipulate the data. Any user authorized to access the information can do so on any computer with Internet access and a standard Web browser — regardless of access level, all users will draw from the same data source.

About the product

"There is 2Mb of storage space on the EWEB module to store custom Web pages and documents such as drawings and user manuals. This provides users quick and easy access of system related information on the plant floor, saving valuable time when troubleshooting a problem on the line.

Additionally, the EWEB module supports the Open Socket feature which allows the 1768 CompactLogix controller to connect to any standard Ethernet device, such as RFID scanners or printers."