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PRESS RELEASE

New PC-based Process Control & Data Acquisition Software Integrates Remote Internet Capabilities with Fast Pentium Support


Chicago, IL (March 16, 1998). LABTECH, pioneer in the field of high performance data acquisition and process control software, today announced Version 10.1 of the company's CONTROLpro instrumentation and control software at National Manufacturing Week in Chicago, IL. The newest release of the Windows software features:

  • Real-time remote access to any portion of the CONTROLpro-based application via the World Wide Web
  • Fast Pentium support for both new and old data acquisition and control devices
  • An open architecture design that now supports over 1000 I/O devices from more than 50 manufacturers.

In addition, the software provides high accuracy thermocouple measurement via digital filtering and Year 2000 compliance, all within an easy-to-use, object- oriented software environment that requires no programming.

"CONTROLpro was designed with only one thing in mind...to provide the highest level of process monitoring and control performance in an easy-to-configure-and-run system," said Dr. Fred A. Putnam, President of LABTECH. "With CONTROLpro, even non-programmers can quickly set-up control applications to take advantage of the vast reaches of the Internet, allowing worldwide collaboration and access to unattended operations."

Leveraging the Internet

CONTROLpro Version 10.1 allows users to leverage the power of the World Wide Web for real-time remote access to any part of the process. From across the street or around the world, CONTROLpro uses the company's Realtime Remote client software to create dynamic Web pages that allow monitoring and control of process parameters from any attended or unattended location.

CONTROLpro's Realtime Remote pushes Web data directly from the PC-based controller, bypassing the need for a separate Web server, as is required by most other control software. Web browser viewer objects are automatically installed on client PCs. The software then displays real-time data in Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, or virtually any stand-alone PC-based application, including Excel, Word, and AutoCAD. A single browser page can show data from several different process locations  and provide historical trends of real-time manufacturing data.

To address security issues surrounding the use of the Internet and to allow real-time remote process control, CONTROLpro includes many levels of security to  protect sensitive data. The software supports secure blocking of information by a corporate firewall. In addition, turning off Realtime Remote stops any remote viewing of data. Protection against unauthorized remote control is also  supported via special client software that has no ability to send data back to the controllers.

Graphical User Interface

Designed for programmers and non-programmers alike, CONTROLpro allows users to create  sophisticated user interfaces using its Realtime VISIONpro man-machine interface (MMI). VISIONpro generates real-time animated graphics, graphically displays data, and directly controls processes in real time, all without the need  for programming. The software is connected by "hot links" to data sources through any combination of Windows Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE), Windows Network DDE (NDDE), or LT-Speedway (the company's high speed interprocess communication, IPC, link).

Open Architecture

CONTROLpro is an open architecture software system. In addition to its graphical front-end, the software allows users to create their own Visual Basic or C++  applications with full access to all the software's capabilities, including Realtime Remote. On the hardware side, CONTROLpro supports a wealth of I/O—over 1000 data acquisition and control devices from more than 50 manufacturers, including a number of new PCI bus data acquisition cards, such as Computer Boards' PCI-DAS 1200.

Additional Features

CONTROLpro also provides support for the newest Pentium chips, including the 300MHz Pentium  II. High performance device control and data acquisition require microsecond resolution, precision time delays. LABTECH's design team used new Pentium instructions and registers to achieve delays that are typically 10 times more accurate than non-Pentium systems.

For temperature-based applications, the latest version of CONTROLpro supports high accuracy thermocouple measurements via digital filtering. This allows users of plug-in cards to filter out unwanted noise when collecting data, without having to resort to the expense of extremely high accuracy instrumentation. The end result is an improvement in typical temperature precision from 2 degrees C to 0.1 degrees C.

LABTECH has also taken the steps to ensure that Version 10.1 of the company's software products are Year 2000 compliant. This means that users of CONTROLpro, CONTROL, NOTEBOOKpro, and NOTEBOOK will not experience any issues related to the clock change at the transition of the year 1999 to 2000. Future releases of all products will be tested for Year 2000 compatibility to ensure that they too are compatible with the millennium change.

 Pricing & Delivery

CONTROLpro Version 10.1 is available immediately. It is priced at $3495 for a single CPU license, or at $4545 for a single CPU license with a one-year support and upgrade contract. Additional simultaneous remote stations cost $295 for a 10-pack and $995 for a 100-pack. Upgrades to Version 10.1 from the previous version are $995.

Since 1981, LABTECH has been keeping scientists and engineers on the cutting edge of data acquisition and process control with their products: NOTEBOOK, NOTEBOOKpro, CONTROL, and CONTROLpro. First to leverage the World Wide Web for remote access to real-time applications, LABTECH focuses on providing innovative software for end-users, systems integrators, and OEMs in manufacturing, automated test, and laboratory automation.

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