Fluke is voluntarily recalling its digital clamp meters - Fluke 373, 374, 375, and 376 - that were manufactured between Sept. 1, 2010, and Oct. 31, 2012.

The reason for the recall is that the printed circuit assembly in these units may not be properly fastened to the test lead input jack. This may result in inaccurate voltage readings, including a low or no voltage reading on a circuit energized with a hazardous voltage, presenting a shock, electrocution, or thermal burn hazard.

With all its new HMI and haptics potential, Windows 8 has begun its journey into automation. Advantech announced yesterday that it is supporting Windows 8:

Advantech Announces Full Support for Microsoft® Windows 8

Recently, several ICS end users in the Middle East and Asia have been exposed to attacks directly on the control systems through firewalls that have been misconfigured, or not configured correctly, for Modbus and OPC data. These attacks have caused weeks of rebuilding systems, with concomitant loss of production and loss of revenue. We have seen enough of this to validate the ISA99 "zones and conduits" model of ICS system architecture.

In the January issue, find out our readers' favorite automation resources and suppliers in "Who Had the Nicest Ice in This Years' Readers' Choice Awards?" plus, follow along with Jim Montague as he describes the ex

Mourning the loss Friday of Greg Wilkinson, supremely capable and enthusiastic business associate through many years at GrowthPoint, Microsoft and Rockwell Automation. The automation marketing community lost one of the good ones. We'll miss you, Greg. Be at peace.  

Wilkinson, Greg

Every so often an automation vendor company does something cool. Here's a release from Advantech to celebrate their thirtieth year in business.

I am pleased to report that in a few weeks, this blog, probably with a new name, will be the blogosphere home of Dan Miklovic, who many will remember as a founder and Fellow of the Industrial Computing Society, and for many years a Vice President at Gartner Group, specializing in manufacturing systems and theory.

As a Fellow of the Institute of Measurement and Control in the United Kingdom, I want to be one of the first to welcome Dr. Maurice Wilkins, a member of the Process Automation Hall of Fame, as a new Fellow of InstMC. It is a highly deserved honor, which I hope ISA will replicate this year.

Congratulations, Maurice! Truly well deserved. Now we're really going to have to start working on chapter meetings in the USA.

I don't like starting off the year this way, but I am saddened to report that Dennis Morin, founder with several others, of the seminal HMI company, Wonderware, now part of Invensys, passed away on the 31st after a long battle with cancer.

For the first Soundoff blog of the new year, I am delighted to reveal the incoming class of inductees to the Process Automation Hall of Fame:

Dr. Peter G. Martin, of Invensys, for seminal work connecting the plant floor to the business systems

Mr. Dennis Brandl, of BRandL Consultants, for being a major author of B2MML and BatchML markup languages, and having been the editor of the WBF Series published by Momentum Press.

Mr. Ian Verhappen, for his work to popularize and extend the use of Foundation fieldbus.