What's New in Automation Studio™ P7
Once more, Automation Studio™ P7 - Professional Edition pushes the ‘Trade-Oriented’ concept implemented in the software a step further, always with the same objective : achieve higher productivity with less effort. The designers, test and reliability specialists, trainers and maintenance technicians and engineers will all appreciate the new features and functions and add them to their toolbox essentials.
Contact us for a Live Online Demonstration of the new features.
*Some of the new features' availability is subject to the configuration of the purchased license.
Hydraulic Manifold Block Workshop
Create and edit manifolds in Automation Studio™ with the new Hydraulic Manifold Block workshop.
An Auto-Create function can quickly propose up to 100 manifold solutions based on your Automation Studio™ schematic and set constraints. You are then able to tweak the proposed designs to your liking.
Take pressure and flow measurements at any point in time during simulation.
New & Updated Manufacturers' Catalogues
Many Manufacturers' Catalogues have been added and updated. The new technical data allows compatible manufacturer's components to be used within the Hydraulic Manifold Block workshop, and enables direct integration of the pre-configured and documented manufacturers' components into your Manifold Block in Automation Studio™. The manifold compatible components are identified in the Catalogue Manager.
- Automation Studio™ Electrical - Variable Frequency Drives NEW
- CKD Corporation SOON
- Continental Hydraulics Valves NEW
- Cy.Pag. NEW
- Danfoss Orbital Motors UPDATED
- Doosan Mottrol NEW
- Eaton Sectional CLS & CMA Mobile Valves UPDATED
- Humphrey Products NEW
- IMI Precision / Norgren SOON
- Koganei UPDATED
- Linde Hydraulics UPDATED
- Mitsubishi Electric SOON
- Shanghai Guorui Hydraulic Technology co (GRH) POWER Valves NEW
- SMC Pneumatics NEW
- Tecnord SOON
- Wandfluh NEW
- Zhejiang Gaoyu Hydraulic Machinery Co Ltd NEW
Additional Manufacturers' Catalogue components are added and updated on a weekly basis.
Online Manufacturers' Catalogues
The Automation Studio™ Web Catalogues lets you drag & drop components directly from the web browser interface to your Automation Studio™ schematic. These components are always the most up-to-date version. Therefore, there is no need to locally manage multiple manufacturers' catalogue files. The Web Catalogues for Automation Studio™ will be made available shortly after the release of Automation Studio™ P7.
New Hydraulic Components
- Planetary gearboxes
- Differentials and torque converters
- Separate control surface valves
- Pressure compensated flow dividers
- Jumps with label frame
Improved Hydraulic Components Simulation Models
- Hydraulic motor plates can now have a limited stroke
- Added an exchange surface area for the external dissipation of hydraulic heaters
- Improved curve tracking in pressure regulators
- Pressure compensated flow dividers
- Improved manual directional valve commands
Support of Transmission Shafts in the Mechanism Manager
The Mechanism Manager now accepts rotating drive shafts. This implies that all rotating elements, such as hydraulic, pneumatic, electric motors and gearboxes, etc., can now be simulated in the Mechanism Manager.
New Pneumatic Components
- Compressors
- Vacuum generators
- Vacuum cups
- Normally closed flow sensors
Failure Mode, Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA)
Quickly obtain and communicate system failure information, thanks to the new FMECA module of Automation Studio™. It is based on, but not limited to, [IEC 60812] Failure Modes & Effects Analysis. This can greatly reduce troubleshooting time and increase system reliability.
Renewable Energy Custom Library
The new Renewable Energy library is made with illustrated components. It enables to create and simulate circuits with look-alike components from real-world applications. Some components even animate during simulation, creating an optimal experience for training activities.
PLC Custom Library
This library was created to enable trainees to actually wire up the PLC (Allen Bradley, Eaton, Koyo, LS Electric, Mitsubishi, Omron, Siemens, etc.), write the Ladder Logic and run the simulation to see the inputs and outputs being triggered on the PLC according to their ladder diagram.
DC Electrical Custom Library
This illustrated library is intended for DC electrical circuits. Components can be connected directly or by using the breadboard to create and simulate your circuit.
Residential Electricity Custom Library
Trainees can now quickly build residential electrical circuits using common components which they are familiar with.
Hydraulic Cross-Section View Library
Create your circuit using hydraulic components with a cross-section view that is animated during simulation. Trainees can now quickly visualize the flow movement in the circuit.
Hydraulic Cylinders with Load Custom Library
This custom library allows to quickly vary the cylinders load during simulation and instantly see how it affects the system.
Terminal Strips Builder
New terminals with jumper channels management of different categories were added:
- Feed-Through
- Ground
- Feed-Through with Ground
- Knife Disconnect
- Disconnect
- Sensor / Actuator
- Fuse Holder
- Distribution Blocks
Simplified terminals are still available. The new builder allows complete management of the terminal strips, including the accessories management and the part numbers. Terminal strip export and import functions are also available.
New Semiconductor Devices
New semiconductor components have been added to the Electrotechnical library, such as:
- Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT)
- Junction Field Effect Transistor (JFET)
- Metal-Oxyde-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET)
- Thyristors
Thyristors, bipolar transistors and field effect transistors have been introduced. The thyristor can be controlled by a variable or by an external circuit and the transistors have been designed to operate in both switching and amplification mode.
Improvement of the Battery Component
- The ageing effect on the battery capacity is now taken into account
- OCV hysteresis effect is taken into account by differentiating OCV vs SOC curves during charge and discharge
- New advanced model taking into account the voltage transients' behaviour during charge and discharge
- Predefined battery parameters for the different available battery types
AB-500 and AB-5000 Compatible Functions and Addresses
These new libraries are an update from our original library that did not include all the major functions. These two new libraries enable you to create control circuits using addresses (AB-500) or tag names (AB-5000).
Additional Math Block Components
Adaptors in (math) blocks enable the creation of complex behaviours for fluid power and electrical components.
New Discussion Forum
Many customers want to share their schematics with other parties or simply share their experience. The new Forum allows access to demonstration files, custom libraries and other information that can be helpful to your applications. We hope that you will also share your experience with everyone. If you don’t have an account in the Forum, register here
Virtual Systems Using Unity 3D
Virtual systems created using Unity 3D allow for a training experience with a high level of realism. These systems can be controlled within Automation Studio™ using Electrical Controls, PLCs and/or Sequential Function Chart. Access the Forum to download the files and procedure to install the Unity 3D models. New virtual systems are frequently added.
Online Help
You can now access Automation Studio™ help documentation online. The online help documentation is constantly improved and updated based on users' support cases and feedback. Also, the software installation file size is reduced.
Mouse Options Configuration
The new mouse button configuration menu allows users to set their desired mouse buttons behaviour in Automation Studio™.
Smaller Simulation Pace
New simulation steps of up to 1 micro-second are available to allow finer simulations. This feature is particularly useful to simulate high frequencies phenomena (up to 100kHz), especially in the electrical workshop.
Conservation of the Internal Identifier of a Component When Replaced
Component internal identification can be maintained when replacing the component. This is useful for systems that have a unique identifier for each component.
Other Customer Requested Improvements & Bug Fixes
- Performance improvements
- Fixed the radial speed variable of the transmission power units
- Fixed discrepancies of the output pressure value of the "Pressure and Temperature Flow Control" component
- Fixed the flexible lines acting as a plug after a while in simulation
- Fixed the behaviour of unloading valve with check and drain
- Changed the image shown in the component properties of the "Bidirectional Motor with Shaft"
- Fixed the Curve Export API not exporting all curves
- Fixed an incorrect pressure at port 2 of the pneumatic "Remote Pressure Reducing Valve" component
- Fixed unhandled exception error in PLCs when the '&' character was inserted in the description
- Fixed BOM order changing when a model is saved
- Fixed an issue with the BOM and lines when exporting to PDF
Manifold Block Workshop
New features are available with SR1 improving your experience during the design, documentation and simulation of your manifold blocks:
- Revision table available with manual or automatic management;
- Improvement of routing algorithms and in particular those of oblique conduits;
- Addition of components and interfaces in the generic library (CETOP);
- Ability to position a cylindrical and rectangular shape on the cavity of generic components;
- Improvement of the title block creation functions;
- Customization of the number of decimal places that can be displayed on technical and production drawings.
Installation and Circuits
The limit of 30 types of conduct in installation circuits has been raised to better meet user needs.
New Hydraulic Components
- Instant temperature regulator;
- Mechanically activated check valves;
- Sequence valves normally open, with internal drain and external drain;
- Cartridge valves normally open;
- 3-way sequence valve normally closed;
- Restrictive pressure compensator positioned downstream.
Improved Hydraulic Component Simulation Models
- Addition of a pressure drop curve in the flow transducer;
- Improvement of the proportional flow regulator.
Mechanism Manager
Support for mechanically linked jacks in the mechanisms manager.
Troubleshooting Module
- You can now state several parameters for the same failure, thus being able to model a minor, moderate or major failure.
- You can now report unidirectional internal leaks.
Wire Management
The threads can be stated perfect locally while keeping the global option.
Viewer
Export your Automation Studio™ projects in a brand new format suitable for the free Automation Studio™ Viewer. This file format removes properties from documents and components that the designer does not want to share. This file format can only be opened with Automation Studio™ Viewer, making it easy to share while maintaining a high level of confidentiality.
Convenience
- A dialogue box prompts for the choice of unit during the assignment operation to facilitate the interpretation of the value of one variable assigned to another;
- Il est possible de masquer l’identificateur des instruments de mesure dynamique.
Fluid and Line Manager
Pipes and wires whose properties are used by the simulator are displayed in blue.
Managing properties’ preferences is also possible.
Configuration Export
Software settings can now be imported and exported for uniform computer configuration.
Teachware
A new command opens illustrated libraries mainly dedicated to the creation of teachware.
Project Manager
The page numbers of documents can be displayed in square brackets in all dialogue boxes that show the list of documents, such as the Project Explorer.
Video Recording
The video recording tool offers the possibility to replay its video to validate the content, to save it or send it immediately after creating it.
Hyperlink
When a hyperlink type custom property is displayed on the diagram, it becomes clickable.
Service Release Number
The service release number for your version has been added in the dialogue box opened by the "About" command.
Ticket Request
A command has been added in order to be able to request assistance from Automation Studio™ in the Support tab. It will then be sent automatically to a support agent.