Narrowing the Gap

摘要

As PCs and PLCs Continue to Compete for Business, the Two Camps Draw Closer to the Same Architecture. The subject comes up every year, and for good reason. Choosing whether to use a PC or a PLC as the heart of a machine or system controller can make or break an OEM. Software and technology change regularly - sometimes daily - so OEMs try to keep up as best they can. Someday a killer app will come along to tilt the scales in one direction or another, they fear, and nobody wants to miss it. Over the past year or so, we've seen three major trends developing that will impact the PC vs. PLC decision for OEMs: communications, web-enabling, and hybrid PLCs, some of which are becoming PCs.