Automation Studio

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Automation Studio is a circuit design, simulation and project documentation software for fluid power systems and electrical projects conceived by Famic Technologies in 1996. It is also used for CAD, maintenance, and training purposes. Mainly used by engineers, trainers, and service and maintenance personnel, Automation Studio can be applied in the design, training and troubleshooting of hydraulics, pneumatics, synoptics, and electrical control systems.

Two versions of the software exist:

• Automation Studio Professional, which is a conception, simulation and design tool
• Automation Studio Educational, which is a modified version of the software, designed for educational purposes

Automation Studio Educational

The educational version of Automation Studio is a lighter version compared to Automation Studio Professional and is used in schools worldwide such as the Texas A&M University (United States), University of Montreal (Canada), and Lews Castle College (United Kingdom). The software is designed for schools that teach technical subjects such as industrial technologies, mechatronics, electromechanical technologies, electrical and electronics, automation, and maintenance. Modeling and simulation are used to illustrate theoretical aspects.

Libraries

Automation Studio has 14 symbol libraries (for standards such as ISO, IEC, JIC and NEMA).

• Electrical
• Hydraulics (proportional & servo)
• System Analysis Tool
• Pneumatics Proportional
• Fluid Power & Electric Component Sizing
• Spool Designer & Pump Configurator
• Bill of Material & Report
• Electronic Catalog
• PLC Ladder Logic
• HMI & Control Panel
• Digital Electronics
• Sequential Function Chart (Grafcet)
• Electrical Controls
• Multi-Fluid Simulation

Libraries features

AS is used as a simulation tool in hydraulics, pneumatics, and electrical engineering. The libraries incorporate international graphic standards, including ISO, DIN, IEC, NEMA, and JIC.

AS Hydraulics

Automation Studio Hydraulics’ functions are used for hydraulic system engineering purposes. AS Hydraulics includes a specific symbol library and uses modeling techniques such the Bernoulli’s law and the gradient method.

AS Hydraulics is the main aspect of Automation Studio: it is used to conceive and to test hydraulic systems while taking into account thermodynamics parameters. It displays inside views of the elements in the schematics. The AS library (proportional hydraulics) includes additional elements such as commands and control devices (PID controller, CANbus, and servo-direction).

Fluid power is one of the central elements in such simulation.

AS Pneumatics

AS Pneumatics is similar to AS Hydraulics, but the simulation is done for gas rather than fluids. This library, like AS Hydraulics, is used to design and test models.

Thus, the simulation elements that are used are not the same as those in the hydraulics library.

Versions

AS Professional

• 1996-2000: 1.0 to 3.0.5.1 (Windows 98, 2000, Me, XP, NT 4.0)
• 2003-2004: 4.0, 4.1, 5.0, 5.1, 5.2 (Windows 2000, XP, NT 4.0)
• 2005-2006: 5.3, 5.4 (Windows 2000, 2003, XP)
• 2007: 5.5 (Windows XP, Vista)

AS Educational

• 2002-2005: 4.0, 4.1, 5.0, 5.1, 5.2 (Windows 2000, XP, NT 4.0)
• 2006: 5.3 (Windows 2000, 2003, XP)