IDEA! Awards Nominates Grid Connect For Innovation In Automation & Controls

The GRID32 universal translator received a nomination for the annual honor, and now the choice is up to the public.

We are thrilled to announce that Grid Connect has received a nomination in the 2022 IDEA! Award, and is a finalist in the Automations & Controls category for the GRID32 universal translator. Presented by Electronic Design, Machine Design and Power & Motion magazines, the IDEA! Awards “celebrate outstanding innovation in product design and function for the manufacturing sector.”

“celebrate outstanding innovation in product design and function for the manufacturing sector.”

The IDEA! Awards divide submissions into 12 different categories, ranging from 3D printing to mechatronics, from design software to robotics. Each category’s nominees are then voted on by the magazine’s readers, who include a range of organizations and industry experts.

Grid Connect received a nomination in the Automation & Controls category for the GRID32, a universal translator designed to assist in managing industrial communications. The GRID32 serves as an embedded module for serial devices to communicate through many different protocols, including Ethernet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus TCP, and more.

Because of this segmentation in the automation device market, the cost of supporting several different protocols often proved prohibitive for manufacturers and customers alike. The GRID32 allows for cross-compatibility across these different segments of the market. This opens new frontiers for lower volume products, making them compatible with a wider range of devices. 

Another major benefit includes allowing customers to save by enabling the continued use of legacy products, rather than having to retire and replace products that are too limited in compatibility. The GRID32 even enables manufacturers to transfer data from devices in the field to offsite applications for analysis. It packs all these capabilities into a highly integrated and compact module, just 33mm x 23mm x 3mm in size.

"highlight innovative products that allow engineers to do their jobs smarter, faster, safer, and more efficiently"

The IDEA! Awards aim to highlight innovative products that allow engineers to do their jobs smarter, faster, safer, and more efficiently. Receiving a nomination highlights Grid Connect as a leader in design and manufacturing, and provides exposure to all those who read the hosting magazines on multiple occasions. This recognition also affirms the quality of Grid Connect products to customers and readers, and winning the award would serve as an ultimate stamp of credibility. 

Voting for the winners of this year’s IDEA! Awards began on August 15 and will conclude on September 17. The winners will be announced online on October 3, as well as in the October issues of Electronic Design, Machine Design and Power & Motion.