Control Intelligence

Brian Romano's 45 years of industry leadership

In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore is joined by an important figure in the controls and automation world, Dr. Brian Romano, director of technology development at Arthur G. Russell Company.

With more than four decades of experience in industrial automation and control systems engineering, Romano’s career has centered around innovation, leadership and a forward-looking commitment to advanced technology in manufacturing. He’s played a central role in aligning machine-building with data-enabled systems before Industry 4.0 was a thing. His work includes control systems architecture, enterprise connectivity, digital transformation and predictive analytics, even combining them to offer production-as-a-service capabilities by leveraging remote monitoring capabilities.

Beyond his industry leadership, Romano brings a passion for developing the next generation of engineers, serving as adjunct faculty at both Central Connecticut State University and the University of Hartford. His academic achievements, including a Ph.D. in Technology and Innovation, an MBA in Business and Data Analytics, and multiple national honor societies, complement his work as an entrepreneur, a published researcher and the 2022 Division Leader of Year with the International Society of Automation. He is also an ISA fellow.

Drive technology: servo motors, inverters and more

Control Design editor in chief Mike Bacidore spoke Mark Arisman, manager of business development for control products at Nord Drivesystems, about Nord's advancements in drive technology and the digital twin.

Balancing safety and throughput

The space shuttle had three computers and needed a two-of-three voting system to determine if a sensed variable was real or phantom. This would be a good thing regarding a leaking door seal on the capsule. Safety sensing isn’t a new technology, but it seems that understanding what a safety system function is might be lacking a bit.

In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor in chief Mike Bacidore talks about safety systems.

How to choose between Ethernet industrial protocol and synchronous serial interface

Controls engineers are surrounded by protocols. Proprietary protocols are less common today than before, but they are still around.

In this episode, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, Editor-in-Chief Mike Bacidore discusses how to choose between Ethernet IP and SSI.

Choosing the right enclosure material for fanless industrial PCs

In most factory lines, the soft PLC and PAC are commonly based on Industrial PC hardware. It is this hardware platform that has quietly become one of the most important components of a factory line’s control hardware.

In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Joey Stubbs, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses fanless controller housings.

PACs vs. PLCs: What’s the difference?

In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch and originally aired in March 2025, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses the similarities and differences between PLCs and PACs.

When is it time to upgrade your control system?

It’s the beginning of the new year, and everyone’s capital budget is going to be reset and revised. People will come out with their five-year and 10-year and 20-year plans, and once again plant management will ask the question: “Can we upgrade the control systems?”

In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses when to upgrade control systems.

On-machine sensing: How is it implemented?

In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses on-machine sensing and IIoT implementation.

Once you’ve finished listening to the podcast, take Control Design's quiz about on-machine sensing and IIoT implementation.

How to monitor and manage the health of hydraulic systems

Many electrical engineers will ignore mechanical properties of a machine because it’s not their specialty. Control systems engineers cannot do that. Controls require an understanding of the electrical and mechanical interface.

In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses how to monitor and manage the health of hydraulic systems.

The 4 cornerstones of effective I/O checkout

During commissioning and after, if you hear three definitions of I/O checkout and then get residual failures after a down and an install because no one is going off a commissioning plan, writing up a test plan or adhering to a commissioning plan, then there is a problem.

In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses machine commissioning and I/O checkout.