We have offered universities, schools, and some research institutions free use of CDP Studio for teaching and non-commercial projects for some years. We are delighted to see that CDP Studio has been used in a wide range of different teaching institutions on all continents. From prestigious US universities such as MIT to the high school Gymnasium Kirchenfeld in Switzerland. The above picture shows the logos from some of the universities and schools that have downloaded CDP Studio.
Automation is becoming increasingly important for many companies and in many industries to stay competitive. At the same time, we see that automation technologies are fast evolving and the use of IT technologies are fast entering the traditional automation systems. As a result, there is a growing need for skilled professionals who understand how to develop automation systems and how to integrate OT and IT technologies.
Why we support universities
Universities play a critical role in preparing students for careers in industry by providing them with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. However, access to quality automation tools can be a challenge for many universities, especially those with limited resources. That’s why we at CDP Technologies believe it’s important to give universities free use of our automation system development tool for educational purposes.
CDP Studio is ideal in a university setting
CDP Studio is intuitive and user-friendly, and seamlessly blends traditional OT and new IT technology making it ideal for use in university settings. CDP Studio is easy to install and comes pre-configured for multiple platforms and cross-platform setups. This removes a lot of issues when it comes to getting things working with different equipment and allows students to focus on the actual automation tasks, and learn about control loops, PID regulators etc.
With CDP Studio, you can create control system applications that can run on a wide range of different hardware and operating systems. This is a great benefit for students and universities as students can do exercises and small projects just by using their laptops, both solving the problem and testing the application. This gives more flexibility for everyone and saves costs for universities as less lab equipment is required.
In addition to supporting industrial controllers and IO, CDP Studio applications also run on cheap single-board computers (eg. a Beaglebone), Raspberry Pi’s and industrial RPi such as the Revolution Pi. This allows students to sit in their dorm rooms and create, run and test real control systems and for universities to give students experience from traditional OT systems and the new IT-based platforms from a single tool.
Virtual labs and remote students
CDP Studio comes with the CDP Simulator and this can be used to create digital twins. In this way, you can create a virtual lab that is a library of simulation models. The students can then do exercises by creating and running control systems on their laptops towards the digital twins without requiring any labs or special equipment.
This is useful in all settings, but especially if you have remote students or students that are not able to be on campus every day.
Fast development of different types of automation systems
It is important that students get experience with different types of automation systems. CDP Studio allows the students to play around with event-based or (real-time) time-based systems, single controller or distributed control systems (DCS) and test out redundant systems.
The no-code development editor and no-code UI designer (native and web UI) allow students to create systems fast. The no-code graphical view of the system makes it easier to understand and create systems, and for staff to support and evaluate the student’s work.
Guest lectures
In addition to providing free access to our tool, we also offer guest lectures to university staff and students. Our guest lectures cover a wide range of topics, including the basics of automation, how to use our tool, and real-world case studies. These lectures help to deepen students’ understanding of automation and give them the opportunity to ask questions and learn from experts in the field.
Supporting university staff
We understand that using new technology can be a challenge, which is why we offer free support to university staff. Our team of experts is available to answer questions, provide training, and offer guidance on how to use our tool effectively. This support ensures that university staff can use our tool with confidence and get the most out of the educational experience for their students.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we believe that giving universities free access to our control and automation system development tool can have a positive effect on the future of the automation industry. By providing students with hands-on experience and access to quality tools, universities can help students develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their careers. We’re proud to play a role in this effort and look forward to helping universities prepare the next generation of automation professionals.
In closing, we encourage universities to take advantage of our offer and give their students and staff the opportunity to learn about and experiment with modern industrial automation tools. With our help, universities can prepare students for successful careers in the automation industry and help to shape the future of automation.