EZ Automation Question

[James Mcquade]

Hi all,

i have an EZ Automation EZRPL-CPU-1UE and other components.
I am being told that this is an Omron brand plc.
I thought it was an Automation Direct, but i remember that EZ Automation and
Automation Direct had a parting of the ways.

My question is this, is EZ Automation a brand name of its own?

thanks in advance,
james

 

[blftech]

That is an EZ Automation part number and you can find it at the link below.


https://store.ezautomation.net/SearchResults.asp?Search=EZRPL-CPU-1UE


You can also download the free software to program it from the EZ Automation web site.

 

[James Mcquade]

thank you for the reply.
i got the software. i will need to get the programming cable.
So is EZ Automation a brand by itself,
not Omron or Automation Direct?
james

 

[plvlce]

From what I could dig up, EZ Automation was originally made by Autotech but now seems to be its own brand and is currently owned by AVG Automation (who also owns Autotech as a separate brand).



Some background on the Automation Direct connection…

Autotech originally (1999) entered into an agreement with AD to develop and manufacture products which would be sold exclusively by AD, with AD's side of the agreement including that they would not sell rival products. Many of these products were marketed under an EZ[something] trademark such as EZTouch and EZText.

AD at some point began developing their own HMI line (C-More), and allowed the agreement to lapse at the end of 2004 in preparation for launching them. A separate, non-exclusive agreement allowed AD to continue selling certain Autotech products during 2005.

Over the next few years the companies had a legal battle, with AD alleging false advertising, copyright infringement, unfair competition etc, while Autotech claimed that AD's development of the C-More violated their agreement by developing a rival touch screen, that the C-More copied from the EZTouch, etc.

I'm too lazy to really dig into the court rulings, but AVG certainly claimed victory in their PR statements (but they're pure PR, so I take them with a *very large* grain of salt).

cf this thread

 

[James Mcquade]

thanks,
james