The work is devoted to an urgent problem - the development of automated process control systems for the production of bricks with improved characteristics. The purpose of the article is to define and systematize the tasks of automation of brick production control systems, to develop both an algorithm for managing brick production and a generalized structure of automated control systems for brick production, and the tasks of the work are: optimization of control automation levels that determine the generalized structure of automated control systems for brick production, determination of information collection subsystems corresponding to the stages of brick production, and development of their structures, the choice of basic measurement tools for information collection subsystems. The results of the work are: systematization of requirements for modern automated process control systems, development of an algorithm for controlling technological processes and a generalized structural scheme of automated process control systems for brick production, development of information collection subsystems for the developed automated process control system, development of the structure of a local automated process control system in brick production - brick drying. The developed technical solutions can be recommended for control automation in various industries.

Keywords: brick production, technological process, drying, firing, control algorithm, automated control system, structural scheme, information collection subsystem, single-channel circuit, multi-channel circuit, measuring circuit, four-arm bridge circuit

The article deals with the issues related to the design of control devices for technological equipment based on artificial neural networks. The algorithm of the neural network training process based on the Widrow-Hoff method is developed, designed for computer-aided design of artificial neural networks operating in the environment of a microprocessor system or a personal computer. The authors perform a software implementation of the algorithm for training a three-layer neural network using the C# programming language on the platform Microsoft.NET. The program uses a neural network training algorithm with a "teacher". The article shows the interface of interaction of the developed program with the "teacher" (designer of neural networks). An example is given of the development of an artificial neural network that performs the function of a binary number adder. The results of the research can be further used in the development of a computer-aided design system for artificial neural networks, and can also be used in the development of software for microprocessor control systems for technological equipment.

Keywords: artificial neural network, training, algorithm, programming language, neuron bias, adder, input signals, output signals, synaptic connections, neurons

issues of optimization of the structure of the container pneumatic transport system are considered. The expediency of combining the functions of the equipment included in the transport system is shown. A functional diagram of a universal module that performs the functions of all blocks of a pneumatic transport system is presented. A block diagram of a microprocessor control system that provides the functioning of the mechanisms of a universal module is proposed.

Keywords: microprocessor system, pneumatic transport system, transport container, stations of the transport system, control algorithm, structure of the transport system, transport pipeline