Laptops are becoming a necessity in the industrial and mining sectors but they are often found wanting and are impractical to use on site. Some of the difficulties include reduced screen visibility in sunlight; the threat of theft of a valuable asset; and difficulty in holding and carrying the laptop around a site.
The advent of the NewElec MA RDU 216 provides a solution. This keypad entry display unit can be used as a hand-held programming and display unit for the NewElec MA range of motor protection relays. It permits the user to set all the protection parameters and monitor the actual values while the motor is in operation, as well as view the fault alarms and real-time clock logged faults. The product can either be door-mounted or supplied in a user-friendly PVC tool box that is easily carried around. The door-mounted version allows the unit to be powered up at all times and used to program the NewElec MA range of relays or to access fault records. The portable toolbox version includes a battery charger for the MMI so it does not require a separate power supply on site.
From a practical viewpoint both versions provide the same functionality:
• Ease of detecting a fault and programming the MA relay, with only a few button presses
• Eight memory slots that provide up to eight different setup conditions for various motors or applications that reside in the ROM area of the RDU
• A rotating back-lit information display showing the actual running conditions of the motor
• A security dongle that either prevents or allows user setting adjustments
This man-machine interface is a handy solution for any site work where a laptop is not practical.
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