March 2004Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
Infrastructure
Procon Electronics is offering its multipurpose I/O module. This module incorporates both analog and digital I/O into a single product, and is ideal for applications that require remote I/O such as building management. The module is available with RS485 Modbus communications or with Ethernet Modbus TCP communications.
The new module consists of the following I/O:
* Two X RTD inputs for temperature measurement. RTDs supported are PT100, Ni120 or PT1000 and cover the range from -200 to +850°C. Two or three wire RTDs can be used.
* Two X analog inputs which can be configured as 0(4) to 20 mA current inputs or 0(2) to 10 V voltage inputs.
* One X analog output which can be configured as a 0(4) to 20 mA current output or a 0(2) to 10 V voltage output.
* Five X digital inputs. Internal counters are connected to inputs 1 and 2. These counters can count from 0 to 4294967295, and can also be configured as up/down counters.
* Two X digital outputs. These are NPN transistor outputs and can be used to switch an external relay if required. A watchdog timer can be enabled to ensure the outputs are switched off if there is no communications.
The MMDIOAIO (RS485 Modbus) module communicates on RS485 using the industrial standard modbus RTU protocol. Each module has a unique node address that is configured with DIP switches.
The MMTCPDIOAIO (modbus TCP) module communicates on Ethernet using the modbus TCP protocol. Each module is given a unique IP address for identification. These modules can be used on existing Ethernet networks and the information can be made available on the Internet. The modules also have a built in Web server. The Web server enables all process variables to be viewed from a PC running a Web browser, such as Internet Explorer, from anywhere on the network. This feature is excellent for diagnostic purposes and can be performed simultaneously with the modbus communications without interfering with the module operation. Up to four PLCs or PCs can access the same I/O module simultaneously.
The Modbus RTU and Modbus TCP protocols are widely supported by most PC scada software packages and by many PLCs.
A demonstration TCP module has been placed on the Internet and can be accessed from any PC on the Internet. Visit: http://192.96.43.120/</a>
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