Omniflex has spent the majority of its 40 plus years existence devoted to the design and development of industrial communications and alarming systems both heavily influenced by the mining industry. Hard lessons learnt have moulded Omniflex products in some of the toughest, most capable and solution-rich products for the harsh conditions imposed by the mining environment.
Mining communications must endure under:
* Harsh environment - physically, electrically.
* Network unfriendly topologies.
* Cabling limitations.
* Long distances.
* Changing architecture.
* Cost vs affordability benefit limitations.
In recent years many communications methodologies have been invested in by the mining industry for control networks, alarms, safety and voice communications. Networks like leaky feeder systems, Ethernet, Profibus, etc, have all found their way into the mine underground or overground. Each has had to deal with the limiting factors above, in some cases producing fine solutions, while in others limited due to the physical and financial constraints in implementation. Many successful mine communications systems utilise combinations of different types of network to achieve their objectives.
For many years Conet networks have been one of the very few networks capable of running underground on low grade cables and definitely the only network capable of distances up to 10 km on a screened twisted pair cable without the use of repeaters. Conet's success is attributed to its ability to run on most low grade cable. Omniflex has developed the new M2 series RTU that supercedes the ubiquitous squeezer systems from the 1980s to current times. The Teleterm M2 Series RTUs however are available in many variants for network flexibility from Ethernet, Conet, Modbus, wireless forms with radio or GSM communications.
The M2 Series RTUs have the following features:
* Choice of integrated GSM SMS, radio, Conet, Ethernet communications.
* 12 direct inputs or outputs analog or binary.
* Integrated Modbus port (Master or Slave modes).
* 9-30 V d.c. powered.
* Option for SD memory card to log data.
* Integral realtime clock battery backed.
* Robust, compact and DIN rail mounting.
* Easy configuration with free software tools.
Simple and easy configuration
Configuration is easily done from a computer with a serial port. Free configuration software (OmniSet) is supplied with the Silent Sentry. The Windows-based menu-driven configuration with on-line help provides the user with a simple configuration to set up the unit. This can be done post-installation using a laptop computer if required.
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