Serial connection problems in an industrial environment
Serial communication reliability can be adversely affected in a hazardous industrial environment. The wiring associated with serial communication devices could be surrounded by power lines, motors, or equipment that produces static electricity. If this is the case, the serial devices could be damaged by sudden surge waves produced by this type of equipment. In this situation, surge protection that uses TVSS (transient voltage surge suppression) is the solution.
When two serial devices are directly connected, but separated by a long distance, the unbalanced ground voltage could cause serious damage. Unbalanced ground voltage between two serial ports forms a 'ground loop', introducing a large current between the two pieces of serial equipment. In fact, the current could be so large as to damage the equipment beyond repair. In this situation, the solution is to use isolation protection to completely isolate both communication ports.
Surge protection
Surges are high amplitude pulses of only several millionths of a second in duration. They can be caused by heavy-duty equipment, power lines, short circuits or large motors. A surge suppressor has the ability to effectively absorb the high energy instantly, thus preventing the connected devices from damage.
Isolation protection
Electrical isolation is achieved by using a photo coupler to transform an electric signal into light, and then retransform the light back into an electric signal on the other side. In this way, the two electric circuits are completely isolated from each other.
As a leading provider of serial communication products, RJ Programmable Techniques offers TVSS and optical isolation technology through its multiport serial product line. The aim is to provide a secure and reliable, yet cost-effective solution to improve the communication environment, and hence protect the client's investment.
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