PCI communication card with surge protection

April 2002 Electrical Power & Protection

Advantech's PCI-1620A/B is an eight-port RS232 PCI communication card that is compatible with PCI 2.1 bus specifications and provides optional surge protection. It features high transmission speeds of up to 921,6 Kbps and eight independent RS232 ports. The card is equipped with high-performance 16PCI954 UARTs with 128-byte FIFO and 16C954 UARTs to reduce CPU load. These components give the card more stability and reliability making it especially suitable for multitasking environments. To further increase reliability, The PCI-1620B offers surge protection technology, protecting the system from abrupt high voltages up to 2500 V d.c.

Advantech's ICOM tools provide a convenient utility program to help users test the PCI card performance by analysing the port status. The menu commands and toolbar buttons are easy to use. ICOM tools act as a PC-based data scope that allows a trigger condition to be set, captures the communication data and monitors the signal status. In addition, ICOM tools are applicable to all of Advantech's ICOM series. Advantech is represented locally by ProMicro.

Elton Prytz, ProMicro

011 706 7913

[email protected]

www.promicro.co.za

Further reading:

The climate change reality in South Africa: An engineer’s call to action
Electrical Power & Protection
This year’s World Engineering Day on 4 March was a powerful reminder of the critical role engineers play in driving progress toward the sustainable development goals.

Read more...

---

Empowering Africa’s renewable energy future
Electrical Power & Protection
As a global leader in renewable energy technology, SUNGROW has pioneered sustainable power solutions for over 28 years. At the recent Africa Energy Indaba 2025, SUNGROW showcased its advanced energy solutions designed to meet the diverse needs of the African continent.

Read more...

---

The role of electromechanical solutions in supporting Africa’s industrial growth
Electrical Power & Protection
Africa’s industries are transforming rapidly. Fuelled by a huge demand for energy connectivity, better infrastructure, increased manufacturing and responsible resource management, electromechanical solutions are key to shaping this growth, allowing industries to scale up their operations efficiently and sustainably.

Read more...

---

Empowering South Africa’s IPPs for a renewable future
Electrical Power & Protection
Many crucial parts of the economy of the future will be hugely energy intensive, foremost amongst which will be electrified transport and the large data processing required by automation and AI. Successful economies will be those that can ensure businesses and investors have access to a stable supply of low-cost renewable energy. South Africa has the opportunity to become a global leader in this regard.

Read more...

---

Sustainable mining operations escalate as demand for critical materials to double
Electrical Power & Protection
The mining sector is at the forefront of the energy transition due to its role in extracting essential materials and minerals necessary for green technologies. As demand for renewable energy, electric vehicles and other sustainable technologies increases exponentially, so will the demand for these necessary materials.

Read more...

---

Monitoring partial discharge on medium voltage switchgear
Schneider Electric South Africa Electrical Power & Protection
Schneider Electric South Africa has launched its EcoStruxure Service Plan (ESP) in the Anglophone African region for medium voltage (MV) switchgear

Read more...

---

Raptor switches
Phoenix Contact Electrical Power & Protection
The Phoenix Contact Raptor switches enable reliable and safe operation in extreme ambient conditions. The managed switch portfolio meets the stringent requirements of IEC 61850-3 and IEEE 1613 standards and is ideal for critical infrastructure and power supply applications.

Read more...

---

Electrical safety warning indicators
Electrical Power & Protection
Remlive electrical safety warning indicators have been keeping the workplace safe for more than 25 years.

Read more...

---

Self-contained standalone lightning warning system
Senseca Electrical Power & Protection
The BTD-200 lightning warning system from Biral (UK) is a complete detection and warning system. Its highly specialised aviation grade lightning detection technology delivers the warning as soon as lightning is detected and before the first strike.

Read more...

---

Half brick second generation converter
Vepac Electronics Electrical Power & Protection
The Supreme series half brick second generation converter from Vepac is composed of isolated, board-mountable, fixed switching frequency DC-DC converters that use synchronous rectification to achieve extremely high power conversion efficiency.

Read more...

---