Modbus sensor guards against costly water damage
February 2022
Sensors & Transducers
Flow Measurement & Control
Bus Probe #05 (BP#05) is the newest member of Tibbo's RS-485 Modbus sensor family. BP#05 implements a cost-effective, low-power flood/leak detector that is ideally suited for building management systems (BMS) and building automation systems (BAS). Just like its siblings, it comes in a durable, stylish and compact housing. The sensor implements a Modbus RTU protocol over a half-duplex RS-485 interface.
BP#05 works with a leak detection cable that reliably detects the presence of water and water-dissolved liquids. Unlike self-contained sensors that only detect the presence of water in their immediate vicinity, this cable – which can be up to 30 m in length – allows for guarding a large area. For example, the cable can be run along windowsills to safeguard against even minor leaks.
For added reliability and safety, the sensor features a -40°C to +85°C operating temperature range, inductor-less isolation of the detection circuit from its power and RS-485 bus, hot-swap protection, and ±65 V fault and short-circuit protection for the RS-485 lines.
To simplify the configuration and maintenance of BP#05 and all other Tibbo bus probes, the Web485 board (WebUSB-to-RS-485) – coupled with the BP test web app – allows the user to upgrade BP firmware, set Modbus IDs, change the baud rate, and poll and graph a sensor's output – all from within a browser. This even works on Android smartphones, simplifying configuration and maintenance in the field.
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