Product category:
Electrical and Electronic Components
News Release from: Idec Electronics | Subject: SwitchNet range
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 25 February 2003
Pushbuttons take on ASi connections
Idec Electronics can now supply ASi compatible pushbuttons, pilot lights etc to add to its growing range of ASi products.
Idec Electronics can now supply ASi compatible pushbuttons, pilot lights etc to add to its growing range of ASi products Communication units that fit onto the existing range of HW and L6 control units in place of the usual contact block, allow users to drastically reduce wiring costs by eliminating direct wiring and connecting a two-wire series network to each device
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 16 Oct 2000 at 8.00am (UK)
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AS-i is a type of fieldbus (compatible with the IEC62026 standard) which is primarily intended to be used to control sensors and actuators.
SwitchNet is Idec's trademark for pushbuttons, pilot lights and other control units capable of direct connection to the AS-interface.
SwitchNet devices are completely compatible with AS-interface V2.1 As all input/output states are bought back over a two-wire cable (the standard yellow ASi cable or just two wires), it can be seen there are considerable savings over traditional wiring methods, as high as 40%.
Up to 100m distance can be achieved before repeaters have to be used.
In the original AS-i specification up to 31 slaves could be connected providing a total of 248 I/Os.
The later V2.1 specification doubled the number of slaves to 62, addressed as A and B modes, and so increases the permissible I/O by 248 to 434 lines.
For non-Asi-compatible sensors or control units, communication interfaces have also been introduced which provide these devices the means of linking to the network.
Available with screw terminal or M12 connections most types of sensor or control unit can be accommodated.
The network is connected back to the ASi master module - a MicroSmart PLC expander module that sets up the addressing and control of the components on the network.
It is even possible to control different brightness levels of the SwitchNet lamps.
Options include the MicroSmart ASi master module, PS2R ASi power supplies, SwitchNet HW/L6 control units and SX5A ASi communication terminals.
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