Those that know better
15 Jan 2000
After their day's introduction to the intricacies of fieldbus technologies (see adjoining panel), visitors to FieldComms next month can get to grips with the actual hardware (and have the software demonstrated) at the accompanying exhibition.
Centrepiece of Parker Pneumatic's display, for example, is Interface 2,000 (pictured below). This features an innovative 'plug in' system of electrical connections that enables the company's powerful electro-pneumatic valves to be speedily assembled into an 'interface valve island', with transparent automatic addressing of up to 16 valves (300 on enquiry card).
One of the most popular buses at the device level is the actuator sensor interface AS-i. The user group, AS-Interface UK, has a brand new multivendor demonstration at Hinckley, which shows the interoperability and 'openness' of the bus, together with its savings in cabling, commissioning and maintenance (301).
IFM Electronics (302) is also focusing on AS-i products with the first showing of high-speed analogue slave modules, Pt100 temperature monitoring modules, and air boxes with integral valves that make it easy to control pneumatic systems from AS-i installations.
Crouzet (303) too has AS-i products on show, but is also presenting a powerful new range of modular remote fieldbus I/O called MIDU. This system communicates via Profibus DP, Modbus or CANopen. It is supplied as modules of four or eight logic or analogue I/O channels.
Phoenix Contact (304) is showing its new 'soft PLC' software package, PCWorX. This includes universal configuration, programming and visualisation tools for all InterBus compatible devices.
A new wiring system on show from Brad Harrison (305) is said to ensure the integrity of all types of sensor system, as well as simplifying the complexity and volume of cabling involved. It consists of two elements -a selection of one-piece or field-attachable miniaturised connectors and cable, plus a choice of multiport splitter boxes allowing 16 connections at one port using a single cable to connect back to the control panel.
