Modbus I/O Units for easy SCADA Integration

Available from Audon Electronics is a new range of low-cost Modbus based remote IO units which provide a simple way of integrating analogue or digital signals to supervisory SCADA systems. There are several models in the range from voltage, current, thermocouple and PT-100 inputs, voltage and current outputs and digital and relay I/O. Supplied with the IO Studio configuration software. The optional DAQ Studio software can be used to provide a data acquisition, trending and alarm management interface for the PC. Also compatible with all SCADA packages such as DAQFactory.

A new line of Modbus based IO modules for data acquisition and other applications. These IO modules offer good reliability with a low-cost solution for distributed control applications. They are compact, easy to integrate with existing Modbus networks and simple to use for the end user. Various types of IO modules are available for different kinds of requirements. All IO modules have LED indications of IO status and fault diagnostics. All IO modules have an ioslated 2 wire RS485 interface. The use of Modbus RTU protocol allows for easy integration with most SCADA software packages such as DAQFactory.

There are 4 digital I/O modules, the 16DI has 16 digital inputs which also double as 32-bit pulse counter inputs, the 16DO has 16 open collector transistor outputs, the 4RO has 4 mains capable power relays, and the 8DIO is a combination unit with 8 digital inputs and 8 transistor outputs.

The analogue I/O modules include the 8AIIS and 8VIS which accept 8 x 4-20mA or voltage inputs, the 8TCS which accepts 8 thermocouples including ,K,E,T,N,B,S,R,mV, C,D and G types, the 6RTD which accepts 6 x 3-wire RTD temperature probes and the 8AOI and 8OV which are 8 channel 4-20mA and voltage output models. There is also the DAIO combination unit with 2 analogue inputs, 1 analogue outputs, 4 digital/counter inputs, 2 transistor outputs and 2 RTD inputs.

IOStudio is a free software package supplied with the units used to configure the communication settings for IO modules on the Modbus network. Once a module is detected, it is possible to view real-time data of the module directly on the PC and it can be used for diagnostic purposes too.

Available ex-stock, prices start at only £99.

The USB myPCLab DAQ Units has Universal Inputs

Available from Audon Electronics is the myPCLab USB
data acquisition unit which accepts thermocouples, PT100
temperature probes, Volts and 4-2OmA loops all for under
£60.



myPCLab is a very compact Data Acquisition tool which connects
to a PC via a USB port and monitors two universal analogue inputs,
accepting thermocouples, Ptl 00, Voltages and 4-2OmA current
loops along with one digital input. Sampling rate can be up to 128
samples per second and ADC resolution is user adjustable from
11 to 15 bits. There is built-in thermocouple and P11 00 linearisation
and automatic thermocouple cold-junction compensation.

The myPCLab comes with an intuitive and easy-to-use Windows
data logger software package which plots data, shows gauges,
bargraphs and digital readouts and logs data to disk. Logged data
can be exported in multiple file formats (xis, pdf, rtf, xml, html,dbf,
txt, csv) for easy importation to analysis and Spreadsheet packages.

The myPCLab software can simultaneously communicate with multiple
modules, making it easy to expand the number of inputs of a
measurement system.



Although the myPClab is USB based, it actually uses a virtual RS232
Com port, so any software package that can talk to a Corn port can
communicate with the myPClab. There are two communications
modes, ASCII text and Modbus.

With ASCII text Auto-send, data is transmitted from the myPClab
in a simple comma separated ASCII text format at a pre-set time
interval. Data can be read using any package capable of accepting
ASCII strings including most daq packages such as LabVIEW, VEE,
DAoFactory, TestPoint etc, programming languages VB, Delphi,
C++ .NET, and terminal programs such as HyperTerminal.

In MODBUS RTU Slave mode, myPCLab acts as a Modbus RTU
slave that can answer to Read Holding Register requests, Modbus
command number 3. The module doesn t have a specific Modbus
address, since it s the only device in its serial port. It will answer to
read request to any valid slave address. It can therefore be used
with every SCADA software package that support MODBUS RTU.

For more information, please contact :-

Audon Electronics
123 High Road, Chilwell, Nottingham NG9 4AT. UK
Tel: +44 (0)115 925 8412
Fax +44 (0) 115 925 9757
Web: www.audon.co.uk