Archive for category Standards
Why has 4-20 mA gained so much acceptance and survived so long?
Posted by danstips in 4-20mA, Control, Process terminology, Standards on June 25, 2014
Last month, I presented a webinar for our customers. At the end of Control 101, when we opened the session up for questions, a customer asked about making the choice between 4-20 mA and digital signal outputs. It got me thinking about this list I put together a while back — one that I pull out whenever customers ask me “Is 4-20 mA still valid?”
The answer: Yes, it is. And here are the 18 reasons I came up with… so far. Read the rest of this entry »
What are DIN size panel cut-outs?
Posted by danweise in DIN, Installation, Panels on August 9, 2012
Years ago, instrument manufacturers adopted the DIN standard for panel mounted instruments, with standardized panel cutout dimensions for controllers, recorders, and other boxed mechanical devices.
And while the cut-outs are a standard size, the area occupied by the instrument’s bezel, its footprint, is not. Some bezels extend quite far beyond the cut-out, others barely extend beyond the cutout.
So, you need to pay attention to both the cutout and bezel specs when you’re planning a first-time install or a replacement upgrade. A designer who lays out a panel needs to be aware of how close one panel mounted instrument can be to another.
Industrial Wireless 101: Free access to webinar recordings
Posted by danstips in Communications, Cost Issues, Ethernet, Honeywell, ISA 100, ISA100, Measurement, Wireless, Wireless, Wireless Transmitters, WirelessHART, WirelessHART on April 27, 2012
In the past month, I’ve focused several articles on industrial wireless technology. If you’re interested in learning more, here are several webinar recordings you can watch on your own time that will give you more insight into how wireless works, and how companies are using it to extend that measurement base and get process information where they need it to go, even on a limited budget.
Industrial Wireless 101: Why do we need three frequency bands?
Posted by danstips in Bluetooth, Cellular, Communications, Cost Issues, Ethernet, Installation, ISA 100, ISA100, Process terminology, Wireless, Wireless, Wireless Transmitters, wireless transmitters, WirelessHART, WirelessHART on March 15, 2012
Regardless of what information you need to send, or where you need to send it, if your data is going “over the air”, you’ll need to choose a frequency in one of three ranges that do not compete with the FCC licensed bands for radio transmissions.
These three ISM (industrial, scientific, medical) bands are 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, and 5 GHz. They’ve often been described as the industrial equivalent to Citizens’ Band radios, specified so they don’t interfere with broadcast radio signals.
History with technology would lead you to believe that the more Hertz you have, the better your radios will perform. But what you need to understand is that there’s a tradeoff. Each band has its strengths and weaknesses, and there’s a best use for each.
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