I/O Systems Resource Center

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Controls engineers, and that includes industrial machine controls, need a variety of information on device connectivity via their input/output, I/O modules and components on topics such as terminal blocks, remote I/O devices, distributed I/O devices and sensor networks, signal conditioning, cabling, wiring, connectors and cordsets.

Terminal blocks, available as spring clamp terminal blocks, screw clamp terminal blocks, and newer insulation displacement terminal blocks (IDC) are the most popular choices.

A type of industrial I/O modules known as Remote I/O provides an ability to distribute control closer to the components and share the overall control responsibilities. These modules are frequently called Distributed I/O or industrial distributed I/O.

Industrial Machine mount I/O, a sub group of remote I/O, is growing is popularity as it provides flexibility and faster reconfiguration with reliable connection using connectors and cordsets, while avoing the costs of protecting the industrial I/O within panels and cabinets.

As machine data becomes more critical to overall operations, signal conditioners and other signal conditioning devices increase in importance by helping ensure data signals are clean and uncorrupted.

The growing use of industrial digital networks, particularly starting with sensor-level networks and device-level networks, provides faster, less expensive, easier to maintain and troubleshoot data transmission.

Timely news, back-to-basics primers, feature articles, technical white papers and descriptions of the latest products all provide valuable insights that can be used in designing and building machine controls.

Controllers: More of Everything
The List of User Requirements Continues to Grow Longer

The Right Connections for Your Network
You Have Lots of Things to Worry About, but the Physical Connection of Your Cabling Shouldn't Be One of Them. There's a Lot to Choose From.

Sense When to Go Wireless
What's the Point of Trying to Add Wireless Capabilities to Sensors and Related Components?

Buckle Up With Built in Safety
Machine Builders Include Preventive Safety Early in the Design — And Get Paid Back Sooner

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White Papers: In Depth Research

Distributed I/O and Remote I/O Solution Improves Performance and Reliability
Author: Jim McConahay, P.E., senior field applications engineer for Moore Industries and Geoffrey G. Miller, P.E., executive engineer for Onondaga County Water Authority
Posted: 01/22/2013
In Central New York State, recent upgrades at a municipal water plant have provided the means for operators to enhance their process for meeting the water quality needs of customers. As part of the upgrades, the facility modernized its control system utilizing a distributed I/O and remote I/O solution. This white paper discusses how this technology reduced wiring costs for field instrumentation while improving operational readiness and reliability.

SNMP I/O Devices Make Monitoring Environmental Conditions Easy
Author: Austin Lin, product manager and Wayne Chen, technical service for Moxa
Posted: 01/18/2013
According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2012 Statistical Abstract there were more than two million cases of burglary and vandalism at unmanned remote sites from 2009 to 2012, with damage averaging at about $2,100 per incident.

This paper will first explain what SNMP is, why you should use SNMP for environmental monitoring, and then discuss how an SNMP environmental monitoring device will help ease the management and implementation process. Lastly, we will give a real life application and then address how Moxa's SNMP supported I/O devices will help you easily set up your environmental monitoring system.

HDBaseT Signals Over Bundled Cables
Author: Paul Kish, Director of Systems and Standards for Belden
Posted: 01/07/2013
It has been reported in the field that there are cases where multiple HDBaseT signals in separate cables that share the same pathway can interfere with one another causing a loss of signal (a dropped link) or a degraded picture. The purpose of this summary report is to present the results of a controlled set of tests that were performed at Belden's System laboratory in order to to determine under what conditions a link failure can occur. The tests were performed using commercially available audio/visual equipment from multiple manufacturers of equipment using HDBase T signal transmission.

Maximize Signal Range and Wireless Monitoring Capability
Author: CAS Dataloggers
Posted: 07/17/2012
Attenuation is a reduction of signal strength during transmission, such as when sending data collected through automated monitoring. Attenuation is represented in decibels (dB), which is ten times the logarithm of the signal power at a particular input divided by the signal power at an output of a specified medium.

When signal power decreases to relatively low values, the receiving 802.11.4 radio will likely encounter bit errors when decoding the signal. This problem worsens when significant RF interference is present. The occurrence of bit errors causes the receiving 802.11.4 station to refrain from sending an acknowledgement to the source station. After a short period of time, the sending station will retransmit the frame. In the worst case, signal power loss due to attenuation becomes so low that the system loses connectivity to the network gateway.

This white paper defines wireless signal loss in terms of the attenuation in both signal frequency and range and provides the reader with attenuation formulas, RF site survey guidelines for understanding the behavior of radio waves within a facility before installing a wireless network, and RF interference impact and avoidance techniques including causes of RF signal fading.

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