Control Connection, August 2010

Control Connection

Dear Recipient,

We have been very busy lately so this is our first newsletter of the year. Busy is good, though, and we thank you, our customers, for making us work those extra hours.

You could think of this issue as the AMPS is Everywhere issue. We chose the Application Spotlight article because the machines in it have been installed all over the country. We're highlighting Altech circuit breakers, not only because we like the blue levers, but because their international approvals make them eligible to go anywhere in the world. And we're taking the opportunity to point out our latest product line because it's portable and can travel anywhere you want it to go...

As always, we encourage you to visit our website, stop in, email or call us anytime.

Sincerely,

Matthew French
419-868-1920
matthew@ampsic.com

Portable Data Loggers from ACR Systems, Inc.

ACR Data Loggers out-perform and out-last competitors products due to the construction techniques and materials chosen to guarantee that data is available at the end of the recording session.

ACR has a number of different product groups but these two are particularly noteworthy:

ACR SmartReader Plus

These data loggers are multi-channel, user configurable to monitor a variety of parameters and feature extended memory. The alarm feature alerts when thresholds are transgressed via phone or e-mail. These loggers are accessible remotely by modem or device server and multiple loggers can also be linked to form a network. Durability is assured with a 3-year logger warranty and 10-year battery life. It is important to note that on competitive products if the replaceable battery comes loose or dies you will not get data - lost time and effort far outweighs any price difference. The SRP uses a 12-bit successive approximation converter for ultra-low power comsumption compared to delta sigma. When the sample interval is set longer than 8 seconds, the readings are averaged over the period giving a quantitative result. Software Packages are purchased separately as they can support more than one device.  

• Record temperature, relative humidity, current, voltage, pressure and process signals
• Better than 0.025% FS resolution
• 32kB, 128kB or 1.5MB memory - 21,500, 87,000 or 1,050,000 readings divided among channels
• Remote access via modem or Ethernet
• Rubberized conformal coatings protect the electronics from harsh environments
• 3-year warranty and 10-year battery - guarantees data are available at the end of your recording session

The ACR SmartButton is a very small temperature logger that is extremely low-cost and easy to use. Because of its small size and low cost, you can purchase tens or hundreds of them for multiple-site temperature monitoring. To get you started, purchase the SmartButton Starter Pack. It includes one SmartButton, an interface cable, SmartButton Reader software and a mini manual. So simple and easy to use, anyone can start data logging today!

SmartButton

The ACR SmartButton is a very small temperature logger that is extremely low-cost and easy to use. Because of its small size and low cost, you can purchase tens or hundreds of them for multiple-site temperature monitoring. To get you started, purchase the SmartButton Starter Pack. It includes one SmartButton, an interface cable, SmartButton Reader software and a mini manual. So simple and easy to use, anyone can start data logging today!

We are very excited about this new product line and would be happy to discuss it with you further.

 Application Spotlight

 Overhead Die Storage System for JML Services

AMPS has been working with JML Services and their die storage systems for over ten years. These machines have been installed in most states all over the country to help printing companies keep track of their die plates. A corrugated box manufacturer, for instance, may have over 1000 die plates to store and keep track of. This could take up valuable floor space and be a nightmare to efficiently find the proper plate at the proper time.

This system from JML Services stores all the plates high above the shop floor on a conveyor that snakes its way throughout the facility. There is one strategically placed loading/unloading station with an operator's console where the conveyor dips down to ground level.

All the hooks holding the plates are assigned a number which is tracked by the Unitronics Vision 130 PLC. The operator can key in the hook number he wants using the PLC's built-in display and the conveyor will automatically deliver the die plate via the shortest route.

Customers also have the option of connecting the system to their LAN via wireless Ethernet. This allows daily pick lists to be generated at the front office by management and the operator on the floor just tells the system when he's ready for the next plate. This also allows the front office to track progress and maintain a vast database of die plates using MS Excel.

AMPS Industrial Controls is proud to be involved in the design and construction of these control systems. Our engineering team is in close contact with JML and frequently makes custom changes so that each end customer's needs are fully met. Even though the engineering work has been finished for a few years, JML keeps our panel shop busy by placing orders for these systems on a regular basis.

We're drawing your attention to this application because it is a great example of how we work with an OEM that has a great product but needs our expertise in engineering, programming and panel construction. We value them greatly as a customer and believe our relationship with them has remained strong over the years because of our reliability and customer service.

Our website goes into greater detail regarding how we routinely work with OEM customers to help them with their machine controls. Please visit it and then give us a call to discuss your application.

For more information on JML Services and their Overhead Die Storage System, click here.

Circuit Protection Devices from Altech Corp.

In today's very competitive marketplace you need reliability, so you need to use circuit breakers that are high quality and technically correct for your application. Altech is a leader in DIN-mount breakers with ratings up to 63A. Only Altech offers all these with UL489, UL508 or UL1077 approvals with short circuit interrupt capacity of up to 10kA. No other manufacturer offers this complete of a line.

AMPS Industrial Controls stocks them and understands them so we can help you pick the right one for your application.

If your application requires a manual motor controller, Altech is the leading US supplier of UL508 Manual Motor Controllers (MMCs). In AC, they offer up to 60A in 1, 2 & 3 poles. With 6 trip curves, Altech has the largest selection in the industry.

When you need branch circuit protection, Altech offers UL489 miniature molded case circuit breakers in both AC and DC voltages.

Sometimes all you need is supplemental protection for control circuits or load side individual protection for branch circuit protection devices. Altech has these with their line of UL10778 breakers.

We also carry plenty of accessory items for these products from Altech. These include: UL508 and UL489 busbar systems, front panel mount UL1077 breakers and auxiliary contacts.

Please contact us if you are interested in any of these products. We can get a full catalog to you right away.

Geek Zone

GSM Modems are popping up all over the place. You may know that it's now a straightforward process to connect your PLC system to a GSM network but if you long to know what GSM really is and how it works, you are probably... a geek.

GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is the most popular standard for mobile telephony systems in the world. The GSM Association, its promoting industry trade organization of mobile phone carriers and manufacturers, estimates that 80% of the global mobile market uses the standard. GSM is used by over 4.3 billion people across more than 212 countries and territories. Its ubiquity enables international roaming arrangements between mobile phone operators, providing subscribers the use of their phones in many parts of the world. GSM differs from its predecessor technologies in that both signaling and speech channels are digital, and thus GSM is considered a second generation (2G) mobile phone system. This also facilitates the wide-spread implementation of data communication applications into the system.
The ubiquity of implementation of the GSM standard has been an advantage to both consumers, who may benefit from the ability to roam and switch carriers without replacing phones, and also to network operators, who can choose equipment from many GSM equipment vendors. GSM also pioneered low-cost implementation of the short message service (SMS), also called text messaging, which has since been supported on other mobile phone standards as well. The standard includes a worldwide emergency telephone number feature.

GSM is a cellular network, which means that mobile phones connect to it by searching for cells in the immediate vicinity. There are five different cell sizes in a GSM network-macro, micro, pico, femto and umbrella cells. The coverage area of each cell varies according to the implementation environment. Macro cells can be regarded as cells where the base station antenna is installed on a mast or a building above average roof top level. Micro cells are cells whose antenna height is under average roof top level; they are typically used in urban areas. Picocells are small cells whose coverage diameter is a few dozen metres; they are mainly used indoors. Femtocells are cells designed for use in residential or small business environments and connect to the service provider's network via a broadband internet connection. Umbrella cells are used to cover shadowed regions of smaller cells and fill in gaps in coverage between those cells.

Cell horizontal radius varies depending on antenna height, antenna gain and propagation conditions from a couple of hundred meters to several tens of kilometres. The longest distance the GSM specification supports in practical use is 35 kilometres (22 mi). There are also several implementations of the concept of an extended cell, where the cell radius could be double or even more, depending on the antenna system, the type of terrain and the timing advance.
Indoor coverage is also supported by GSM and may be achieved by using an indoor picocell base station, or an indoor repeater with distributed indoor antennas fed through power splitters, to deliver the radio signals from an antenna outdoors to the separate indoor distributed antenna system. These are typically deployed when a lot of call capacity is needed indoors; for example, in shopping centers or airports. However, this is not a prerequisite, since indoor coverage is also provided by in-building penetration of the radio signals from any nearby cell.
The modulation used in GSM is Gaussian minimum-shift keying (GMSK), a kind of continuous-phase frequency shift keying. In GMSK, the signal to be modulated onto the carrier is first smoothed with a Gaussian low-pass filter prior to being fed to afrequency modulator, which greatly reduces the interference to neighboring channels (adjacent-channel interference).

Perhaps none of this is of real interest to you and you'd just like to know how you get your PLC to send and receive text messages or how to communicate with it over a cell phone network. That's fine. We don't think any less of you. Just call and we'll get you connected.

Content for this article was shamelessly lifted from Wikipedia.