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Integrated `smart wiring` can eliminate PLCs and simplify motor monitoring

11 June, 2012

By adding its Smart Wire-DT communication technology to two of its other product lines – its easy800 control relays and PKE motor-protection circuit breakers – Eaton says it can eliminate the need for a PLC in many installations, as well as monitoring motors in real time.

The Smart Wire-DT (SW-DT) technology is designed to connect devices such as contactors, circuit-breakers, pushbuttons and digital or analogue I/O quickly and simply, eliminating the need for conventional control wiring in panels and on machines. Previously if you wanted to combine SW-DT with control functions, you needed to link it to a PLC via a gateway. The new easy800 relays with built-in SW-DT masters (above, left) will eliminate the need for the gateway and often for a PLC as well.

There are two versions which can each be linked to up to 99 SW-DT slaves with up to 320 I/O to control small or mid-sized machines. Both have a serial interface for programming or connecting a remote display.

The first device, the Easy802-DC-SWD, has two power supply inputs: one for the device and SW-DT slaves; the other supplying 24V DC to connected contactors. It offers function blocks including timing relays, counters, text outputs, time switches, and P-PI-PID controllers.

The second device, the Easy0806-DC-SWD, adds four 24V DC digital inputs for high-speed counter functions. It can be used as a single-channel counter (up to 5kHz), frequency counter (up to 5kHz) or as a two-channel incremental counter (up to 3kHz). A pulse output (up to 2kHz) can be used to control stepper motor amplifiers.

Eaton’s easySoft-Pro software makes the easy800 relays simple to program, and includes tools for configuring external devices, allowing control systems based on the new relays to be designed, configured, programmed and tested using one software package.

The new PKE motor circuit breakers with SW-DT (above) allow users to monitor their motors in real time via SW-DT interfaces to both the circuit-breaker element and the contactor. The devices can report parameters such as motor currents, fault conditions and overload status via SW-DT, without needing extra hardware such as current transformers and specialist relays.The data gathered will often allow developing problems to be identified and addressed before a motor trips.

Power for Smart Wire-DT bus slaves and 24V DC for the contactors is provided via an eight-pole ribbon cable. For each SW-DT slave, a plug is positioned on the ribbon cable, contacted using pliers and plugged onto the device.

During commissioning, users can view and test the status of the whole SW-DT communication system as well as each slave, including all data, via a PC. The functions of all slaves can be tested directly.




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