AS Interface Systems

AS-interface (commonly referred to as AS-I) is a low-level I/O system. It was originally intended to be a simple, low cost system that would be easy to install and maintain. With that philosophy in mind, the original developers designed AS-I as a discrete-only two wire system. It incorporated features like automatic station addressing, and power and data were carried on a single untwisted pair of wires. Today. AS-I can be used as a stand alone network or can be connected to a higher level system, such as DeviceNet, or Profibus-DP, through a gateway. The gateway acts as a slave to the higher system and a master to the AS-I system

1. Cordsets

2. Bulk Cable

3. I/O Products

4. Interconnect Products

5. Masters

6. Safety

7. Accessories

CANopen Systems

CANopen is a higher-layer system based on the CAN (controller area network) specification that defines device and communication profiles. Device profiles standardize the data content of the various supported device types, while communication profiles determine the method of data exchange between the devices. The basic communication methods are real time data (process data objects – PDO) and parameter data (service data objects – SDO).

1. Cordsets

2. Bulk Cable

3. I/O Products

4. Interconnect Products

5. Accessories

DeviceNet Systems

DeviceNet is a low-cost communications protocol that eliminates hard wiring and connects industrial devices such as limit switches, photoelectric sensors, valve manifolds, motor starters, process sensors, bar code readers, variable frequency drives, panel displays and operator interfaces to a network. DeviceNet’s direct connection provides improved communication between devices, as well as important device-level diagnostics not easily accessible or available through hard-wired I/O interfaces.

1. Cordsets

2. Bulk Cable

3. I/O Products

4. Interconnect Products

5. Accessories

Ethernet / Profinet Systems

Ethernet is the most popular protocol used to connect office computers and peripherals today. It is increasingly findings its way into other applications, and is rapidly becoming the network of choice for higher level industrial control applications. Ethernet is primarily used to connect PLC’s, computers, HMI displays and other high level components.

1. Cordsets

2. Bulk Cable

3. I/O Products

4. Interconnect Products

5. Accessories

Foundation Fieldbus Systems

Foundation fieldbus is a communications protocol and physical method to interconnect smart devices such as temperature transmitters, pressure transmitters and valve actuators. The physical layer conforms to ISA SP50.02 and IEC 1158-2 standards for fieldbus. Fieldbus technology allows many smart devices to share one communication medium. The digital communication signal is superimposed onto a DC carrier. This reduces the amount of terminations to connect all the field devices to a host system and allows greater flexibility for future additions of I/O points.

1. Cordsets

2. Bulk Cable

3. Interconnect Products

4. Power Conditioners / Supplies

5. Accessories

HART Systems

HART (Highway Addressable Remote Transducer) provides digital communication to microprocessor-based (smart) analog process control instruments.  Originally intended to allow convenient calibration, range adjustment, damping adjustment, etc. of analog process transmitters; it was the first bi-directional digital communication scheme for process transmitters that didn't disturb the analog signal. HART has since been extended to process receivers, and is sometimes also used in data acquisition and control.  HART specifications continue to be updated to broaden the range of HART applications. 

HART was developed in the early 1980s by Rosemount Inc.  Later, Rosemount made it an open standard. As the de-facto standard for data communication in smart analog field instruments, HART is found in applications ranging from oil pipelines to pulp and paper mills to public utilities.  Among the many HART products now available are:

• Analog Process Transmitters
• Digital-only Process Transmitters
• Multi-variable Process Transmitters
• Process Receivers (Valves)
• Local (Field) Controllers
• HART-to-Analog Converters
• Modems, Interfaces, and Gateways
• HART-compatible Intrinsic Safety Barriers
• HART-compatible Isolators
• Calibrators
• Software Packages

Profibus-DP Systems

Profibus-DP is an industrial network protocol that connects field I/O devices in order to eliminate hard wiring. The network connection increases device-level diagnostic capabilities, while also providing high-speed communication between  devices.

1. Cordsets

2. Bulk Cable

3. I/O Products

4. Interconnect Products

5. Accessories

Profibus-PA Systems

Profibus-PA (Process Automation) uses synchronous transfer mode technology, as defined in IEC 61158-2, to communicate between  field  devices and the RS 485 backbone of Profibus-DP. A segment coupler, or gateway is installed to bridge profibus-DP with Profibus-PA. Otherwise, the protocols are identical, allowing transparent communication between general purpose automation systems and decentralized field devices.

1. Cordsets

2. Bulk Cable

3. I/O Products

4. Interconnect Products

5. Accessories

SDS Systems

The Smart Distributed System, developed by Honeywell's MICRO SWITCH Division, is a bus system for intelligent sensors and actuators. The SDS system is based on CAN as defined in the Bosch V2.0 CAN Specification. SDS allows multiple nodes to share a single bus. Over a single 4-wire cable, Smart Distributed System can interface up to 64 nodes with a maximum of 126 addresses. These intelligent sensor and actuator devices do more than just turn on and off. Smart Distributed System devices have advanced device-level functions, system and device diagnostics. SDS is based on a three layer communication model. The Application Layer specifies system services and protocol. The Data Link Layer provides functions and procedures to establish, maintain and release data-link-connections among devices on the network and to transfer data-link-service-data-units. The Physical Layer provides the mechanical, electrical, functional and procedural means to activate, maintain and de-activate physical connections for bit transmission between data-link-entities. Physical Layer devices are interconnected by physical media.