Hot switchable I/O system is certified zone 1
29 April 2009
A remote I/O system, being formally launched at the Achema exhibition next month, has been designed for use in zone 1 and 2 hazardous areas without the need for any additional explosion-proof enclosures.
Hot switchable I/O system is certified zone 1
As well as being suitable for gas and vapour hazards, the new system is IECEx certified for use in zone 21 and 22 dust areas
Manufactured by Bartec, the Antares concept build into a safe and compact input and output system for digital and analogue connection of field devices. The decentralised system communicates with the central control system of an industrial plant using various bus systems including Profibus-DP, ProfiNet, Ethernet IP and Modbus TCP. Antares can be connected to any conventional control system and, according to Bartec, for the first time allows the use ProfiNet and Ethernet IP in the hazardous area.
The concept introduces a completely new casing technology, which features a variety of explosion proof standards to develop a plug-in technology which meets the ATEX guidelines without the need for an expensive explosion-proof casing. The end user therefore benefits from cost savings and a reduced engineering expenditure. Elements within the system can be hot-swapped so that modules can be changed during plant operation without the need for special tools. Standard bus systems can be connected directly to the system so no additional explosion-protected components, such as buffer amplifiers or barriers, are required.
The Antares drag and drop is sufficiently intuitive to prevent the specifier configuring an incorrect module when configuring a new system. The system features a 100W power supply, which is sufficient to supply power 32 modules on a single bus and by connecting two rail control units with a simple jumper, real redundancy can be achieved. Eight different I/O modules are currently available.
See the videos HERE