Find out more about Acromag

Find out more about our great Industrial I/O Partner, Acromag with this short corporate video highlighting their experience and willingness to work their customers.

For more information on the Acromag products in Australia and New Zealand, please contact Metromatics on +61 7 3868 4255 or sales@metromatics.com.au

For outside this area, please contact Acromag on +1 248 624 1541

New Bluetooth® Technology Enabled Signal Conditioners

Acromag offer a cost efficient, high performance solution for interfacing sensors and field devices with data acquisition systems using their microBlox uB Series I/O Modules.  Read how these Signal Conditioning Modules might be just what you're looking for.

Acromag’s microBlox^® uB Series I/O modules offer a compact, high-performance solution for interfacing sensors and field devices with data acquisition systems. uB signal conditioning modules are ideal to isolate, filter, convert and amplify a wide variety of signal types for test, measurement and control systems. Just plug uB modules into 4, 8, or 16-channel backpanels in any mix for a high-density analogue I/O interface. Channel-to-channel isolation provides optimal noise and surge protection from ground loops, spikes, and high common mode voltages.

Acromag's Agility^® Mobile App allows for wireless data-logging and configuration with our Bluetooth^® technology enabled microBlox^® uB Modules, allowing you to perform quick and easy field diagnostics and troubleshooting. 

Key Features

• Wide variety of input and output ranges
• Mixes with different I/O types on compact 4, 8, or 16 channel backpanels
• Select fixed I/O range models or wireless technology user-configurable models
• Cost-saving commercial-grade versions available for less demanding applications
• Android^® and iOS^® apps simplify wireless configuration with a smartphone or tablet
• Mobile app configures I/O ranges, sets scaling, calibrates and performs diagnostics
• Optional alarm function with setpoint and deadband control driving 0/5V host output
• Poll and trend I/O values to shareable charts
• High accuracy, noise immunity, and stability
• Isolated field-to-host and channel-to-channel (1500Vac peak, 250Vac/354Vdc continuous)
• Over-molded I/O circuits offer superior shock, vibration, moisture, and dust protection.
• Wide operating temperature range
• UL/cUL Class I, Div 2, ABCD and ATEX Zone 2 hazardous location approvals

For further information in Australia and New Zealand, please contact Metromatics on +61 7 3868 4255 or sales@metromatics.com.au

For outside this area, please contact Acromag directly on +1 248 295 0310 or solutions@acromag.com

Rugged VPX Carrier Cards for High Speed Performance

Our partner Acromag offers a full line of rugged OpenVPX carrier cards to deliver high-speed performance for data-intensive, high bandwidth applications. 

Available in 3U or 6U formats these mezzanine carrier cards provide a simple and cost-effective solution for interfacing a PMC or XMC module to a VPX computer system. By inserting PMC or XMC industrial I/O and configurable FPGA modules on the carrier, developers can now leverage hundreds of available function modules currently unavailable in a VPX platform.

For further information on the Acromag Embedded Board Products in Australia and New Zealand, please contact Metromatics +61 7 3868 4255 or sales@metromatics.com.au  

Outside this area, please contact Acromag directly on +1 248-295-0310 or solutions@acromag.com

VPX4810	• 3U OpenVPXTM carrier for one PMC/XMC module • PMC rear I/O • PCIe bus 8-lane Gen 1 or 2 interface backplane    connection • Air-cooled, conduction-cooled, REDI versions
See full specifications
VPX4812	• 3U OpenVPXTM carrier for one XMC module • XMC rear I/O • PCIe bus 16-lane Gen 1 or 2 switch on dataplane  • Air-cooled, conduction-cooled, REDI versions
	See full specifications
VPX4820	• 6U OpenVPXTM carrier for two PMC/XMC modules • PCIe bus 16-lane Gen 1 or 2 switch on expansion   plane • Air-cooled and conduction-cooled versions
	See full specifications
VPX4821	• 6U OpenVPXTM carrier for two PMC/XMC modules • PCIe bus 16-lane Gen 1 or 2 switch on dataplane • Air-cooled and conduction-cooled versions
	See full specifications

New RS232, RS422 and RS485 Serial Communication AcroPack® I/O Modules from Acromag

Acromag have proudly announced their latest PCIe-based AcroPack®modules, the AP500 Series. The boards offer up to eight RS232 or RS422/485 communication ports with 256-byte FIFO buffers to minimise CPU interaction for improved system performance.

They are an extended version of the mPCIe specification and feature a 100-pin connector to handle the I/O. The modules plug into AcroPack^® PCIe, VPX or XMC carriers in any combination for embedded applications running on Linux^®, Windows^®, or VxWorks^® operating systems.

For further information on the Acromag Embedded Board Products in Australia and New Zealand, please contact Metromatics +61 7 3868 4255 or sales@metromatics.com.au  

Outside this area, please contact Acromag directly on +1 248-295-0310 or solutions@acromag.com

WP: Understanding the differences between single ended and differential voltage measurement

Acromag has released a new educational guide to understanding the differences between single-ended and differential voltage measurements written by their senior design engineer, Bruce Cyburt. The guide helps explain when to choose which method. It also dispels some of the myths and misconceptions of voltage measurement and shows how to correctly apply earth ground to these connections.

To download the white paper, please click here see item 5 and 6 under the headline downloads and manuals under the support section of our website.

For further information on the Acromag Embedded Board Products in Australia and New Zealand, please contact Metromatics +61 7 3868 4255 or sales@metromatics.com.au  Outside this area, please contact Acromag directly on sales@acromag.com

Acromag announces the VPX6600 - a new 3U OpenVPXTM Single Board Computer

Acromag, Inc., the leader in industrial I/O, have announced the release of the AcroExpress™ VPX6600 3U OpenVPX single board computer. 

The VPX6600 series utilises the 6th Generation Skylake Intel® Xeon® processor and C230 PCH chipset for extensive I/O support. Expanded memory performance comes with up to 32GB of DDR4 ECC SODIMMs that are firmly attached to the board and are removable for security or upgrades. 

This SBC is designed for commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) applications and manufactured to meet VITA 46.0 with a minimum 7-year life expectancy. A conduction-cooled version is also offered.

A superior array of backplane I/O options includes PCIe x4 data and expansion planes, optional SATA III expansion plane, Ethernet ports, RS-232/422/485 ports, USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports, DisplayPort 1.2 ports, SATA III ports, and audio. The Data Plane and Expansion Plane interfaces can be used to interconnect multiple VPX6600’s or to provide PMC/XMC support.

Acromag offers C libraries for VxWorks^® and other operating systems. These libraries provide generic routines (source code included) to handle reads, writes, interrupts, and other functions. 

The COTS product line of AcroExpress processor boards are RoHS compliant and ideal military applications that requires extensive specialised I/O support with advanced cooling management.

For further information on the Acromag Embedded Board Products in Australia and New Zealand, please contact Metromatics +61 7 3868 4255 or sales@metromatics.com.au 

Outside this area, please contact Acromag directly on +1 248-295-0310 or solutions@acromag.com

Redundant Power without the hassle - Acromag DIN Rail Power Bus for Ethernet I/O

Acromag's TT330 series of 4-wire process transmitters and Busworks XT Ethernet I/O modules boast options for bussed and redundant power connections.

These I/O modules accept power through the terminal block and/or a DIN rail bus connector. This allows for easy installation of a redundant backup power supply.

You can also simplify your power wiring by snapping multiple units together along the DIN rail bus to conveniently share a single power supply. (See image below)

For further information on the Acromag Embedded Board Products in Australia, please contact Metromatics +61 7 3868 4255 or sales@metromatics.com.au  Outside this area, please contact Acromag directly on sales@acromag.com

Acromag redefines their Acropack I/O Products

Acromag have redefined their new Acropack I/O platform by using the mPCIe Interface format and adding 19mm and a 100 pin connector to provide up to 500 isolated rear I/O signals - this gives extreme amount of capacity to such a small platform which requires no cabling.

For further information and to download the latest Acropack I/O Brochure, please click here

For further information on the Acromag Acropack I/O Products in Australia, please contact Metromatics +61 7 3868 4255 or sales@metromatics.com.au 

Outside this area, please contact Acromag directly on sales@acromag.com

High-Density Signal Conditioning Modules Offer Bluetooth® Wireless Technology Configuration of I/O Ranges and Alarms

A full line of microBlox™isolated signal conditioning modules are now available from Acromag. 

Offering over 175 models, microBlox uB modules can safely interface a wide variety of voltage, current, temperature, frequency, and other field signals with a ±5V or 0-5V DC output to host measurement & control systems. Users can select modules with fixed ranges or wireless configuration via Bluetooth wireless technology on an Android™ or iOS^® mobile device.

For further information on the Acromag Embedded Board Products in Australia and New Zealand, please contact Metromatics +61 7 3868 4255 or sales@metromatics.com.au 

Outside this area, please contact Acromag directly on +1 248-295-0310 or solutions@acromag.com

Acromag Redefines SWaP-C with their New AcroPack® I/O Platform

TheAcroPack® product line has updated their popular Industry Pack I/O modules by using the mPCIe interface format. They have added a 19mm and a 100 pin connector to provide up to 500 isolated rear I/O signals, giving you a tremendous amount of capability on an Extremely Small Footprint - Without Cabling!

Size=70mm x 30mm

Weight=.05 oz. avg

and

Power=< 5 watts per module

-

Cost=Low Cost For further information on the Acromag Embedded Board Products in Australia and New Zealand, please contact Metromatics +61 7 3868 4255 or sales@metromatics.com.au  Outside this area, please contact Acromag directly on +1 248-295-0310 or solutions@acromag.com

Application Note: How to reduce PLC costs with signal conditioners

Defining the Problem: 
A small scale bottling operation will be controlled by PLCs. Multiple sensors including conveyor speed (frequency), bearings temperature (RTD), liquid level (4–20mA) and tank pressure (4–20mA) will connect to the PLCs. An affordable solution to convert these various signals to one common signal type will allow procurement of one type of PLC input card instead of multiple cards for many different signals. Also, inserting low cost front-end devices will add extra protection against transients for the higher cost PLC hardware. 

System Requirements: 
MicroBloxTM are available in 4, 8 or 16 channel boards and include a wide variety of inputs for voltage, current, thermocouple, RTD, frequency and high-speed operation. Each input type has many fixed ranges to select from, no programming or configuration is necessary. These backpanels can be mounted on a DIN-rail or backpanel.

Implementing the Solution: 
1. Select the microBlox fixed range model for each type of input. All models should have the same output, for example 0 to 5V. 
2. Apply either 24V or 5V DC power to the back panel. MicroBlox modules are hot swappable and can be inserted or removed with power applied. 
3. Follow the proper wiring practices as detailed in the user manual. 
4. Validate the I/O before connection to the PLC input card.

 Featured Products: microBlox, uB45, uB34 and uB32 

Why Acromag: The microBlox is a low cost, high performance series with easy set up and installation. It can be mounted in a wide variety of applications from general purpose to hazardous locations. 

For further information on the Acromag MicroBlox in Australia or New Zealand, please contact Metromatics on +61 7 3868 4255 or sales@metromatics.com.au

If outside this area, please contact Acromag directly on +1 248 295 0880 or sales@acromag.com

Split 4-20mA Signals to Multiple Devices with 600T Series Splitters

Split 4-20mA Signals to Multiple Devices with 600T Series Splitters Acromag's 600T series signal splitters recieve a 4-20mA current input and provide two identical isolated 4-20mA outputs signals. Each channel operates independently to prevent interaction between channels. Galvanic isolation eliminates ground loops, reduces noise, and blocks transient signals.   For further information on the Acromag 600T Series Signal Splitters in Australia, please contact Metromatics on +61 7 3868 4255 or sales@metromatics.com.au for outside this area, please contact Acromag directly info@acromag.com Read More Here. 650T 4-20mA Splitters, Loop-Powered  630T 4-20mA Splitters, AC/DC-Powered 653T 2-Wire Loop-Powered • 12-50V DC power from output loop 633T 4-Wire AC/DC-Powered • 15-36V DC-powered • 90-250V AC-powered

Webcast: On selecting a transmitter for Frequency/Pulse Signal Applications

Learn sensor/Instrument types in this video including magnetic pickup, photoelectric, proximity, capacitive, turbine flow meter, and tachometers. Applications using frequency and pulse sensors are explained and then Acromag’s interface solution is described. 

TT239-0600		TT339-0700
	• USB configurable two-wire transmitter • Multi-range frequency/pulse input • 4-20mA output (sink/source) • 12-32V DC loop/local power		• USB configurable four-wire transmitter • Multi-range frequency/pulse input • Universal current/voltage output • 12-32V DC local/bus power
841T-0500		989EN-4016
	• Windows based software configuration • External range adjustments • Multi-range frequency/pulse input • Universal current/voltage output • 10-36V DC local power		• Internet Browser configured • DIO with counter inputs • Modbus TCP/IP communications • 18-36V DC local power

For further information on any of Acromag's product range in Australia and New Zealand, please contact Metromatics on +61 7 3868 4255 or sales@metromatics.com.au

If outside this area, please contact Acromag directly on +1 877 295 7035 or info@acromag.com

How to choose a 4-20mA Isolator

Very often the simple task of choosing an Isolator requires more than just comparing the number of channels and the cost per point. To help you with this exercise, Acromag suggests a  few concepts to know when specifying a 4-20 mA Isolator.

The lowest cost approach is a Two-Wire System using Output Loop Powered devices such as our 651T-0600. This module steals power from the output loop to operate and control the 4-20mA loop to the load. Since the module requires an external output power source, it is characterised as having a Sinking Output. For loads that have a powered input connection, the 651T-0600 provides the compatible circuit. See example # 1 below.

If there is no power source on the output loop, then a 4-20mA Isolator that powers the output loop is required. This type of Isolator is characterized as having a Sourcing Output and there are two types. The lowest cost approach is a Two-Wire System using Input Loop Powered devices such as our 671T-0600. This module steals power from the input loop to operate and power the 4-20mA output loop to the load. If this device is not appropriate, then a Four-Wire device is available such as our 631T-0500. See example # 2 and #3 below to select the correct module.

To determine if the modules are properly matched to an application, we need to know what is the voltage level of the external power source, the total input impedance of all loads and if other peripheral devices are connected to the input loop.

Example # 1:

A Pressure Transmitter with a 4-20mA Output needs to isolate its’ signal to a PLC with 24 VDC power at the input connection and the input impedance is 250 Ohms. A Chart Recorder with a 250 Ohm input impedance is also sharing the loop with the PLC. The 651T-0600 with Sinking Output can be selected. Since it is an Output Loop Powered device, there is a very low input burden on the Pressure Transmitter. The maximum voltage drop across the Input to our module will be 1.5 VDC at a full scale 20mA. For the module output, the Compliance Voltage, which is the amount of voltage source required to power the load, is calculated by: Psup = 12V + (.02 x R total). For a 500 Ohm load (this is the total resistance of the PLC and the Chart Recorder), Psup = 22VDC. Therefore, the power source from the PLC (typically 24VDC) is proper.

Example # 2:

A DCS with a 24 VDC powered 4-20mA output needs to isolate its’ signal to a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) with no power at the input connection and the input impedance is 500 Ohms. The 671T-0600 with Sourcing Output can be selected. Since it is an input loop powered device, there will be a large voltage drop across the input to our module. The voltage drop can be calculated by: V = 5V + (.02 x R total). For a 500 Ohm load, V = 15VDC. The DCS powers its’ Output 4-20mA using a 24VDC source so there will be 9 VDC remaining to power other devices connected to the loop if required. The 671T-0600 will perform extremely well driving loads with a maximum total input impedance of 525 Ohms.

Example # 3:

Now, we have the same circuit with a display requiring 11 VDC minimum to operate connected to the DCS output loop. So, the total voltage required is 15V (671T-0600 Input Voltage Drop) + 11V (Display Input Voltage Drop) = more than the 24 VDC DCS power. The proper choice is to select the 631T modules. These isolators do not steal power from the input loop but instead receive power from separate power terminals. For the 631T, the input voltage drop is only 1.5VDC at a full scale input of 20mA (input impedance is 75 Ohms x .02A).

For further information about Acromag's 4-20mA Isolators and you are in Australia or New Zealamd, please contact Metromatics on

+61 7 3868 4255 or sales@metromatics.com.au

Or for outside this area contact Acromag directly info@acromag.com