Product category:
Wireless process sensors
News Release from: Audon Electronics | Subject: MFC-4422
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 16 March 2007
Analogue and digital multifunction
Bluetooth I/O
The MFC-4422 is a analogue and digital multifunction i/o Bluetooth interface for professional wireless control applications in data acquisition, automation and facility management applications
The board has 2 analogue inputs, 2 analogue outputs, 2 relays, 2 TTL outputs and 2 opto-isolated and 2 TTL inputs, suitable for integration in machinery and office equipment It is supplied with FREE Windows and PDA software chart display and datalogging and programming examples
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 14 Jul 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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The MFC-4422 has a rich mix of inputs and outputs; 2 analogue inputs suitable for measuring real world parameters such as temperature or pressure etc, 2 digital inputs, 2 digital/relay outputs and 2 analogue outputs.
The 2 opto-isolated digital inputs can be used as counter inputs.
Counter-states or frequency can be read out wirelessly, which makes it most suitable for metering applications like electricity, gas, water meters.
Further reading
DAQ unit so small it looks like a connector
Audon Electronics offer the USB-AD USB based multifunction I/O unit, which is so small it could be mistaken for a connector: it often prompts the query "Where's the DAQ unit?"
Modbus based IO modules for data acquisition
Available from Audon Electronics is a new range of low-cost Modbus based remote IO units which provide a simple way of integrating analogue or digital signals to supervisory SCADA systems
Digital outputs comprise 2 relays and 2 TTL outputs.
Digital outputs can be switched remotely.
A time off delay may be set to switch off the outputs when connection to the board is lost.
The MFC-4422-provides 2 analogue outputs.
Each of those outputs are provided as both a voltage signal in the range of 0-5 VDC and as pulse-width modulated TTL (PWM) signal.
The MFC-4422 can be used as a dumb I/O device or it can be operate in stand-alone mode with 2 independent on/off or PID controllers.
Each control channel comprises one analogue input and one output.
For on/off control, the measured input signal is compared with threshold points to switch on or off a relay output.
With PID control, the measured value is used by a PID algorithm to derive an analogue output signal.
The PID parameters can be adjusted by the user.
Thus the MFC-4422 can be used as a 2 channel alarm unit or used to accurately control a process.
The MFC-4422 is addressed by means of a simple ASCII instruction set, which can be employed with any common programming language.
No specific Bluetooth programming knowledge is required.
Messages between board and PC/PDA are exchanged in plain text.
The Bluetooth connection is established over a so called virtual com-port.
Programming of a virtual com port is identical to programming a standard hardware serial interface.
Visual-basic examples for PC and PDA are delivered on a CD together with the board.
Your PC or PDA has to have a Bluetooth interface in order to be able to connect with the board.
The MFC-4422 is supplied with FREE Windows and PDA utilities - WCI-software.
With the WCI-software, you are able to manage all board parameters and to read and write to the different inputs and outputs.
Also includes a chart recorder style display for analogue inputs and data logging capabilities.
Data is logged to a Excel compatible data file.
The MFC-4422 is also supplied with an ActiveX component and Windows and PDA VB programming examples.
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