Product category:
Signal conditioners, isolators, modems
News Release from: Status Instruments | Subject: ISCEP
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 30 September 2004
Solid-state substitute for
electro-mechanical unit
A modern solid-state replacement for existing and aging electro-mechanical units is helping to 'keep the home fires burning' - and keep the old coal fired power stations operational
A small, yet vital, piece of instrumentation from Status Instruments is helping Cardiff based INSTeng Process Automation keep Britain's coal fired power stations operational It is widely recognised that the coal fired power stations are on the decline with a limited life span and many of the products within the control systems are becoming unavailable, primarily as a result of reliance on old technology and changing legislation such as ATEX
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 22 Jan 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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Baxter Healthcare subject their temperature sensors to the same test regime as their products: their 'Total Confidence' now applies to Status Instruments head mounted transmitters.
INSTeng have developed a range of products, including their ISCEP (INSTeng Signal Converter Electro to Pneumatic), which offers a modern solid-state replacement for existing and aging electro-mechanical units.
As INSTeng's Gareth Burris explains: "We realised that the power stations were struggling to find replacement controllers.
The ISCEP offers a dedicated solution to time proportional pulse to pneumatic conversion, with resolutions of 1 part in 400 and 1 part in 2000.
Further reading
Simple digital temperature transmitters
Status Instruments are introducing the thermocouple version of their unique and highly successful SEM203 series of low cost, push-button programmable, temperature transmitters
Plug and Play Panel Meter for true RMS measurement
The successful Status Instruments D3000 family of digital panel meters has now been extended to measure RMS current and voltage, in the new D3430 model
DIN rail signal conditioning modules
The MEDACS 2000 series from Status Instruments represents a totally new and revolutionary concept in DIN rail signal conditioning modules, offering a high degree of functionality and configurability
The front end of the unit is based on the Status Instruments MEDACS unit, which converts the pulse stream to an analogue value.
This signal then produces a pneumatic signal using 'solid-state' pneumatic relays in a closed loop generation system.
The converter delivers a linear 3-15 psig output, which is fail freeze in case of signal or power supply failure".
The MEDACS (Modular Expandable Data Acquisition and Control Systems) series represents a totally new and revolutionary concept in signal conditioning modules, offering a high degree of functionality and configurability, together with the capability of interfacing to a wide range of industrial sensors.
In order to increase the flexibility of the MEDACS modules, Status have pioneered the development of a proprietary software module known as TFML, which is embedded in each unit.
TFML offers the capability of inserting a transfer function between the input and output to provide a special control function.
This gives customers the ability to configure the units to accommodate unusual or custom applications directly within the signal conditioning module.
(By comparison, a conventional signal conditioner connects to a sensor and measures the sensor parameter, converting this to an industry standard output such as 4-20 mA).
Units can handle standard mV, mA, temperature and frequency inputs and have, in addition, two isolated discrete digital inputs that can be used as to provide a reset function or any other function via TFML.
Outputs include an isolated 4-20 mA re-transmission signal, a single change-over trip relay and dual normally open relays.
As Burris concludes: "The flexibility of MEDACS has helped us to rapidly develop a cost effective solution for the existing controllers.
Our converter acts as an interface between the existing control system and the many power cylinders operating in the stations. Request a free brochure from Status Instruments ...
At large power stations there can be several hundred such cylinders and being able to find a practical, cost effective solution to help keep them operational is being well received by the engineers.".
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