RS485 products now handle high voltages

Enhanced repeater/isolators and converters are launched for RS485 applications: a bus technique that is the basis for most of the industrial communications systems installed over the last 20 years

Despite the excitement surrounding fieldbuses and Industrial Ethernet, the tried and tested RS-485 standard is the basis for most of the industrial communications systems installed over the last 20 years and still is as popular as ever.

To meet continuing demand Westermo has enhanced its range of RS-485 DIN rail mounting products by launching high voltage versions of the RD-48 repeater/isolators and MD45 converters.

Existing RD-48 LV and MD-45 LV (Low voltage) versions are powered typically by 10-55Vdc supplies and are intended for general industrial market applications.

The new HV versions work with 95-240 Vac and 110-250Vdc supplies.

Westermo believes that these HV products, which can be powered directly from high voltage DC sources typically found in the power generation market, are unique.

The RD-48 repeater can be used on both 2 and 4 wire RS-422/485 networks and can also be used to convert between the two.

It now features anti-blocking technology so that a fault on the network will be stopped, thus allowing other network segments to continue functioning.

Data rates of up to 1.5mbit/sec are possible and with a special retiming function multiple repeaters can be used even on the highest speed networks, where jitter caused by long cables and data passing though ordinary repeaters can often cause communication problems.

The MD-45 HV converter is a fully functioned RS-232 to RS-422/485 converter, capable of automatic data turning.

It features LED indicators to assist with diagnosis of faults.

Like all Westermo products the range features tri-galvanic isolation, vital for industrial environments.

The units also have inbuilt transient suppression to limit damage from noise spikes and are designed to function reliably in harsh electromagnetic environments.

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