Increase systems reliability by quality of measurement

22 March 2006 Test & Measurement

Reliability of industrial production systems is paramount. Control systems are composed of several modules and it is necessary to have good communication without data losses between them. How do we distinguish between sensor failure and the functioning state of a machine?

In industry, fast and reliable communication between several modules contributes to production quality. A distorted signal can cause a failure in the process. Today, a lot of digital transmissions are used (eg, Ethernet, Profibus, etc,) however, analog signals are still very widespread.

Using voltage signals for long distances is not recommended as insertion losses added with magnetic perturbation effects induce a difference between the output signal and measured signal. Using a current signal rather, allows these losses and effects to be reduced. An adopted standard by integrators is a 4 to 20 mA, with 4 mA indicating a zero when the primary current is null, equal to 20 mA when primary current is at full range, and equal to zero in the case of sensor dysfunction.

LEM offers a complete range of current transducers that are easy to integrate into installations. These products allow for the measurement of AC currents and their output is according to the 4-20 mA standard. It calculates the RMS value of the AC current directly and avoids the extra expense of adding an AC/DC converter for signal analysing. Isolation is also ensured between the power and electronic circuits.

Key features include: calculation of RMS value for AC signals; current or voltage output signals; self powered for voltage outputs; loop powered for 4-20 mA outputs; isolation up to 5 kV; jumper selectable ranges; panel and DIN mounting.

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