CoAutomation Recent Projects
Ultra-low power industrial switch for explosive environments
The Problem:
Control an industrial output switch depending on the values from several analog process variables while
consuming sufficiently low power to operate intrinsically safe in explosive environments.
The Solution:
Our client developed the hardware for an ultra-low power industrial control that includes an LCD and a sinking switch output.
The intelligent switch connects through a single twisted-pair of wires to a discrete digital input of a PLC or DCS.
The device scavenges power from the input at such low levels that it is suitable for intrinsically safe applications.
 |
|
ONE Series 2-Wire switch |
The intrinsically safe requirements forced an original target of 800 microamps average current @3.3V.
Unfortunately, the original firmware was not organized properly and caused the device to use too much power.
The client needed someone to create new firmware for the MSP430-based product.
This included firmware that would power-manage the device while acquiring sensor data in
real-time, filtering it and displaying the process information as well as diagnostics on the Liquid Crystal Display.
It also included an extensive menu for setting process variables and options for operating the switch in various modes.
By properly structuring the real-time data acquisition requirements and distributing the remainder
of the functions over time, CoAutomation succeeded in besting the current consumption target by 25%!
This product is now shipping in volume with an average current consumption of 600 microamps @3.3V.
Click on the image below for detailed coverage and a review of the ONE Series 2-Wire switch.
 |
|
November 2001 press coverage of the ONE Series 2-Wire switch |
|
