Press Releases

SMARTWIRE EVOLVES

Moeller has launched Darwin-enabled control circuit devices as the next step in the evolution of Darwin technology, the company's new control philosophy launched in 2006 under the slogan "connecting instead of wiring".

The latest products follow and complement SmartWire, Moeller's flat cable designed to connect motor starters directly to the controller, eliminating wiring errors and drastically reducing the wiring requirements for contactors, motor starters and remote I/Os, including terminals and connectors.

Communication with the controller is implemented via a gateway - either easyNet, CANopen or Profibus -which is configured automatically together with the associated motor starters and contactors. The SmartWire cable is used to activate the contactors as well as to carry the information about the switching states of the motor starters.

Moeller's new Darwin-enabled control circuit devices are functional, second phase products designed to work specifically with SmartWire.

While Darwin Phase One still required control circuit devices to be connected with I/O in the conventional manner, Phase Two eliminates this requirement. Contactors can now be connected directly with the control circuit devices using the improved SmartWire Darwin. This allows a space saving in the control cabinet of about 50 percent.

Where Phase One SmartWire cabling was used with plug connectors, and then fitted in the appropriate terminal sockets of the contactor modules, SmartWire Darwin, the Phase Two product, allows users to simply fit a device connector on the cable at any connection position required using crimping pliers.

To this purpose, the SmartWire Darwin cable is manufactured with V-shaped contacts so that all cable impedances are zero. This has a positive effect on the cable length. Device plug-connectors fitted on the SmartWire cable are simply clipped onto the RMQ control circuit devices, motor starters or contactors. All control circuit devices are interconnected in the usual way using flat contactor cables, with individual devices being addressed using the daisy chain procedure.

SmartWire Darwin now allows users to connect up to 100 modules, compared with the 16 modules of Phase One SmartWire.

Moeller has indicated that Darwin will develop to allow all other relevant Moeller switching devices to be connected without wire. Gateways will provide the interface to automation devices outside Moeller's Darwin-enabled world. Moeller drives and circuit-breakers will be converted, and controllers fitted with Darwin Asic.

This last product has been available since the beginning of the year, and has been designed not only for control circuit devices, but also for Moeller devices all around the motor. Darwin Asic is therefore a price-optimised and space-optimised chip that functions both as a communication device and as an independent controller. On the one hand, it satisfies the requirements of sensors/actuators involving a small data throughput, while on the other hand it also meets the requirements of high-performance devices such as frequency inverters, circuit-breakers and PLCs.

Moeller has been careful not to develop Darwin as a singular, proprietary solution, but rather as a collaborative project with a number of partners. The next step is the connection of other manufacturers' switching devices to SmartWire Darwin, so that OEMs can obtain the greatest benefit from Darwin through an increasing number of suitable products being made available by other manufacturers.

Ultimately, the focus is set to move to safety bus systems. At present Moeller's conventional control devices can be combined with the Darwin-enabled devices in the control cabinet, but conventional wiring is still required for emergency-stop circuits.

The plan in the future is to connect safety and non-safety slaves to a SmartWire-D-Safety bus.

Moeller will therefore be offering a broad-based, future-proof solution optimised for customers in terms of project design, price, Asic size and performance.

ENDS

PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS: SmartWire daisy chain - the next evolutionary step

Issued on behalf of CBI-electric Industrial Controls (Moeller Division)
Further information: José Ruivo (manager sales & marketing)
Telephone: +27 11 977-0700
Fax: +27 11 977-0758
e-mail: ruivo@moeller.co.za
P O Box 100, KEMPTON PARK, 1620, SOUTH AFRICA

Issued by Thrush Industrial Marketing
Contact: Alan Thrush
Telephone: +27 11 483-1511
Fax: +27 11 483-3160
e-mail: info@thrushindustrial.co.za
P O Box 1933, HIGHLANDS NORTH, 2037, SOUTH AFRICA

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