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Real Time Wireless Interfacing

Product News Thursday, July 14, 2011: Variohm Euro Sensor

SwiftComm™ from USA encoder specialists BEI, is a wireless transmitter and receiver system for incremental or SSI absolute encoders and sensors that allows cable-free, high speed communication using a secure 2.4 GHz RF protocol. Available exclusively in the UK from Variohm EuroSensor, SwiftComm is aimed at motion control and position measurement applications where it can replace hard wired cabling over long runs, or simplify installation for rotating equipment and complicated encoder to controller routing on all types of machinery.

To maintain high reliability in factory and industrial environments, the transmitter-receiver pair uses a highly secure 2.4 GHz Adaptive Frequency Hopping Protocol (AFHP) that sequentially and continually selects a suitable interference-free channel from several available. The high speed communications system boots up immediately and updates information every 600 microseconds for minimal signal latency.

Transmission range is dependant upon environmental conditions but can be up to 300 metres.

Full protection is ensured with 40-bit data encryption and 5-byte range security coding with more than 500 billion unique codes available plus integrated data recovery and error checking included to counter data packet transmission loss.

For maximum environmental resilience, the transmitters and receivers are housed in sealed cast aluminium enclosures with full protection to NEMA 4 standards for water spray.

SwiftComm is available in two versions with flexible interfacing options allowing its use with many different industrial encoders, sensors and control systems.

For incremental linear and rotary encoders with A-B quadrature, and Z marker channels, a choice of 5, 12 or 24 VDC encoder input voltage is offered at the transmitter along with connectorised or flying lead versions - ensuring its use with almost all types of encoder from many different suppliers.

For wirelessly transmitted absolute encoder and sensor applications, a newly available SSI version provides transmitter input connections matched to the SSI industry standard and connector or flying lead options to suit the customers’ application. The interface suits any SSI position device including single or multi-turn encoders, linear scales or magnetostrictive devices.

Variohm Eurosensor provides sales and application support for BEI Industrial Encoders’ complete range of linear and rotary encoders, electronics and displays.