Our customer's automatic mixing and dispensing machine comprises of a mixing head, an electronic weighing scale, dosing station, color paste mixer, mother liquor storage tank and delivery pipeline, and automatic conveyor. They used to use a tablet PC as their system control device, but the high operating temperatures (over 50℃) usually cause system failure and computer crashes. As a result, production was delayed and raw materials were wasted. Therefore, they decided to purchase a new fanless device which has to be operated over a long period of time, especially in higher temperature areas. At the same time, its CPU and memory specifications needed to meet the requirements of the bespoke software. Due to a trade-off between hardware specifications and cost control, and after our professional assessment, our customer changed their original requirements to accept Advantech’s economic program. Our total solution with a UNO-2173A fanless computer, ADAM-4520 isolated converter and ADAM I/O modules not only completely integrates the data acquisition and control functions, but also supports a wide operating temperature range (-20 ~ 70℃) with high performance. The UNO-2173A can fully master the on-site operation through the ADAM-4520 to convert RS-232 signals into isolated RS-485 signals; even when the operating temperature exceeds 50 degrees, the CPU can run smoothly. In addition, the ADAM-4520 allows users to easily build an industrial grade and long distance communication system. As for the ADAM modules (ADAM-4117, ADAM-4018, ADAM-4015, and ADAM-4024), they are connected to the peripheral facilities to acquire the on-site signals and data. The robust ADAM-4117 analog input module is capable of measuring the voltage and current. The ADAM-4018 thermocouple input module and ADAM-4015 thermal resistance module - are in charge of the temperature measurement. In addition, the ADAM-4024 module provides the analog output to control the heater. All of them are designed for reliable operation in harsh environments. Technology Deployed: UNO-2173A: Intel® Atom® N270 Processor Automation Computers with 2 x LAN, 3 x COM, Mini PCIe ADAM-4520: Isolated RS-232 to RS-422/485 Converter ADAM-4117: Robust 8-ch Analog Input Module with Modbus ADAM-4018: 8-ch Thermocouple Input Module ADAM-4015: 6-ch RTD Module with Modbus ADAM-4024: 4-ch Analog Output Module with Modbus
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