axcontrol, Author at AX Control, Inc.

Fuji Electric: History

The Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. has been producing electrical equipment for close to 100 years. Established in 1923, the company sprouted from Furukawa Electric and Siemens AG. The company’s name is a portmanteau of the first syllable of Furukawa and the first syllable of Siemens’ Japanese pronunciation, jiimensu.

The Fuji company has manufactured many different products. This includes transformers from as early as 1925. The company started producing rectifiers, turbines, and circuit breakers in the 1930s. Then in the 1950s, magnetic switch components started rolling off their assembly lines. By the 1970s, the company had moved into developing integrated circuits and inverters. Research into solar cell technology began soon after.

In 1935, part of Fuji Electric spun off as Fuji Telecommunications Equipment Manufacturing. Eventually, this became Fujitsu Limited. In 1955, Fujitsu Ltd. was instrumental in creating FANUC. This group of companies created automation products and services using numerical control and servos. Some may be familiar with equipment made by GE FANUC, a joint venture that began in 1982.

Serial to Ethernet Converters: What to Know

3050 EGW1 — This Square D PowerLogic 3050 Ethernet Gateway is a type of Serial to Ethernet Converter.

A Serial to Ethernet converter is typically used when you need to connect a device with a serial interface to a remote computer. These remote connections are common in industrial settings where constant, reliable connectivity is important.

Serial device servers can extend the lifespan of industrial control systems. Additionally, through the use of these systems legacy serial devices maintain their usefulness. Manufacturers can improve device management and data acquisition through the addition of Ethernet serial servers.

There are three types of Serial to Ethernet adapters. They are:

RS-232 to Ethernet, RS-422 to Ethernet, RS-485 to Ethernet Converter

Use devices like this to convert TCP/IP packets to serial data and back. They work in both directions. This allows serial devices like barcode scanners, sensors, or serial printers to communicate with a central (remote) computer. Conversely, it allows the computer to communicate with those serial devices. RS-232 to Ethernet uses software to identify itself as a virtual COM port to the computer.

57C414 — The Automax 57414 is a Modbus Interface gateway.

Modbus TCP/IP gateways

Simply, a Modbus TCP/IP gateway is a Modbus RTU protocol running on Ethernet with a TCP interface. These devices use MODBUS messaging and TCP/IP protocols to connect PLCs, Input/Output modules, and gateways to simple field buses. Modbus data transactions are resistant to noise disruption.

Serial Bridge or Serial Tunnel connections

It’s also possible to use two device servers as a pair connection through an Ethernet TCP/IP network. Serial Bridge connections are protocol independent and don’t require routing configuration. Serial Bridge/Serial Tunnels will typically have Rx and Tx outputs. They may be powered over Ethernet or through a DC jack.

Mainframe computers, servers, or serial devices without Ethernet capability use Serial Bridge and Serial Tunnel connections. Configurations allow fixed-function controllers to be used in various ways (USB to SPI, USB to UART) without any user-developed firmware.

If you have questions about connectivity devices for your industrial location, reach out to our team today. We can help!

The Most Important Factor When Choosing a Motor Drive

Close up of a Reliance Electric GV3000 Motor Drive — A motor drive can run on DC power, or use AC power like the 15V4150 GV3000 Drive from Reliance.

There are several things to consider when sourcing a drive to use with a motor. These include

Function. What will the components be doing? Make sure to choose drives and motors designed for the same purpose.
Location. Industrial components are specifically designed to hold up to the more rigorous demands of the factory floor. Some products may be rated for outdoor use while others might be restricted to inside locations only.
Compatibility. Unless you need a conversation-starting paperweight, an incompatible drive is worthless.
Cost. What’s your budget? Hint: this is where reconditioned and surplus products really shine. They’re often a fraction of the cost of new.

While all of these factors are important and should be a part of your decision-making process, none of them make the top of the list.

So what does?

Current and Voltage.

Always be sure as you look at drives that their output voltage meets the input voltage rating of your motor.

Also, be sure the drive’s output current rating meets or exceeds the FLA (full load amperes) rating of the motor. You can typically find the FLA on the motor’s nameplate data.

If you have more questions about sourcing the correct motor–or any other product–for your needs, contact our team today.