MasTec
Ltd
The Ingenious Devices
and Smart Works Company
Mar 2006 Circulation 20,000+ World-wide Edition
# 58
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Monthly
Discussion
Company of
the Month
Technical
Tip
Industrial Computers
Comms
DAQ
Battery Specials
Wireless
Automation
Encoders
Solid State
Relays
Loggers
Instruments
Instrumentation
Modbus I/O
Software
Gauges
UPSs
AC Power Converters
OEM Comms
IP Power
Control
Medical
Best Sale
Item
Integration Projects
Products Discontinued
SWS For Sale
To start discussions
with us on any of these eNewsletter Products, just click the
link.
Monthly Discussion
March 2006
We actually did some thing new
this month, with our first installation of the new TrippLite
split in half UPS, yes it is a splitable UPS and we are thinking
this is a great UPS. Normally the UPS comes with internal batteries
but you can just buy the UPS Power Head (inverter, charger, comms
etc) as a standalone unit and then tie your own battery pack
to it.
Note-- In all
installations of UPSs starting from 1993 until now we have always
used UPS manufacturers battery packs. We have installed thousands
of UPS also in that time.
This month we supply a custom
built battery stand from Anglo Engineering with this TrippLite
UPS. The batteries were Exide's new range of 10 year front terminal
batteries, allowing easy installation and later, easier testing
and service.
Dhara Pandya arranged the installation
and supply for a local Auckland company and we will be very interested
to follow the site over the next few years to see how they perform.
The reason for the battery rack,
is the long run time required, 2 Sun Servers and some XP Servers
-- 1.5 hours minimum. We think the system will run for 2 hours
plus.
Now this brings up the point
for the discussion, this site is central CBD. The director of
this company told me, he gets 1 hour black outs regularly and
he is close the Police, Fire, and Ambulance HQ and they get high
priority power service in that area, so other areas are not so
lucky and have longer outages. Other CBD, Albany and Botany Downs
customers tell me sometimes 2-4 hours will happen once a year,
Botany recently had 8 hours in some areas.
So how are you for the winter,
they are saying there may be cuts. Do you have a power systems
backup in place, do you feel safe.
Phone Dhara to discuss any options
you feel that are necessary for your business.
If you want us
to contact you about these points click this link
Company... This
Month's Focus Company
Secure Open
Source IT Infrastructure Monitoring
Opengear is a relatively new
entrant to the console management and serial device server market.
However the founders have a fine pedigree have run Stallion Technologies,
SnapGear and other communications and embedded Linux companies.
The focus is to reduce the cost
of IT infrastructure management and industrial control while
ensuring the highest security and functionality.
The CM4000 range of console managers
are up to 1/3 the cost of competitors with a comparable standard
feature set (Avocent, Cyclades, Perle).
In addition they have added the
capability to perform secure remote desktop graphical management
of servers and desktop systems via the Secure Desktop Tunneling
(SDT) feature.
Read more .. link
If you want us
to contact you about these products click this link
Technical...Tip of the Month
Choosing your
UPSs
Discussion:-
After selling UPSs now for 13
years, we have noticed, there is a tendency for most UPS purchasers
to buy lowest cost, buy close to maximum rating or buying just
enough for now.
Possibilities:-
MasTec sells
$50 UPSs suitable for a single non critical PC workstation with
an LCD display. Is this type of UPS suitable for the accounting
computer? Maybe not. Maybe a higher rated UPS is suitable with
bigger batteries to allow ordeally shutdown without out loosing
any work, in fact maybe complete the page you are on before you
shutdown.
For servers,
usually a Sinewave UPS is adviced, not necessarily an On Line
UPS but a Puresinewave, as a sinewave UPS is better at driving
a complex load, a server, an ethenet switch, maybe an Opengear
IT Infrastructure system etc.
UPS types are:
Backup, Line Interactive, On Line, Redundant, Parallel.-- some
with extrnal battery for long runtime.
UPS styles are:
Rack Mount, Floor Mount, Wall Mount, PC Disk Bay Mount
Sizing UPSs:-
Think of the application.
Is this always going to be single
Workstation UPS? or
will there be two accounting computers this year??
Is this always going to be single
Server UPS? or will there be another server this year??
It is lower cost usually to buy
a bigger UPS than small ones, the price drops away on large ones.
So buy bigger if you know the
future needs will grow.
Sizing UPSs:-
Never run a UPS close to max
rating continuously. It might happen that the UPS loads 100%
at start up but at run time is 70%. This is good.
It will do this for the UPS if
you buy with a reasonable rating.
Longer life on the UPS
Longer life on the UPS batteries.
Longer runtimes == more security
Less maintenance
Lower running temperature
So think about
what the UPS is for: it is security and buying wisely will give
good returns.
If you want us
to contact you about these points click this link
Industrial Computers...Product of the Month
Sealevel ... Compact, Solid-State Embedded I/O Server
with Scalable Expansion
and
Rugged,
Fanless Industrial Computer With Powerful I/O Expansion
Relio R1000
Embedded I/O Server
Sealevel Systems is known for reliable I/O solutions, has introduced
the Relio R1000 embedded I/O server. Designed to operate without
fans or other moving parts, the R1000 combines the reliability
and design consistency of a PLC with the versatility of an industrial
computer. For flexible local and remote I/O expansion, the system
connects to Sealevel SeaI/O data acquisition modules available
in a variety of digital and analog versions.
Powered by a high-performance,
low-power 600MHz Celeron M processor, the R1000 is packed with
standard I/O including 10/100BaseT Ethernet, two serial ports,
one high-speed USB 2.0 port, and two USB 1.1 ports. The product
is designed and maintained with strict attention to long-term
availability, avoiding the obsolescence problems inherent with
motherboard-based industrial computers... read
more
Relio R2000
Ruggedized Industrial Computer
Sealevel Systems has released the Relio R2000 ruggedized industrial
computer designed for use in harsh environments. Available with
up to a 1.4GHz Intel Pentium M processor, the R2000 offers exceptional
performance and flexible I/O expansion. Fanless operation is
possible to 50°C, and using an embedded operating system
such as Windows XPe allows applications to execute from CompactFlash
for the ultimate in reliability - no moving parts.
Packed with standard features
including dual 10/100BaseT Ethernet, two RS-232/422/485 serial
ports, and two USB 2.0 ports, the R2000 excels in I/O intensive
applications. Expand with up to three PC/104 kits that terminate
to real-world connectors using the Sealevel Porthole mounting
design. A Sealevel SeaI/O module or a CDRW/ DVD can also be installed
in the front of the chassis. Available I/O expansion options
include RS-232/422/485 serial ports, Reed and Form C relay outputs,
optically isolated inputs, TTL interface to industry standard
solid-state relay racks, A/D, D/A, and wireless communications...
read
more
If you want us
to contact you about these points click this link
Comms...Product of the Month
Artila ... Serial Servers & Web Servers
Artila Electronics
is an emerging force in the industrial computer field, focusing
on ARM-core RISC CPU with embedded Linux solutions, matched with
Artila's 10 plus years of experience in RS-232/422/485 serial
communication and TCP/IP networking.
The result is
some great price competitive box and OEM level products. Artila's
OEM embeddable board level serial-to-ethernet and Web server
products can help device manufacturers to add ethernet connectivity
and web server to their serial-based products in a snap. more
Also you can
buy the Linux based CPU product with an ARM9 processor for other
projects.
If you want us
to contact you about these points click this link
DAQ... Product of the Month
MCC... New USB DAQ Devices
MCC continues to work hard to
launch as many new products in 2006 as possible
Model USB-3110 16 bit 4 channel
analog out, 8 DIO and 32 bit counter
Model USB-3112 16 bit 8 channel
analog out, 8 DIO and 32 bit counter
Model USB-3114 16 bit 16 channel
analog out, 8 DIO and 32 bit counter
If you want us
to contact you about these products click this link
Batteries... Product of the Month
Panasonic...
OEM Specials
High Quality SLA batteries 3-5
year life -- OEM prices better than these below
|
LC-R121R3P |
12 Volt 1.3Ah |
$18.49 each + GST |
|
LC-R122R2P |
12 Volt 2.2Ah |
$21.49 each + GST |
|
LC-R123R4P |
12 Volt 3.4Ah |
$27.99 each + GST |
If you want us
to contact you about these products click this link
Wireless... Product of the Month
Superior SCADA...
GSM, GPRS
and M2M plus GPS and more
Superior SCADA
has developed and patented the SuperiorGPRS solutions based on
the Fargo Wavecom modules with TCP/IP stack and OpenAT platform.
The SuperiorGPRS
solution provides a transparent method for transferring serial
protocol data over the GPRS network. For SCADA software or hardware,
it’s like using a serial cable for communications when in
reality the remote sites could be very far away.
The SuperiorGPRS
server has an innovative way to route the serial protocol data
over IP based GPRS networks / Internet to ensure that it arrives
at the appropriate remote site with the serial protocol data
intact for the remote device(s). A similar method is used for
sending the data back the other way.
The SuperiorGPRS
solution is compatible with numerous protocols including DNP
3.0, IEC, Modbus, ION etc. As long as the protocol format is
known, the data can be routed. It is not necessary to understand
the contents of the messages, as we are only interested in routing
the messages to the appropriate destinations.
Do you have a
complex remote data trasmission problem, the Superior SCADA system
will make this so much easier.
Read the PDF
brochure for details on SuperiorGPRS,
and the SuperiorMeter
for sub stations metering
and the SuperiorRouter
for GPRS and CDMA
If you want
us to contact you about these products click this link
Automation... Product of the Month
Zippy... Industrial Waterproof
Keyboard
* IP55 compliant
dirt- , dust- and water-resistance.
* Zippy patented scissor-key structure ensures quiet and reliable
operation under all conditions.
* Revolutionary pointing device, AppsPad, that combines the function
of a trackball with ease of use to that of a joystick.
* Compact design with super low profile for easy fitting into
1U rackmount and other applications.
* Specifically designed for IPC, Military, Medical and OEM applications.
* 100% Compatible with Windows 98SE / ME / 2000 / NT / XP .
Properties¡G
* Dimension: 370 x 139 x 19 mm
* Weight: 600 g +/- 20 g
* Cable lengh: 1.5 meters
* Interface: USB / PS2
* Keystroke life: 10 million
* Switch type: Scissors
* key operating force: 55 +/- 20g
* Power consumption: DC5V +/-5%,50mA max
* Safety approval: FCC class B, CE, BSMI
If you want
us to contact you about these products click this link
Encoder... Product of the Month
Micronor... ZAP Free -- incremental
high res encoders
and
ZAP
Free -- 24 Bit absolute encoder
The key markets for the ZapFREE Fiber Optic Rotary Encoders is
Harsh and/or Hazardous Environments. The EMC Design Guide article
provides a good explanation of the difference between "Benign"
versus "Harsh/Hazardous" environments: Ask for your
copy
EMI-based communication
problems usually reside around big machinery hence the need for
ZAP Free Encoder Technology.
Besides other
shafted models, naturally, a hollow shaft package was needed
as well as higher resolution than the already offered by the
smaller, shafted MR312 series (100ppr to 360ppr). The answer
is the MR314 with 1024ppr resolution.
Also
The firmware
of the MR310 ZapFREE Remote Encoder Interface (REI) Module has
been updated, the instruction manual revised and now offers a
quasi (24-bit, 8,000,000 counts) absolute multiturn encoder function.
If you want
us to contact you about these products click this link
Sold State Relays... Product of the Month
Crydom... Large Current DC SSR
Switches
If you want us
to contact you about these products click this link
Instruments... Product of the Month
RK Systems...
USB Oscilloscope
ScopeDAQ-12
Dual-channel
digital oscilloscope ScopeDAQ 12 allows the user to capture 2
channels at a smaple rate of 50MHz or 100MHz for one channel.
RK
Scope DAQ-12 specs
RK
Systems
is worth looking, they make low cost instruments and an excellent range
of programmers
If you want us to
contact you about these products click this link
Loggers... Product of the Month
MCC... USB Temperature + Loggers
Measurement Computing Corporation…has
announced the release of two new 8-channel high-performance temperature
loggers.
USB-5201 logs
data from J, K, R, S, T, N, E, & B type thermocouples
USB-5203 logs
data from the same thermocouple types, as well as RTDs, thermistors,
and semiconductor temperature sensors.
Both units log data to industry
standard CompactFlash® (CF) cards.
These new modules are ideal for
remote or stand-alone applications requiring temperature measurement
where the use of a dedicated PC or laptop is not feasible. Both
of the devices provide user configurable temperature alarms for
control of eight digital output lines.
A 64-MB CF card (included with
each device) can store approximately 2,350,000 time-stamped temperature
values from a single channel. CompactFlash cards up to 2 GB are
supported. Data can be retrieved either by connecting the device
directly to a computer via a standard USB cable, or by placing
the removable CF card into any standard CF card reader.
The devices are bundled with
TracerDAQ™, an industry-leading software package that provides
easy data management and analysis. TracerDAQ converts and saves
temperature and alarm data to standard, comma-delimited .CSV
files. TracerDAQ also plots and analyzes real-time data or historical
temperature files.
These two products ship with
a 64-MB CF card, a power supply, a USB cable, and the following
software: InstaCal™, an all-in-one installation, logger
setup, calibration, and test application; TracerDAQ™, Measurement
Computing's powerful stripchart recorder, oscilloscope, and data
logger application; and Universal Library™ and UL for LabVIEW™,
powerful language interfaces that allow users to write programs
in all of the popular programming languages using easy-to-understand,
high-level command syntax.
Powered by the USB bus (USB 2.0
full speed) and outfitted with screw terminal for direct signal
connectivity, these devices are built for portability, efficiency
and flexibility. With the smart hardware design and powerful
drivers, these devices are ready for measurement within minutes.
These devices are CE rated and
MasTec sells at USA list price + handling (+ GST of course in
NZ)
We also have accessories, CF
card readers and CF cards up to 2 GBs.
If you want
us to contact you about these products click this link
Instrumentation... Product of the Month
ICS... Ethernet 128 Bit Parallel Port
ICS of California,
has just introduced the latest additions to its growing family
of Ethernet I/O products.
The Model 8013
Ethernet <-> Parallel Interface Board provides a digital interface with 128 I/O lines
that can be used to easily adapt devices with a large number
of digital signals to the computer via an 10 or 100 Mb Ethernet
network. In a typical application, the 8013 is located inside
the device chassis and is powered by the device's +5 volt power.
All digital signal connections are on a 150-pin connector at
one end of the card. The 8013's high-power TTL type signals can
easily drive small relays or other logic elements. Applications
include controlling switching matrices, displays or large signal
arrays. An RJ-45 header on the other end of the 8013 contains
the Ethernet signals. The 8013 connects to any TCP/IP 10BASE-T/100BASE-T
network or to the NIC port on your computer.
VXI-11 Compliant
The 8013 is a VXI-11 compliant network service which can be easily
controlled by several programming techniques. ICS's VXI-11 Keyboard
utility lets you .nd and control Ethernet instruments that are
VXI-11 compatible. The 8013 can also be controlled through VISA
layers from Agilent, National Instruments, and other vendors
as well as from Agilent's SICL library. Linux, Unix and other
operating system users can control the 8013 with RPC calls over
a TCP/IP network.
If you want us
to contact you about these products click this link
Modbus I/O... Product of the Month
Topsccc... Modbus Expert (Adam style) Modules
Topscc introduces
the latest Modbus Expert Modules to its growing family of Ethernet
I/O products.
|
EX-9017-M |
8-channel
analog input module, 16-bit w/ Modbus |
|
EX-9017F-M |
8-channel
analog input module, 12-bit w/ Modbus |
|
EX-9024-M |
4-channel 14-bit
analog output module w/ Modbus |
|
EX-9053D-M |
16 Digital
input module w/LED w/ Modbus |
|
EX-9043D-M |
Non-Isolated
O.C. 16 output module w/LED w/ Modbus |
|
EX-9060D-M |
Relay 4 output
and 4 digital input module w/LED w/ Modbus |
|
|
|
|
Industrial
Embedded Controller (large range) |
Modbus Demo
& Modbus RTU/ Slave Source Code for Modbus Implement.
(EX-9188XD / EX-9188XD-MRTU Series) Ask about these |
If you want us
to contact you about these products click this link
Software... Product of the Month
SWS ---ADAM, NuDAM, Topscc Modules -- LV 7 and
8 Drivers
ADAM and NuDAM
modules from Advantech,Adlink and Topsccc (many others) are now
industrial multi sourced industrial distributied I/O measurement
and control modules.
A distributied
I/O system can be set up using RS-232, RS-485 or USB connections.
SWS a few yearsback released
a LabVIEW driver for version 6.1. We are now able to supply fthe
same driver in LabVIEW 7 and 8 versions.
If you want us
to contact you about these products click this link
Gauges... Product of the Month
Meterdrive
from Vectral
--- Linear
Tape Gauge
The simple solution
for high-speed measuring and positionning over long distances
: the opto-electronic head slides along the steel tape and reads
the number of holes, up to 10 m/s. There are no mechanical parts,
and therefore no wear.
1mm or 0,1mm resolution.
If you want us
to contact you about these products click this link
UPS...
Product
of the Month
Beam... Internal UPSs
Smart
Internal Series SI-300/500/550/600
SI series is
the industries first and only uninterruptible power supply system
(UPS) with the ability to be mounted into a PC case using a 5
1/4" drive bay. A fully integrated UPS with all the necessary
components of a traditional UPS in a single box. Providing convenient,
space saving, hassle free, and power protection solution to mission-critical
computing environments.
Special Feature
Suitable for 5 1/4 disk size.
Micro-processor based design, more reliable & friendly.
Auto-select frequency.
"Green Power" design for saving battery life.
Multifunction button for alarm reset, power off, & self-test
(DC start).
Warning for battery replacement.
Compatible with Windows 95/98/2000 /NT/ME, Linux, SCO UNIX, &
DOS.
AT/ATX computer compatible.
Easy installation.
This is a CE Certificated Product.
If you want us
to contact you about these products click this link
AC
Power... Product
of the Month
Soltec... AC Voltage and Frequency Converters
Soltech make
a range of single phase and three phase Voltage and Frequency
Converters.
These are useful
devices if you want to run 60HZ AC devices in NZ or you are make
60HZ devices for export and you need to test them in NZ.
Power
Ranges
are from 1KVA all the way to 320KVA.
Simple installation and setup. These devices are actually built
around their UPS sinewave inverter and charger technology. There
are no batteries in these devices.
If you want us
to contact you about these products click this link
OEM
... Product
of the Month
Quatech... Box or Embeddable OEM Ethernet Serial Servers and USB
Serial boards
Quatech
USB Serial Adapters are reliable solutions for a wide variety
of industries such as banking, retail, hospitality and industrial
automation where PCs have significantly shorter lifecycles than
the peripherals used with them. With the trend towards PCs with
only USB expansion options, connecting multiple serial devices
to a system has become increasingly more difficult. Boasting
industry-leading speed and features, Quatech USB Serial Adapters
enumerate themselves as standard COM ports enabling systems to
be expanded using USB without any changes to application software.
Fastest data
rates 460.8 kbps
Up to 16 serial ports in a single port-powered unit
RS-232 or RS-422/485 serial interface
Surge suppression
Embedded
(board-level) solutions available for custom enclosures
SSU-100-EMB 1 port embedded USB
to RS-232 serial adapter
SSE-100D-EMB 1 port embedded RS-232 Serial Device Server (DB-9)
DSE-100D-EMB 2 port embedded RS-232 Serial Device Server (DB-9)
If you want us
to contact you about these products click this link
Medical... Item of the Month
ADAM...ADAM Health Information on CDs
Low cost CD
reference material for education or home
A.D.A.M.
Illustrated Medical Encyclopedia on CD-ROM (10th Edition)
A.D.A.M.
The Complete Alternative Medicine Encyclopedia On CD-ROM
A.D.A.M.
Illustrated Family Health Guide
Nine
Month Miracle
If you want us
to contact you about these products click this link
IP Power Control... Item of the Month
Aviosys...Smart IP Power Control
IP Power 9258 - main features :
1) Network Server
reboot -- can remote control to reboot the power on for the PC
or Server at remote site , no need send someone to get the job
done at the scene to save time and manpower.
2) Network AC
Power Control -- can control and operate the High Power switch
on / off via Internet / Ethernet, even the Comsumer Electronic
110V / 220V Products .
3) Timer Power
Switch -- can pre-set the time schedule to turn power on / off
thru Internet / Ethernet.
4) WAP Mobile
Phone Control -- can use the GPRS cell phone via WAP to control
5) Open Code
Customization -- provided Source Code for user to modify to fit
it's own system application
If you want us
to contact you about these products click this link
Sale... Item of the Month
Soltec...1000VA dual conversion
on line UPS $599 +GST +Shutdown Software
- Dealers now
bundle with PC Server sales!!
- End Users, why
be with out protection for your servers.??
- Soltec LCD setup
screen
- This UPS will
suit one or two Servers with one LCD monitor with KVM switches
- If you
purchase five UPSs, the price will be $545 +GST
If you want us
to contact you about these products click this link
Integration Project... Completed 2005
MasTec...
High Speed
Image Capture System (up to 4K frames/second)
MasTec built
a multi PC based high speed image capture system using Camera
Link Interfaced Silicon Imaging variable resolution 1280 CMOS
1280 x 1024 B/W cameras.
These cameras
can run from slow frame rates by adjusting the clock rate on
the camera
|
Resolution |
Frame Rates |
|
1280 x 1024 |
41 |
|
1280 x 700 |
60 |
|
800 x 600 |
105 |
|
640 x 480 |
158 |
|
512 x 512 |
177 |
|
320 x 200 |
532 |
|
320 x 240 |
532 |
|
240 x 180 |
855 |
|
200 x 150 |
1143 |
|
128 x 128 |
1686 |
|
64 x 64 |
4360 |
At these frame rates and resolutions the camera is running data
at 60MB/sec. It is impossible to have two cameras feeding one
PC as the PCI bus cannot keep up with these data rates. It is
also difficult to make a disk drive system run at these speeds
of 60MB/Sec so the option was taken to use a separate Pentium
4 computer with each camera and sync the two cameras off the
PCI capture cards. The PCs were both given 4GB of memory and
can collect data for a considerable time up to 1 minute or so
at full frame rates with having to run a disk drive. Each machine
was fitted with a 1Gb ethernet for transmitting the data collected
to a higher performance Dual Xeon PC.
If you want us
to contact you about these products click this link
Product Alerts... Discontinued Items for the year 2006
so far.
Advantech
Critical End-Of-Life Announcement – According to our records MasTec
has previously sold these products.
Please be advised
that due to the early EOL of VIA C3/Eden and AMD Geode components,
Advantech will be revising a range of product models including
selected Single Board Computers, PC/104, SOM, POS, Panel PC,
Slot PC, TREK Vehicle PC and eHome Panel PCs.
For a complete
list of affected products, replacement models and expected release
dates, please
visit:
GW Instek -- Please open the pdf
file with the announcements of Phase out Product
List.
Quatech --- SSCFR-100 ending,
customers are to move to the SSCF-100 card in place of the ruggedized
unit
---
GPSR-001B GPSR-001C GPSR-001U ending March 2006
SWS... For Sale
SWS
is a small prodcut development company
What is For
Sale: All of SWS --- the two main products of interest are:-
The Window Testing
Systems and the Roof Testing Systems.
Over the last
12 years, SWS has developed these systems with several Window
Testing systems running in NZ , Australia and Malayasia and recently
the new Roof Testing system for the NZ market.
Over this time
the software and the hardware has evolved, to now be USB based
to become quite a sophisicated Measurement suite that uses LabVIEW
DAQ and Control software.
You can read
about these systems at this link
Suit an engineer or small company
wanting to expand its product line.
If you want us
to contact you about these products click this link
Industria
industria – global news about Automation, Process Control,
Instrumentation, and Software for Australasia/Oceania
Website
Link
MasTec Staff Contacts
:-
(Please send
Brad any updates on company details, any new staff members etc)