Product category:
I/O devices
News Release from: Audon Electronics | Subject: MFC-4422
Edited by the Laboratorytalk Editorial
Team on 16 March 2007
Wireless data acquisition and control by
Bluetooth
The MFC-4422 is an analogue and digital multifunction I/O bluetooth interface for professional wireless control applications in data acquisition, automation and facility management applications
The MFC-4422 I/O board has two analogue inputs, two analogue outputs, two relays, two TTL outputs and two opto-isolated and two TTL inputs Suitable for integration in machinery and office equipment
This article was originally published on Laboratorytalk on 26 Apr 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
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The MFC-4422 has a rich mix of inputs and outputs; two analogue inputs suitable for measuring real world parameters such as temperature or pressure etc.
Two digital inputs, two digital/relay outputs and two analogue outputs.
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The two opto-isolated digital inputs can be used as counter inputs.
Counter-states or frequency can be read out wirelessly, which makes it most suitable for metering applications like electricity, gas, water meters.
Digital outputs comprise two relays and two TTL outputs.
Digital outputs can be switched remotely.
A time off delay may be set to switch off the outputs when connection to the board is lost.
The MFC-4422-provides two analogue outputs.
Each of those outputs are provided as both a voltage signal in the range of 0-5 VDC and as pulse-width modulated TTL (PWM) signal.
The MFC-4422 can be used as a dumb I/O device or it can be operate in stand-alone mode with two independent on/off or PID controllers.
Each control channel comprises one analogue input and one output.
For on/off control, the measured input signal is compared with threshold points to switch on or off a relay output.
With PID control, the measured value is used by a PID algorithm to derive an analogue output signal.
The PID parameters can be adjusted by the user.
Thus the MFC-4422 can be used as a two channel alarm unit or used to accurately control a process.
The MFC-4422 is addressed by means of a simple Ascii instruction set, which can be employed with any common programming language.
No specific bluetooth-programming knowledge is required.
Messages between board and PC/PDA are exchanged in plain text.
The bluetooth-connection is established over a so called virtual com-port.
Programming of a virtual com port is identical to programming a standard hardware serial interface.
Visual-basic examples for PC and PDA are delivered on a CD together with the board.
Your PC or PDA has to have a bluetooth interface in order to be able to connect with the board.
The MFC-4422 is supplied with FREE Windows and PDA utilities - WCI-software.
With the WCI-software, you are able to manage all board parameters and to read and write to the different inputs and outputs.
Also includes a chart recorder style display for analogue inputs and data logging capabilities.
Data is logged to a Excel compatible data file.
The MFC-4422 is also supplied with an ActiveX component and Windows and PDA VB programming examples.
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