Connections: ArcNet interface, wireless unit, dual-barrier strip

Wi.USB-DTS allows engineers to design wireless products faster, Radiotronix says.

Recently introduced network-related products include an ArcNet-USB interface from Contemporary Controls , a spread-spectrum wireless network interface from Radiotronix , and a Buchanan 0.375-in. centerline JC6 series dual-barrier strip from Tyco Electronics .

” Contemporary Controls introduces the only ArcNet interface in the industry providing a cost-effective solution for transferring ArcNet data over high-speed USB,” says George Karones, engineering manager at Contemporary Controls. The USB22 Series of Network Interface Modules (NIMs) allows easy connectivity between desktop or laptop computers to peripherals because it provides a very high-speed interface (up to 480 Mbps) and does not require inserting a separate NIM into the computer, Karones says. This NIM is designed with the COM20022 controller employing the latest ArcNet technology supporting data rates up to 10 Mbps. It includes a high-speed microcontroller that transfers the data between ArcNet and USB. It has up to 128 Kbytes of ArcNet receiver buffering to handle the reception of broadcast messages or the monitoring of networks with high traffic levels. With a 480 Mbps USB link, the possibility of dropping packets is remote, according to the company. Prices begin at $295.

Connecting wire and cable to panels or circuit boards is easier with the Buchanan 0.375-in. centerline JC6 series dual-barrier strip from Tyco Electronics

Radiotronix offers Wi.USB-DTS, an FCC-approved desktop interface that allows quick PC connectivity to a Wi.232DTS network. The desktop unit is compact, USB-powered, self-contained, and combines a high-performance wireless DTS spread-spectrum transceiver, based on the Semtech XE1203F, with a protocol controller said to suit sensor networks requiring PC/laptop interface or point-to-point long-range PC/laptop communications. In high power mode, transmit power is up to +11dBm, the maximum RF data rate is 152.34 kbit/s, and 32 channels are supported. In low power mode, transmit power is 0dBm, the maximum RF data rate is 38.4 kbit/s, and 83 channels are supported. It reaches distances of 500-800 ft indoors and 1,500-2,500 ft outside. Applications include automated meter reading, industrial automation, home automation, medical instrumentation, and RFID. It allows an engineer to make any product wireless in a matter of days, not months, saving valuable design resources and getting the product to market faster—attach an antenna, provide power, and communicate, company says.

Tyco Electronics Buchanan 0.375-in. centerline JC6 series dual-barrier strip provides convenient termination for wire and cable applications where panel mounting or printed circuit board installation is necessary. The molded-to-length product is available in 2 through 23 positions and can be configured with accessories such as quick-connect tabs and jumpers for industrial controls, power supplies, HVAC equipment, test equipment, and telecom equipment. The strips carry component recognition from UL and CSA. The product is RoHS compliant. They’re rated for 20 A at 300 V ac or 5 A at 600 V ac and accept 12-22 AWG copper wire (stranded or solid). The insulator is UL 94V-0 black thermoplastic and contacts are tin-plated brass. Pricing is $0.25-$0.33 per pole depending on the terminal style at the 1,000 piece quantity level.

—Edited by Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering editor in chief, MHoske@cfemedia.com

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