EC: Eaton SmartWire-DT panel solution

Network integration – Network hardware: The Eaton SmartWire-DT panel solution is designed to reduce panel wiring complexity, improve system reliability, save installation time, and reduce panel space for OEMs and panel builders. This is a Control Engineering 2012 Engineers’ Choice honorable mention.

November 18, 2011

The Eaton SmartWire-DT panel wiring solution is designed to reduce panel wiring complexity, improve system reliability, save installation time, and reduce panel space. Transforming the way OEMs build control panels, the solution replaces the myriad of wires found in the control circuit into a single cable, connecting motor control components to customers’ PLCs.

SmartWire-DT is engineered to reduce panel wiring complexity and assembly labor time, speed the start-up commissioning processes, and provide extensive run-time diagnostics. It links standard motor control components within the panel, separate distribution panels, or remote control stations, and creates communications-enabled devices. Additionally, the SmartWire-DT flat cable connections safeguard the control panel from unauthorized wiring changes, helping to protect the craftsmanship and integrity of the control panel.

The SmartWire-DT panel wiring solution uses an eight-conductor, flat cable located in the control cabinet to connect motor starters, pushbutton actuators, and indicator lights. The start of the system is a SmartWire-DT gateway, which establishes the connection to standard PLC fieldbuses, including PROFIBUS-DP and CANopen.

The SmartWire-DT network directly integrates the input/output (I/O) level in the switching devices. As a result, no conventional PLC I/O modules are needed; instead, communication enabled modules are attached to standard Eaton motor control components. Thus, the PLC in the control cabinet simply consists of a CPU. Typical faults are reduced with the SmartWire-DT solution, by using the flat cable and the specialized connectors. Each SmartWire-DT enabled device also has individual status indicators, which help to reduce commissioning time and troubleshooting in the field. Devices are automatically addressed with the push of a button on the gateway, assigning addresses in the order that the devices are connected. It continuously monitors all devices on the network and detects changes in the panel.

www.eaton.com

www.eaton.com/Electrical/USA/ProductsandServices/AutomationandControl/Connectivity/index.htm

Eaton Corporation

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