Feedback: Four and 90 more relay suppliers…

While I can’t always respond to all correspondence, I do appreciate feedback. The ” Relay roundup: small, dedicated, and economical ” item in the Control Engineering System Integrator Monthly e-newsletter, Sept. 4, 2003, left out some major players, a reader says. As I mentioned in an e-mail reply, the write-up offered a sampling from 10 manufacturers, based on a diverse pile of recent relay-related press releases companies had sent.

Here are offerings from four more companies the reader asked about. Significant features include programming flexibility, wireless, specification help, and push-button test capabilities.

Idec’s FL1B SmartRelay looks like some small PLCs.

Idec SmartRelay is a fully programmable, compact, expandable CPU that can replace multiple timers, relays, and counters. Each CPU houses a real-time clock and calendar, and supports optional expansion I/O modules for control and monitoringapplications.

The Omron G6Z relay can communicate wirelessly.

Omron Electronics targets the growing need for wireless communication with the miniature 2.6-GHz-band SPDT high frequency relay model G6Z. It offers the widest variety of configurations. It has isolation of 30 dB min., 60-65 dB isolation at 900 MHz, insertion loss of 0.5 dB max., and V.SWR of 1.5 max. at 2.6 GHz. Dimensions are 20 x 8.6 x 8.9 mm. It’s available in an E-shape terminal structure or Y-shape terminal structure, which allows greater freedom with PCB design.

Potter-Brumfield (one relay brand offered by the General Purpose Relay Group of Tyco Electronics) offers a great feature as part of the Tyco Web site . You can specify what you need in a P&B relay, or other Tyco brands, as well. For the P&B part of the online tool, click here.

Magnecraft & Struthers-Dunn says the 784 Relay fills out the 700 Series Family.

Magnecraft & Struthers-Dunn 784 Relay is in the 700 Series Family of multi-functional and innovative relays with new compatible mating sockets. The 700 Series incorporates among other features a flag indicator, LED status lamp, push-to-test button, finger grip cover, DIN-rail capability, and is UL listed when used with mating sockets.

Adding these certainly doesn’t make a complete list either. For a much broader listing of relay offerings, please register for and search the Control Engineering Buyer’s Guide Online on keyword ”relay” for more than 90 manufacturers.

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

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