ISA Expo 2006: Industrial strength wireless device networking

Xpress DR+ wireless device server from Lantronix allows equipment to be connected to 802.11 b/g networks in harsh environments.

Irvine, CA and Houston, TX — Lantronix Inc . was among many companies at ISA Expo 2006 continuing expansion of the wireless world with the launch of its first wireless device server for extreme environments. Xpress DR+ wireless, a rugged DIN-rail mounted WiFi 802.11 device server, connects virtually any type of industrial equipment to a LAN or the Internet. Applications for the environmentally hardened product include industrial and factory automation, building automation, energy utilities management, and transportation. The device server is said to operate reliably under extreme temperatures and resist the effects of exposure to electrical interference, vibration, and physical abuse.

“With the addition of wireless to the Xpress product line,” said Mark Prowten, director of applications and solutions for Lantronix, “we are delivering to industrial manufacturers a rugged, easy-to-customize, cost-effective solution designed to remotely connect, communicate, and control virtually any type of equipment in the industrial environment. With state-of-the-art, built-in security and encryption features, the newest wireless applications are as secure as many wired deployments.”

UDS1110-IAP device server from Lantronix is suited for extreme environments and features open-standard Ethernet architecture to communicate with most industrial equipment.

Xpress DR+ lets users take advantage of remote diagnostics and real-time event notification without the need to run wire and cabling, which can account for two-thirds of installed cost. It presents a status view of equipment on the network to any standard Web browser or application software through a standard 802.11 b/g wireless network. Product includes two serial ports and 9-30 V dc or 9-24 V ac power input operations. Its SwitchPort platform technology allows multiple industrial serial devices to be cascaded from one network backbone connection, eliminating the need for hubs and cabling.

The company also announced the UDS1100-IAP device server, which works in extreme environments and supports industrial standard communication protocols. Its open-standard Ethernet architecture provides the flexibility to communicate with virtually any type of industrial equipment. Single-port product includes a built-in Web server for remote access and management of attached equipment. Industrially hardened, it operates in a temperature range of -40 to 70 °C while supporting such protocols as Modbus TCP, ASCII, RTU, and DF1.

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Control Engineering Daily News Desk Jeanine Katzel , senior editor

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