IDEC Corporation has released its FC6A MicroSmart, a powerful PLC with up to 520 I/O.
The MicroSmart PLC provides the power of a PAC (programmable automation controller) in a low-cost controller with a small form factor, making it an ideal fit for demanding applications.
Industries suited to the MicroSmart PLC include oil & gas, chemical, solar, marine, packaging, food & beverage, material handling, utility vehicles, and OEM machinery and process skids. Within these industries, a wide variety of applications are a good fit for the MicroSmart PLC—especially those requiring control of standalone machines, process skids, vehicles and small-scale systems.
Basic instructions can be executed in 0.042 microseconds, and program memory is 640kB. There are 1,024 timers, and six of the 512 counters are high-speed at rates up to 100kHz. These capabilities are combined with extensive data and bit memory, double the capacity of a typical micro PLC.
These features allow the MicroSmart PLC to handle large programs with complex control requirements such as PID, flow totalisation and recipes. Three MicroSmart PLC models are available, each with 24Vdc or 100-240Vac input power.
The 16 I/O model has 9 inputs, and 7 relay or transistor outputs. The 24 I/O model has 14 inputs, and 10 relay or transistor outputs. The 40 I/O model has 24 inputs, and 16 relay or transistor outputs.
Each model also includes an integral 0-10Vdc analog input. The 16 and 24 I/O models can accommodate one plug-in analog cartridge, and the 40 I/O model can accommodate two plug-in analog cartridges. Each cartridge has two analog I/O points, either two inputs or two outputs.
Up to 12 expansion modules can be added to the 16 I/O model, and up to 15 expansion modules can be added to the 24 and 40 I/O models.
These modules can be of any type with no restrictions as to the number of analog and specialty modules. This gives the 40 I/O MicroSmart PLC the capability to handle up to 520 I/O with a maximum of 126 analog I/O, much more than a typical micro PLC.
All models have a built-in RJ45 Ethernet port, and an RJ45 RS232C/RS485 serial port. A plug-in cartridge adds an additional RS232C/RS485 port.
An SD memory port and a mini-B USB port can each be used for data logging, program storage/transfer, firmware updating or recipe storage.
The Ethernet port supports the Modbus TCP protocol, and the serial port supports the Modbus RTU protocol.
An optional HMI module can be added to the CPU to provide operator interface via its display and control buttons.
The HMI module can also accommodate an optional plug-in analog cartridge, and it has an integral Ethernet port. Using the operator interface functionality, any PLC parameter can be updated.