 Control Chief, together with Rockwell Automation, has developed a wireless communication solution for the Allen-Bradley SLC 500. Our Communicator® is a fully integrated wireless communication module that is designed for the SLC 500 series platform that communicates directly through the BACKPLANE of the PLC. This “virtual wire” connection provides RF channel data rates up to 250 Kbaud with 2.4 GHz Spread Spectrum frequency hopping radio.
Our Communicator® and Safety Watchdog modules offer real time wireless control with deterministic monitoring of critical control variables. This control package has been industry proven to achieve a true “fail safe” operation with incorporation of the Safety Watchdog module hand-wired to Emergency shutdown circuits.
The Communicator® and Safety Watchdog modules have been utilized in multiple material handling applications where safety is the foremost priority. Functioning as a unit, the Communicator®, Safety Watchdog, and SLC 500 can be programmed to monitor crane actuations, log a maintenance database, sound alarms and run HMI software. A typical example of this monitoring is; after a specified number of actuations occur, an alarm is activated while the output characteristics of the SLC change to a “scaled down” state preventing mechanical failure. This function can be utilized to ensure compliance with required periodic maintenance schedules.
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