UL-listed signal column wireless system

A UL-listed version of the Wireless Information Network (WIN), a signal column wireless system from Phoenix Contact’s PSD product line, is now available for use in the North American market.

This wireless system enables the status of up to 50 machines to be monitored centrally at the same time. Here, the wireless elements integrated in the signalling columns (slaves) wirelessly transfer the statuses of the signalling columns to a receiver unit (master), which is connected at the USB port of a PC. A slave has a wireless range of up to 300 m. The integrated repeater and routing function makes it possible to extend the distance between a slave and the master to max. 900 m.

Along with storing and analysing the data received by the master, the WIN software also displays the current status of the signal columns. Every status change is immediately displayed in a pop-up window, which is visible even if other programs are in use on the PC. In addition, the productivity of each machine can be analyzed in the program using pie charts. You can also display the chronology of individual machine statuses during a freely definable period. During operation, the machine operator can add comments to individual periods so that the cause of a specific machine status can be tracked during a subsequent database analysis.

In addition to setting up a wireless network, the user can use a multiplexer set to wirelessly mirror the status of a signal column outside the operator's range of vision to another signal column closer to the operator.