April 8, 2009 - The Industrial Automation Group of Advantech announces that its Serial Device Servers (EKI-1351, 1352, 1521, 1522, and 1524) and Modbus Gateways (EKI-1221, 1222, and 1224) have received Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Class 1, Division 2 (groups A, B, C, and D) certification for use in hazardous locations.
Installation of electronic devices in environments where flammable liquids, gasses and vapors may be present is a real challenge. It is critical to use the right equipment in these locations. With UL Class I, Division 2 certification, the EKI-1000 series of products are now UL/cUL approved for use in these types of hazardous environments, which are common to oil and gas, mining, and chemical processing industries.
The EKI-1220 series of Modbus Gateways enables quick and easy integration of Modbus ASCII and RTU devices with Industrial Ethernet networks and Modbus/TCP enabled devices. Supported configurations include: Ethernet master to serial slave, serial slave to Ethernet master, and concurrent operation of both modes.
The EKI-1300/1500 series Device Servers are a drop-in solution to add network connectivity to non-networked devices and equipment. With a wired Ethernet or 802.11b/g wireless connection, and one or more RS-232/422/485 serial ports, Device Servers encapsulate serial data for transport over Internet Protocol (IP) networks. Used separately or together with a host computer or PC, Device Servers are an ideal solution to integrate serial devices with Ethernet and IP networks, and to overcome the inherent distance limitations and point-to-point nature of serial devices.
The EKI-1000 models are packaged in a compact and thin metal DIN-rail mount chassis, and are ruggedized for demanding industrial applications. They include dual 12 to 48 VDC power inputs, power line surge (EFT) protection of 3,000 VDC, and 4,000 VDC Ethernet ESD protection to ensure maximum system uptime and uninterrupted communications
Advantech continues to expand the capabilities and breadth of their line of industrial Ethernet products. With these new certifications, the compact and rugged EKI-1000 series of Device Server and Modbus Gateways can now be used in a much broader range of applications, including use in hazardous locations.
Advantech Corporation, Industrial Automation Group- Founded in 1983, the Industrial Automation Group of Advantech Corporation is a pioneer in eAutomation technology; combining connectivity, flexibility and ruggedness with today's most reliable PC-based automation technologies. Product offerings include: Open HMI platforms, Industrial Ethernet, Automation Controllers, Automation Software, Embedded Automation Computers, Distributed I/O Modules, Plug-in I/O, and Industrial Communication solutions for a wide array of industries. With more than 20 years experience in providing a full range of products to different vertical markets, the Industrial Automation Group is proving to be a globally leading Automation Product and Services provider.
