AutomationDirect’s Productivity3000 controller family now includes the P3-SCM serial communication module. The option to add more serial ports allows the connection of many peripherals, such as bar code scanners, drives, weight scales, printers, HMI displays and most any Modbus or ASCII device, into one control system.
The four-port serial communication module contains three RS-232 (RJ12) half or full duplex ports and one port selectable between RS-232 (RJ12) and RS-485 (four-wire terminal block). All ports support Modbus RTU Master/Slave, ASCII In/Out, and custom communication protocols up to 38.4K baud rate. In addition to RS-232, the module’s first port provides 5V, 210mA power for the C-more Micro monochrome HMI. The module also features a 16-LED status display to show communication status for each port.
The P3-SCM module is priced at $285 and is backed with a two-year warranty.
The ProductivitySuite programming software has also been updated to support Data Structures. The updated software provides faster programming by auto-filling tag names, eliminating repetitive typing. Tag I/O reassignment provides greater flexibility when programming offline and making it easier to make hardware changes. Users can create tags offline before deciding which I/O module will be used. Once the hardware has been purchased and configured, simply delete default tag names and reassign them to point to the pre-created tags. This is also helpful if a single I/O point fails and there are unused points available.
Learn more about the P3-SCM module and the ProductivitySuite programming software at www.automationdirect.com/productivity3000.
To read more articles about programmable control, click here.