Rabbit® Helps To Transmit Industrial Data
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Rabbit is cost effective
and they offer a strong Ethernet feature set. The first application was completed in matter of weeks.
R Engineering Inc., an Alberta, Canada electrical and instrumentation firm, understands the impact that meaningful and usable data can have in reducing costs and maximizing profits. Providing their technical excellence in data acquisition and monitoring to the oil and gas industry, R Engineering believes in the immense value in enabling people to make informed decisions. Their WebTransmitter uses the RabbitCore® RCM4010 to transmit vital data in an easy and efficient way.
There are a number of ways to bring field data into the Internet and a process control system. Data extraction and transmission using a computer and a data protocol to write information to a controller is one method. Another method is to interface API’s with data historians which write back data to the control system. R Engineering offers a simpler data acquisition solution. Their WebTransmitter uses a 4-20 mA analog signal that is fed into a data historian similar to temperature and pressure transmitters.
“The WebTransmitter achieves this by gathering internet data and then using a DAC to write information to a process control system using the 4 -20 mA signal,” explains Rudy Boonstra of R Engineering Inc. The first iteration of the WebTransmitter used a computer and web-enabled PLC. The computer ran a visual basic application that transmitted data via the web-enabled PLC and sent it to a target process control system. Increases in processing power, memory and integrated networking capability necessitated a replacement for the embedded PLC and computer solution and led R Engineering Inc. to the RabbitCore RCM4010.
“Rabbit is cost effective and they offer a strong Ethernet feature set. The first application was completed in matter of weeks,” states Boonstra.
The RabbitCore® RCM4010 was a perfect fit for R Engineering and their improved WebTransmitter solution. The RCM4010 combines the advanced processing power of the Rabbit® 4000 with Ethernet capability, allowing for web-enabled monitoring and control. In a typical deployment, the WebTransmitter outputs status information to a tri-color LCD display. Using an ethernet connection, the RCM4010 extracts data from the Internet and writes the data as float values to a serial data stream. Using a DAC, the stream is converted to 4-20 mA analog signal and sent to the plan process control system. For device configuration, the RCM4010 is programmed to be a web server so that set points can simply be adjusted using any web browser.
“With the abundance of I/O on the Rabbits, this application was easily accomplished. All in all, we are very happy with the product,” says Boonstra.
The WebTransmitter allows energy distributors to streamline production by analyzing operating costs compared to energy prices. Operators can minimize waste and maximize production efficiency and profits. The powerful and easy to use RabbitCore RCM4010 provided R Engineering Inc. with a single reliable device that meets and exceeds expectations.
For more information about R Engineering, visit: www.webtransmitter.com
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