OptoNews - January 23, 2008

Lumenyte Creates Fiber-optic Light with Opto 22 Products

Case Study in Spanish: Georgia Pacific Tissue México

New White Paper: PAC Software

Hot Tips from Product Support: SNAP I/O Modules

Lumenyte Creates Fiber-optic Light with Opto 22 Products

Our latest case study (in video or PDF) sheds light on the process control application of manufacturer Lumenyte International Corporation.

Lumenyte designs and manufactures plastic optical fibers for a wide assortment of architectural, medical, inspection, and other applications. They use Opto 22's SNAP PAC System, as well as some legacy mistic equipment, to monitor and control a complex process that relies on repeated heating and cooling and the application and accurate measurement of precise temperatures, flows, and pressure.

We have two ways for you to find out about Lumenyte:

• The video case study gives a real feel for the company and the equipment that's being controlled.
• The written case study in PDF format adds more technical details about Lumenyte's application and their upgrade from mistic controllers to PACs..

Case Study in Spanish: Georgia Pacific Tissue México

Another new case study on our website shows how Georgia Pacific Tissue's factory in Toluca, Mexico, upgraded existing equipment with Opto 22 products.

This case study is written in Spanish.

Caso sobre como la compañía Georgia Pacific Tissue, que ha actualizado maquinaria en una planta en la ciudad de Toluca, México con los productos de Opto 22.

Read the Georgia Pacific Tissue Case Study.

New White Paper: PAC Software

If you’re looking at programmable automation controllers (PACs) for your monitoring, automation, and data acquisition applications, you may be wondering how PACs are programmed. This new white paper explores some of the most important features of software for PACs.

Read the Software for Programmable Automation Controllers (PACs) white paper.

Hot Tips from Product Support: SNAP I/O Modules

Opto 22's Product Support Group (PSG) develops some helpful tips as they work with customers calling in for free product support. Here are some hardware tips from Product Support engineers.

Low-voltage AC Inputs

Do you need a low-voltage AC input? You can use a module like the SNAP-IDC5 for a 10 to 32 VAC input, or use the SNAP-IDC5G for inputs from 35 to 75 VAC. Because these modules incorporate a full-bridge rectifier, they can work with either an AC or a DC input.

Loop Sourcing and Isolation: a Great Combination

"I always like to tell customers about our isolated sourcing modules," says Bill Steffens, PSG Lead Engineer. "They're practically indestructible!"

The modules he's talking about are the SNAP-AIMA-iSRC analog input and the SNAP-AOA-23-iSRC analog output.

Each module has two channels isolated from each other (each module also includes transformer and optical isolation). You just bring 24 volts of loop sourcing power to the top of the module, and it provides isolated loop sourcing power to both channels.

The modules' design gives them two key advantages: first, they eliminate ground loop problems, and second, any short on the field wiring is limited by the isolated loop supply so it won't damage the module. That's where the indestructibility comes in.

For those of you familiar with G4 modules, these SNAP modules function just like the G4AD3 and the G4DA3—except that each has two channels instead of just one.