April 13, 2020 - The release from Acromag’s Vertu brand of instrumentation is the VPM3000 Series of universal input displays with transmitter and alarm capabilities. These instruments combine the digital indicator function of a panel meter with optional signal conditioning for 4-20mA transmitter output and/or alarm trip solid-state relays. The 1.2 inch (31mm) high numerals are visible from far away, even in bright sunlight. Field-selectable inputs accept process current/voltage and temperature sensor signals including 4-20mA, ±20mA, 0-10V, ±10V, Pt RTDs, and most common thermocouple varieties.
For additional versatility, units can provide power to drive a 4-20mA transmitter and other instruments. Modbus RTU serial communication is also supported. Units are configurable using the front-panel pushbuttons, free Windows software, or a copy function from other units. Models are available for operation from 85-265V AC or 12-36V DC power sources. AC units can provide single or dual isolated 24V DC supplies to power a 4-20mA transmitter or other instruments.
A shallow-depth 1/8 DIN enclosure with a NEMA 4X front panel aids installation. UL/cUL listing meets industrial control equipment safety requirements. In addition to converting sensor signals to a scaled 4-20mA current for retransmission to controllers or recorders, units can also perform flow computation functions. The square root function can linearize the signal from a differential pressure transmitter to display flow rate in engineering units. A low-flow cutoff feature sets a user-defined threshold that forces the display to zero for slow flow rates that often produce unsteady output from a differential pressure transmitter.
A pushbutto toggles display of min/max values. Dual relays enable a variety of alarm trip configurations for high/low, high/high, and low/low limit triggers. They can also be used for process on/off control and pump alternation applications. For desktop monitoring and data acquisition applications, the free software can display and log data from multiple meters on a PC.
