March 31, 2011 - Eaton is introducing SmartWire-DT panel wiring solution. The system is designed to reduce panel wiring complexity, improve system reliability, save installation time and reduce panel space. Transforming the way original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) build control panels, the solution replaces the myriad of wires found in the control circuit into a single cable, connecting motor control components to customers’ programmable logic controllers (PLCs). The SmartWire-DT system is engineered to reduce panel wiring complexity and assembly labor time, speed the start-up commissioning processes, and provide extensive run-time diagnostics.
It links standard motor control components within the panel, separate distribution panels or remote control stations, and creates communications enabled devices. Additionally, the SmartWire-DT flat cable connections safeguard the controlpanel from unauthorized wiring changes, helping to protect the craftsmanship and integrity of the control panel. The SmartWire-DT panel wiring solution uses an eight-conductor, flat cable located in the control cabinet to connect motorstarters, pushbutton actuators, and indicator lights. The start of the system is a SmartWire-DT gateway, which establishes the connection to standard programmable logic controller (PLC) fieldbuses, including PROFIBUS-DP and CANopen.
The SmartWire-DT network directly integrates the input/output (I/O) level in the switching devices. As a result, no conventional PLC I/O modules are needed; instead, communication enabled modules are attached to standard Eaton motor control components. Thus, the PLC in the control cabinet simply consists of a central processing unit (CPU). Typical faults – like loose connections and mis-wired terminations – are reduced with the SmartWire-DT solution, by using the flat cable and the specialized connectors. Each SmartWire-DT enabled device also has individual status indicators, which help to reduce commissioning time and troubleshooting in the field.
Devices on the SmartWire-DTnetwork are automatically addressed with the push of a button on the gateway, assigning addresses in the order that the devices are connected. The system continuously monitors all devices on the network and detects changes in the panel. The SmartWire-DT system canfunction on a network length up to 2,000 feet, and can connect up to 99 devices per gateway.
