ASHTON-U-LYNE, England (September 26th, 2003) - Hawke International announced today that it is releasing a new electronic fieldbus device coupler at ISA2003 (Houston, Oct 21-23rd).The TG Series of fieldbus device couplers are unique in that they are specifically designed to simplify installation & speed up commissioning of fieldbus systems, which will reduce costs for users and will accelerate the uptake of fieldbus technology.TG Series device couplers are complete packages of all the accessories required for installation of segments in Foundation Fieldbus and Profibus-PA, plus: automatic resetting spur protection automatic segment termination automatic system diagnosticsThese features enable systems installers to concentrate on sophisticated control & monitoring strategies, and minimise effort required to complete the physical implementation of fieldbus.Hawke’s TG Series is unique in using TRUNKGUARD™ technology which ‘folds back’ on excess current demand and actually cuts off any spur fault, preventing any segment overload and exhibiting no internal power dissipation problems. Competitive units use simpler current-limiting circuits which actually maintain faults continuously, requiring designers to allow significant ‘headroom’ in capacity calculations to avoid overloading segment power supplies and risking internal damage through internal power dissipation.Segment termination is a requirement of fieldbus implementation, and system designers and installers need to take care to use 2 (and only 2) terminators per segment. Hawke’s automatic segment termination (patent pending) eliminates that issue for designers & installers – each device coupler detects when it is the last in the segment and activates the segment terminator. There is also a direct financial saving - some companies charge £50/$75 for what is actually a small resistor and a tiny capacitor in a box.The use of electronics allows systems diagnostics in the field, and Hawke’s TG Series provides individual LEDs to indicate HEALTHY or FAULT status per spur rather than simply under short-circuit conditions. This feature enables rapid commissioning as common wiring issues are clearly identified without any additional test equipment.TG Series is available for general purpose and non-incendive applications, and will also be available soon for connection to intrinsically-safe devices and for explosionproof devices.About Hawke International Hawke International (a trading name of Hawke Cable Glands Ltd) is part of Hubbell, Inc a US-based group of companies specialising in electrical wiring accessories and components. The Fieldbus Division, based in Ashton-Under-Lyne, is one of the fastest growing parts of the Group, and manufactures a wide range of fieldbus interface equipment & device couplers. Hawke International employs around 165 people in 3 main locations (Ashton, Houston & Singapore).
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