Advantech has Dedicated Industrial I/O Product Specialists Around the Globe to Help You With Your Application Needs
In order to better serve our customer's Advantech has assigned a dedicated person in each geographical region to focus exclusively on Advantech's Industrial I/O products. Please contact your I/O product specialist for all questions involving these Advantech products. Click here to locate the I/O Product Specialist in your region.


Articles:
Why are ADAM Serial I/O Modules RS-485
Advantech's ADAM serial I/O modules are designed for half-duplex RS-485 serial communication only. Most industrial engineers are familiar with the three more common serial communication standards, RS-232, RS-422, and RS-485. Before the recent popularity of USB, consumer computer systems were equipped with at least one RS-232 port, but rarely RS-422 or RS-485. However, industrial computers are commonly equipped with RS-422 or RS-485 ports. These have long been the preferred standards for industrial applications because they use a more noise immune differential signal allowing much greater cable length between devices than RS-232. Of these, only RS-485 is specified as a half-duplex multi-drop standard.

Mixing Other Serial Devices Into an ADAM RS-485 Network
Because of the expense of running wire for a second serial network or because only one serial port is available at the host, the question often arises whether the ADAM RS-485 network could support other serial devices. The answer is typically yes, but there are several technical criteria that should be considered. If the device is RS-485 compatible with the ADAM network, then protocol conflicts are the only consideration. If the device is not RS-485 compatible, such as RS-232 or RS-422, then connection is still possible, but compatible conversion to the ADAM RS-485 network must be accomplished as well protocol considerations.

What is "eOpen I/O"?
ADAM I/O is one of the original products of Advantech. It was first conceived as a remote real I/O solution for industrial applications using the common multi-drop networking communication standard of the day, serial RS-485. From its inception ADAM used a proprietary ASCII protocol which was thoroughly documented and completely 'open' to every user. Today, the concept of 'open' has been epitomized in technologies like the Internet itself, the Java development environment, and it even evident in the industrial arena with protocols like MODBUS. The ADAM ASCII protocol was one of the earliest pioneers of what has become the popular standard of 'open' architecture.


Product Updates:
New Advantech ADAM-6000 Application-Ready Temperature Solutions
The integration of automation and enterprise systems requires a shift in the architecture of open control systems and can only be accomplished through Internet technology. In addition to general browser-based data acquisition applications, dedicated vertical market requirements such as temperature applications are becoming the trend of future automation. Answering this demand for an application-ready optimized solution, Advantech is introducing the new ADAM-6000 temperature measurement and control series.

Advantech's Ethernet Data Gateway (EDG) Products Highlighted in ARCwire
ARC Research Director Craig Resnick says, "These new solutions continue to strengthen Advantech's position in the area of Web-enabled platform Services. Users are looking for suppliers that can deliver products, services, and solutions that enhance their ability to quicken the time-to-market, time-to-revenue, and time-to-service of the products. Suppliers must evolve from being purely solution providers in the industrial automation market to advancing the Web services trend, encompassing Internet connectivity for a wide variety of markets and applications."


Other:
Advantech Launches New Facility Management System (FMS) Solution Website
Advantech Automation launches their new Solution Website focused on Facility Management Systems (FMS). This Solution website provides FMS application stories, product information, industry solution partners, sales tools and contacts in one convenient location. If you are working on a solution involving Facility Management Systems, don't miss Advantech's new Solution website.