GasTech Australia has released the new generation of controller cards. Our customer requirements were a simple dual channel controller card with high level of reliability. One processor per channel, so if a processor failures only one channel will be affected. Minimal shared components to increases reliability. Minimal training for commissioning and calibration maintenance. Minimal add-on options to complicate things. A simple reliable system with all the features we need.

What our engineers have developed is a dual channel dual processor card. This card has two separate circuitry with only a High-resolution display being shared. The display is a non-critical component, which do not influence the operation of the system. Basically if the display fails both channels will still operate correctly.

High resolution Graphical LCD. This component has been selected due to it's unique dual write feature. This allows both processors to write to the display at the same time. Top half for the top channel and the bottom half for the bottom channel. If one channel has the processor fail the display will continue to operate just displaying the other channel.

Card layout has been set up so the user can easily identify each channels circuity and adjustments. We have used a number of switches, which allows the user to set up the card to suite a number of different applications and field devises. A basic graphical display on the PCB shows the different settings allowing minimal documentation for set-up.

The Isolate feature allows a channel to be brought off line to be calibrated or modified without causing alarms or shutdowns. The analogue output is dropped to 1.5mA while the channel is in isolate. The operator is alerted that a channel is in isolate by the inverted LCD, but still showing the current readings. We have gone for no time out option on this as our systems are designed capable of "critical action" (Shutdowns) if a channel times out half way through a calibration an unwonted shutdown or a deluge system could be activated. Also if a channel is under maintenance for a long period of time our operates wont to know that, that channel is off line. Simply tuning off the channel is not accepted, as the fault might never be rectified if there is no recognition on the panel.

Common module has been designed to handle the synchronisation of all the cards. Basically this is cosmetic so all the alarm LEDs flash at the same time. This also holds the panel buzzer and the common relays. This has a feature to zone the top channels together and the bottom channels together giving you common alarms to the top channels and common alarms for the bottom channel.

KEY FEATURES

• Two Channels per card
• Dual processors
• Universal inputs
• 2 individual alarms per channel
• 1 fault alarm per channel
• Analogue output per channel
• Individual Channel isolate
• local or global Accept/Reset
• Common alarms
• Internal amplifier
• Back lit graphical display per channel
• Constant individual channel indication
• High speed response
• Simple set-up
• Hot swap compliant

SPECIFICATIONS

DOWNLOADS

• Brochure
• Manual