• Red Lion Controls

Dual Ethernet Expansion Card

Red Lion Controls Inc has announced a new Ethernet expansion card for the Data Station Plus and Modular Controller series products. The XCENET Ethernet expansion card allows operators to easily isolate machine level network traffic from the enterprise level network, benefiting both automation process engineers and IT managers. The engineer can simply assign a fixed IP address for the port connected to PLCs and drives, while the IT manager can either select their own IP address or use DHCP to configure the enterprise port. This allows for communication on separate networks, increasing platform functionality and flexibility. Already supporting 10 simultaneous Ethernet protocols, as well as three serial protocols, the Data Station Plus and Modular Controller series provide unprecedented protocol conversion and device integration. Providing a second Ethernet port for communication, the XCENET card increases bandwidth and allows communication on two distinct Ethernet networks simultaneously without the addition of an industrial router – reducing cost and configuration time. The XCENET card can be fitted to any Data Station Plus, as well as the LE, SX or GT versions of the Modular Controller series Master. Users simply install the card by removing the blank expansion port cover of the Modular Controller or Data Station Plus, and plugging the card into the expansion port—adding an additional 10 Base T/100 Base-Tx Ethernet port. The Data Station Plus, Modular Controller and the XCENET card are easily configured with Red Lion’s free Crimson® software. Crimson’s drag-and-drop interface is an efficient, user-friendly technology that allows operators to set up control application devices, collect and log performance data, display data or trigger PLC functions. The company is a leading manufacturer of industrial control solutions worldwide. Products include protocol converters, operator interface panels, process controllers, digital/analog panel meters, sensors, and signal conditioning.