CAREL has widened its range of I/O expansions with the development of the new Digital Input expansion board.
I/O expansions are modules that can be added to a typical air conditioning application to increase the number of inputs and outputs available on the controller and consequently optimise the flexibility and modularity of the solutions.
One of the most common uses involves ventilation sections comprising several fans with electronic motors; in this case, the speed of the individual devices needs to be monitored to check their operating status and act on the other fans if one of them fails.
CAREL’s new Digital Inputs expansion board is ideal for cases where numerous digital inputs (including fast inputs up to 500 Hz) need to be read while limiting the total number of I/Os and space required.
One typical example involves so-called “in row units” used for cooling data centres, highly compact units that do not require complex device control architecture or specific sensors for their operation.
These feature a single ventilation section with at least eight fans in parallel, which need to be monitored individually. In this case, reading the signal is a simple and effective way to verify operation, as well as being a more economical solution than installing expensive air flow-rate sensors.