ASi Evaluation

Doug_Adam

Member
Join Date
Sep 2002
Location
Perth
Posts
948
Hi everyone,

My company is currently looking at ASi as a quick and easy method of re-wiring some old sections of our machinery.
I'm just wondering if anyone here has had much experience with ASi.
The types of things that we will be looking at are:
Analog ASi, for areas that aren't speed critical.
Use of ASi through cable chain, with cycles of a couple of times per minute, also using non-ASi flexible cables for this.
Also general repair and reliability issues.

Thanks,

Doug
 
ASI was not designed for analogues. I do not know if anyone has produced them for ASI but it was designed as small digital network with some intelligence.
If you require a small, cheap network that can handle analogues as well, have a look at Omron CompoBus S. It is proprietary but works very well. I use it for swimming pool systems with remote I/O spread all over the place. It can run in "small" mode with 4 and 8 bit I/O blocks or "large" mode with 8 and 16 bit I/O blocks. Twisted pair communications. It can be used with Omron's CQM1, CS1 and CJ1 PLCs.
Another option is Device Net but it is not particularly cheap and invariably you require the configurator software from your PLC supplier. Not always but invariably. Not cheap either.
Another option is Profibus (YUK).
 
Analog ASi, for areas that aren't speed critical

Like Bob said it wasn't initially designed for Analog but I have heard that some of the newer versions of it can support analog data. Whether this can handle the type of information you want to send I don't know. As far as sending discrete data it works great. We just reconfigured a line that had ASI installed on it and the setup probably took 90% less time using the ASI then it would have had it not been ASI. Instead of moving 10 sensors and rewiring them we only had to move the one ASI cable.

Also general repair and reliability issues.

We've only had the system installed for about a year but haven't had any problems with it in that time.

Depending on the PLC you use you will need a way to get the ASI data into the PLC. SST makes a card for SLC500's, but that is the only platform I have seen a card for. We use GE 90-30's and had to use a ASI to Profibus gateway. The type of gateways will probably depend on the vendor you get the ASI system from.

Good Luck
 
Further to the discussion on ASI, Omron have an ASI card for some of their PLCs. I would think Schneider would be well equipped as thay are one of the main proponents of ASI. The local Hitachi distributor has also been proposing ASI so I would think Hitachi may be well equipped also.
 

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