4-20ma isolator.

[Dale87]

What's your go to 4-20ma isolator. I've got some 4 wire 4-20ma from several flow meters and scales that I would like to isolate before it gets to my non isolated Analog input card. I assume the best thing to do is isolate. Is it really necessary though. Card is a 5069 if8.

 

[I_Automation]

A customer of mine introduced me to PR Electronics Universal Transmitter


It's very economical, supports quite a few different inputs and has multiple outputs. Can be custom scaled for range.


Plus they have one with a relay output added that can be programmed to trip at a setpoint.

 

[Ken Moore]

Moore Industries. Very hardy, some are SIL rated.

https://www.miinet.com/?page=search&cid=isolators

 

[James Mcquade]

Is the environment considered as hazardous ? Class 1,2, or 3?
if so, you will need intrinsic safety barriers and meet the requirements for hazardous environments.
james

 

[joseph_e2]

Moore Industries. Very hardy, some are SIL rated.

I've used some from Moore Industries as well when I needed to grab 4 signals from an induction heater that originally drove panel meters. The signals are 0-1mA and I used the converter to scale them to 4-20mA for the PLC to read. They were easy to set up and have been in service flawlessly since at least 2016.


https://www.miinet.com/?page=product&cid=isolators&id=SIY_PRG_4_20mA_10_42DC_DIN_isolator

 

[Bit_Bucket_07]

What's your go to 4-20ma isolator. I've got some 4 wire 4-20ma from several flow meters and scales that I would like to isolate before it gets to my non isolated Analog input card. I assume the best thing to do is isolate. Is it really necessary though. Card is a 5069 if8.

You can get away without isolation if all of your instruments are isolated.

 

[glennz]

I've used some from Moore Industries as well when I needed to grab 4 signals from an induction heater that originally drove panel meters. The signals are 0-1mA and I used the converter to scale them to 4-20mA for the PLC to read. They were easy to set up and have been in service flawlessly since at least 2016.


https://www.miinet.com/?page=product&cid=isolators&id=SIY_PRG_4_20mA_10_42DC_DIN_isolator

Interesting to note that those Moore Industries devices appear to have the same packaging from when I first encountered them ~30 years ago. Not complaining, it must be a solid design.

We loved Action Paks back then too, and I see they are still around...in the same packaging. They weren't universal back then and seems the same now - had to pick-n-choose your ins and outs to get the signal conversion you wanted.

https://www.eurotherm.com/us/products/ancillary-equipment-us/i-o-signal-conditioning-us/actionpak/

 

[JERA]

Take a look at Phoenix Contact

https://www.phoenixcontact.com/en-us/products/signal-conditioners-and-measuring-transducers

 

[I_Automation]

Take a look at Phoenix Contact

https://www.phoenixcontact.com/en-us/products/signal-conditioners-and-measuring-transducers

I'm leary of the phoenix contacts.


The customer that introduced me to the PR line bought a electroplating line that had over 40 of them and they almost immediately had to start replacing 2 or 3 a month, and sometimes more than one a week.


They bought them new and what they could find on eBay, but the failure rate was the same for new and used.


When they found the PR's and put them in the failures stopped - they never replaced one PR unit, so it wasn't something on the line killing units - unless the phoenix's are so fragile they couldn't take it.

 

[durallymax]

+1 for PR, usually use the thin non-programmable ones. Believe they are the OEM that private labels these (or similar) for various brands (AB, AD , Omega, RL, Weidmuller).

 

[jdbrandt]

The boomer response is Action PAK. I used them in the 80's and they never disappointed. Jim Pinto sold Action Instruments to Eurotherm (I think...feel free to correct), but it was solid gear. Most of the good ones plugged into an 8-pin or 11-pin relay socket.