Clever cable connects motor controls to any bus

A range of motor controls that can be linked to almost any fieldbus, simply by choosing the appropriate "smart" connector cable, is now available from ABB in the UK. One end of the cable plugs into the control via a generic connection, while the other has a connector incorporating electronics which translates the signals into a standard fieldbus format - such as AS-i, Profibus DP or DeviceNet - and provides the appropriate physical connection for that bus.

The FieldBusPlug system (above), first seen at the Hanover Fair in 2002, is said to save time and avoids the need to cut and prepare cables. The initial products to support the technology include:

• a compact fuseless motor starter designed to operate a motor in one direction with line currents from 0.1-12A;

• a 45mm-wide reversing motor starter, which switches and protects individual motors and their connecting cables, in both directions of rotation;

• a fieldbus interface designed to be coupled with a motor protection switch to form a complete starter with motor control functions and diagnostics, for applications up to 25A; and

• a complete fieldbus-compatible motor controller which provides direct, reversing, star-delta and actuator start functions with electronic overload, phase loss and motor-blocking functions. This controller, suitable for currents from 0.2-62A, includes six 24V DC digital inputs and six relay outputs. The motor start data can be set on site using a removable control panel.