Press release

Perfect connection with the NetCon network adapter

For the bathers in a public swimming pool, the most important factor is acceptable water quality. Since the safety of bathers is of the highest priority for the pool attendant, any measures that lighten the tasks of checking and recording water values must be welcome. In this way, it is desirable to have central control of all data, and immediate fault reporting at reception or in the control room.

Up to now, the well-tried "TopView - TOPAX" Modbus system from Lutz-Jesco has been offered as a 'one-off' solution. This allowed all TOPAX series controllers to be connected and operated from a central PC using the TopView software, which also allowed measured values to be stored. With the newly developed NetCon Ethernet component from Lutz-Jesco, data are digitised directly at the actuators. This means that communication can now be in digital form throughout. To make this possible, all devices and actuators need to be networked with each other. The network may consist of a simple local Ethernet.

Today, Ethernet is the communication technology most widely-used in data processing systems and has become accepted as the standard. Data can be transferred over different media, such as copper wire or fibre glass, or wirelessly. Ethernet is becoming more and more important even in industrial automation. Besides obtaining standardised communications, the aim is to build a seamless infrastructure that stretches from the office to the work machine or terminal device, or to the actuators and sensors. For this purpose, IP (Internet Protocol) and TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) are used on a standard protocol level which passes around the entire company. This makes it possible to transfer data sets between two network components.

To be used on a local Ethernet network, the measurement and control unit (for example the TOPAX DX) has to be Ethernet-ready. As a typical swimming pool controller, the TOPAX DX has 5 Ethernet outputs, 4 controllers and an actuator for the flocking pump. The NetCon adapter was developed as the main connecting element between the Ethernet and the actuator concerned. In this way, it provides a device that can be connected to external switching devices and suction lances, in order to convert their analogue signals to digital. Functions can then be transferred over an internal data network to the master device. This network could be a local Ethernet. Each network device (TOPAX DX, NetCon adapter, terminals and actuators) is connected to a router (star network), which transfers the data packets to the correct network device. In smaller systems, the TOPAX DX controller can also be directly connected to the NetCon or an Ethernet-ready device. In this case, no router is required.

Viewed geometrically, an Ethernet is arranged in a star shape; however, the logic connections apply the bus principle. The general structure of a local Ethernet is illustrated by the following diagram.  

 

The NetCon makes it possible to configure network components without the need for any other tools. For network configuration and navigating through the menus, NetCon has a clearly arranged display, four function keys and five navigation keys.

Advantages with Ethernet

• worldwide standard in IT
• continuous communication to the data processing office
• standard data communication protocol
• transparent communication between all network components
• simplified programming, operation and maintenance