Banner Engineering Expands IIoT Gateway Controller Series
The new DXM1200 communication gateway models from Banner Engineering promise to help users with better plant connectivity for IIoT with cellular and ISM radio capabilities.
Banner Engineering, a leading manufacturer of industrial automation sensing and control products, has recently released two new IIoT gateway device series. Called the DXM1200-B2 and DXM1200-X2, each series is an answer to those looking for IIoT connectivity enhancements. Each series has been designed to help manufacturers create better connectivity throughout their plant infrastructure. This is especially true for cases involving greater IIoT connectivity across distances or in harsh environments.
IIoT has greatly helped to improve many different manufacturing and automation processes by increasing efficiency, reducing downtime, and alerting personnel to any potential problematic anomalies. With much to gain from the IIoT, connectivity of plant infrastructure to upper-level controls and cloud-based computing has increased significantly in importance. New connective devices like Banner’s DXM1200-X2 and DXM1200-B2 series have the potential to help users usher in the full benefits that IIoT has to offer.
DXM1200-B2
The DXM1200-B2 is a wireless controller designed specifically for use with the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). The device can be used with either an Ethernet connection or through the use of a cellular network to connect to local or cloud databases. It functions as a communications gateway that can interface with local serial ports and local ISM radio devices to the internet for use as valuable data for IIoT.
Banners new DXM1200-B2 works to integrate wireless radio and cellular connectivity for IIoT. Image used courtesy of Banner Engineering
The DXM1200-B2 functions as a high-performance wireless communication device and is capable of long-range communication. This is made possible with the use of Sure Cross DX80 wireless gateway or MultiHop radio on either the 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz ISM bands. The device has been designed to be flexible and customizable for end users with an internal logic controller. The logic controller comes complete with action rules and ScriptBasic to help users process, control, and log data from multiple places.
An IP67 rating on the housing means that the devices can be used outside of an electrical control cabinet, mounted wherever is most convenient, even in a harsh industrial environment. Built-in industry compatibility ensures that connectivity among local hosts is simple. The DXM1200-B2 protocols include Modbus/TCP, Modbus RTU, and Ethernet/IP, meaning that PLCs, HMIs, and other devices can be connected using industry-standard protocols.
DXM1200-X2
The DXM1200-X2 shares many of the same controller and wireless characteristics as the DXM1200-B2 series; however, the X2 contains expanded port capabilities for local machine interfacing.
Banner’s DXM1200-X2 gives users one gateway for simplified condition monitoring. Image used courtesy of Banner Engineering
The X2 functions as a Modbus controller for data aggregation. This can include the data from sensors and wireless networks with external ISM and cellular antennas. It contains four Modbus client connection ports in addition to one wireless gateway, allowing connectivity of up to 200 devices. This gives it the ability to communicate concurrently with up to five different networks at the same time in order to send data to Banner’s Cloud Data Services (CDS) platform.
