Solid State: A Practical Alternative to Mechanical Relays!

Mechanical Relays have a good home in low-cost control applications.  But for some users, only solid state switching will do.  Solid State Relays are ideal for users who require long term reliability, silent operation, or high induction tolerance.  Many inductive control applications require a solid state relay.  Inductive loads such as Motors, Valves, Pumps, Solenoids, and Large Transformers (including Fluorescent Lighting) benefit from the use of solid state relays because they reduce the chances of the inductive load interfering with the logic of the relay controller.

ZB ZigBee Communications

The latest Buzz in Wireless Technology is ZB ZigBee.  ZB ZigBee is a great way to communicate data throughout buildings (or even across town) because it uses all the devices in the area to make sure your data arrives at its intended destination.  ZB ZigBee automatically hops your data all over the ZB ZigBee Mesh Network,  transparently forwarding your data to its intended destination.  The beauty of ZB ZigBee is that you don't have to do anything except tell it where you want your data to go.  The ZB ZigBee Mesh Network handles everything else for you.  We have created a page dedicated to helping ZB ZigBee Mesh Network users understand this technology.  So if you are a first time user of ZB ZigBee and you are looking for a great place to get started, see our article!

By combining the power of ZB ZigBee Mesh Networking with our ProXR series relay controllers, you can take advantage of our powerful ProXR command set for data collection and control, in combination with many wireless ZB ZigBee Mesh Networking features.  ZB mesh is a perfect integration of good speed and excellent reliability, and for the first time, you can now improve data reliability by adding routers between the computer and far away devices.

Here is a quick rundown of what you should expect from ZB ZigBee Mesh Network:

Plug a ZB ZigBee Coordinator into the USB Port of your computer.  The Coordinator will be used to communicated to your wireless ZB ZigBee Mesh Network.  The Coordinator will mount as a COM port on your PC.  Open the COM port and start sending data to the Coordinator.  The Coordinator will forward your data to any or all devices on the ZB ZigBee Mesh Network.

A ZB ZigBee Mesh Network consists of up to three components:

A Coordinator is Required because it allows your computer to talk to the ZB ZigBee Mesh Network.  Use only ONE coordinator in your ZB ZigBee Mesh Network. A Router allows data to hop to another part of the ZB ZigBee Mesh Network.  It helps contribute to the network, and it can serve as an Endpoint device.  In other words, if a relay controller has the Router firmware installed, you can talk to this device directly, or data can be forwarded from this device to another device that may be too far away for the Coordinator to reach directly.  Routers are slower than endpoint devices, so use routers wisely. An Endpoint device can also be a relay controller or many other types of NCD devices.  However, endpoint devices cannot forward data to other parts of the ZB ZigBee Mesh Network.  Endpoint devices are faster than router devices, so it is always wise to use Endpoint devices when possible, and router devices when required. Learn More: Introduction to ZB ZigBee Mesh Networking.....

What is ProXR?

ProXR refers to a set of standardized commands used for computer control and data collection.  A controller that supports the ProXR command set is a controller that is built to control up to 256 relays, using commands that can be sent to any controller that offers ProXR compatibility.  This allows software developers to create programs for our products, then upgrade or change connectivity options without having to rewrite their software.  ProXR commands can be sent to our controllers via the RS-232 serial port, the USB port, Bluetooth, Fiber Optic, Wireless ZigBee/Mesh, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi 802.11b...all without rewriting your software....simply develop your programs to work with the serial port of your computer.  Let ProXR controllers manage the rest.  Detailed information about the ProXR command set can be found in the ProXR Manual.

Building a solid foundation for future hardware is what ProXR is all about.  We have worked hard to modularize the ProXR firmware in such a way that it can support growth of features without sacrificing backward compatibility.  Most controllers produced from 2007 onward will support our ProXR command set.  These controllers will also include a XR Expansion Port, allowing you to add relays to any controller you choose.  So if your needs for computer control increase, our controllers will be ready for your growth.

With all the control and backward/forward compatibility you have come to expect from the ProXR series command set, this controller allow you to send simple commands to activate relays, read the status of relays, activate up to 16 relay timers, and control up to 256 total relays using the XR expansion port.  All relays are electronically latched, simply send a command to turn the relay on, send a different command to turn the relay off.

About Universal Expansion Ports

If you need to add capabilities beyond basic relay control to your application, then you may want to consider using one of our controllers equipped with a UXP Expansion Port. UXP is a standardized data port, specifically for the purpose of speaking to various expansion modules. This Relay Controller is equipped with a UXP port, allowing you to take advantage of extended commands to speak to our growing line of I/O expansion modules.