Product Overview and Engineering Role
The collector is for waveform recording, synchronized sampling, and time alignment across several devices. The figures on this page are for picking a model, for a bid clause, and for a later spot check. It decodes standard IRIG-B and passes time downstream as PPS, serial, or Ethernet, depending on the model, so substation protection, a test bench, and a distributed DAQ can share one time base. Isolation and common-mode rejection are reinforced. Terminals are pluggable, and the watchdog and redundancy checks are complete. Signed firmware can roll back, which is what volume delivery and remote maintenance need.
CAN-FD and standard industrial connectors are the default, so the unit can sit on an existing SCADA, energy, or IoT platform. Southbound point-table templates and northbound MQTT/HTTP examples come with it. A volume build can add enclosure silkscreen, a set harness length, protocol mapping, and a calibration certificate.
Reliability and Site Conditions
Electrical safety and EMC include the relevant IEC 61000-4 level 4 tests. Ports have surge protection and reverse-polarity protection. Grounding is reinforced and the layout is partitioned, which holds down ground loops and common-mode noise. Outdoor and coastal sites can take a higher ingress rating and a corrosion-resistant coating.
Parameters can be imported in bulk. Threshold policies and event or waveform recording depend on the model. Configuration and firmware move by OTA. Site acceptance is three steps: power-on self-test, communications time sync, and a sample check. For metering or safety use, SimtoLink can help with a third-party metrology submission and the type-test file.
Key Hardware Parameters
The table is the usual build. A wider range, redundant power, or an intrinsically safe variant is taken from the Hardware Specification and the Installation and Commissioning Guide. Order codes in the family can differ. The nameplate and the papers in the carton decide.
| Parameter | Specification | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Channels | 16 AI | Differential or single-ended, selectable |
| Resolution | 16 bit | No missing codes |
| Sampling rate | 10 kS/s/ch | Synchronized sampling |
| Input range | 0～30V | Programmable gain |
| Accuracy | ±0.090 %FS | Calibrated at constant temperature |
| Isolation | Bus isolation | Withstand 1 kV |
| Clock | Local crystal | Sync error <1 μs |
| Communication | Gigabit Ethernet | SCPI/Modbus |
| Trigger | Software | Pre-trigger depth |
| Power consumption | <32 W | Typical, fully loaded |
Typical Deployments
Four placements come up when the timing scheme is drawn and the payback is estimated:
Substation and distribution automation
Protection relays, merging units, and fault recorders share one clock, so SOE can resolve to a millisecond and an incident can be reconstructed.
Labs and metrology benches
Collectors, power analyzers, and waveform recorders trigger from one source, so comparison runs line up in time.
Rail and integrated control
PSCADA, environmental, and security subsystems share one time, so interlock logs can be correlated across systems and audited.
Satellite and ground time-link backup
While GNSS is blocked or jammed, IRIG-B holds local time and cuts the operational risk of losing sync.
Installation, Grounding, and Maintenance
- Confirm supply range and polarity before power is applied. If the feed is uncertain, measure bus voltage and breaker rating with a multimeter.
- Keep communications on shielded twisted pair, grounded at one end, and off long parallel runs with high-power cables.
- On first bring-up, prove bidirectional read and write and a threshold trigger against the platform in the lab, then move the unit to site.
- Outdoor mounts need a drain and a way to breathe. Inspect sealing faces on a schedule, and keep lightning-ground resistance inside the local rule.
- For a unit that stays in service, spot-check samples and archive logs every 24 months.
Ordering, Documentation, and Support
The hardware specification, dimension drawings, a wiring table, and sample projects are available with the inquiry. Volume orders can include a sample review and inspection at the plant. Warranty and calibration follow the contract and the papers in the carton.