Transio A52/53 is a smart RS-232 to RS-422/485 bi-directional converter that comes with all of the great technical specs that Moxa is well known for. This includes data direction control built into the hardware for both RS-422 and RS-485 interfaces, LED indicators for power and signal states, and surge protection and isolation protection. These last two features take care of some of the major problems faced by serial communication connections in industrial environments.

Serial Connection Problems in Industrial Environments

Serial communication and reliability can be adversely affected in a hazardous industrial environment. The wiring associated with serial communication devices could be surrounded by power lines, motors, or equipment that produces static electricity. If this is the case, the serial devices could be damaged by sudden surge waves produced by this type of equipment. In this situation, surge protection that uses TVSS (Transient Voltage Surge Supression) is the solution.

When two serial devices are directly connected, but separated by a long distance, the unbalanced ground voltage could cause serious damage. Unbalanced ground voltage between two serial ports forms a "ground loop," introducing a large current between the two pieces of serial equipment. In fact, the current could be so lare as to damage the equipment beyond repair. In this situation, the solution is to use Isolation Protection to completely isolate both communication ports.

What is Surge Protection?

Surges are high amplitude pulses of only several millionths of a second in duration. They can be caused by heavy-duty equipment, power lines, short circuits, or large motors. A surge suppressor has the ability to effectively absorb the high energy instantly, thus preventing the connected devices from damage.

What is Isolation Protection?

Electrical isolation is achieved by using a photo coupler to transform an electric signal into light, and then retransform the light back into an electric signal on the other side. In this way, the two electric circuits are completely isolated from each other.