FUTEK IPM500 (D500) Digital Display - Manual (Page 3)

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3. IPM490 / IPM500 INTRODUCTION
IPM digital panel meters are versatile, cost effective solutions to a wide variety of monitoring
and control applications. Depending on the choice of signal conditioner, they are easily set up
for an accurate display of load, weight, pressure, torque, voltage or current, all in appropriate
engineering units and with zero and span adjustment. Setup can be via front panel push-
buttons or the meter’s serial interface. Selective security lockout of the front panel keys
protects against accidental changes to meter setup.
High read rates up to 60 per second (50 for 50 Hz operation) are made possible by Concurrent
Slope Conversion (Pat 5,262,780), which integrates the signal over an AC power line cycle for
maximum noise rejection. High read rates provide accurate peak and valley capture, and quick
response for control applications. An adaptive digital filter supplies a time constant for the
encountered signal noise level, yet responds rapidly to changes that exceed a selected
threshold. Self-calibration occurs automatically after every 17th reading.
The standard power supply is a high-efficiency switching unit that operates from AC or DC,
and allows the meters to be powered from worldwide AC without changes. A low-voltage
supply is optional for power from 10-48V batteries or from 12-30 Vac. Both supplies provide an
isolated 5, 10 or 24Vdc transducer excitation output.
The meter case conforms to the 1/8 DIN size standard. It is made of high impact, 94V-0 UL-
rated plastic and is watertight to NEMA-4 (IP65) when panel mounted (not verified for UL
certification). Mounting is from the front of the panel and requires less than 110 mm behind the
panel. Power and signal wiring is via removable plugs conforming to UL61010C safety
standards. All output options are isolated from meter and power ground to 250 Vac.
Extended IPM meter versions can linearize nonlinear inputs. Up to 180 data points may be
linearized by a computer program that stores setup parameters in nonvolatile memory.
Extended meters can also display rate of change, for example to display flow rate based on
changing tank level.
Alarm or setpoint control is provided by an optional relay board with two or four Form C 8A
mechanical relays or two or four Form A 130 mA solid state relays. The setpoints may be
latching or non-latching, be energized above or below the setpoint, or operate in a fail-safe
mode. The relays can operate from the filtered signal to reduce relay chatter or from the
unfiltered signal for fastest response. Snubber circuits and a programmable relay switching
time delay extend relay contact life.
An isolated analog output of 4-20 mA, 0-20 mA, 0-10V or -10 to +10V can be provided by an
optional analog output board. The output is linearized to the display and can operate from the
filtered or unfiltered signal input. It can be scaled via front panel pushbuttons or the meter’s
serial interface.
USB, RS232, or RS485 (2-wire half-duplex or 4-wire full-duplex) serial communications options
are available with Series 2 meters utilizing the Modbus protocol or a simpler custom ASCII
protocol. Modbus operation includes RTU or ASCII modes, up to 247 digital addresses, and up
to 32 devices per RS485 line without a repeater. A USB-to-RS485 converter board allows a
meter to be interfaced to a PC and to multiple meters on an RS485 network.