Indicator February 2020

The Indicator - Your Instrumentation Insider
Issue #29 ▪ February 2020

A Message From Sales

Joe Ryan, VP of Sales and Marketing at Precision Digital

Local display and control could be the best investment you make in 2020. For a modest price, local display and control provides operators with nearby process information. It can also provide easy local control, or redundant backups for a DCS. Perhaps most importantly, a simple localized controller can save money by reducing costly safety issues, overflows, or equipment failures.

One recent example was at a gold mine in the southwest. It had a sump overflow problem. One of their sumps had overflowed 10 times in the previous 4 months. Each time it overflowed it required a team of two people, two days to clean it up! They make $75 per hour so that's $1200 per overflow event and $36,000 per year in overflow remediation for a single sump. Other sumps also had overflow issues at the same mine.


News & Information

Back to Basics: Loop vs Line Power
The previous article in this series discussed loop-powered, or two-wire, devices. These instruments utilize the power supplied to the current loop to power themselves. A two-wire connection may not always be the most optimal power solution because of its inability to power devices that require a large voltage drop. Three and four-wire devices incorporate an external power supply in order to effectively eliminate the voltage drop placed on the process signal current loop. It is important to understand the differences between these three setups as they are fundamentally different and each has its own advantages as well as limitations. This article will define what a two, three, and four-wire connection is, discuss what the pros and cons are, and provide you with the necessary information for choosing the right wiring for your application.



Accessories for Precision Digital Display and Control Meters

Precision Digital offers a complete line of new accessories to enhance your display and control applications.

● The PDA2360 series of plastic control stations provide a convenient way to remotely control devices such as Precision Digital’s digital meters and controllers.

● The PDA-LH Light/Horn is ideal for audible and visual alarm applications.

● The PDA6420 Current Transducer converts a large AC current to a
4-20 mA signal.

● The PDA6405 Split Core Transformers can be used with the PD6400 AC current meter to display AC current up to 1000 Amps.

● The PD9502 is a low-cost 4-20 mA or 0-10 VDC signal generator.

● The PD420 4-20 mA current loop set point generator provides a convenient way to generate a 4-20 mA signal that can be used to control another device.

● Use the PD659 for signal isolation, splitting and conditioning of 4-20 mA and 0-10 VDC signals.

● The PDA1024-01 is a DIN rail mounted 1.5 A, 24 VDC power supply.

See more details on how these great, new accessories from Precision Digital can expand the capabilities of your display and control applications.


Pecision Digital Service Available

Precision Digital just released new datasheets for the PD765 and the PD8-765 process and temperature meters. The datasheets have been completely overhauled and expanded to present a more complete solution than just the meters themselves. The new datasheets are loaded with more pictures, wiring diagrams, and connections drawings to help you better understand how to use these products. In addition, the new accessories we are offering for these products are also described. These accessories include the light / horn options, calibrator & signal generators, external power supply, and more.

Download the New PD765 datasheet or PD8-765 datasheet.


Pump Control with the ConsoliDator+ Multivariable Controller
The ConsoliDator+ is one of the most versatile multivariable controllers on the market. With up to 25 10 Amp Form C relays, the ConsoliDator+ is ideal for controlling level in multiple sumps. An example of this is described in the following application:



● One ConsoliDator+ monitors and controls 6 sumps.

● All 4-20 mA inputs from the level transmitters are isolated and powered by the ConsoliDator+.

● Twenty-four 10 A Form C relays control and alternate 2 pumps in each sump while providing high / low level alarms for each sump.

● One relay sends a signal to a central monitoring station when any sump goes into high alarm.

View a diagram illustrating this sump application.


Cool New 4-20 mA Tools for Your Bench & Toolbox
Precision Digital has been very active on social media over the last several years and we are thrilled to have reached 5,000 subscribers on our YouTube channel. THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SUBSCRIBERS! Our YouTube library includes product, tips, webinars, and how-to videos, and we have more videos to come. Our LinkedIn page has reached 1,500 followers. If you haven't yet, make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to stay informed on the latest news, product releases, white papers, and webinars from Precision Digital.




Featured Product
Trident X2 PD765 and ProtEX-MAX PD8-765 Meter

Featured Video

ConsoliDator+ Out-of-the-Box Easy Setup
Get your New ConsoliDator+ up and running right out-of-the-box! This video will show you how to set up channels, edit the channels, and program alarm setpoints, and more. Also, learn how to create screens to view specific information in different ways. Click here to see the video.



In The Next Issue...

  • See Tank Level the Way You Want To…In Feet and Inches
  • A Look at the Webinar Archive
ProtEX-MAX PD8-765Trident X2 PD765