Indicator February 2021

The Indicator - Your Instrumentation Insider
Issue #32 ▪ February 2021

Stock Levels Are Up!
A Message From Sales

Solutions For Any Industry
Joe Ryan, VP of Sales and Marketing at Precision Digital

As I have spoken about in recent webinars (see below) and highlighted in our Water and Wastewater Instrumentation Solutions Guide, Precision Digital offers products that are ideal for water and wastewater plants at both industrial and municipal sites. From simple and rugged NEMA 4X field mount displays that can install just about anywhere you want them, to redundant local control for operations that must operate regardless of issues with your PLC or control room, Precision Digital products have a role throughout the plant.

However, some of these same concepts can apply to almost any industrial plant. Do you have a process you would like better visibility of? Perhaps a truck loading station that needs a big display, or tanks your operators would like to see the level or volume of? Like a water or wastewater plant, perhaps you could benefit from some displays in out of the way locations? Do you have redundant local control to prevent tank overflows, or record totals for regulatory reporting? The solutions in this issue of the Indicator may heavily focus on water and wastewater, but I think anyone can benefit from learning about these solutions.

Regardless of your industry, take a look at this issue and I think you will learn of at least one interesting solution that could apply to your plant.


News & Information

Water & Wastewater Instrumentation Solutions Highlights: Pump Control
In Precision Digital’s recently published Water & Wastewater Instrumentation Solutions Guide we show how Precision Digital products have been used to optimize operations in various water & wastewater applications.

The following examples show how Precision Digital’s Helios PD2-6000 and ProVu PD6000 are used for sump level monitoring, pump alternation, and lead-lag pump alternation control applications. Watch the included video of how the pump alternation works with the ProVu. Also, learn how to connect a 2-wire and 3-wire transmitter to the PD6000, and see how the ProVu’s dual-scale feature is displayed on the meter.

Request a copy of the Water & Wastewater Instrumentation Solutions Guide



Water and Wastewater Instrumentation Guide
The ConsoliDator+ Multivariable Controller supports Modbus RTU, Modbus ASCII, Enron Modbus, and Ethernet Modbus TCP/IP. The Server mode is a standard ConsoliDator+ feature; it responds to requests and accepts writes from a Modbus client.

The ConsoliDator+ is now available with Modbus Client, Snooper, and Spoofer capabilities and has the ability to scan and display up to 199 Modbus registers. This feature can be “unlocked” on any ConsoliDator+ purchased after February 15, 2021 by purchasing the PDK9000-M1 Key for $500 and entering the Key value into the ConsoliDator+.

Client Mode
The Client mode can request process variables from server devices; the input variables can be scaled, combined with other variables using math functions, and they can be written to other server devices using the Modbus output functions. The controller can request up to 199 Modbus values, as inputs from other Modbus devices. The inputs can be used as the source for channels, math functions, alarms, relay control, etc.

Snooper Mode
The Snooper mode can listen and read the process variables being transmitted on the RS-485 bus without causing any disruptions to the network. The controller can read up to 199 Modbus values, as inputs from other Modbus devices being polled by a Modbus Client. The inputs can be used as the source for channels, math functions, alarms, relay control, etc.

Spoofer Mode
The Spoofer mode is designed to replace existing Modbus Servers without requiring changes to the Client configuration. Each process value can be assigned a specific Device ID and Register Number to mimic the original Client configurations.


PD460 and PD461 Pnale Mount and NEMA 4X Valve Positioner
The PD460/461 valve positioners provide a convenient way to generate a 4-20 mA signal that can be used to control another device. The PD460/461 valve positioners feature a backlit LCD and are programmed to display a value of 0-100% relating to the 4-20 mA output.

A built-in dial is provided to vary the displayed / output value. The dial may be programmed for coarse or fine adjustment. The valve positioners are available as panel mount (PD460) or NEMA 4X (PD461) versions.

In addition, NEMA 4X enclosures are available to house up to three of the panel mount versions. Decals are provided for %, mA, Open, and Closed for the user to apply to the faceplate. There is also a decal with a white background for the user to write a custom label.


PDA2364-MSBS Control Station
The new PDA2364-MSBS Control Station has four buttons with the same labelling as the buttons on ProVu and Helios batch controllers to provide convenient remote operation of these products. These buttons are configured as: black (Menu), green (Start), black (Batch), and red (Stop) and decals next to the buttons identify how the buttons are used for programming.

The PDA2364-MSBS connects to ProVu meters with a PDA1044 digital I/O module and to the Helios meters with no additional hardware.

The control stations are also available in 1 and 2 buttons for other applications. See the whole line of PDA2360 control stations.


PDA0007 Enclosure Ventilation Kit
Precision Digital offers a great solution for protecting electronic devices inside enclosures from condensation buildup. Introducing the PDA0007 Enclosure Ventilation Kit. The PDA0007 consists of two vents and is designed to equalize internal / external pressure and temperature to prevent condensation from building up in the enclosure. Internal baffles within the vents create an airflow pattern that allows air to pass between the inside of the enclosure and the outside environment.

The vents are rated UL & CSA Type 4X and IP66 and are available for use with plastic and steel enclosures. The ventilation kit can also be ordered as a MOD-VENT-P for plastic enclosures and a MOD-VENT-M for steel enclosures. When this is done, the accompanying enclosure will be provided with pre-drilled holes for the vents (Installation is done by the user and the enclosure is sold separately).

Stock Levels Are Up!


Water & Wastewater Instrumentation Solutions
If you missed Joe Ryan’s presentation of the Water and Wastewater Instrumentation Solutions webinar in late 2020 you can now view the video online or download it. Joe presents ways your colleagues in the water and wastewater industry have used Precision Digital products to optimize their operations. The webinar also shares many success stories illustrated with diagrams and actual pictures of Precision Digital displays and controllers being utilized in water & wastewater facilities.

Request a copy of the Water & Wastewater Instrumentation Solutions Guide




Featured Product
PDA2360 Plastic Control Stations

Featured Videos

Light and Horn Demo for ProVu and Helios
The PD6210 and PD6310 are powerful analog and pulse input batch controllers that expand the functionality of the ProVu with advanced control features, a specialized easy to use design, and the ability to control complicated batch processes with a device any operator can understand.
See it in action!






In The Next Issue...

  • New & Improved ConsoliDator+ Programming Software
  • New PID Temperature Controllers