Precision Digital's The Indicator: July 2015

The Indicator - Your Instrumentation Insider
Issue #9 • JULY 2015


Taking Another Look - The Value in Reassessing Old Solutions


Joe Ryan Sales and Marketing Manager at Precision Digital

During a period of economic slowdown, many process plants prepared for unfavorable economic conditions will use the opportunity to conduct much needed maintenance, repair, operations upgrades, and new installations. Upgraded process instruments (sensors, controllers, and other plant hardware) may only get considered at that time, due to holds on major new products. However, regularly evaluating your daily processes during normal maintenance and repairs can lead to immediate opportunities for improvement that can have a dramatic impact on the capabilities, efficiency, and effectiveness of a plant's procedures. Don't wait for something to break down before replacing outdated equipment when you can proactively modernize your process instrumentation.


News & Information


Hazardous Area Classifications: What You Need To Know

Areas that have the potential for an explosion to occur are classified as hazardous areas and are regulated by multiple organizations and standards worldwide. These organizations are in place in order to ensure that areas that have the potential for an explosion to occur are maximizing the safety of personnel and limiting the possibility of property damage. This article will identify the agencies that regulate these safety standards, define the classifications of hazardous areas, and give examples of hazardous area devices including how to decipher the product labeling.



New Quick Start Guides

Precision Digital's new Quick Start Guides now come with their most popular Panel Meters. Available for use with the ProVu® PD6000 Process Meter, the PD6200 and PD6300 Rate/Totalizers, and the Trident and Trident X2 Process and Temperature Meters, these Quick Start Guides are designed to get the end-user up and running without having to navigate through a complicated manual containing everything from complex wiring diagrams to Certificates of Conformity. A printed copy of the guide is included with every applicable product. These well-organized booklets contain all the product information needed by plant personnel to perform a quick installation and get the system operational with the least possible amount of downtime.




WEFTEC The Water Quality Event

Precision Digital will be exhibiting its latest display and control instrumentation at WEFTEC, the world's largest annual water quality exhibition. This event will be held at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, from Sept. 26 - 30, 2015. Be sure to stop by booth number 1081 where Precision Digital experts will be displaying some of their most popular process meters for flow and level. Learn which meters will work best for your application and feel free to try out one of the demos on display.




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.




Introduction to Thermocouples, RTDs, & Temperature Transmitters

Precision Digital's latest recorded webinar, An Introduction to Thermocouples, RTDs, & Temperature Transmitters, is now available on predig.com/webinars. This webinar is an introductory class for those who have to deal with common temperature devices and are not electrical engineers or field experts. After viewing the recorded webinar you will know what thermocouples and RTDs are and how they work. You will understand what a temperature transmitter is, and why they are used. Lastly, you will be able to specify the temperature monitoring or control device that is best for your application.


Featured Product
ProVu PD6001 and ProtEX-MAX PD8-6001


Featured Video


Catalog and Price List Overview Video

This video is a quick overview of Precision Digital's 2015 Printed Product Catalog and Price List. The Catalog and Price List is a well-organized, two-volume compilation of product information from Precision Digital's expanding product line that salespeople, OEMs, and end users need in one location. Watch video.



In The Next Issue...


  • See the NEW Precision Digital Website
  • The Trident Virtual Meter
  • New Product Announcements!