More than your average modular remote I/O

Content first published by Moxa.com

The ioThinx 4510 Series is an advanced modular remote I/O product with a unique hardware and software design, making it an ideal solution for a variety of industrial data acquisition applications. The ioThinx 4510 Series has a unique mechanical design that reduces the amount of time required for installation and removal, simplifying deployment and maintenance. In addition, the ioThinx 4510 Series supports Modbus RTU Master protocol for retrieving field site data from serial meters and also supports OT/IT protocol conversion.

The ioThinx 4510 has 2 Ethernet ports that support a daisy-chain topology to save cabling cost, as well as 1 RS-232/422 port or 2 RS-485 (2-wire) ports to enable Modbus RTU to Modbus TCP/SNMP/ RESTful protocol conversion. In addition, the ioThinx 4510 supports up to 32 I/O modules to help users collect data from field sites.

ioThinx 4510 Series Features

  • Supports up to 32 I/O modules
  • Easy tool-free installation and removal
  • Easy web configuration and reconfiguration
  • Built-in Modbus RTU gateway function
  • Supports Modbus/SNMP/RESTful API/MQTT
  • -40 to 75°C wide operating temperature model available

Easy Tool-Free Installation and Removal

The ioThinx 4500 Series has a unique mechanical design that reduces the amount of time required for installation and removal. In fact, screwdrivers and other tools are not required for any part of the hardware installation, including mounting the device on a DIN-rail, as well as connecting the wiring for both communication and I/O signal acquisition. Furthermore, no tools are required to remove the ioThinx from a DIN-rail. Removing all of the modules from a DIN-rail is also easy using the latch and release tab.

Easy Web Configuration/Reconfiguration

For modular remote I/O setups, one of the greatest difficulties is duplicating configuration settings to the current modules with different module combinations. After adding, moving, or deleting one of the modules, settings of the unchanged modules, including the Modbus address and RESTful APIs to the upper software, need to be reconfigured. The ioThinx 4510’s user-friendly web configuration tool was designed specifically to make configuration and reconfiguration easy; no reconfiguration efforts are required for the unchanged modules. In addition, the ioThinx 4510’s web interface supports module/channel unique names. This feature also applies to Modbus TCP, MQTT, and RESTful API, saving users considerable amounts of time on development and deployment.

 

Built-In Modbus RTU Gateway Function

The ioThinx 4510 supports Modbus RTU Master for retrieving field site data from serial meters. After collecting the data, users can convert the serial data to a variety of protocols, including Modbus TCP, SNMP, and RESTful, allowing users to get field site data in their protocol of choice. This two-in-one design reduces system complexity, the amount of space required in the network topology, as well as overall installation time. In addition, you can extend the useful life of legacy devices by connecting them to Ethernet and access the devices using a preferred protocol.

I/O to IT/OT Protocol Conversion

The ioThinx 4510 does just what you need by supporting the most often-used protocols for retrieving I/O data. Most IT engineers use SNMPv1/v2c/v3, MQTT, or RESTful API protocols, but IA engineers are more familiar with Operational Technologies (OT), such as Modbus. The ioThinx 4510 makes it possible for both IT and OT engineers to conveniently retrieve data from the same I/O device. The ioThinx 4510 speaks several different protocols, including Modbus TCP for OT engineers, as well as SNMP, MQTT, and RESTful API for IT engineers. The ioThinx 4510 retrieves I/O data and converts the data to any of these protocols, allowing you to get your applications connected easily and effortlessly.