PowerAnt: Teach Your computer To drive The real World
PowerAnt is control from personal computer, using RS232 port, from 14 and more external electrical devices. Open, Human-Readable protocol, it is fully described in programmer's manual. Control of electrical equipment with power supply near 200W. You Wish control the real world from MS Excel?
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PowerAnt

The professional programmer can write the program which can do EVERYTHING, BUT all this is frequently limited by the computer case.

 You need right this
You need right this
As soon as there is a question on necessity to leave the computer case and to make something real, for example, to transfer in the program that any gauge has worked or just to light a bulb, the majority of programmers face one uneasy problem - they need special peripheral device. As that device PowerAnt is offered .

PowerAnt has simple, text based, human-readable control protocol. Protocol with examples, mounting and other questions is fully described into programmer's manual (25 pages). Programmers manual and other documentations are shipped into CD-ROM with BaseStation.

No library or special drivers required. PowerAnt is compatible with any software development environment and operation systems (required only RS-232 support).

Text based protocol, and full indication on each device make easy the system development process and software debug. On each executed command the device send the human readable answer, and if the command is wrong, the device try to tell what exectly is wrong.

Programs can be debugged with any terminal program like HyperTerminal, Term95, minicom... and etc. You nust just correctly setup terminal program.

There exist 3 types of PowerAnt: SwSw (8 Switches + 6 Switches), SeSe (8 Sensors + 6 Sensors) and SwSe (8 Switches + 6 Sensors). Major PowerAnt type is SwSe. It can be applicable for most of all applications.

PowerAnt (type SwSe, SeSe, with program c) has high speed, 255 steps, reverse counter (minimum switch time is near 80E-6 sec). Counter decrements on front and rear of sensor signal. When counter value mounts zero, PowerAnt can change the state of some switches (for type SwSe). Reverse counter has many applications, for example, it can make stepping motors - from standard dc motors.

PowerAnt (type SwSe, SeSe, with program adc) for sensors K, L, M, N supports analog to digital conversion (ADC) in range from 0 to 5V (0-1023 steps).

PowerAnt (type SwSe, with program r20) can be used as external watchdog counter for your cmputer. If your computer do not response till specifiet time - PowerAnt shenge state of specified witches for short time (2,5-3sec). In other words if you PS freez - PowerAnt can reboot it.

Some commands, like =AAAaaaaAAAAaaaa can be used for generation of short, high speed, signal sequences (max 40 steps, 20E-6 sec per step).

If your system require more than 14 switches or sensors, you can connect PowerAnt to each other and build a large arrays of switches and sensors. For connecting PowerAnts You can use standard UTP cat. 5 cable with RJ45 connectors, which is mostly used for Eternet 10/100 networks building. Also a simple phone cable with RJ12 connectors (required 4 wires cable) can be used. One RS-232 can be used for addressing from 1 to 200.000 PowerAnts (its near 2 millions of switches and sensors).

 PоwerAnt count limited only by power supply and length (less than 30m)
 PоwerAnt count limited only by power supply and length (less than 30m)

In standard version of PowerAnt you can join 7 PowerAnts (98 switches). If You do not need secondary supply 12V, we can modify PowerAnt and You can build PowerAnt network with 12 devices (168 switches). Pay attention, the limitation to 7 or 12 PowerAnts in one network means case if all switches in all devices are ON. If your system does not require switch on all switches at the same time - you can build PowerAnt networks which contain more then 7 or 12 devices. For example if You network contains only PowerAnts with type SeSe, You can join near 20 devices in standard version of PowerAnt. You can ask as - how many PowerAnts You can connect in one network.

PowerAnt protocol is wireless compatible. If You use some wireless media (for example infarated), you can use each device to retranslate commands and device answers from device to device.

The power supply of PowerAnts came from BaseStations, and power supply of central computer can be used. BaseStation Pro can be connected to computer power supply like IDE Hard Drive and give general (+5V) and additional (+12V) power supply. +12V power supply is optional, and if you do not need it, you may not connect it to BaseStation.

200W lamp
200W lamp

There exist four PowerAnt switches execution - with optocoupler and without optocoupler. Devices without optocoupler are cheaper, but limited by application. The devices with Super optocouplers can be used for control devices with power supply 220V, 200W (current less than 1A). It makes possible to plug any device and not to care about computer health.

Execution of PowerAnt switches:

  • Without optocoupler - command from computer arrives, the voltage between contact electrodes of the switch is 5V (logical 1 level). If the switch is off - the voltage between contact electrodes of the switch is 0V (logical 0 level). In both state the current between contact electrodes are not higher than 20mA.
  • With optocoupler - when the command from computer arrives, the resistance between contact electrodes of the switch falls practically up to nil. For these switches You can connect DC 5-60V, current less than 50mA. In this execution, using jumpers, You can select power supply: +5V or additional supply from BaseStation. Also You can select the external power supply.
  • Optocoupler 100+ - when the command from computer arrives, the resistance between contact electrodes of the switch falls practically up to nil (26 Om). This switch can be used to control electrical devices with AC/DC 220V and current less than 130mA. In this execution, using jumpers, You can select power supply: +5V or additional supply from BaseStation. Also You can select the external power supply.
  • Super optocoupler - when the command from computer arrives, the resistance between contact electrodes of the switch falls practically up to nil. This switch can be used to control electrical devices with AC 220V, 200W power supply (current up to 1A). If You connect device with current greater than 1A, You destroy only one switch.

    If Your application requires switch power high than 200W, we can sell You special adapters.

    In case damage PowerAnt can be easy changed to other. Just change the address of new PowerAnt and new PowerAnt is ready to be use.

    PowerAnt has many applications, some of them are more detail described in our site.

  • PowerAnt is control from personal computer, using RS232 port, from 14 and more external electrical devices. Open, Human-Readable protocol, it is fully described in programmer's manual. Control of electrical equipment with power supply near 200W. You Wish control the real world from MS Excel?
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