Epec (Finland) has introduced its 3000 controller series featuring CAN/CANopen connectivity. The Epec 3606 control unit is dedicated for small machines or as a programmable I/O device in more complex machines. The Epec 3724 host controller has been designed for applications requiring up to 52 I/O ports.
THE FINISH COMPANY, WITH NEW WEBSITE, has launched the Epec 3606 to be used as a stand-alone controller for smaller systems or as part of a bigger, decentralized control system. The product features 21 input/output pins. The shape of the casing works to protect the electronics inside against mechanical wear. Its temperature range is up to +85 °C. The zinc/plastic housing has also been tested against different environmental conditions. The 16/32-bit control unit is equipped with diagnostic LEDs. The control unit comes with two CAN interfaces supporting optionally CANopen or J1939 or Isobus (ISO 11783).
One CAN interface is equipped with double pins, which makes cabling easier since there is no need for branches in the wire harness. The local flash memory has a capacity of 1,6 MiB. The 112-KiB RAM stores the application variables and there is also a 2-KiB non-volatile memory. For the Codesys (IEC 61131-3) software 768 KiB are allocated.
The Epec 3274 controller comes with up to 52 input/output ports. This includes digital I/O, analog inputs, pulse inputs, proportional (PWM) outputs, and current feedback inputs. The product is programmable in IEC 61131-3 languages and features more memory than the above-mentioned product (1-MiB RAM and 8-KiB non-volatile memory).
Additionally, the company has updated the software for its Epec 5050 controller. This includes improvements of the built-in diagnostics, the optimization of the Time function, and the addition of filtering to current measurements. It is also possible to use the cable detection to define the CANopen node-ID for the PLCopen application software on the state of the input pins. Agrifac Machinery (Netherland) uses the product already in its Condor self-propelled sprayer as the main controller. The control system also implements several Epec 2020 control units. The Dutch distributor, Bram Engineers, supported the design of the control system.