Remote Meter Data

Hi richanton;

Best bet is to check these companies. They all have tech support who could inform you about their off-the-shelf offerings.

Best prices:

Next best:

Worst:

Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.-

Thanks for the tips, but I already checked black box and b&b. All their devices are slave devices.

There are I/O devices that convert 4-20 to RS-485 as a modbus slave, but then you need a Modbus master on the other end to poll the slave. If you're going to do that, and you have a Modbus master on the far end, there's no reason not to poll the meter RS-485 directly.

I don't know of a commercial device that converts 4-20 to RS-485 and back again. There are wireless radios, like Phoenix Contact 1-way industrial wireless radio, that take 4-20 in on one end and output 4-20 on the other, but I'm not aware of any other I/O devices.

I suspect your idea of a PLC with Modbus master capability (assuming the GE meter is a Modbus slave) is the best bet if you need 4-20 at the other end.

Of course, if you have a PLC, why not integrate/totalize the values on the PLC?

Dan

Lots of hits, some interesting ads:

Do you need two signals on one fibre?

In the past I use entrelec module (type PMAO) to convert a modbus data ( from rs 485) to 4 .. 20 mAmps output.

Entrelec is now part of ABB