Watlow, a designer and manufacturer of complete thermal systems introduced the RMA Plus, an enhanced version of its EZ-Zone RM remote access module. The company says RMA Plus offers plug and play access to the EZ-Zone RM family of controllers, and it integrates easily into existing systems. It comes standard with a built-in Ethernet switch used to eliminate the need to provide an additional switch for small systems. The RMA Plus is also designed to have port mirroring for troubleshooting and provide protection from broadcast and multicast storms. The integrated USB connection ensures real-time communication from software packages, and the Modbus TCP and Modbus RTU capabilities have been incorporated to allow users to connect to third-party and legacy devices, according to the company.
The RMA Plus is designed for data logging and for users to log up to 16 gigabytes of data standard, or upgrade to a user supplied 32 gigabyte SD card. 32GB is the maximum size SD card allowed by design, according to Watlow. They say that configuration and data logs are available as Windows files so they can be easily accessed.
“Historically, EZ-Zone RM users have had to spend more time than desired to connect their entire system,” said Jim Hentges, product manager. “Now, discovery and transfer speeds have gone from minutes with the legacy EZ-Zone RM to just seconds with the RMA Plus.”