Resource Guide: I/O, terminal blocks

May 17, 2018
Control's monthly guide brings you invaluable industry information to stay up to date on the latest trends and developments.

Talk show on blocks

The 43-minute video, "Terminal Blocks and Ziplinks Webinar from AutomationTalk," covers a wide range of technologies, capabilities and solutions in a talkshow format with Q&A. It covers Automationdirect's updated and extended lines of Dinnectors and Ziplinks, also known as terminal blocks and prewired connection cables and modules. Watch it here.

Automationdirect
www.automationdirect.com

I/O points in context

This 26-minute video, "Solutions for PLC I/O Modules," from Texas Instruments covers PLC systems, and dives into I/O modules used to interface with sensors/actuators. "I/O modules must meet stringent electrical specifications and can be classified into current, voltage and digital input/output types," states TI's liner notes. "We'll explore the challenges designers face in conditioning and converting these signals, and touch on solutions to address these challenges." Watch it here

Texas Instruments
www.ti.com

Five connection types

These two videos, "Terminal block basics" and "Terminal block connection types," cover pass-through, ground, fuse and multi-level blocks and connections, as well as screw, spring, push-in, tool-less and barrier connections. Watch "Terminal block basics" here, and watch "Terminal block connection types" here

RSP Supply
www.rspsupply.com

Digital I/O white paper

This online white paper, "Digital I/O fundamentals," includes basic concepts like voltage levels, logic families, clocked digital I/O, termination and industrial features. It also features common terminology and digital concepts, and well as digital I/O device verification/characterization, functional tests and digital device interfacing. Read the white paper here

National Instruments
www.ni.com

DIN rail, blocks explained

This 6.5-minute video, "What are DIN Rail Terminal Blocks? Types and Explanation!," goes beyond individual product features to explain the basic function and forms of DIN-rail terminal blocks, as well how to wire and configure them. Watch it here.

Never Stop Building LLC
www.neverstopbuilding.com

Discrete vs. analog I/O

This short, online article, "Understanding discrete & analog I/O," describes the physical differences between analog and discrete I/O signals, and how they're affected by transducer, scaling, resolution and electrical noise issues. Read the article here.

Automationdirect
www.automationdirect.com

Field to I/O to PLC

The two videos, "How are field devices wired to PLCs, Parts 1 and 2," from PLC training provider RealPars cover the basics of industrial networking from field devices to I/O modules on up to PLCs. Watch Part 1  here and Part 2 here.

RealPars
https://realpars.com/free

Good block definitions

These two short videos, "What are terminals blocks?" and "Types of terminal block connections," cover the definitions and functions of terminal blocks, and how they're wired to other components and networks. Watch "What are terminals blocks?" here and "Types of terminal block connections" here

GALCO TV
www.galco.com

Interrupt, programmed I/O

Two 50-minute videos, "Lecture 24 – Programmed I/O" and "Lecture 25 – Interrupt driven I/O," presented by Prof. S. Raman, IIT Madras, shows I/O devices within the context of microprocessors and computer science. Watch Lecture 24  here and Lecture 25 here.

NPTel
www.nptelvideos.in

Points, blocks assistance

This column, "Help with your I/O terminal blocks," provides references to 10 resources from National Instruments, Tepergy, IHS Engineering 360, DDC Online, Lumberg Automation, Festo, Omega Engineering and others. Read the column here

CONTROL
www.controlglobal.com