Taipei, Taiwan, Oct 11, 2006—Moxa announces the debut of Active Ethernet I/O , a new way for PC-based data acquisition and control applications to transmit real-time I/O data over an open network. Designed for Ethernet, Active Ethernet I/O supports Modbus/TCP and SNMP protocols for use in both industrial automation and IT environments.

A new approach to Ethernet I/O is needed to address the prevalence of Ethernet in modern PC-based data acquisition and control (DA&C) systems and the increasing demand for real-time I/O data. Using their know-how and experience in data communication, the engineers at Moxa developed the Active Ethernet I/O concept to provide real-time I/O data transmission over an open network using easily-configured local logic control.

New Breed of Ethernet I/O for PC-based Automation

In traditional Ethernet I/O architecture, the Ethernet I/O server and attached sensors are passive. A host is required to poll the Ethernet I/O server in order to obtain I/O status information, and the repeated request-and-respond communication over the network results in a slow response time. For clients looking to improve the operational efficiency of their DA&C systems, the need for active I/O messaging and a fast I/O response time cannot be met with the traditional Ethernet I/O structure.

Moxa's Active Ethernet I/O products give system integrators a new option that relies on conditionally triggered I/O status notification with customizable output messages and simultaneous local output control. Rather than simply waiting for a request for information, the Ethernet I/O server intelligently transmits data over the network only when certain customizable I/O conditions are met. Network and host resources are not expended by the continual polling of the server when I/O conditions remain within the customizable threshold. This makes network communication between the host computer and Ethernet I/O server concise and efficient, and data transmission is 20 times faster than with traditional SCADA systems (50 ms compared to 1 sec).

A key component of Active Ethernet I/O is the patent-pending Click&Go™ logic control, which is used to configure the Ethernet I/O server's local intelligence. Rather than laboriously programming in C or PLC-Ladder-Logic, the intuitive "If-Then" structure of Click&Go™ makes it easy for users to notify the server of what I/O conditions to watch for and what actions or events to trigger. Using Click&Go™, configuration of your Active Ethernet I/O system can be completed quickly and with no formal training.

• Instant Event Reporting by TCP/UDP/e-mail/SNMP trap
• Easy Local Control without Programming by Patented Click&Go Logic
• Windows VB and Windows/WinCE/Linux C API
• Peer-to-Peer I/O without controller

Moxa currently offers two products that support Active Ethernet I/O
- ioLogik E2210 with 12 DI, 8 DO -
- ioLogik E2240 with 8 AI, 2 AO -