Interfaces with the field instruments with Digital and Analog ports and serial connections. Run on DC or with internal battery. Send data to 4i Dash using Zigbee wireless network Long Distance, Programmable, High Speed Counter versions available.
This hardware component connects directly with field signals via cable and sends the detected values to a 4i DASH wirelessly.
The 4i DOTs are designed to be mounted in electrical cabinets and thus come with DIN rail brackets, 5-24v DC power and removable field inputs.
When purchased it is possible to request pre-configured 4i DOTs to connect to an existing infrastructure Plug and Play-style. It is also possible to add it to the local 4i infrastructure, configuring it locally via USB cable.
4i DOTs have rechargeable batteries that allow them to function even when/though they’re not plugged in. How long the battery lasts depends on the acquisition speed and how far it is from the rest of the infrastructure.
The 4i DOTs wireless network has a mesh-style architecture; that is to say that the 4i Dots help each other to carry information until it gets to the 4i DASH. Therefore, it is possible to have 4i DOTs strategically placed as repeaters to expand the coverage of a 4i DASH.
While the maximum range of a standard 4i DOT is 50 linear meters, it is estimated that the typical distance is 20 meters given a closed environment that includes a couple of obstacles, such as walls and metal cabinet doors.
There are multiple versions of Dots with different characteristics:
| Type of DOT | Model | Characteristics |
| STANDARD | 4i-DOT-721RP | ▪ 7 digital inputs dry contacts
▪ 2 opto-isolated analog inputs ▪ 2.4GHz Mesh connectivity with 4i DASH ▪ 50m maximum line-of-sight distance between the 4i DASH and its closest 4i DOT. ▪ Power Supply: 12-24 DC/internal rechargeable battery |
| PLC | 4i-DOT-844 PLC | ▪ 8 digital inputs
▪ 4 digital outputs ▪ 4 opto-isolated analog inputs ▪ 2.4GHz Mesh connectivity with 4i DASH ▪ 50m maximum line-of-sight distance between the 4i DASH and its closest 4i DOT. ▪ Power Supply: 12-24 DC/internal rechargeable battery |
Dot to Dash Connection #
The default setting is that there is only one 4i DASH within range of each 4i DOT so that the 4i DOTs can connect automatically to the 4i DASH without need to configure that connection.
In more complex architectures in which there may be more than one 4i DASH within range of a particular 4i DOT, the 4i DOT and 4i DASH possess an internal parameter that allows them to select a PAN ID (Personal Area Network ID) and segment the acquisition network.
The 4i DOTs have an LED to indicate its connection status to the corresponding 4i DASH. This LED can be used to evaluate the strength of that connection as it flickers with a brightness proportional to the strength of the 4i DASH’s signal.
