General Input Module

Hi,
I tried a General Input Module (GIM) to attempt to read both accurate voltages and dry-contact switch closures. The GIM appeared faulty and was returned.
There seems to be very little information on this C-Bus GIM hardware unit.
I am anxious to use C-Bus for electrical hardware control based on voltage levels (mainly DC in the order of 0.00 to 75.00 volts - the decimal point levels are reasonably critical) and dry-contact switch monitoring.
Can anyone offer advice or alternative solutions?
Regards,
Fredb

 

Have you seen the GIM Brochure ?

You would have to pre-scale a 75V signal before it could be fed into the GIM. If you are wanting an accuracy of 0.01V in 75V, this is beyond the resolution of the GIM (in fact it would require a calibrated 12 bit Analogue to Digital Converter).

How are you planning to utilise the data from the GIM ? You could broadcast the data onto C-Bus as Lighting levels, which would give you limited resolution (8 bit data, or resolution of around 0.5%). If you want to use the GIM "Measurement Application" data, the only ways of using this data are :
1. Colour C-Touch, HomeGate and Schedule Plus through their logic capability.
2. C-Gate.

 

Thanks Darren,

I have a totally solar powered house, capable of being programmed for stand-alone battery use and interactive use with grid connection to the local electricity supply authority. I export more electricity than I import.
The house is fitted out with a full complement of modern appliances, C-Bus, Homeminder and various electric blinds, electric vergola (moveable patio cover), irrigation control, fairly standard lighting and dimming control etc. The solar system has simple monitoring facilities but I would like to go to the next step and integrate the system into C-Bus/Homeminder and utilise C-Bus for more comprehensive control and display features.

I am under the impression that the General Input Module (GIM) would have functionality suitable to manage and control (via appropriate interface and scaling hardware) various Inverter functions, Battery management and charging and transfer to "off-peak" power for some applications.

Voltages that would be monitored for control purposes would normally be in 0.00 to 5.00 volt range, with a resolution of perhaps 50.0 millivolts (for monitoring Wind Turbine and Solar Panel outputs across appropriate shunts). Battery voltage levels (nominally 48 volt with a 0.25 volt resolution) would also be desirable. I do not know whether it is possible, but I would like to display some of these monitored levels and control(s) status on my C-Touch panel?

Am I being to ambitious with C-Bus ???

Best regards,

Fred

 

The GIM will certainly allow you to monitor these sort of things, and can allow some control as well. Whether the GIM will allow the control you want is hard to know without more specific details.

This is within the accuracy of the GIM, so it would be OK.

This is also within the accuracy of the GIM, so it would be OK.

If you have the GIM broadcasting the data onto Lighting Groups, then the C-Touch can display this as a percentage or a level (0 to 255). Unfortunately, at the moment it can't scale the data and display as a voltage etc. I have seen people use a slider to show a level, with a scale down the side showing voltage etc.

If you use a colour C-Touch, it can scale and display the data in any format, as well as performing logic functions for more sophisticated control based on the data.

Without knowing the extent of the control you need, it is hard to say. C-Bus is not designed as a high-speed industrial control bus, and as such it does not replace the functionality of a PLC. However, for low speed, less demanding applications (which I suspect yours is), it is quite suitable.