Sim Module Available ?

If you wish to purchase a SIM, the part number is 5000SM/2. Availability may be difficult and the sales channel may not know much about this. If thats the case PM me and I'll see about referring you to the right person.

 

Send a PM. It will be sorted. I'm pretty sure its not in the TPG (yet), but I can put you onto the right person.

 

Anybody who wants to buy one - send me a PM FOR NOW UNTIL IT IS SORTED OUT.

The way products are made available in different markets is somewhat tortured. I'm trying to help that process out.

(Mr Admin, by the way, posted that on behalf of the Clipsal mgt. Mr Admin is a bit of a benevolent dictator who only wakes up now and again. And this forum is not run by, paid for, or controlled by Clipsal or Schneider. So don't belt Mr Admin too hard, please. He's just performing a community service.)

 

Good question - I'm not sure.

It's basically a C-Bus PC-Interface without the RS232 level conversion, and without an enclosure. It provides an optically isolated logic level interface to the PCI. A schematic for the most part will be irrelevant, although obviously you will need information for the isolated interface in order to design your part of the circuit.

Yes.

I think it's 18mA.

No. The SIM itself is powered from C-Bus, but you need to provide power to your side of isolated interface.

Not sure where you heard this... it's certainly not the case for the SIM.

HTH,

Nick

 

Will publish this info soon.

Yes - though using logic which is tolerant to mixed 3.3V / 5V is recommended. Early SIMs used 5V interface levels.

See above. 18 mA.

No, you cannot power your device from the bus power. The SIm derives its power from the bus, but does not provide any further power for other devices. The SIM includes galvanic (optical) isolation so that a device won't compromise the bus SELV rating. It also has some mounting holes, and you need to use those very carefully with the right size screws in order to maintain the creepage and clearance. [And if you don't understand those terms, then you need to, or you should not be playing with the SIM in the first place!]

Using the SIM means you are making a "Compound Device" - that is, one which is partly bus powered, and partly powered from somewhere else. The sides needs to coordinate how they work (either side can lose power or be powered up or down at any time). The setup of the SIM needs to take this into account - see the Serial Interface Users Guide, in particular the section about power up notification.

 

You can't.. that's not what the SIM is intended for.

You can't.

No.

Quite possibly.

The RS232 level translation of the 5500PC (and 5100PC) is isolated from C-Bus. This is why these draw 32mA whereas a SIM only draws 18mA - the extra current is to power the isolated supply for the RS232 level translator.

You could - as you say - it's isolated. Bear in mind that you would need to deal with all of the isolation/segregation and other regulatory compliance that comes along with doing this though.

Nick

 

The SIM (it has one M - which stands for "Module") is a general purpose interface brick. You can use it to inject messages, and to monitor/filter the bus to receive messages.

You must only inject messages that are meaningful (read the protocol documents 17 times, please). Read the cbus interface levels in the document "Cbus interface requirements". The SIM can do everything apart from the topmost level of interface (I think thats level 5 or 6, can't remember now).

IF YOU USE A SIM to inject any old crap into a network (which you CAN do, you just should not) then please don't ask Clipsal for support of that network, or for help, or for diagnosis. You ain't doing it right!

If you want to make a new device that is completely bus powered, you can't use the SIM. You need to talk to the nice commercial chaps about an NDA and a partnering arrangement where design assistance can be provided under C-Bus Enabled.

 

Just measured it with my precision measuring instrument (plastic ruler)...

The PCB is 48m x 35mm. With the headers on the bottom that it attaches to the base board with, it will sit about 10mm off the base board. The tallest part on the top of the board is about 13mm high, so it requires say 15mm clearance above.

As Newman said... there is nothing specifically intended or allowed/disallowed (there are the usual disclaimers about not using for life support applications).. it's more that the PCI is suited/designed for certain types of application... for example, C-Bus products like the touchscreens, DALI gateway, telephone interface, MRA are all based on the PCI. Switches and dimmers have much more precise timing requirements and have a different core with a whole new level of complexity. There is no equivalent to the SIM for these types of device.

Correct, you are not *required* to go through the C-Bus Enabled process, however we would still recommend that you do..

Before all this information was released, you could write software that interfaced to C-Bus through a PCI or CNI. The policy there was that if your product was not C-Bus Enabled, then Clipsal provided NO SUPPORT for a network to which it is attached. As far as I know this policy has not changed.

Going through C-Bus Enabled is not an expensive exercise, and it gives everybody (you, Clipsal, and the customer) peace of mind that the product is not going to compromise the integrity or performance of the installation.

Nick

 

I'll answer that for Nick.

You contact the cbus enabled coordinator.

You will need to sign an agreement. Development you do will be against the published protocols (if you wish to diverge you need to work with Clipsal to explore why / what / how / where / when / if).

Once your product is done, you submit for testing. The testing will be that your product:

1. Does what you say it does (in general terms).

2. Emits onto cbus what you say it does.

3. Receives and processses from the bus what you say it does.

4. Does not put nasty muck out onto the bus.

In terms of (1) above - Clipsal is not some belevolent test house who will check your software for bugs. Thats up to you. Its a basic fitness-for-purpose test.

Bear in mind, if cbus enabled testing passes, you get certified as such. A big benefit is that Clipsal technical support WILL NOT demand your product be removed in the event of a site issue coming up - because your product is known and has been checked as not being nasty.

You also get the benefit of a confidence check, and and independent view which helps confirm that your understanding of what should go on is in fact on the right track.

And - you can ask questions in the low level gory bits and you will get answers.

This does come at a cost. I think from memory, joining the program costs either $200 or $500 (can't remember which) as a 1-time fee. Which, compared with just about every other similar arrangement for other systems around the world is between 1/10th and 1/100th of what you'd pay elsewhere. And its way way way below cost.