AVS have been lucky enough to get an early look at J+J’s newest actuator and wanted to share with you some of the features of the new range.
Brushless Motor
As with other ranges in recent years, the J4C actuator has adopted a brushless motor design to help maximise the lifespan of the unit. The new motor comes with a manufacturers warranty of 3 years or up to 60,000 cycles.
In a brushless motor, an electronic servo replaces traditionally brushed commutator contacts. Electronic transistors switch current through the windings, either reversing the direction of the current or in some cases turning it on and off, at the appropriate angle. The removal of the brushes results in less friction within the motor and therefore a longer lifespan.
Bluetooth Support
A Bluetooth module allows a nearby user to send control signalling and receive position reporting wirelessly, using the specialist app. The system allows the unit to be configured during setup with a smartphone or tablet without having to disassemble the unit.
- Plug and play setup and configuration.
- Internal repeaters create a mesh network (up to 32) allowing up to 1,600m range.
- Standard 802.15.4 protocol.
Modbus Support
The J4C actuator allows control using the industry standard Modbus protocol over either Ethernet or WiFi.
The Modbus protocol is a serial communication protocol developed by Modicon the 1970s for use with its programmable logic controllers. The J+J variation of the Modbus protocol consists of one controller and up to 32 devises (actuators, sensors, etc), variables within these devices can be read by the controller over a serial interface (such as the current angle, temperature, pressure, etc) and can also be written to (in this case the required angle). The Modbus protocol is one of the most commonly used means of connecting industrial electronic devices to control systems and it’s inclusion into the J4C should serve to expand the scope of deployment of the unit considerably.
- Centralised control for up to 32 actuators.
- Cabled or wireless compatible.
- Allows programmatically defined error states and automatic correction, shutdown or alarms.
BSR Kit
A larger capacity nickel–metal hydride battery in the unit’s BSR option, enables the unit to better cope with a loss of power, in scenarios where power was restored temporarily, for less time than the unit’s recharge time per actuation.
AVS has internally tested this new battery and has found it to be backwardly compatible with the J3C range.
