Bluetooth module increases safe working distances

Brainboxes is working with Power Isolators to improve the safety of power engineers working on electricity networks.

Brainboxes, the Bluetooth and serial PC addon specialist, is working with Power Isolators, a division of Oxford-based Lucy Switchgear, to improve the safety of power engineers working on electricity networks.

Brainboxes' Bluetooth wireless technology will enable power engineers to communicate with remote terminal units (RTUs) safely at a range of up to 100m.

Bluetooth is the rapidly growing wireless technology designed originally for the cable-free connection of PCs, printers and other office equipment.

However, it is finding increasingly wide usage in other areas such as mobile phone headsets, in-car hands-free units and many industrial applications.

Brainboxes Class 1 Bluetooth products provide a simple and low cost solution to this problem by permitting wireless access and control up to at least 100m from the RTU.

As most RTUs have RS232 serial ports fitted as the standard interface, wireless operation is possible without any configuration.

The RTU's Bluetooth serial "plug-and-play" convertor simply communicates with a similar Bluetooth adapter plugged into a laptop PC via any USB, CompactFlash, PCMCIA or serial interface.

Brainboxes will initially supply Power Isolators with its BL-521 RS232 Bluetooth convertor and the BL-565 Bluetooth CompactFlash card with PCMCIA adapters.

The Brainboxes BL-521 convertor can turn any RS232 serial device, such as PC, printer, oscilloscope or any device which can be connected via a simple serial port.

Future generations of RTUs may be designed with embedded Bluetooth technology, such as Brainboxes BL-730 Class 1 Bluetooth module - fundamentally the same device fitted in the BL-521, also capable of 100m wireless operation.

Lucy Switchgear develops a wide range of pole-mounted switchgear to meet the need of power utility companies worldwide.

The demand for such Bluetooth wireless access is likely to increase as more emphasis is placed on workers' safety.

Ernie Woollard, Director for Power Isolators, commented: "We are keen to bring safety enhancements to our range of Gemini-RTUs as quickly as possible and the Brainboxes Bluetooth devices will make it possible for us to upgrade all RTUs without creating additional configuration or installation issues".

Woollard continued: "Brainboxes Bluetooth devices also offer a convenient maximum 100m operating range which means our customers' power engineers can access the units from a safe distance - even from the comfort of their vehicle".

Eamonn Walsh, Managing Director of Brainboxes, added: "Brainboxes seeks to work with its customers to find the easiest wireless solution to limitations of legacy equipment".

Walsh continued: "Safety in the working environment is a major area where we are increasingly using Bluetooth to provide a clear business benefit at low cost - whether it be removing wires from a classroom floor, or permitting wireless access to, and control of, inaccessible or dangerous industrial equipment.

We are very happy to be working with Lucy Switchgear on this important project".

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