The most important technical thing to be fixed when a Radio Remote Control is developed, is for sure its intrinsic Safety Level.
In addition to following the existing regulations, E-Chronos had introduced 3 controls to:
- Increase the safety level of the system
- Avoid any control by hackers.
Controls:
- E-Chronos System exclude all devices beside the one "learned" or “authorized”
Once the CU with the correct serial number is turned ON, it’s looking to the RF channel of the MU, then MU is sending the ok to operate and begin to transmit data to work together.
Everything happen into 100ms, after that time any other CU is excluded.
- E-Chronos System introduced a Light encryption during transmission
Once the CU is rightly connected to its MU, the dynamic telegram will be transmitted by a light encryption.
- E-Chronos System has a Cyclic signal to control Emergency Stop part of each device CU/MU
To increase the redundant Emergency Stop safety circuit, E-Chronos is sending a Cycling signal into both of the two Emergency circuits of both CU and MU. The software system is constantly monitoring it and immediately sending Emergency Stop signal in the presence of even a micro change of the value of its CPU load control.
Because of the following Concepts:
- The E-Chronos RF Module was developed as a half-duplex system.
- Each time that the CU device (Transmitter) send a frame to the MU device (Receiver), the MU answer to the CU.
- Each frame of each device is identified.
- The above mentioned frame identification plus half duplex system add safety on the system.
E-Chronos system results are:
- First, the CU device knows if the RF link with the MU device is broken.
- The CU device knows constantly how good the quality of the RF link is.
- Both of the devices can detect if a frame with the same ID and acknowledged is repetitively sent, however if a problem is occurring.
As per the normative ETS 300-220, our devices are equipped with LBT (Listen Before Talk) and AFA (Adaptative Frequency Agility) capabilities.
These add some mechanism to E-Chronos system to be as strong as possible.
Moreover, the RF frame has a Light Encryption Mechanism, this add some difficulties to certain bad intentioned people who wants to take control of the machine.
E-Chronos system also identify each device (control or machine side). A machine side device knows if the controlling device is the "usual and authorized" device it speaks with or not.
If this is not the “usual and authorized” one, the MU immediately exclude the "not authorised" controlling device. This add safety to the system in the way that 2 or more CU will not be able to control one machine at the same time.
This beside if you enable the authorisation for multiple systems to be working with the same machine. (But anyway still only 1 CU will be connected at the time.)
Our system is mostly(1) equipped with 2 safety relays on the MU configuration. The architecture of the hardware follow the normative EN 13849.
MU Side – Main Contact - Moreover, we add a CPU load check between the Master CPU and the Stop CPU. If one CPU slows the way it should normally works, the other CPU detects the anomaly and release the Main Contact.
CU Side – E-Stop - The redundancy is also included on the CU device side. Normally identified as "Emergency Stop Button" is double checked with 2 independents CPU.
Both of them with a CPU load control like on the main contact part.
Note (1): The term mostly is used here, because in some application, 2 safety redundant relay isn’t needed, we do have option to reduce price where only 1 relay is needed.
The development of the electronic parts, mechanical parts, eDrop (configuration software) and production processes were made to be able to face any kind of customer demand.
MU Device additional advantage
E-Chronos reintroduced the old-school "dipswitch" configuration!
Why, because they’re fully programmable, you can choose any kind of option you want to have them fixed programmed on the dip switch. Of course it’s very easy to change in a very fast way their configuration directly on the job-site.
You destroyed your CU device?
No Problem.
Just get a new one, and "Teach" it by the MU device via a magnetic switch, no need to open anything, just approach the magnet to the right location and your CU device will be authorized to work together with the existent MU device.
Draw what you need and make your E-Chronos Radio Control working as like as you want !