User-friendly, reliable and economic analytical data collection and storage

Limesoft’s Data Collection Unit (DCU) is their industrial software application designed for data collection, HMI, and process control. End users can interface, acquire, and store data from various instruments, devices, sensors, analysers, PLCs, and analogue and discrete I/O modules, distributed control systems and historians using various protocols.

DCU supports a variety of Ethernet, serial, 4-20 mA, or digital I/O protocols such as Modbus and OPC. It can function as an OPC tunneller thus avoiding complex DCOM layer configuration. Also included is a powerful RegEx Parser Engine that can be used to read data from devices that implement string-based communication protocols. All the data can then be packaged together and passed in a convenient format such as Modbus TCP/IP map.

The software controller enables operators to display interactive process and mimic diagrams, histograms, charts, and data tables, set alarms, alerts and notifications for system diagnostics and preventative maintenance and push buttons to trigger various control tasks or set analogue values.

DCU will also control logic programming, scripting, and schedule for tasks such as: energising solenoid valves, validation and calibration sequences, purge, blowback, sample handling, flow, Proportional Integral Derivative Gain (PID) control loops, time-sharing and stream switching, trip point monitoring and condition-based alarms. This can save a lot of time spent programming PLCs, as DCU is a software-based controller and can be reused for future applications.

Additional diagnostic information can be obtained from analysers to monitor device health status and performance, generate alarms and notifications, trigger preventative maintenance procedures and reduce downtime. The curve fitting algorithm is used to detect when the actual response value during validation has approached the expected set point, calculated the drift, and proceed to the next step. This allows gas cylinders to last longer and saves time.

DCU can be installed on a variety of ATEX certified hardware such as panel and din rail mountable industrial PCs, as well as rackmount servers and desktop computers. Analogue and discrete I/O and signal converters are incorporated as needed.