Electronic circuit breaker offers flexibility that passive units can’t
By Bill Schweber -- EDN, September 16, 2004
Forget about those thermal-versus-magnetic breaker arguments, as even relatively staid devices, such as circuit breakers, succumb to the lure of internal processors and programmability—and with good reason. The ESS60-T from E-T-A Circuit Breakers features an RS-232 port that you can use to remotely set or change key parameters, including current rating (Picture). A single stocked unit can handle loads of 5 to 60A, simplifying your bill-of-materials and inventory issues.
Targeting use in telecom dc loads at 48V and especially useful for unattended or remote locations, such as base stations and server farms, these devices let you program and change thresholds for overcurrent-trip, current-limiting, short-circuit, overvoltage, and undervoltage situations. Further, you can remotely open or reset the breaker, useful for staged load-shedding and handling upset situations, and you can check on alarm and current conditions.
Turn-off time is in milliseconds, commensurate with the needs of today’s system designs. The 20-mm-wide breaker meets industry and UL/CE standards and includes a manual on/off control and status-indicator LED. The ESS60-T sells for $120 to $170 (volume quantities) in clear contrast to nonprogrammable, commodity-type magnetic breakers, which sell for approximately $10 each.
E-T-A Circuit Breakers, 1-847-827-7600, www.e-t-a.com.
