Product Description:

B & R Automation manufactures the 5LS172.6, a plug-in logic scanner card in the 5LS Logic Scanner Cards series. Installed inside a host industrial PC, the board polls field devices and buffers process data so the controller software can respond deterministically. Its role in automation is to present two independent CAN networks, monitor discrete relays, and maintain non-volatile registers without burdening the central processor, thereby supporting machine sequences, diagnostics, and fast event logging on the plant floor.

The card holds 256 KByte of fast SRAM for real-time variables, which is preserved by a lithium cell rated at 950 mAh and 3 V so data remains intact during power loss. Communication to the field takes place through 2 x CAN ports driven by a dedicated SJA 1000 controller; each channel can be terminated locally through a jumper to match the segment’s characteristic impedance. When the network traffic demands it, the controller sustains transfer speeds up to 500 kBit/s without protocol errors. Multidrop wiring is connected through the two 4-pin multipoint headers mounted on the board edge, and electrical isolation between the channels prevents cross-ground faults from propagating.

Inside the backplane the board occupies a PCI Half-Size Module slot and draws only Max. 2.4 W, so heat generation is minimal. Optical couplers create galvanic isolation both between the two CAN ports and toward the PC, improving noise immunity in mixed-voltage cabinets. Relay outputs are provided in normally-open and normally-closed groups; each path can carry continuous currents up to Max. 10 A at switching voltages not exceeding Max. 30 VDC. Because bus termination can be enabled per channel with a simple jumper, installers can position the board at any point along the trunk without adding external resistors.