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Designed for Outdoor Applications

The WAGO-I/O-SYSTEM 750 XTR was specially developed for demanding outdoor applications: Even under extreme thermal, mechanical and electromagnetic loads, such as on ships, in refineries or in medium-voltage systems, the 750 XTR Series ensures high availability.
Automation systems for industrial equipment are usually housed in protected areas, normally in conventional control cabinets within a more or less temperature-controlled building. Such environmental conditions, which are not very demanding, pose no great challenges to the hardware. For freestanding systems in so-called outdoor applications, the situation is quite different. These automation systems must sometimes confront the harshest conditions safely and reliably, for example: large temperature differences, sources of electromagnetic interference and strong vibrations.

A Match for Adverse Conditions

Typical outdoor applications are found in distributed pumping stations in water supply and wastewater disposal, in petrochemistry, on offshore and onshore oil and natural gas extraction platforms, in transport pipelines, in refineries, on ships, in wind power and photovoltaic power stations or transformer stations. When used in the same application areas, automation systems have previously needed special additional equipment, for example in the form of air-conditioning, insulation or time-consuming installation in expensive control cabinets with a high degree of protection, unless the system is highly resistant to harsh environmental conditions from the start due to its specific design.

The Right Product for Every Application

The best example of this is the WAGO-I/O-SYSTEM 750 XTR. Specially designed for such demanding uses, it is the robust version of the successful WAGO-I/O-SYSTEM 750. It features weather-resistance, immunity to impulse voltages, immunity to interference and vibration resistance and simultaneously offers the same basic advantages as the standard system from the German automation specialists: a high degree of flexibility and modularity in very confined spaces! The XTR variant of WAGO's 750 Series I/O System is instantly recognizable by its dark gray modules. The newest products within the WAGO-I/O-SYSTEM 750 XTR include the compact and powerful PFC200 Controller with a real-time-capable Linux® operating system. The controller is available in two versions with different numbers of communication interfaces. Both versions are also available as telecontrollers that support DNP3 in addition to the IEC 60870-5-101, -103 and -104, IEC 61850 and IEC 61400-25 telecontrol protocols. The PFC200 Telecontrollers are also compatible with both IPsec and OpenVPN protocols for compliance with the highest security standards.

3-Phase Power Measurement Modules in Three Versions

In addition to these new controllers, WAGO's 3-Phase Power Measurement Module extends the application range of the WAGO-I/O-SYSTEM 750 XTR. It is available in three versions: For measurement via current transformers at a maximum measuring current of 1 A or 5 A, as well as for measuring with Rogowski coils. All relevant measured values (e.g., reactive/apparent/effective power, energy consumption, power factor, phase angle, frequency, over-/undervoltage) are transmitted directly into the process image without requiring high computing power from the controller. With this information and a harmonic analysis up to the 41st harmonic, WAGO's 3-Phase Power Measurement Module provides comprehensive network analysis.

Use under Extreme Conditions

The WAGO-I/O-SYSTEM 750 XTR is protected against voltage spikes that arise during switching operations and faults in the power grid, from transient interference pulses due to storms or during adjustment operations in the event of transient oscillation of the output voltage of power supplies after large load changes. It meets the increased requirements on immunity to impulse voltages according to EN 60870-2-1. This means that its increased impulse withstand voltage of 1 kV (class VW1 for modules with supply voltages < 60 V) and 5 kV (class VW3 for modules with supply voltages ≥ 60 V) ensures uninterrupted operation, since the electronics are protected against malfunctions. The optimized EMC behavior of the 750 XTR Series prevents negative emission of interference, so it can be installed in the immediate vicinity of even highly sensitive third-party systems. The system features vibration resistance up to 5g and resistance to continuous shocks of 25g. Thanks to this robustness against extreme mechanical stresses, it can even be used in nacelles of offshore wind power stations or tunnel boring machines – applications in which the system is exposed to very strong vibrations. Due to its maximum operating altitude of 5,000 m, the WAGO-I/O-SYSTEM 750 XTR can even be used in the thin air of very high mountaintop stations.

Less Time and Effort for Planners and Project Engineers

Under such environmental conditions, conventional automation systems must be air-conditioned or protected separately. This requires greater time and effort for installation, leads to higher costs and, where there is an EMC burden, requires a special installation version with special control cabinets. The WAGO-I/O-SYSTEM 750 XTR eliminates these. The system’s extended temperature range from −40°C to +70°C allows it to be installed in conventional control cabinets or switch boxes. It is also possible to forego supplemental air-conditioning, as well as separate vibration absorption and EMC protection. This saves costs for engineering, components and installation. In such applications, both planners and project engineers face significantly lower costs if they use the 750 XTR Series instead of a classical automation system.

Author: Manfred Kühme | WAGO