New from Calex Electronics is the FOTEMP series of fibre-optic temperature measurement systems that provide accurate temperature measurement in situations where conventional temperature sensors cannot operate. They can be used, for example, in areas with high electromagnetic interference, microwave fields, vacuums and other areas where it is not possible to use thermocouples, platinum resistance thermometers or thermistors.
This series offers four different models - two single-channel units, a four-channel unit and a multi-channel rack-mount system. Each has a temperature range of 0 to 300degC and can be supplied with a choice of fibre-optic probes made from different materials and with varying dimensions to suit individual applications.
The FOTEMP 1 and FOTEMP 4 models are desktop units with one and four channels, respectively. They have large LCD displays and easy-to-use front-mounted controls. All functions are displayed on the screen in a menu-driven format and are accessed using either the keypad or the PC interface. They can provide either a 4-20mA or 0-10V analogue output, with other options available on request. These systems also come with RS-232 communications built in as standard, with USB interfaces available on request.
In addition, the FOTEMP 1-OEM is a small, low-cost single-channel unit, with no display and no front-mounted controls. It has an RS-232 interface for configuration and provides a choice of analogue outputs.
Lastly, the FOTEMP-N is a rack-mount system that enables users to add as many channels as they require. Each channel has its own display and individual analogue output. A master communications module gathers readings from all of the channels and provides either RS-232 or USB communications for connection to a PC.
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