Watlow EZ-ZONE ® RME (Expansion) Module

(2) Safety wiring requirements

Electrical isolation: Digital I/O and process outputs need to be wired separately from power lines and high-voltage lines to avoid cross interference; Analog signal wiring requires the use of shielded wires, with the shielding layer grounded at one end.

Dangerous area wiring: UL 1015 certified wires are required for Class 1 Div. 2 areas, with terminal tightening torque ≥ 0.56 Nm, and the use of insulated damaged wires is prohibited; The junction box must be an explosion-proof certified model to avoid sparking.

Inductive load protection: When driving inductive loads such as relay coils and solenoid valves, RC suppressors (such as Watlow 08040147-0000) or freewheeling diodes should be connected in parallel at both ends of the load to prevent voltage spikes from damaging the module.

3. Typical System Networking Example

(1) Single rail I/O expansion system (Modbus RTU)

Composition: 1 RMA (Communication Gateway, Modbus RTU Master)+1 RMC (Temperature Controller)+2 RMEs (I/O Expansion, connected to 8 digital inputs and 4 SSR outputs respectively)+PLC (Modbus RTU Slave).

Wiring:

RMA's Slot C (CC/CA/CB) is connected to PLC's EIA-485 port, with a baud rate of 9600bps, no parity check, and 8 data bits.

RMA, RMC, and RME are connected via backplane Standard Bus (CF/CD/CE terminals) and share a 24V DC Class 2 power supply (Slot C 98/99).

The digital input terminals of RME1 are connected to temperature sensors and limit switches, while the SSR terminals of RME2 drive heaters and fans.

Function: RMC controls temperature, RME expands I/O to collect on-site signals and drive actuators, PLC reads system status through Modbus RTU and issues control instructions.

(2) Distributed Control System for Rail Division (EtherNet/IP)

Composition: Rail 1 (RMA+RMC x 2, control room), Rail 2 (RME x 3, on-site), connected via Inter module Bus, monitored by PC via EtherNet/IP.

Wiring:

The slot E (Ethernet terminals E1-E8) of RMA is connected to an Ethernet switch, and the PC is connected to the switch. The RMA fixed IP is set to 192.168.1.10, and the PC IP is set to 192.168.1.20.

The slot C (CZ/CX/CY) of rail 1 and rail 2 are connected using shielded twisted pair cables, with a maximum distance of 200 feet, and the shielding layer is grounded at one end.

Each guide rail is independently powered: Guide rail 1 uses a 60W power supply (0847-03000-0000), and guide rail 2 uses a 91W power supply (0847-0301-0000) to avoid voltage drop.

Function: On site RME connects sensors and actuators nearby to reduce wiring length; The control room monitors the status of all modules through EZ-ZONE Configurator software, enabling remote configuration and fault diagnosis.

Operation and Configuration Guide

1. Menu navigation (based on RUI remote user interface)

The RME module is operated through RUI (optional accessory) or software, and the menu is divided into three levels. The navigation logic is as follows:

Menu level entry method, core functions, common operation examples

Press and hold the Up+Down button for 3 seconds on the Operations page to display "oPEr" monitoring real-time data (I/O status, alarm status, timing/counting results), log status viewing, numerical input "di. S" (input status), alarm "a.st" (alarm status), and load current "Ld. Cu"

Long press the Up+Down key for 6 seconds on the Setup page to display "SEt" for configuring I/O parameters, logical relationships, alarm thresholds, communication parameter configurations, digital I/O direction "dir" (input/output), logical operations "fn" (and/or), and alarm threshold "a.hi/a.Lo"

Factory: Long press and hold the Advance+Infinity keys for 6 seconds to configure security permissions (password, rolling password), diagnostics (software version, IP address), calibration settings for User/Admin password "pas.u/pas.a", enable rolling password "roLL", and output "o.CA" during the calibration process

(1) Key configuration example: Digital input linkage alarm

Enter Setup → Digital I/O Menu → Digital I/O 1, set "dir=Input Dry Contact", "fn=Alarm" (associated alarm function), and "fi=1" (alarm instance 1).

Enter Setup → Alarm Menu → Alarm 1, set "a.ty=Process Alarm", "sr.a=Digital I/O" (alarm source is digital input), "is.a=1" (input instance 1), "a.hi=100" (high alarm threshold), "a.Lg=Close On Alarm" (output is closed when an alarm occurs).

Enter Operations → Alarm Menu → Alarm 1, view "a.st" (alarm status), when the digital input is triggered, the alarm status changes to "Alarm High", and the linkage output action is activated.

2. Software Configuration (EZ-ZONE Configurator)

(1) Software installation and connection

Download and installation: from Watlow official website（ http://www.watlow.com ）Download EZ-ZONE Configurator (free), supports Windows 7 and above systems, and the "Modbus Driver" component needs to be checked during installation.

Hardware connection: Use a USB-EIA-485 converter (such as B&B Electronics 485USBTB-2W) to connect the PC to the slot C (CF/CD/CE terminal) of the RME. The converter needs to install a driver and set up a COM port (such as COM5).