Watlow EZ-ZONE ® RMA (Access) module

Maintenance space: Reserve ≥ 76.2mm space at the top/bottom/front of the module for easy wiring and heat dissipation, avoiding direct contact with heating devices (such as heaters).

(2) Split Rail Installation

Applicable scenario: The module needs to be deployed remotely (such as separating the control room from the site), connecting two rails through an Inter module Bus with a maximum distance of 200 feet.

Wiring requirements: Use shielded twisted pair cables (CAT5 and above), connect terminals CX/CY/CZ (Slot C), ground the shielding layer at one end, and provide independent power supply (to avoid voltage drop).

2. Wiring specifications

(1) Terminal definition and limitations

Terminal specifications: Supports 12-30 AWG single/multi strand copper wire, with a torque of 0.56 Nm (right angle terminal)/0.5 Nm (front terminal), and a stripping length of 7.6mm (0.3 inches).

Core terminal functions (Slot C is the common terminal, Slot E is the protocol terminal):

Terminal group functional wiring requirements

Slot C (98/99) power input 98+, 99-, AC/DC polarity should be distinguished and reverse connection is prohibited

Slot C (CF/CD/CE) Standard Bus CF=Common Terminal, CD=T-/R-，CE=T+/R-， Using chrysanthemum link lines

Slot E (E1-E8) Ethernet E1=TX+, E2=TX -, E3=RX+, E6=RX -, wired in T568B sequence

Slot E (CA/CB/CC) Modbus RTU CA=T -/R -, CB=T+/R+, CC=common terminal, supports EIA-485/232 switching

(2) Safety wiring requirements

Electrical isolation: Analog input 1, digital I/O, and DC switch output need to be electrically isolated from process output to prevent grounding loops (grounding resistance ≤ 4 Ω).

Dangerous area wiring: Class 1 Div. 2 areas require certified wires (such as UL 1015) with terminal tightening torque ≥ 0.56 Nm to avoid loosening and sparking.

Power protection: It is recommended to connect a 1A slow melting fuse in series with the power input terminal to prevent overload damage to the module (recommended model: Littelfuse 0215001. MXP).

3. Typical System Networking Example

(1) Single rail PLC integration (Modbus RTU)

Composition: 1 RMA (gateway)+2 RMCs (controllers)+1 RME (extensions), PLC controlled through Modbus RTU.

Wiring: The slot E (CA/CB/CC) of RMA is connected to the EIA-485 port of PLC, and RMA is connected to other RM modules through the backplane bus. The power supply is connected to a 24V DC Class 2 power supply.

Configuration: RMA Modbus address=1, RMC address=2/3, RME address=4, PLC reads the process value of RMC through Modbus registers (address=2500+offset).

(2) Track Ethernet monitoring (EtherNet/IP)

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

Wiring: RMA's Slot E (E1-E8) is connected to an Ethernet switch, and the CX/CY/CZ terminals of rails 1 and 2 are connected with shielded twisted pair cables. Each rail is independently powered (60W power supply).

Configuration: RMA fixed IP=192.168.1.10, PC IP=192.168.1.20, monitoring the status of all modules through EZ-ZONE Configurator software.

Operation and Configuration Guide

1. Menu navigation (based on RUI)

The RMA module is operated through the Remote User Interface (RUI, optional accessory) or software (EZ-ZONE Configurator), and the menu is divided into three levels:

Menu level entry method core function

Press and hold the Up+Down button for 3 seconds in Operations to display "oPEr" monitoring data log status, backup progress, and real-time clock

Long press the Up+Down button for 6 seconds to display "SEt" for configuring communication parameters, data recording, backup, etc RTC

Factory: Press and hold the Advance+Infinity keys for 6 seconds for security settings (password, permissions) and diagnostics (software version, IP address)

(1) Common operation examples (data recording startup)

Go to Operations → Data Logging Menu to view Available Memory and Available Time.

Enter Setup → Data Logging Menu, set Period=60 seconds, Full Action=Overwrite。

Enter Setup → Log Point Menu → Log Point 1, set Source Function=Analog Input, Source Zone=2 (RMC address), Display Precision=0.1。

Press Function Key (preset as "Start Log") to start the log, and RUI will display "Logging Active".

2. Software Configuration (EZ-ZONE Configurator)

(1) Software installation and connection

Download: Download EZ-ZONE Configurator (free) from the Watlow official website, supporting Windows 7 and above systems.

Connection: Connect to RMA's Standard Bus terminal (CF/CD/CE) through a USB-EIA-485 converter, and the software automatically scans for RM modules in the network.

(2) Core configuration steps (Modbus TCP setup)

Select the RMA module, enter the "Communications" tab, and set IP Address Mode=Fixed，IP=192.168.1.10，Subnet=255.255.255.0，Gateway=192.168.1.1。

Enable "Modbus TCP Enable" and "EtherNet/IP Enable", set Modbus Port to 502.

Go to the "Gateway" tab, enable Gateway Instance 1-4 (corresponding to RM module addresses 1-4), and set Modbus Offset=0 (no address offset).

Click "Save" to save the configuration, restart RMA to take effect, and verify network connectivity through Ping command.