Advantech’s PCI-1622CU is an 8-port RS422/485 universal PCI communication card for both 3,3 V and 5 V PCI bus systems. Configuration is straightforward and four cards can be used in the same system for communicating with up to 32 devices.

In RS485 mode, the cards automatically sense the direction of data flow and switch the transmission direction – no handshaking is necessary. The control is completely transparent to the user. The PCI-1622CU is suitable for outdoor serial communication over long distances. RS422/485 is supported up to 1,2 km, which makes it suitable for applications in industrial automation, manufacturing, building automation, facility monitoring, environmental monitoring and traffic management systems.

With its surge protected design, the host system is shielded from abrupt high voltages up to 2500 V d.c. The card supports optical isolation up to 2500 V d.c. to improve signal quality and to protect the circuitry of the system and other connected equipment against damage from ground loops. The PCI-1622CU is available for Windows 98/2000/ME/XP and Linux with full driver support. With Advantech’s bundled ICOM tools software, the user can test the PCI card’s performance by analysing the status of the ports and can easily configure the settings of the card.