Data Station

Red Lion’s Data Station is the single-device solution for protocol conversion.  The Data Station bridges the communication gap between disparate serial, Ethernet and fieldbus devices – unlocking valuable data from PLCs, drives, controllers and more, orphaned by incompatible communications standards.  Drag-and-drop register mapping allows a Siemens PLC to talk to an Allen Bradley drive in just seconds. With a growing list of over 300 serial, Ethernet and fieldbus drivers, the Data Station gives users freedom to choose the best-in-class components for a given application, regardless of vendor.

Harness the Value of Industrial Information
With its built-in data, event and security logger, the Data Station protocol converter and data acquisition system offers a powerful means for recording continuous data as well as events and alarms. Data can be acquired from any or all connected devices and compiled into a single CSV-formatted file, where it can be stored, displayed, emailed or automatically synchronized with an FTP or Microsoft SQL server.

Automate and Manage Remote Assets
The Data Station excels at keeping personnel informed of machine and process performance. Quickly set up monitoring of a number of disparate devices in a control application, collect performance data to display, store for later evaluation, or to trigger functions within the Data Station itself or a connected PLC.  With its built-in web server, remote personnel can monitor as well as control equipment from virtually any networked device. Our latest generation Data Station’s web server supports HTTPS operation with the provision of certificates, responsive design with a full-screen option ideal for tablet or mobile display, and HTTP redirect, CSS and JavaScript support.

Increase Quality and Improve Uptime, Anywhere
The Data Station can also alert personnel to existing or potential issues to ensure problems are addressed quickly in order to minimize downtime. Gather data from devices, machines and processes to establish performance baselines, and then trigger PLC functions, alarms or notifications when points stray from nominal parameters.  These variables, when combined with the power of AI and statistical analyses can be used to identify process vulnerabilities, abnormal conditions or wear trending. Built-in MQTT connectors accelerate big data, AI and IIoT projects with point & click simplicity, while embedded OPC UA server functionality eliminates the need for separate system hardware to gather and exchange data with upstream systems. The optional SQL queries capability simplifies activities like quality control, production scheduling, and batch and recipe management.

With One Device, Connect Virtually Anything to Anything Else
With up to three built-in serial ports and a 10/100Base-T(X) Ethernet port, the Data Station enables seamless communication between disparate devices. Up to 10 different Ethernet-based protocols are supported on the DA30D, enabling disparate TCP protocols to communicate with ease. Additional communication options include CAN, DeviceNet and Profibus, available for models with optional card or communications module support.