Antaira Helps Wastewater Plant Operators Leverage Legacy Serial Devices in Ethernet Networks

December 1, 2022

Control of wastewater treatment plants is a complex task requiring thousands of measurement devices to provide constant data throughout the water cleansing process. However, control networks in many of America’s aging treatment plants were built using equipment requiring serial connections, and not today’s Ethernet communication standard. Antaira gateways and device servers allow plant operators to connect legacy serial devices such as PLCs to a TCP/IP network by converting serial data to Ethernet, therefore protecting their existing investment while taking full advantage of Ethernet’s superior speed, broader bandwidth, and redundant network topologies.

Due to reduced funding for water infrastructure projects, plant managers must make difficult decisions regarding the use of limited capital funds. Besides funding, consideration must be given to the amount of downtime that might have to occur during the deployment of a new Ethernet network. Antaira technology bridges the gap between serial and Ethernet so that the plant can smoothly transition from one technology to the next, both cost effectively and with minimal production downtime.

Given the harsh chemicals and gases, equipment vibration, moisture, and electrical noise throughout a wastewater treatment plant, industrial-grade network devices are critically important to install. Antaira gateways and servers offer unmatched protection against harsh environments, plus many Antaira switches feature support for fiber optics for long distance, noise-resistant communication.

Antaira STM-501C Gateway

The Antaira STM-501C gateway is a simple, affordable solution that allows legacy MODBUS RTU/ASCII devices to operate on a MODBUS TCP network. It supports RS232/422/485 communication through a single serial port, and 10/100TX Ethernet by a standard RJ45 port. Included software is manageable through a simple web interface, CLI or telnet connection for trouble-free device configuration. At the touch of a button, it lets plant operators search all serial device servers within a LAN independent of its subnet, or find a serial device server of a specific IP address over a WAN. An extended temperature range and rugged metal housing qualifies the STM-501C for wastewater treatment applications.

Antaira STE-6104C-T-V2 Serial to Ethernet Device Server

The Antaira STE-6104C-T-V2 device server comes equipped with four RS232/422/485 DB9 male serial ports and Dual 10/100Tx LAN ports that support daisy chain and data redundancy applications. Engineered for simplified bridging of serial field devices to Ethernet networks, it achieves high-speed data rates up to 921 kbps for bi-directional device monitoring, managing and control. Operators can use either the built-in Real COM software or a TCP socket to monitor from a remote control center. The STE-6104C-T-V2 is packaged in a rigid IP30 metal housing, and offers 15KV ESD protection against electrical damage. Like the STM-501C Gateway, the STE-6104C-T-V2 is easy to configure and manage for fast set-ups.

Learn more at www.antaira.com/waterwastewater.