APAX-5202P is a PCI interface card which supports two AMONet RS-485 master rings, and transfers data between host and slaves directly without any operations in between. Each ring can control up to 2,048 I/O points, 256 axes, or a combination of I/O points and axes for motion control. The ring can support up to 20 Mbps transfer rate and a maximum communication distance of up to 100 meters. The communication between master and slave is based on a customized RS-485 solution that saves wires, covers a long distance, supports high-speed communication and has time-deterministic features. The communication interface between master and PAC is accomplished by memory mapping. Various functions can be chosen on the slave modules, and standard industrial DIN-rail mounting design makes it easy to distribute them in the field. The master collects information from slave modules and publishes the information to its PAC controller.
