Cost Effective Hardware
At AutomationDirect, we've got great prices on thousands of automation products. Please visit our
online superstore to view them all. Here are some of our most cost-effective
products that are popular with many schools, colleges, and universities (with a few notes about why each product is well suited to education):
With the FREE (to download) CLICK software and super-low prices on CLICK PLCs, some schools simply require each student to
purchase a CLICK PLC (starting at $
Call, they're cheaper than some textbooks) -
and the students are no longer tethered to the lab to learn PLCs or to work on their projects.
Even if the PLC hardware is owned by the school, the freely downloadable software gives students the freedom to work on
their ladder logic anytime and anyplace. And all Automation Direct documentation (including the CLICK hardware manual) is
freely downloadable also.
All CLICK CPUs can be expanded with the addition of up to eight I/O modules. A variety of I/O modules are available for flexible
and optimal PLC system configuration.
Basic and Standard CLICK CPU modules include 8 discrete inputs and 6 discrete outputs, while Analog CLICK CPUs include 4 in, 4 out discrete I/O as well as
built-in analog I/O (2-channel analog inputs and 2-channel analog outputs). Each channel can be separately set for voltage (0 to 5 VDC) or current
(4 to 20 mA).
CLICK Basic CPUs have two built-in RS-232 communications ports that can be configured for either Modbus RTU or ASCII networks. CLICK Standard
and Analog CPUs have an additional built-in RS-485 communications port. Standard and Analog CPU modules also include a real time clock and
battery backup for the internal SRAM.
The CLICK PLC supports a very simple but useful set of 21 easy-to-use instructions. This reduced instruction set is quite capable of handling
complex applications, but it is also easy to learn - perfect for beginning PLC students.
Want to teach an Operator Interface product? C-more Micro is the perfect match for CLICK and many other Atuaotmtion Direct PLCs. The programming software is a free download, and C-more Micro panels can even share a programming cable (
EA-MG-PGM-CBL) with your CLICK PLC.
Learn more about C-more Micro here.
Want a larger HMI (up to 15" touchscreen) ? Check out the
full-size C-more panels here.
AutomationDirect carries a variety of AC variable frequency drives (VFD) for motor speed control and other industrial control applications.
The high quality and low prices make our GS1 series mini AC drives and GS2 series micro variable speed drives an incredible deal - and both
of these series offer single phase and 110VAC models, which might be required in some classroom settings..
The DURApulse (GS3 series) sensorless vector AC drives can handle applications from 1/4 horsepower up to 100 horsepower. Check out
our
"extra keypad" promotional program for Durapulse drives used for education.
Read more about our AC drives here. 
SureStep® is an open-loop stepping system that provides simple and accurate control of position and speed and offers a motion control solution
for applications requiring lower power.
Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) or other indexers and motion controllers act as a stepper motor controller to send step pulses and direction
signals that are received by the stepper drive to allow very precise motion control.
The
SureStep stepper motor, microstepper drive and power supply products provide a low-cost, reliable, high quality solution to answer your
positioning and motion control needs.
Read more.
The S
ureStep stepping system series includes:
- One DIP-switch configurable microstepper drive
- Two software configurable advanced microstepper drives
- Four step motor power supplies
- Nine stepper motors (NEMA 17, 23, 34 frame sizes)
- Two stepper motor extension cables
- FREE stepper configuration software
The AutomationDirect
SureServo family of brushless servo systems is fully digital and offers a rich set of features to cover a broad range
of motion control applications. There are eight standard servo motors that can be operated in combination with one of three standard servo drives.
The servo drives can be configured for a range of command sources including analog torque, analog velocity, "step & direction" or "up & down"
pulse position, quadrature encoder follower, and built-in motion controller with preset position, velocity, or torque. Presets can be selected
with switch inputs or modified with the Modbus serial interface. Configuration and diagnostics of the servo drives can be accomplished with the
integrated keypad/display or the easy-to-use PC-based SureServo Pro software (which is a FREE download).
The
SureServo family includes standard accessories such as: servo motor encoder cables, servo motor power/brake cables, ZIPLink kit for servo
drive's CN1 connector that provides for easy connection of external controller and I/O, optional external regeneration resistors, and optional
AC input filters.
Read more.
