What is a PCI Relay Card?

In more detail, a Peripheral Component Interconnect is an interconnection system between a microprocessor and attached devices in which expansion slots are spaced closely for high-speed operation. Some PCI-based computers can support ew PCI cards while continuing to support Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) expansion cards, an older standard. PCI is now installed on most new desktop computers.

A PCI relay card is typically designed for switching applications using FORM A or FORM C type electromechanical relays with available isolation up to 500 V. A PCI relay card typically is designed with 8 to 16 relays per card. If more switching is required, more relay cards can be used. These powerful relay cards can be used to switch on or off a very wide range of devices including fans, blowers, motors, lights, heaters, and pumps.

The typical PCI relay card can be used in conjunction with an A/D data acquisition boards to provide a fully controlled system. As an example, consider the use of a data acquisition board to measure the temperature of an industrial food-processing oven. The data acquisition board would be used to acquire the temperature of the oven. Based on a simple program, the data acquisition board would send a digital signal telling the PCI relay card to either switch a relay to turn on a fan to vent the oven to cool it down, or to another relay to turn on a heater to increase the temperature in the oven. Now add to that a counter timer on the A/D data acquisition board, and a complete food-processing system can be automated.

Measurement Computing Corporation offers the largest selection of PC-based data acquisition and measurement products. Shop our online catalog by selecting a category above. From PCI, USB, PC/104, ISA, and PCMCIA bus to RS-232, RS-422, RS-485, and GPIB interfaces; Measurement Computing has everything you need for your PC-based data acquisition and control applications.