Digital Loggers

Frequently Asked Questions

Updated 05/22/2020

DIN 4



Download the online manual.   Download a printable manual.    Check the spec sheet.

See the overview here - or call (408) 330-5599 for a free trial

What are the latest new features?  
Setup  
How do I use the keypad to set it up?
Hardware

How can I control higher-current loads?
What is the polarity of the connectors?
How can I power the DIN relay itself?
Basics: What's a relay? How can I wire it up? Applications?  Do you have a mechanical drawing?
How do I connect the ADC inputs?
What are the connector specifications?
What is the power dissipation?  
What are the power requirements?
What pluggable mating terminals / connectors should I use?
What wiring gauge should I use?
I'd like to build a DC / solar powered IP Cam, WiFi AP, or similar DC powered system.  What components do I need?
What are the contact ratings?
What wire should I use?
Do you have a ruggedized version? Something suitable for mobile use?

General FAQs  
Where can I find the manual or spec sheet for the earlier (DIN3) model?
Enternal APIs - Communicating with the power controller  
Question:  I have a different model: DIN2,DIN3, Web Power Switch 7, Ethernet Power Controller II, III, V, or  PC-8000 model.  Where can I find information?
Answer:  Jump to the support page here. Don't see what you need?  Just give us a call (408) 330-5599.
Question:      What's the Hardware Revision History?
Answer:  In our second version, DIN Relay II, with serial numbers DIN22000 and higher, we added these features:
  • Relay anti-chatter protection.  Maximum relay switching frequency is limited to ~2Hz for safety and longevity.
  • Variable coil current control.  Relay holding and pull-in currents are regulated for improved efficiency.  Power consumption has been reduced by more than 40% from earlier models.
  • Watchdog supervisor.  We've added a second processor which continuously monitors the microcontroller and reboots it gracefully if necessary.
  • Increased memory. Non-volatile memory has been increased from 16kb to 256kb.  No memory expansion board is required for script storage.
    •

In of  DIN Relay III, we added these features:

  • DC input voltage rating now increased to 48VDC
  • Added audio alarm-beeper
  • Added 2x16 LCD display to display status and help with setup.
  • Added internal real-time-clock with NTP and local time synchronization
  • Numerous firmware upgrades including scheduling feature , increased AutoPing speed limit and added more scripting commands.
  • Increased relay contact rating and durability
  • Added keypad for local control
  • Updated rating, testing, and specifications for higher DC input voltages
  • Eliminated the internal RJ-45 bulkhead for more reliable connection to unshielded RJ-45 plastic plugs. Connection status displayed on LCD.
  • Case color has changed, manual and box are updated, power consumption has increased slightly

In version 3.1, we added these features:

  • Added RS-232 web console for remote machine control. The +5 supply has been removed.  RS-232 has 2.5kv isolation and is brought out to three screw terminals in the upper right hand corner.
  • Added internal UVLO (Under Voltage Lock Out) for more reliable operation on battery power.  UVLO starts at 11.5V and shuts off at 10V to prevent battery damage.  This feature is designed to augment an existing UVLO/OVP charge controller in battery powered applications.  It is not a substitute for a solar/wind charge controller and doesn't guarantee proper reset of attached devices in the event that a battery is highly discharged.
  • Minor internal improvements.

In version 4, we completely redesigned the unit and added a host of new features:

  • Pluggable Pheonix connectors on all lines
  • Fuses on relay common lines
  • Power supply OVP with replaceable fuse
  • WiFi
  • SSL, SSH, RestAPI, extensive logging.
  • Lua scripting
  • Temp/humidity sensor port for DH11 or DS18B20 type sensors
  • Two ADC inputs scaled 0-10V and 0-100V
Note: version 4 supports input supply voltages from 12 to 28VDC. If you require 48V or AC mains power, please contact sales for a variant product.
RS-232 has been removed in lieu of the sensor port and ADC inputs.


Tell us what you'd like to see in the next version - engineering@digital-loggers.com

Question:  Whch temperature sensors are compatible?
Answer:  The DS18B20 or DHT-11 sensors with 3.5mm plugs are compatible and in stock. The pinout is shield=ground, ring=5V VCC, tip=data. Find a Lua thermostat code example here.
Question:  What is the polarity of the connectors?
Answer:  The polarity is stamped above the conenctor. It may be eeasier to see if they are removed.

Question:  What are the contact ratings?
Answer:  All eight internal T-90 Relays have the following ratings:

Relay Contact Ratings

Voltage

NO

NC

240VAC

40A

30A

277VAC

30A

15A

30VDC

20A

10A

250VAC

1HP

1/2HP

Relays are rated at 250,000 operations MTBF at 50% load.  Case terminals are rated at 8-12A, depending on agency.  Only stranded wire of appropriate gauge should be used.  Terminals must be well torqued, but not over 10in/lbs.  It is wise to recheck torque after completing the installation.  Heavy traces and gold plating are used to minimize internal resistance between the terminals and relay contacts, typically 25m Ohms, so internal contact power dissipation is not normally a consideration. For maximum flexibility, relay contacts are unprotected.  For high current inductive switching, consider adding an external snubber circuit to extend contact life. Download contact protection information from www.dinrelay.com/relaycare.pdf

Question:  How do I connect the ADC inputs?
Answer:  Remove the accessory hatch. The plastic hatch on the right side of the relay can be opened to add a WiFi antenna or to connect analog inputs. Using a small screwdriver, press gently on the lower edge of the hatch. Push towards the buttons The hatch will flex and pop open.


The antenna and/or ADC connector may be attached when the hatch is removed. A three pin connector is provided for ADC input. The upper pin is scaled for 0-100VDC, and the lower pin is 0-10VDC. The center pin is a ground reference bonded to the negative power input.
Question:  What are the power requirements?
Answer:  The relay dissipates an absolute maximum of 5.8W during switching with all relays on.   Typical dissipation with relays off is 1.2W.  Although the case is well ventilated, ambient air temperature should not exceed 170°F for maximum reliability.  Surges over 35V may trip the safety fuse. 

The relay will shut down at input voltages below 10.5VDC. If you expect to encounter brown-out conditions in your application, set the Power-on-Recovery Mode on the setup page for safest operation.  To prevent oscillation, a brown-out re-latch function is also provided on the Setup page. In the event of a brown-out, you may specify a time period after which the relay will attempt to re-latch the contacts. This function is disabled by default and has no effect if the relay is properly powered.   Please read the UVLO and OVP suggestions below.

Add an external MOV or other protection device across the power input terminals in noisy environments.  We are working hard to make this the most efficient product in its class.


DIN IV Power Requirements - Idle
DC Volts I (Amps) Power (W)
<10.5 UVLO 0.001
12 0.100 1.200
14 0.086 1.204
16 0.076 1.216
18 0.073 1.314
20 0.063 1.260
22 0.060 1.320
24 0.056 1.344
26 0.055 1.430

DIN IV Power Requirements - All On
DC Volts I (Amps) Power (W)
<10.5 UVLO 0.001
12 0.515 6.180
14 0.440 6.160
16 0.385 6.160
18 0.344 6.192
20 0.312 6.240
22 0.284 6.280
24 0.260 6.240
26 0.241 6.266

 The input is protected by a PTC thermal fuse and SCR crowbar which trips around 35V.  If the fuse blows, correct the over-voltage condition and let the PTC cool to reset.
Question:  How can I momentarily trigger (pulse) a relay?
Answer:  Three Examples:

Hardware
Just wire a capacitor in series with the circuit (assuming a DC load).  Simple.

Click "Cycle"
Press the existing cycle button in combination using the NC contact (instead of NO):


Custom Script
Name your circuit here:
 Create a button that starts a script starting on line #2:

Clicking "Open the Blinds" toggles pulses the relay per this script:. 

-- Open the Blinds
function open_blinds()
  outlet[1].on()
  delay(1)
  outlet[1].off()  
end
Try it at pro.digital-loggers.com:5002  admin/4321

You can also trigger scripts remotely. More on that here. REST API and MQTT.   The BASIC scripting language has been replaced by Lua.  A much more powerful watchdog supervisory processor has been added.  Most important, there's good news on price: the new, more powerful ICs are less expensive. Here's a feature matrix comparing the older Taifatech and newer Atheros power models.
Question:  Can I invert AutoPing or the Web Page to use NC contacts?
Answer:  or safety reasons and to prevent support issues, we have not implemented an "invert relay" function in either the web UI or AutoPing.  You can drive the relays in reverse by:

You can also use the programmable web links to start a script. 

Question:  What are the mounting dimensions and physical size? Do you have drawings?
Answer:   Download a top-level print here (.pdf).  Here are graphics of the front and back of the relay.
Question:  What components do I need to build a remotely powered DC site using the DIN relay as a power controller?
Answer:  In addition to the load (ie. APCam, PtP link, AP, etc), you'll need a battery, some source of power, ie wind or solar, and most importantly a charge controller with OVP and UVLO features.  Over Voltage Protection is needed for reasonable battery life.  Under Voltage Lockout is needed to correctly reset attached devices as well as the DIN relay and to prevent oscillation when the battery is deeply discharged.
Question:  Wiring and terminal information?
Answer:  Use stranded wire from 28AWG to 14AWG.  Find information on Phoenix connectors here.
Question:  What's a relay?  How can I wire it up?
Answer:  The DIN relay has dry contact FORM-C outputs.  They provide whatever output voltage you connect to them.  For example, if you connect a wire from the positive side of your 24V supply to the COM terminal, then the NO terminal will provide 24 volts when the relay is switched on, and the NC terminal will provide 24V when the relay is off.  You can operate the DIN relay on a different voltage than the relay contacts.  For example, the DIN relay could run on 12VDC, but switch 220VAC.  You can also use the relay to switch data, communications lines, or other electrical signals.  In a relay, contacts are electrically isolated from the coil.  The DIN relay controls the coil in the diagram below:


 
N.O. means Normally Open
N.C. means Normally Closed
COM means COMmon

Each relay is fully isolated, there is no internal connection between the relays. The word "common" describes the wiper of the relay itself which shares the NO and NC contacts in common. The COM pins on the DIN relay are not connected each other unless you elect to do so externally. Put simply, all relays are fully isolated.
 

A relay schematic looks like this:
 

Find a nice group of relay application notes and wiring examples here:  https://www.digital-loggers.com/relay.html

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If we haven't answered your questions here, please call (408) 330-5599 or send us an email.  We'll be glad to help.


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