Industrial RS485 Opto-Isolated Hub

The Industrial RS485 Opto-Isolated Hub is a 4-port bus splitter designed to expand and stabilise RS485 networks in complex electromagnetic environments. It is ideal for engineering students, makers, and industrial automation practitioners needing robust multi-drop communication across power acquisition and field sensor arrays.

High-voltage opto-isolation and surge protection

The hub incorporates photoelectric isolation rated up to 2500V along with a 600W lightning surge protection circuit per line and 15kV ESD protection for RS-232. This prevents transient spikes and electrostatic discharge from damaging connected converters and controllers.

Automatic flow sensing and long-distance transmission

An internal discrimination circuit automatically senses data direction and manages switching to eliminate RS485 transmit and receive conversion delays. The hub supports data rates from 300bps to 115.2Kbps over distances spanning 1200m to 5km depending on baud rate.

Star topology and individual port isolation

Supporting star network topologies, each downstream port features independent short-circuit and open-circuit protection. If a fault or lightning strike occurs on one branch, that segment is isolated to keep the remainder of the network operational.

Clear LED diagnostics and wide power supply

The unit operates from a 9V to 30V DC power supply at 150mA, suitable for field and industrial power rails. Seven onboard indicator LEDs provide real-time status for power, transmission, reception, and individual port error detection from E1 to E4.

Industrial terminal blocks and rugged design

Connections are made via dual 10-position pluggable terminal blocks for quick wiring with twisted pair or shielded cabling. The 120mm by 77mm by 40mm enclosure is rated for operating temperatures from -25 deg C to 70 deg C and altitudes up to 3000m.