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Find the Best DC Power Supplies for Your Application

Perhaps you are aware of or have used our AC power supplies and transformers, but do you know we offer DC power supplies as well? Just like many of our other products, our DC power supplies come with multiple options to best suit your application. Whether it is enclosed, track…

Protect Loads with RIB® Prepackaged Circuit Breaker Switches

It is always a good idea to protect your loads from short circuit and over current problems. However, sometimes your loads, transformers, or even your controllers do not come equipped with this necessary protection. You can protect the investment of your customers and electricians by installing circuit breakers. We offer…

Using RIB® Relays and Current Sensors in a Laundry Facility

Check out how we helped a customer with their laundry facility application!

Finding Optoisolated RIB® Relays for Obscure Voltages

Occasionally we get calls about controlling an unusual voltage with our RIB® relays. Finding a relay with oddball voltages can be incredibly difficult. It becomes especially challenging if you want it prepackaged with transient suppression and an LED indicator. Voltages could be 5V Transistor-Transistor Logic (TTL) signals from computers or…

Normally Closed Current Sensors

Occasionally a customer will call our Technical Support to ask if we offer any Normally Closed current sensors. While it is true that all of our self-powered AC current sensors only offer a Normally Open Solid State contact, we do carry several relay & AC sensor combinations that can be…

Emergency Lighting with Dimming Control

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about two of our UL924 Emergency Lighting Bypass / Shunt Relays (models ESRB and ESRN). This week I want to focus on a specific application for them; one which shows up frequently. The ESRB and ESRN can be used in conjunction…

Using RIB® Products in a Fountain Pump Application

I recently had a customer call into our Technical Support team with a unique fountain pump application problem. After he explained his needs, I was confident that a configuration of our products would solve his issue. The Problem Fountains use pumps to pull water and shoot it up into the…

Dry Contact RIB Relays Stop Voltage Drop

Wireless technology is a fantastic thing. It allows people to control devices that are hundreds, if not thousands, of feet away. But what if wireless isn’t reliable enough? What if wireless is too expensive? What if you want a hardwired solution? No one wants to run thousands of feet of…

Using BACnet® Compatible RIB® Relays

Building automation controllers can be quite expensive, and purchasing one just to add a couple more points on the network may not be ideal. Luckily Functional Devices has a solution for these cases – using BACnet® compatible RIB® Relays! Our selection of BACnet® MS/TP Network RIB® Relays can be powered…

Using RIB® Relays with Variable Frequency Drives (VFD)

Recently I received a few questions about whether our RIB® current sensors work well with variable frequency drive (VFD) motor controllers. The short answer is yes, but there are a couple key points worth noting. Determining Sensor Placement When using a RIB® current sensor to monitor the status of a…

The Best Choice for UL924 RIB® Relays

Functional Devices knows that versatility is a big benefit when it comes to products for the engineering, installation and maintenance fields alike. For the engineers writing the specs, having one go-to product for a vast array of applications is a must. As an installer, having the flexibility to change the…

I/O Expanders and Sequencers

The RIBMN24Q Series of I/O Expanders and Sequencers can be very useful. I would like to focus on the RIBMN24Q4C-PX today. This device is the coolest of them all from this series, in my opinion. Features: 0-10Vdc Analog Input Control Four (4) SPDT 15A relays Real-time Analog Input Voltage Display…

Zone Valve Control

Problem With Zone Valves Recently, a contractor called into tech support looking for help to get his customer’s new heating system up and running. The customer had a hydronic heating system that consisted of a boiler and circulator in a mechanical room. Within were nine zone valves, which were split…

PSH500A AC Power Supplies

Many of our past Tech Tuesday blogs have featured different RIB® relays that we produce. From the simple to the more “smart” relays, we offer quite a variety! Maybe you’re asking yourself: “Does Functional Devices make more than RIB® relays?” That’s a great question because we do! This week I…

Energy Saving Applications

Whether it is for environmental or monetary reasons, many people are looking for energy saving applications. I am one of those people, and I have implemented many energy saving technologies in my own home. I have automated lighting, a smart thermostat which controls a high efficiency heat pump, and many…

Plastic Mounting Track from Functional Devices

The devices that we make are not always prepackaged in gray plastic enclosures. In order to make our products more panel friendly, we have developed track mount versions of our popular RIB® relays and other devices. A panel builder or panel shop can effectively utilize the valuable space by grouping…

Engineering Roles at Functional Devices

I want to spend this week discussing the role of our Engineers here at Functional Devices. We will focus on the relation to our customers. If you have been reading our blog posts over the past few months, you may have noticed that there are three of us who are…

Double Pole Relays in Latching Applications

Problem: When a customer calls into Technical Support and starts to ask me questions about our latching relays, I know the question that they are usually working up to. “I see you have latching relays with 12 Vac/dc and 24 Vac/dc coils. I do not see any with a higher…

RIB Current Sensors

Many technical calls that I have answered have been in regards to our RIB® current sensors and the different features these popular little devices have. In this week’s Tech Tuesday blog entry, I would like to give a general overview of the RIB current sensors and include an explanation of…

Controlling a Closet Light with CLC Series RIB® Devices

Problem: This past week, I had two customers call in for help using an RIBU1C to control a closet light. That is a legitimate question! After all, the device between a low voltage switch and a high voltage load is commonly a relay. The problem is that using an RIBU1C…