📺Monitoring safety systems for elevators with ESCM Manufacturing
A connected and reliable elevator safety device based on the Arduino Nano
ESCM Manufacturing INC is a NY based company that develops monitoring systems for elevator safety devices. Elevators have separated branch circuits, that includes the hoistway, the car and the machine room - which represents a measure of safety to those maintenance persons working on the elevator. One of the biggest issues faced when installing and repairing elevators is the troubleshooting of electrical safety devices - technicians and elevator mechanics have to jump out the safety devices or remove their covers for contact inspection.
As of January 1, 2020, the elevator industry has been regulated by a new code - all NYC automatic passenger and freight elevators must be able to detect jumped and faulty door circuits in order to be considered compliant. In other words, safety monitoring systems should conform to the requirements of the new code.
The first product implemented with an Arduino Nano, the ESCM2000 Monitor and Display Board, has two LEDs that serve as status lights: red blinking LED represents an open contact and the green LED represents a closed contact, providing the elevator technician with a status of the device.
Thanks to this implementation, the ESCM2000 Monitor and Display Board supports elevator mechanics and technicians during the troubleshooting procedure of elevator safety devices, by giving an observable indication of the status of the device being monitored.
Moreover, the ESCM2000 has been designed to be independent of any other device, allowing for remote monitoring and eliminating the need for unnecessary jumping out of safety circuits.
The device sends data via RS485 or CAN bus to any desired location for viewing on LCD. Two rotary DIP switches allows for easy programming of any address from 00-99 efficiently transforming any safety device into an addressable device.
Implementing the Arduino Nano gave the ESCM2000 advanced functionality and programming ability allowing us to add an addressable component and the ability to send data to any desired location.