Barix X8

The X8 is a universal I/O device, suitable to interface analog, digital signals and specialty sensors such like Dallas Onewire Temperature Sensors (Barix TS) or Access Control readers with wiegand interface to an RS485 bus. The bus protocol is Modbus/RTU.

Barix Modbus I/O device family is a low-cost, high reliability range of interfaces between Modbus capable hosts and sensors/actors. All products talk Modbus/RTU as the standard protocol, and are configurable via standard Modus read/write commands.

With the Barionet, a smart ethernet controller which is fully programmable and can also translate between Modbus/TCP and SNMP, the Barix Modbus I/O devices can be interfaced to about any host system. Standard SNMP or Modbus/TCP OPC servers can directly talk to the Barix I/O device family.

While the R6 (6 relays, 10/16Amps at 250V) and IO12 (12 high current sourcing outputs, 12 opto isolated inputs) are typical standard components, the unique X8 provides a feature set ideal for modern building management and security applications, yet supporting the standard Modbus/RTU protocol. Its 8 I/O terminals can be individually configured to work as analog inputs (0--5V, 10bit resolution), as contact closure detection inputs, as TTL level digital inputs, as TTL level digital outputs (suitable to drive LED's). However, three special capabilities are unique in this device class:

   * The X8 directly interfaces Wiegand capable access control readers or keypads to Modbus!
   * The X8 directly interfaces Dallas Onewire temperature sensors to Modbus!
   * The X8 directly interfaces Sensirion SHT sensors for high precision temperature and humidity reading to Modbus!

All these functions can be configured in the X8 via the Modbus/RTU interface using standard register writes. Special functions (interfacing of rotary encoders, custom protocols etc) can be implemented on request. As the X8 is software upgradeable, new functions can be uploaded in the unit even after installation in the field.

Please contact Barix if you need a special interface for any type of I/O to Modbus or Modbus/TCP. With our extensive experience in the Modbus protocol and interfacing market, we will be pleased to offer you a custom solution.

X8 Firmware Update procedure

Here is a page describing the update procedure - how to update the firmware of an X8 over the RS-485 port:X8-Update

How to wire Barix TS to the X8

The X8 supports up to 8 temperature sensors, one per input. The sensors are autodetected, no need to configure these. However, the corresponding I/O bits must be configured as INPUTS for the sensors to be detected. If you only need the X8 for a couple of I/O and one temperature sensor (as it would typically be the case in a light switch), you can wire the temperature sensor to input pins and program the I/O connected to the "ground" wire of the temperature sensor as output with value 0. Example:

If a Barix TS is connected between I/O 7 (ground wire) and I/O 8 (data wire), I/O 7 needs to be programmed as output and default 0. Of course, if the Barix TS is connected between any I/O pin and ground, no programming is required.

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