We had a customer ask if we could find a device that is holding up a large material handling system from being delivered on time. We are frequently asked to find components that have been delayed due to the worldwide shortages due to the well know supply chain issues impacting every industry. The system requires 2 each of the Comtrol Device Master 2 port serial device server. Comtrol, a Perrerl and Fuchs company informs us that they cannot procure the chips required for this Server and lead times are estimated at over 24 weeks. Once we determined that this was unacceptable, we scoured the market to find an acceptable alternative. After some research and consulting with other suppliers we were able to identify a viable alternative with reasonable availability. We identified MOXA Corp’s NPORTIA5250A as an acceptable alternative that matched the Comtrol device server. We were able to supply 12 units immediately and lead time on the balance of 100 units deliverable in 14 weeks. Listed below is a side-by-side comparison of the key features.
| Specification | Comtrol | Moxa |
| Bus I/F | 10 Base-T | 10 Base-T |
| Installation | Din Rail | Din Rail |
| Connector Type | DB9 male | DB9 male |
| Number of ports | 2 | 2 |
| Power Connector | Screw Terminal | Terminal Block |
| Dimensions | 4.6″x3.9″x1.8″ | 5.5″x4.13″x1.42″ |
The supply chain crisis impacting this project has been mitigated by our ability to find a realistic alternate product at reasonable cost and lead time. The project went from dead in the water to being able to ship a dozen systems this year and the balance in Q1 2023. Not perfect but far better than the unknown ability of Comtrol to find chips or spec in new chips for their device server.
Contact Information Leigh Bleam [email protected] Paul Speese [email protected] Flexible Automation Solutions Inc 215-614-5116 www.FlexibleAutomation.US