Low-cost Hart Modem

June 1, 2005
Billed as the lowest-price Hart modem on the market, the HM-USB carries a list price of $299.99. “With the release of the Hart Foundation’s DD-IDE, eDDL and SDC-625, there will be an explosion of PC-based Hart communications.

To take full advantage, the market needs lower-cost PC communication hardware,” says Jeffery Dobos, president at the vendor. The HM-USB meets industry standards for USB and Hart connectivity. The USB interface is compatible with USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 standards. The Hart interface meets the Hart physical layer specification HCF_SPEC-54. The small size, light weight and durability of the HM-USB make it well-suited for portable use. Most new notebook computers do not have serial ports, making the USB interface the only available way to connect to Hart networks. An easy-to-install Virtual Serial Port driver—included with each modem and downloadable from the vendor’s Web site—allows the HM-USB to be used in any Windows-based application.