One of the differences among building control systems and electronic products like actuators is the type of control signals that are acceptable. For example some systems can read voltage while other systems can handle voltage or current. When talking to Controls Contractors you may hear them ask for a modulating actuator with 2-10vdc signal (voltage) or 4-20mA signal (current) because they want to match their electronic product to the building’s control system.
Many actuators on the market are set up to read voltage and the allowable signal from the controller is 2-10Vdc; they are not set up to receive an current signal directly. If your control systems sends a current signal these actuators can still be used by using a resistor to convert the current to voltage. This can easily be achieved by wiring a 500 ohm resistor between the common port on an actuator and the 2-10 vdc signal port. This is traditionally done externally to the actuator. It is a very simple process and can be done by any knowledgeable Control Contractor.
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