Echelon 35100-ISA-FTM10-SMX Replacement for LonWorks

Product Overview

Echelon 35100-ISA-FTM10-SMX Replacement for LonWorks: Seamless Transition from Legacy ISA-Bus Control Networks

The Echelon 35100-ISA-FTM10-SMX-LONWORKS is an ISA-bus LonWorks Network Interface Card (NIC) equipped with the FTM-10 SMX Free Topology Transceiver, designed for peer-to-peer LON (Local Operating Network) communication in industrial building automation, process control, and distributed I/O systems. As Echelon’s ISA-form-factor product line reaches end-of-life, facilities engineers and system integrators face the critical challenge of migrating legacy workstations and SCADA hosts to modern hardware platforms while preserving existing LonWorks field-device wiring, node addressing, and application logic.

TOPNLMS maintains verified stock of the 35100-ISA-FTM10-SMX-LONWORKS to support both direct like-for-like replacement and phased migration projects. Whether you are replacing a failed card in a running plant or planning a controlled upgrade of your LON network host, this unit ships fully tested with a 12-month warranty and a pre-shipment functional verification report.

Compatibility Comparison Table

Seamless Upgrade Solutions

A successful LonWorks host migration rarely involves a single component. In practice, replacing the 35100-ISA-FTM10-SMX-LONWORKS card is the starting point of a broader system review. Engineers typically audit the entire LON network infrastructure at the same time, addressing adjacent components that may be equally aged or at risk.

On the network side, the Echelon 35100-PCI-FTM10-SMX-LONWORKS PCI-bus variant is the natural migration target for host workstations that have already transitioned away from ISA slots. Both cards share the same FTM-10 SMX transceiver and LonTalk protocol stack, meaning field wiring, node databases, and LNS network images transfer without modification. For sites running dual-host redundancy, pairing the ISA card in the legacy host with a PCI card in the new host allows a parallel-run validation period before full cutover.

The Echelon i.LON 100 Internet Server and i.LON SmartServer are frequently specified alongside NIC replacements in projects where the control room PC is being retired entirely. These IP-to-LON gateways eliminate the ISA/PCI dependency by bridging the LonWorks field bus to Ethernet, enabling modern SCADA and BMS platforms to communicate with existing TP/FT-10 field devices — including sensors, actuators, VAV controllers, and motor drives — without touching a single field wire.

At the field level, Echelon FT 3120 and FT 3150 Smart Transceivers embedded in third-party I/O modules and controllers remain fully compatible with the FTM-10 SMX transceiver on this NIC. Sites running Echelon LONWORKS Network Services (LNS) databases can import existing device templates and channel definitions directly, preserving years of commissioning work. The LonMaker Integration Tool (Visio-based) continues to support network topology drawing and device binding when used with this card under compatible Windows environments.

For installations where the LON segment connects to a Modbus RTU or Modbus TCP supervisory layer, LON-to-Modbus protocol converters — such as those from Babel Buster or FieldServer — are commonly deployed in the same control cabinet. These gateways sit between the LonWorks NIC host and the upstream DCS or SCADA, translating network variable outputs (NVOs) from LON nodes into Modbus registers readable by the control system. Replacing the NIC while retaining the gateway preserves the entire upstream data path.

Power integrity is a frequently overlooked factor in ISA-bus NIC replacements. Aging industrial PCs with worn ATX or AT power supplies may deliver marginal +5 V rail voltage, causing intermittent NIC initialization failures. A pre-replacement PSU audit — or substitution with a DIN-rail 24 VDC industrial power supply feeding a DC-DC converter board — eliminates this failure mode before the new card is installed.

Finally, for sites that maintain a cold-standby spare strategy, TOPNLMS recommends procuring a second 35100-ISA-FTM10-SMX-LONWORKS unit at the same time. Shelf life for properly stored ISA NICs exceeds five years, and having an on-site spare eliminates the lead-time risk associated with sourcing discontinued industrial components during an unplanned outage.

Retrofit Guidance FAQ

Q: Do I need to re-commission my LonWorks field devices after replacing the NIC?
A: No. The 35100-ISA-FTM10-SMX-LONWORKS uses a unique Neuron ID stored on the card itself, not in the field devices. Your LNS or OpenLNS network database references the channel and router topology, not the host NIC’s Neuron ID. Field nodes retain their addresses and bindings. After installing the replacement card, simply re-bind the host application to the new NIC within LonMaker or your LNS-based tool — no field re-commissioning is required.

Q: Is the FTM-10 SMX transceiver on this card compatible with my existing TP/FT-10 wiring?
A: Yes. The FTM-10 SMX supports free-topology wiring (star, bus, loop, or mixed) on standard twisted-pair cable (Level IV, 22 AWG recommended). Maximum segment length and node count follow standard TP/FT-10 rules (up to 128 nodes per segment, 500 m bus or 250 m free topology without repeaters). No rewiring is required if your existing installation is within these parameters.

Q: Which operating systems and driver versions are supported?
A: The card is compatible with Echelon’s LNS 3.x and OpenLNS driver stacks on Windows XP, Windows 7 (32-bit), and Windows 10 (32-bit) with appropriate ISA bus adapter hardware. For 64-bit Windows environments, an ISA-to-PCI bridge or migration to the PCI-form-factor variant (35100-PCI-FTM10-SMX) is recommended. Confirm your LNS version and OS build before ordering if you have specific compatibility requirements.

Q: Can this card coexist with other ISA peripherals in the same chassis?
A: Yes, provided IRQ and DMA resources are available and not conflicting. The card’s I/O address, IRQ, and DMA settings are configurable via jumpers or software (depending on host BIOS). Standard industrial PC chassis with 2–4 ISA slots accommodate this card alongside serial communication cards, motion controller cards, or legacy fieldbus adapters without physical interference.

Q: What is the physical installation space requirement?
A: The 35100-ISA-FTM10-SMX-LONWORKS occupies a single ISA slot (half-length card). No adjacent slot clearance is required. The RJ-45 or terminal-block LON network connector exits through the standard ISA bracket cutout. Total installation time for a trained technician is typically under 30 minutes including driver binding.

Q: How do I handle the LON network during the card swap to minimize downtime?
A: For non-redundant host configurations, plan the swap during a scheduled maintenance window. Export your LNS network database before removal. Install the replacement card, restore the database, and re-bind the host application. Total downtime for the LON host is typically 15–45 minutes. Field devices continue to execute their resident application programs autonomously during host absence — only supervisory monitoring and setpoint changes are interrupted.

Warranty Assurance

Every Echelon 35100-ISA-FTM10-SMX-LONWORKS unit shipped by TOPNLMS undergoes a structured pre-shipment inspection process:

• Visual inspection: PCB, transceiver module, connector, and bracket examined for physical damage, corrosion, or counterfeit indicators.
• Functional power-on test: Card initialized in a compatible ISA test bench; Neuron ID read-back confirmed; LON transceiver signal integrity verified.
• Packaging: Anti-static bag, foam-lined carton, and humidity indicator card. Suitable for air freight and sea freight.
• 12-Month Warranty: Covers manufacturing defects and functional failure under normal operating conditions from the date of shipment. Warranty claims are processed within 5 business days of receipt of the returned unit.
• Replacement support: DOA (Dead on Arrival) units are replaced or refunded within 7 business days. No-fault returns accepted within 30 days of shipment for unused, unopened units.
• After-sales response: Technical support via email ([email protected]) within 24 hours on business days. Phone support available at +86 18359293191 for urgent retrofit and commissioning queries.
• Procurement assurance: Stocking certificates and test reports available on request for MRO procurement and quality audit purposes.

TOPNLMS ships from Xiamen, China, with DHL Express, FedEx International Priority, and UPS Worldwide Expedited options. Typical transit time to Europe and North America is 3–5 business days. Export documentation (commercial invoice, packing list, COO) provided for all international shipments.