Tiny Controls · Own design
TIO-0808 RS-485 Module (Digital and Analog Interface Card)
RS-485 I/O interface card with 8 opto-isolated digital inputs, 6 relay-driving outputs, an isolated 0-10V analog output and a variable PWM output, for building a multi-node automation bus.
Overview
The TIO-0808 is a general-purpose digital and analog I/O card built around an RS-485 interface, for machines that need more inputs and outputs than a single controller board provides.
On the digital side it carries 8 opto-isolated inputs and 6 open-collector outputs for driving relays, plus two on-board relays with normally-open contacts. On the analog side there is a 0-10V input (non-isolated) and a 3.3 V PWM output with adjustable duty and frequency (non-isolated), alongside an isolated 0-10V output for cases where the signal has to cross a ground boundary safely — a spindle speed reference into a VFD is the usual case.
The RS-485 interface is what makes several of these useful together: multiple TIO-0808 cards, or other RS-485 Tiny Controls products such as the Tstep-087-485 stepper drive, can share one bus back to a PC or host controller. Address and baud rate are DIP-switch selectable, so adding a card to a live system does not need a firmware change, and a status LED whose blink rate is set over RS-485 gives a way to identify one card on a bus with several.
It runs from 24 V DC, draws under 100 mA with every output off, and is rated to operate up to 70 °C.
Designed and built by Tiny Controls in India.
Specifications
| Supply voltage | 24 V DC |
|---|---|
| Inputs & Outputs | 8 DI, 1 Motor, 2 Relay, 4 OC |
| Interface | RS-485 Modbus |
| Current consumption | < 100 mA |
| Analog input | 10 V Isolated |
| PWM output | Open Collector, Non Isolated Duty and Frequency variable |
| Analog output | 0-10 V Isolated |
Downloads
Questions
I need more I/O than my controller board gives me — is this just a breakout board, or does it do more than that?
More than that — it's built around an RS-485 interface rather than plain wiring, so it's meant for machines that need more inputs and outputs than a single controller board provides, and can be linked with other cards rather than wired point-to-point.
Can I run several of these on the same machine, on the same wiring?
Yes — multiple TIO-0808 cards (or other RS-485 Tiny Controls products, like the Tstep-087-485 stepper drive) can share one bus back to a PC or host controller.
If I add another card to the bus later, do I have to reflash or reconfigure the ones already installed?
No — address and baud rate are DIP-switch selectable, so adding a card to a live system doesn't need a firmware change.
With several cards on one bus, how do I tell which physical card is which?
There's a status LED on each card whose blink rate is set over RS-485, so you can identify one card on a bus with several.
I need to send a spindle speed reference to a VFD that's on a different ground than my controller — is that safe with this card?
Yes — the analog output is isolated specifically for that: crossing a ground boundary safely, which is the usual reason to send a speed reference into a VFD this way.