Efficient and Easy to Set Up

Our LA6 family is a series of programmable, customizable signal towers that consists of the discrete type LA6 and the Ethernet type LA6-POE. Last month, we introduced our versatile LA6 Series signal tower. In this month’s newsletter issue, we will take a look at our LA6-POE Series.



The LA6-POE is an enhanced version of the LA6 Series, with additional features that help to bring efficiency and standardization to your workplace. The LA6-POE can be connected via an Ethernet cable, and as its name suggests, supports PoE (Power over Ethernet). This means that a single Ethernet cable can both transfer data and provide power for the LA6-POE, allowing for single-cable installation and eliminating the need for any input/output modules for PLCs or running wires

Additionally, the LA6-POE supports Modbus TCP/IP and HTTP protocols to work seamlessly with your existing infrastructure. It is also compatible with SOCKET communication, an application-level protocol called PNS (which is developed by PATLITE) to establish connection between the client and server. Another feature that is unique to the LA6-POE Series is its mirroring function. This function is useful for remote monitoring, as real-time light and sound statuses of the master LA6-POE device can be mirrored and displayed on up to 8 slave devices.



The LA6-POE is a 5-tier, 60mm diameter signal tower with a rated voltage of 24V DC (48V DC for PoE) . It is available in 2 body colors (off-white and silver) and 2 mounting options (direct mount or stationary mount). Mounting accessories such as wall mount brackets and desktop brackets, as well as pole mount with L-bracket and screwless terminal block (for wiring to a power source or inputs) is also available.

Similar to the LA6 Series, the LA6-POE Series is also designed to display up to 21 colors and 11 alarms. Using its internal timer function, it can display animated patterns and various flash rate settings. Users can program the lights and sound of their LA6-POE Signal Towers to get user-specific alerts that are tailored to their specific application. Programming the signal tower is simple, as it only requires the use of a free editor software available for download from the PATLITE website. The program can then be uploaded to the unit through a web browser.



As explained in our previous newsletter issue with the LA6 Series, the LA6-POE Signal Tower can also be set up to operate under 3 main Smart Modes including Time Trigger Mode, Pulse Trigger Mode, and Single-display Mode. These smart modes can be used in a wide range of applications for multiple purposes, such as color-coding the severity of an equipment issue, showing the progress of an operation, or visually indicating the depletion of tank fluids in real-time. It can even be used in a countdown mode, visually aiding the pace of work processes.

Pinpoint Malfunctioning Equipment

At this production site, multiple robots are used for various steps of the production process such as sorting, moving, and picking. Before any signaling equipment was implemented at the facility, workers had no way of being alerted when a robot was malfunctioning, which caused bottlenecks and production halts. In order to improve work efficiency, they decided to implement two units of the LA6-POE Signal Towers along with an NBM interface converter. The NBM converts I/O signals from the robots to network commands, triggering specific light and sound signals of the LA6-POE, and allowing workers to identify which robot is malfunctioning.

With the mirroring function of the LA6-POE, the master LA6-POE unit at the production floor reflects the equipment statuses in real-time to the slave LA6-POE unit at their office floor. So even when workers leave the production site, they are able to remotely monitor production statuses.

Network Older Equipment

At this manufacturing plant, they have been using equipment that has been around for a long time. Because their equipment is older, they were struggling to network their machines and collect operational data, as their equipment was not compatible with the newer network devices. To resolve this problem, they decided to switch their signal towers to the LA6-POE Series. Thanks to the PoE function, they are able to connect each LA6-POE unit via Ethernet cable to a PoE hub, which connects to the operator’s PC. The LA6-POE enables operators to collect operational data from the LAN infrastructure. And because the signal tower supports PoE, it does not require a power supply, making wiring simple. Being able to collect and analyze their equipment data, they have been able to determine bottlenecks and avoid production halts before they happen.

Featured Distributor

Valin Corporation is the leading technical solutions provider for the technology, energy, life sciences, natural resources, and transportation industries. Established in 1974, Valin offers personalized order management, on-site field support, comprehensive training, and applied expert engineering services utilizing automation, fluid management, precision measurement, process heating, and filtration products.

Their team of professional Application Engineers speed your project from design through prototype and into production significantly faster. They use their decades of hands-on experience to become an extension of your design team, cutting through product selection details and control component integration questions. You get to focus on your core competencies. Valin also provides value added services offering subassemblies which help reduce labor on your manufacturing line. Particularly effective in critical areas such as cables and connectors, Valin’s value engineering in motion control can eliminate subassembly operations, reduce your number of orders and streamline your material flow.

Valin has been a distributor for PATLITE for over 30 years and has supported their team in the states of Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona and New Mexico.