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Process Monitoring & Panel Meters
Display and monitor process values on your panels with panel meters, bargraphs and totalisers.
A digital panel meter puts a process value, such as temperature, flow or weight, where an operator can see it: on the panel or next to the machine, so problems are spotted before they reach the control room. We supply Pixsys STR551 and STR561 indicators and the Shinko JIR-301-M for process signals, strain-gauge loads and flow totals.
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Process Monitoring & Panel Meters Guide
What these panel meters show
A panel meter takes a process signal, a temperature sensor reading or a strain-gauge load and scales it to a readable display, usually adding a relay output for a local alarm. It doesn't drive the process itself the way a controller does; it only shows the value and, where fitted, flags a threshold or passes the value on. Good local indication lets an operator on the floor spot a drifting level, flow or temperature before it becomes a shutdown, without having to walk to a control room screen or wait for a SCADA alarm to fire.
How to choose a panel meter
- Process signals and temperature: use the Pixsys STR551, an OLED indicator with a multilingual menu that can show trends and bar graphs with alarm thresholds, useful for level, flow or dosing displays.
- Load cells and melt pressure: use the Pixsys STR561, a strain-gauge indicator with an isolated sensor supply, for weight and melt-pressure sensors on a mV/V signal.
- Flow totals: use the STR551 bargraph indicator/flow totalizer variant, which accumulates a running total and retransmits it via an analogue output.
- Multi-input display with alarms: use the Shinko JIR-301-M, with a 3-point alarm output and IP66 protection for washdown areas.
- Retransmission: where the value also needs to reach a PLC or recorder, choose a model with an analogue retransmission output, such as the STR551 or JIR-301-M, rather than display-only.
- Panel space: check the cutout size against your existing panel before ordering; a like-for-like replacement is usually simpler than moving to a different footprint.
Display versus control
- Panel meter: shows the value and can flag a threshold, but never drives a heater, valve or motor. It is not a substitute for a controller.
- When you need control: if the process must be actively held at a set point, choose a PID or profile controller from our process and temperature controllers instead, and keep the panel meter as the local readout alongside it.
For the full model line-up and their exact inputs, outputs and protection ratings, see digital process indicators.
FAQ
Common questions
What inputs can a panel meter accept?
The indicators here accept mA and voltage process signals and temperature sensors on the Pixsys STR551, and the Pixsys STR561 accepts strain-gauge signals from load cells and melt-pressure transducers on a mV/V input. The Shinko JIR-301-M is a multi-input model that covers several signal types on one unit.
Can a panel meter raise an alarm?
Yes. The Shinko JIR-301-M has a 3-point alarm output, and the Pixsys STR551 can show alarm thresholds directly on its bar graph display as well as switching a relay. Neither actively controls the process; they flag the condition so an operator or a separate controller can act on it.
Can a panel meter pass the value on to a PLC?
Yes. Models with a retransmission output, such as the STR551 and the JIR-301-M, send the displayed value on as an analogue signal, so it can also be logged or trended in a PLC or SCADA system rather than only being read locally on the panel.
What is the difference between a panel meter and a controller?
A panel meter displays the value and, at most, switches an alarm relay at a fixed threshold. A controller actively drives an output, such as a heater or a valve, to bring the process to a set point. If you need active control rather than display and alarm, see our process and temperature controllers instead.
Which panel meter suits a load cell input?
The Pixsys STR561 strain-gauge indicator, built for load cells and melt-pressure transducers on a mV/V signal, with an isolated sensor supply and conversion resolution suited to weighing applications. The STR551 is built for standard mA, voltage and temperature signals instead, not strain-gauge inputs.
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