MTL MTL4546Y – Intrinsically Safe Repeater Power Supply (Signal Splitter) for 2‑Wire Transmitters

The MTL4546Y is designed to power a 2‑wire transmitter in a hazardous area and duplicate its 4–20 mA signal to two independent safe-area outputs. From my experience, this “one transmitter to two hosts” approach is a tidy way to feed both a DCS and a data historian, or a PLC plus a safety system, without adding a second field device. It’s HART-transparent in typical applications, so device diagnostics and trim can pass through without hassle. You might notice that it also helps during brownfield retrofits where spare taps are limited—one thing I appreciate is how it simplifies wiring while maintaining galvanic isolation between field and control sides.

Our Order Placement Process and Guarantees

• Warranty: 365 days
• Delivery: 1 week if in stock; no more than one month at the latest
• Payment: 50% advance payment; full payment prior to delivery
• Express options: FedEx, UPS, DHL

Key Features

• Signal splitting (1 in, 2 out): Duplicates one 4–20 mA loop to two isolated safe-area outputs, typically used to feed two separate control/monitoring systems.
• Intrinsic safety: Powers a 2‑wire transmitter located in Zone 0/1 (Ex ia) while maintaining galvanic isolation between field and safe sides.
• HART transparency: Supports HART passthrough in most cases, aiding remote configuration and diagnostics from the safe area.
• High-density form factor: Slim DIN-rail module that suits crowded cabinets, usually paired with a power bus for clean installations.
• Stable loop performance: Low error and drift for dependable measurements over temperature and time—exactly what you want on custody transfer, utility metering, or critical process loops.
• Simple retrofit: Ideal when you need a secondary output for a historian/asset system without touching the field wiring.

Technical Specifications

Related or Supporting Products

• MTL4546 – Similar repeater power supply with single output; choose when only one safe-side loop is required.
• MTL5546Y – DIN-rail counterpart in the MTL5500 series; functionally similar 1‑in/2‑out splitter, often selected for conventional terminal-wired panels.
• MTL4541 – Repeater power supply (single loop) for 2‑wire transmitters; a simpler option when splitting isn’t needed.
• Pepperl+Fuchs KFD2-STC4-Ex1.2O – Alternative third‑party splitter; useful benchmark if you’re standardizing across mixed brands.

A maintenance engineer told us this model “saved a weekend” by letting them feed the historian without changing the original DCS loop. That seems to be a common theme with splitters.

Installation & Maintenance

• Panel & environment: Install on a grounded DIN rail inside an enclosure meeting at least IP54 for industrial areas. Allow airflow; avoid mounting directly above high-heat drives.
• Wiring: Keep hazardous-area field wiring separated from safe-area wiring. Use twisted pairs for analog signals and maintain a clean instrument earth. Route the power bus along the rail for neat distribution.
• HART practices: If using HART on both outputs, verify your host/modem arrangement. In many cases, you’ll configure one primary HART host to avoid contention.
• Safety: Confirm the entity parameters and gas group per your Ex documentation before energizing. Only qualified personnel should work on live loops.
• Routine checks: Periodically verify loop current at 4 mA and 20 mA points, inspect terminal tightness, and confirm earth continuity. Clean dust with a dry cloth; no solvents.
• Firmware/config: These modules are typically hardware-based with no user firmware. If you maintain a mixed fleet, note the module revision so spare parts match site standards.

Quality & Certifications

• Certifications: CE, ATEX/IECEx (intrinsic safety, Ex ia), UL/cUL, RoHS compliant (model-specific certificates available on request)
• Functional safety: SIL 2 capable when applied per the manufacturer’s safety manual (commonly referenced across the MTL4500 series)
• Manufacturer policy: MTL typically supports multi‑year product warranties; regional terms can vary by series and rev. For purchasing through us, the unit is covered by a 365‑day warranty as stated above.

If you’re aiming to mirror a critical transmitter to both the DCS and an analytics platform without adding a second device in the hazardous area, the MTL4546Y is usually the cleanest route. It keeps loops stable, supports HART, and doesn’t complicate your cabinet layout.