MTL 9370-FB2 Intrinsically Safe Fieldbus Barrier
Overview
The MTL 9370-FB2 is a Crouse-Hinds series MTL intrinsically safe fieldbus barrier – a field-mounted wiring hub that creates up to twelve short-circuit protected, intrinsically safe spur connections from a single high-energy Foundation fieldbus H1 trunk. Supplied as a complete, factory-assembled system in a glass reinforced polyester (GRP) or stainless steel enclosure, the 9370-FB2 range eliminates the custom wiring, ancillary components, and specialist housing traditionally required to build a hazardous-area fieldbus spur distribution point, allowing installation directly in Zone 1 (gas) or Zone 21 (dust) classified areas.
As the official authorized partner and exclusive regional representative for MTL fieldbus and intrinsic safety products within the Cooper Crouse-Hinds series, Seven Star LLC proudly supplies the MTL 9370-FB2 fieldbus barrier to refineries, LNG terminals, and process automation integrators across Oman and the wider GCC. Our technical team supports fieldbus segment design, spur budget calculation, and compliant hazardous-area installation for projects throughout the Sultanate of Oman.
Operating Principle
Each intrinsically safe spur on the MTL 9370-FB2 is galvanically isolated from the high-energy trunk and can support a FISCO or Entity-certified Foundation fieldbus H1 instrument located in a Zone 0 or Zone 1 hazardous area. Individual spurs are short-circuit protected, meaning a fault on any single instrument or spur cable does not bring down the trunk or the other eleven spurs – a critical resilience feature for large fieldbus segments carrying dozens of field devices across a process unit. Spur current is limited to a maximum of 45 mA with a 4.5 mA maximum short-circuit current, and each spur delivers a minimum no-load voltage of 12 V to reliably power connected instruments.
The trunk wiring itself is implemented using suitably protected cable with increased safety (Ex e) connection facilities, while the modular barrier and surge protector components inside the enclosure can be hot-plugged by design, without gas clearance procedures or separate isolating switches. This virtually eliminates the risk associated with hazardous-area maintenance activities, speeds module replacement during a live segment fault, and avoids the need for specialist operator training when swapping a failed barrier module.
Engineering Design of the MTL 9370-FB2
The MTL 9370-FB2 is available in enclosure systems supporting either six or twelve spurs; for added flexibility, the twelve-spur enclosure can be specified partially populated with a single six-spur barrier module installed, allowing straightforward field expansion from six to twelve spurs simply by plugging in a second module as the segment grows. The system is bus-powered and requires no additional field power supply, drawing power directly from the fieldbus trunk when used with an MTL F800 or 9180 range power supply in redundant or non-redundant configuration.
Electrical isolation is rated at 1.5 kV trunk-to-spur and 30 V module-to-module, providing robust protection against fault propagation between devices on different spurs. The enclosure itself – whether GRP or stainless steel – integrates the electrical and mechanical design into a single ergonomic package suited to high-energy trunk applications in hazardous areas, with a maximum spur length of 120 m supporting instruments distributed across a wide physical footprint typical of tank farms, offshore platforms, and large process units.
Key Features
The MTL 9370-FB2 intrinsically safe fieldbus barrier delivers reliable, field-proven spur distribution for hazardous-area Foundation fieldbus networks:
- Up to 12 short-circuit protected, intrinsically safe spur connections from a single high-energy trunk.
- Factory-assembled complete system in glass reinforced polyester (GRP) or stainless steel enclosure.
- Suitable for direct installation in Zone 1 (gas) or Zone 21 (dust) hazardous areas.
- Supports FISCO or Entity-certified Foundation fieldbus H1 instruments in Zone 0 or Zone 1 locations.
- Hot-pluggable barrier and surge protector modules with no gas clearance procedures required.
- 1.5 kV trunk-to-spur and 30 V module-to-module galvanic isolation for fault containment.
- Bus-powered design requires no additional field power supply beyond the fieldbus trunk.
- Expandable from 6 to 12 spurs in the field by plugging in an additional barrier module.
Industrial Applications
The MTL 9370-FB2 fieldbus barrier is specified wherever a Foundation fieldbus H1 segment must reach multiple field instruments inside a Zone 1 or Zone 21 hazardous area: refinery process units, LNG and gas processing terminals, offshore platforms, tank farm instrumentation, and large-scale petrochemical plants running modern digital fieldbus architectures instead of legacy 4-20 mA point-to-point wiring. Its ability to support up to twelve heavily loaded spurs from one trunk connection significantly reduces cabling and junction box count compared with conventional barrier approaches.
As the officially authorized partner for MTL and Cooper Crouse-Hinds intrinsic safety products, Seven Star LLC distributes the MTL 9370-FB2 to instrumentation and automation contractors, EPC firms, and plant engineering teams across Muscat, Sohar, and the Salalah free zone, supporting new fieldbus network design as well as expansion and retrofit of existing segments. Our regional stock holding and direct manufacturer relationship help shorten lead times for hazardous-area fieldbus projects, with full datasheet and certification support available for Oman and GCC regulatory submissions.
Technical Specifications
Key specifications for the MTL 9370-FB2 intrinsically safe fieldbus barrier:
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Model | MTL 9370-FB2 |
| Spur Connections | Up to 12 (6-spur or 12-spur enclosure) |
| Enclosure Options | Glass reinforced polyester (GRP) or stainless steel |
| Area Classification | Zone 1 (gas), Zone 21 (dust) |
| Spur Current | 0–32 mA per spur, 45 mA max limit |
| Spur Short-Circuit Current | 4.5 mA maximum |
| Spur Voltage | ≥10V @ 40mA at 20°C; 12V minimum no-load |
| Max Spur Length | 120 m |
| Isolation | 1.5 kV trunk-to-spur; 30 V module-to-module |
| Protocol | Foundation Fieldbus H1, FISCO / Entity concept |
| Power | Bus-powered (no separate field supply required) |
| Brand | MTL – Cooper Crouse-Hinds series (Eaton) |
Call To Action
Seven Star LLC stocks and supplies the MTL 9370-FB2 intrinsically safe fieldbus barrier for immediate quotation and regional delivery across Oman and the GCC. As the authorized partner for MTL and Cooper Crouse-Hinds intrinsic safety products in Oman and the GCC, we support formal RFQ submissions, provide regional warehouse stock to minimize project lead times, and offer full technical datasheets for download on request. Contact our instrumentation and hazardous-area electrical division today for pricing, lead time, and compliance documentation for your MTL 9370-FB2 requirement.
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