Phoenix Contact
Industrial surge protection, DIN-rail terminals and industrial connectors — TRABTECH SPD in every professional KNX panel.
Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG (Blomberg, Germany — founded 1923) is a global manufacturer of electrical connectors, DIN-rail terminal blocks and industrial automation components. In the European panel building market, Phoenix Contact is most widely specified for two product families: TRABTECH surge protective devices (SPD) and CLIPLINE/PT DIN-rail terminal blocks. The TRABTECH VAL-MS combined Type 1+2 SPD has become the standard lightning and surge protection device at service entrance distribution boards in KNX-equipped commercial and residential buildings across Europe. The integrated remote monitoring contact on TRABTECH devices — wired to a KNX binary input — provides active SPD health monitoring: the BMS or Home Automation system receives a KNX alarm telegram immediately when an SPD cartridge degrades after a surge event, without manual inspection of the panel.
Role in our panels
How we use Phoenix Contact
The Phoenix Contact TRABTECH product range addresses all surge protection levels required by IEC 61643-11 and EN 62305-4. Type 1 SPDs (VAL-MS-T1 series, tested with 10/350µs impulse current Iimp) are installed at the service entrance to protect against direct lightning strike effects — they divert the majority of the surge current to earth. Type 2 SPDs (VAL-MS 230 series, tested with 8/20µs, rated In surge current) protect sub-distribution boards against induced surges and residual surge energy after the Type 1. Combined Type 1+2 devices (VAL-MS-T1 2x140/s) integrate both levels in a single 2-module DIN-rail device — the preferred solution for residential main distribution boards where space is limited and Type 1 and Type 2 would otherwise be in the same enclosure within less than 10m of cable separation. All TRABTECH VAL-MS devices use pluggable cartridges — when a cartridge degrades after absorbing a surge event, it is replaced without disturbing the fixed wiring. The mechanical flag indicator changes colour (green = OK, red = replace). The remote monitoring contact allows the same status information to be sent automatically to the KNX system.
KNX panel wiring for Phoenix Contact TRABTECH: VAL-MS-T1 2x140/s installed at service entrance after main isolation switch-disconnector — upstream backup fuse gG type 100A maximum (never MCB type B). Remote monitoring contact wiring: VAL-MS floating volt-free NC contact — one terminal to 24V DC from KNX panel PSU, other terminal to KNX binary input module channel (e.g. MDT BE-08XX.01, 24V DC input type). Configure binary input in ETS6: input type = NC normally closed, active signal = input open → send DPT 1.001 value 1 (alarm) to KNX group address connected to visualisation alarm object and push notification logic. PT 2.5 QUATTRO terminals (3002885) are used throughout the panel for neutral distribution and multi-core cable termination — four conductors per terminal body reduces DIN-rail length requirement. Coordination between Type 1+2 combined device and downstream Type 2 at sub-distribution: if cable run exceeds 10m, no inductor needed (IEC 61643-12 Annex A); if same enclosure, use VAL-MS-T1 2x140/s combined device only.
Used in these project types
Phoenix Contact products
Key components we install
Phoenix Contact VAL-MS-T1 2x140/s
Combined Type 1+2 surge protective device for service entrance single-phase and three-phase (one device per phase). Impulse current Iimp = 12.5kA (10/350µs, Type 1 tested), nominal discharge current In = 20kA (8/20µs, Type 2 tested). Voltage protection level Up = 1.4kV. Occupies 2 DIN-rail modules (36mm). Pluggable surge cartridge — replace cartridge without rewiring. Remote monitoring contact: floating NC volt-free contact, 250V AC/2A rated — wired to KNX binary input for automated SPD health monitoring. Built-in coordination between Type 1 and Type 2 stages eliminates need for external inductors in same-enclosure installations. Backup fuse required: gG type, maximum 125A. Used at service entrance of all commercial KNX projects requiring EN 62305-4 surge protection.
Phoenix Contact VAL-MS 230/1+1
Single-phase Type 2 surge protective device for sub-distribution boards. Nominal discharge current In = 20kA (8/20µs), voltage protection level Up = 1.0kV — lower Up than combined Type 1+2, providing better protection for sensitive electronic equipment at sub-distribution level. 2 DIN-rail modules. Pluggable surge cartridge with visual condition indicator (green = OK, red = replace cartridge). Remote monitoring contact: same floating NC contact as VAL-MS-T1 series, compatible with same KNX binary input wiring. Used at each floor distribution board or apartment distribution board in residential and commercial buildings — coordinated with VAL-MS-T1 2x140/s at main distribution when cable run between boards exceeds 10m. No coordination inductor required in this case per IEC 61643-12 Annex A.
Phoenix Contact VAL-MS 230/3+1
Three-phase + neutral Type 2 surge protective device for 3-phase sub-distribution boards. Four surge cartridges (L1, L2, L3, N) in a single 4-module DIN-rail assembly. Nominal discharge current In = 20kA per phase. Voltage protection level Up = 1.0kV. Four independent pluggable cartridges — each cartridge has its own condition indicator and contributes to the common remote monitoring contact (contact opens if any one cartridge degrades). Remote contact wired to KNX binary input: alarm when any phase SPD fails. Used at 3-phase sub-distribution boards in commercial office buildings, hotels and light industrial premises. Backup fuse: gG type 125A per phase upstream of SPD. Coordinate with VAL-MS-T1 2x140/s at main LV switchboard via cable run exceeding 10m (no inductor needed).
Phoenix Contact PT 2.5 QUATTRO Terminal Block
QUATTRO four-conductor spring push-in terminal block — four connection points in a single terminal body at standard 6mm pitch, equivalent to four standard terminals in two-thirds of the DIN-rail space. 2.5mm² maximum conductor cross-section, 17.5A rated current per connection. Spring push-in actuation: solid conductors insert tool-free, stranded conductors require ferrule. Colour-coded versions: grey (power), blue (neutral), green/yellow (PE). Used for neutral conductor distribution in KNX panels — one QUATTRO terminal per group of four circuits eliminates separate busbars in smaller panels. Also used for signal cable distribution (RS-485 A/B/GND to multiple devices, 24V DC to multiple sensor inputs). Compatible with Phoenix Contact cross-connection bridges, end brackets and test plugs. Can be mixed on DIN-rail with standard PT 2.5 terminals in the same terminal strip.
Phoenix Contact PT 2x1 Coordination Inductor
Decoupling inductor for coordination between Type 1 and Type 2 SPDs installed in the same enclosure with less than 10m of cable separation. Inductance: 1µH, rated current: continuous 100A, suitable for single-phase and three-phase installations (one inductor per phase). Per IEC 61643-12 Annex A: when cable length between Type 1 output and Type 2 input is less than 10m, the cable's own inductance is insufficient — voltage sharing between stages is incorrect and both stages may conduct simultaneously, reducing total surge handling capacity. Install PT 2x1 in series between Type 1 output terminal and Type 2 input terminal on each phase. Eliminates the need for a combined Type 1+2 device in installations where separate Type 1 and Type 2 devices are already installed in the same enclosure. Note: combined Type 1+2 device (VAL-MS-T1 2x140/s) is preferred for new installations to avoid this coordination complexity.
Phoenix Contact FAQ
What backup fuse is required for Phoenix Contact VAL-MS Type 1+2?
The VAL-MS-T1 2x140/s requires a backup fuse of gG type (general purpose fuse-link, full range breaking capacity), maximum 125A, installed upstream of the SPD. Typical installation sequence: main switch-disconnector (160A rated) → gG 100A backup fuse → VAL-MS-T1 SPD → main RCD → circuit MCBs. Never use type B MCBs as the backup fuse for Type 1 SPDs — MCBs do not provide the short-circuit protection current required by the SPD manufacturer and IEC 61643-11. The backup fuse protects the installation from follow current (power frequency current drawn by the SPD after a lightning impulse) — it must clear within the SPD's rated follow current interruption capability. After a severe lightning strike, check the backup fuse — it may have cleared as intended, and requires replacement along with the pluggable SPD cartridge. The gG fuse element is available in standard DIN size II (63A/100A/125A) for use in standard fuse bases upstream of the SPD.
When is a coordination inductor needed between Type 1 and Type 2 SPDs?
Per IEC 61643-12 Annex A: if the cable length between the Type 1 SPD output terminals and the Type 2 SPD input terminals is 10m or greater, the cable's own inductance (approximately 1µH per metre) provides sufficient decoupling between the two stages — no separate coordination inductor is needed. If the distance is less than 10m, which is common when both SPDs are installed in the same enclosure or adjacent enclosures, install the Phoenix Contact PT 2x1 coordination inductor (article 2906415, 1µH) in series between the Type 1 output and the Type 2 input on each phase. The inductor ensures correct voltage sharing: during a surge event, the Type 1 device clamps first and handles the bulk of the impulse current before the Type 2 stage responds. In residential main panels where all protection devices are in one cabinet, the cleanest solution is a combined Type 1+2 device such as the VAL-MS-T1 2x140/s — this eliminates the coordination problem entirely, as both protection stages are internally coordinated by the manufacturer.
How do you wire the Phoenix Contact SPD remote monitoring contact to KNX?
The VAL-MS remote monitoring contact is a floating (volt-free) contact with both normally-open and normally-closed configurations, rated 250V AC at 2A. In normal operation (SPD cartridge healthy): the NC contact is closed, forming a complete circuit. When the SPD cartridge degrades after absorbing a surge event: the NC contact opens, breaking the circuit — this is the alarm condition. Wiring to KNX binary input: connect one contact terminal to the 24V DC positive supply from the KNX panel PSU, connect the other contact terminal to a KNX binary input module channel (e.g. MDT BE-08XX.01, 24V DC input type — select the 24V DC version, not the 230V AC version). Configure the KNX binary input in ETS6: input type = normally closed (NC), active signal on input open → transmit DPT 1.001 value 1 (alarm active) to the assigned KNX group address. Connect this group address to a visualisation alarm object and to a push notification logic block in the KNX server (Gira X1, JUNG facility pilot, or HA). When any SPD cartridge in the TRABTECH device degrades, KNX automatically sends an alarm telegram without manual panel inspection.
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