Beckhoff (www.beckhoff.com) has equipped the fanless CX9020, which is a DIN rail-mountable controller, with 1 GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, making it suitable for various PLC and Motion Control applications in small-sized as well as medium-sized machines, buildings or systems.

Featuring a very compact design, the new controller has also been fitted with a microSD card that offers a large storage capacity. Its Embedded PC features a CPU, a number of IT connectivity solutions and optional interfaces, a direct I/O interface and power supply for Beckhoff I/O systems. It also automatically detects the connected EtherCAT Terminals (E-bus) or Bus Terminals (K-bus) as well as switches to the corresponding mode for convenient system management.

Its CPU has access to 1 GB internal DDR3 RAM and a 256 MB microSD card for its operating system. For additional operator data, the controller also offers a free microSD card slot.

The CX9020’s basic version offers two 10/100 Mbit/s Ethernet ports, a DVI-D interface and four USB 2.0 connections. Its multi-optional interface allows integration of added interface that includes PROFINET, PROFIBUS, Ethernet/IP, DeviceNet, CANopen, audio or serial interface (RS232/RS422/RS485).

Unlike the current ARM9 architecture, the controller’s ARM Cortex A8 processor features a hardware-based floating point unit, which makes floating point operations (LREAL, REAL) faster. When combined with Beckhoff’s TwinCAT automation software platform, the CX9020 system turns into a high-performance PLC and Motion Controller that can be utilized with or without visualization. The operating system of the CX9020 is Microsoft Windows Embedded Compact 7.