Bosch Rexroth has defined the industrial control system of the future with its compact ctrlX CORE control system. With its open and flexible architecture, the control platform removes the boundaries between the IPC, embedded system and drive-based technology platforms. This scalable “all-purpose control system” offers numerous advantages such as a fewer component requirement and a reduced engineering effort as well as higher productivity. The embedded control system is now available in series production.
“With ctrlX CORE, we have developed the most consistent, flexible and open control platform on the market. It meets the growing requirements and can be used for various applications – from pure PLC applications in the general machine market to motion applications for simple handling tasks and typical platform applications,” explains Steffen Winkler, Vice President Sales of the Business Unit Automation & Electrification Solutions at Bosch Rexroth AG. “The embedded control has already been tested by selected key customers over many months and is now ready for a broader practical use.”
ctrlX CORE is the heart of the automation platform ctrlX AUTOMATION from Bosch Rexroth. A central advantage of the control platform is the open software architecture with flexible app technology. Because today, automation means software development. As a multi-core technology, ctrlX CORE provides the basis for this. It is suitable for any automation application and its openness offers users a completely new scope for setting up functions.
With the modular software toolbox ctrlX WORKS, developers can select the required apps or use any open source software. In addition, it is possible for the customer to run self-developed software on the open platform and convert functions into apps in all common programming languages. Furthermore, industrial applications can be offered in the ctrlX App Store. Third-party apps can also be downloaded. The ctrlX Data Layer, which is anchored in the controls, ensures the communication between the apps and manages the secure information access of all apps.
Bosch Rexroth has developed the ctrlX Device Portal for easy administration, maintenance and servicing of the device software. It enables the central administration of control systems across plants. All available apps can be assigned to the ctrlX CORE and updated.
“When developing the latest generation of our control platform, it was important to us to liberate our customers from the corset of conventional solutions and give them greater flexibility and application breadth for higher productivity. We implemented this with the Linux real-time operating system, consistently open standards, app technology, web-based engineering and comprehensive IoT connections. In addition to machine and factory automation tasks, ctrlX CORE also solves challenges in areas such as building automation, intra and goods logistics, energy generation and distribution and increasingly mobile automation applications,” summarizes Steffen Winkler.