ctrlX AUTOMATION

ctrlX CORE is entirely Linux-based. Consequently, it is open, stable, and secure. Thanks to its open software architecture, it’s possible to install custom applications or use open-source software to create specific applications for new functions using common programming languages. The data structure of ctrlX, known as the ctrlX Data Layer, enables applications to communicate with each other without the need for programming or parameterization.

For field communication, ctrlX CORE relies on the EtherCAT ecosystem as the standard. This opens up the entire world of EtherCAT peripheral devices, which can be easily integrated into the user’s control topology. Apart from EtherCAT, the control hardware supports many of the most common automation protocols, and with EtherCAT Master as the automation bus, the system can connect to peripheral equipment.

In connected environments, the Ethernet interface manages the exchange of high-intensity data with higher-level IT systems, HMI devices, and cloud-based applications.

The control system supports over 30 direct connection options and standard IT and PLC IoT communication protocols, offering maximum flexibility to connect different devices and seamlessly integrate them into existing or future systems.

In ctrlX CORE, hardware and software are decoupled to provide the most advanced and open software architecture in the automation world. This openness offers unparalleled freedom to machine manufacturers and end-users, enabling them to integrate fully customised applications into an industrial-level control system and deliver pre-written functions in the form of simple snap apps. Implementing ctrlX CORE as a gateway thus ensures a high level of flexibility and connectivity, crucial aspects in the Industry 4.0 context, both for a traditional IIoT gateway and for a bidirectional gateway for machine communication.

ctrlX supports standardised PLC languages like IEC 61131 or PLCopen, high-level languages like C++, more recent scripting languages like Python, Java, or Node-RED, and new graphic programming languages like Blockly.

With ctrlX, you can create custom vertical applications and directly integrate them into the CORE, using it as the control system.

Furthermore, ctrlX CORE combines an open architecture with standard industrial-level features: end-to-end data transmission, VPN client, firewall, and OPC UA are automatically provided by the CORE, while user interfaces can be fully tailored and integrated into the system, just like any other specific application components to be created.

Discover more about the IIoT software installable in ctrlX CORE → our custom Edge Computing solutions

All Bosch Rexroth products, especially the ctrlX AUTOMATION range, are extensively documented to provide a transparent view of hardware functionality. The dedicated documentation includes data sheets, guides, and schematics.

Moreover, not only is it a globally established brand, but the innovation of ctrlX technology has also fostered a true global support community comprising developers and industry professionals.