Control Techniques
Estun Automation
CODESYS
Crevis
Nexcom / Nexcobot
Leroy-Somer
Servo Systems
AC Drive + Motor
DC Drives
Smart PLC
Panel PC / IPC
Remote I/O
Flying shear control
Double-head flying shear synchronized to line speed on a 1 ms EtherCAT cycle.
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CODESYS System Partner
CODESYS-based smart controllers PLC, HMI, motion and CNC on one control backbone
A smart controller is a SoftPLC that runs the CODESYS Control runtime on an industrial PC. With this architecture ONX Control builds machine logic, the operator interface, servo axes, EtherCAT communication and data collection on one device and in one project.
IEC 61131-3 SoftPLC
EtherCAT · SoftMotion
HMI · OPC UA · IIoT
Why a CODESYS-based smart controller?
One software backbone
PLC, HMI, motion, CNC, alarms, recipes, data collection and service layers in the same CODESYS project.
Hardware-independent
The same engineering on a fanless IPC, panel PC, edge controller or compact machine controller.
Real-time communication
Field devices and plant systems from one place over EtherCAT, Modbus TCP/RTU, OPC UA and CANopen.
Ready for motion and CNC
Beyond a standard PLC with SoftMotion, servo axes, cams, electronic gearing and CNC interpolation.
Controller platforms
Platforms chosen for the machine's needs, not the hardware
The same CODESYS backbone takes different roles on different hardware. The right choice depends on control load, motion requirements, data traffic and the maintenance scenario.
Fanless IPC + CODESYS
Industrial edge controllers
Low-maintenance controllers for 24/7 operation, mounted in the cabinet or on the machine. SoftPLC, communication, data collection and remote service on one platform.
Fanless IPC OPC UA Edge data
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HMI + PLC in one unit
Panel-based smart controllers
Combines the operator interface and the control layer in one unit; wiring, commissioning and maintenance get simpler on compact machines.
Panel IPC Visualization Recipes
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SoftMotion + EtherCAT
Motion and CNC control platforms
A motion control backbone for servo axis synchronization, pick & place, flying shears, rotary knives, interpolation and multi-axis packaging machines.
SoftMotion EtherCAT CNC
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Architecture layers
Control, motion and data on one backbone
At ONX Control a CODESYS-based controller is more than a PLC cycle: motion control, visualization, fieldbus communication and service processes are designed in one architecture.
PLC + HMI
Motion + EtherCAT
OPC UA + Data
- Data and serviceRemote access, data collection, SQL / MQTT / ERP / MES links
- ApplicationHMI, alarms, recipes, production data and service screens
- FieldbusEtherCAT, Modbus TCP/RTU, CANopen, OPC UA
- MotionSoftMotion, cams, electronic gearing, servo axes and synchronization
- RuntimeCODESYS Control: PLC logic, tasks, real-time execution
- HardwareFanless IPC, panel PC, machine controller and remote I/O
TÜBİTAK 1501 industrial R&D project NO: 3250444
The heart of the architecture: ONX EtherCAT Master
ONX Control does more than supply hardware; it develops its own EtherCAT communication stack at kernel level. A hardware-independent, deterministic control architecture based on real-time Linux that reduces external dependency.
≤ 1 msStable cycle time
±50 µsMaximum task jitter
64+Synchronized slaves
RT LinuxHardware-independent core
ONX software libraries
Ready-made motion and CNC blocks for your smart controller
X Motion Library
Power, S-curve positioning, jog, homing, electronic gearing and master-based profiles for EtherCAT CiA402 servo axes. Field-tested with Estun and Control Techniques drives.
ExploreX CNC Library
Turns G-code into smooth 5-axis motion with spline merging, corner smoothing and jerk-limited velocity planning; with a web-based HMI.
ExploreNeither library needs a SoftMotion axis licence.
From the field
Applications running on smart controllers
Filling machine automation
Fast multi-axis bottle filling machine with CODESYS SoftMotion cam profiles.
CNC router
3-axis router with CODESYS SoftMotion CNC; modernizing legacy machines with EtherCAT.
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Winder and line sync
Tension control with diameter-based torque on winder / unwinder applications.
View solutionEngineering note
A smart controller is more than CPU power
Choosing a controller by core count or memory alone is a common mistake. The right choice weighs real-time task structure, motion load, communication density, data collection, HMI behaviour, remote service and long-term maintenance together.
Right approachRuntime and hardware chosen for machine behaviour
Wrong approachCatalogue values and nominal hardware comparison only
- 1 Control scopeI/O density, the HMI's role, motion requirements and data flow are defined.
- 2 Platform choiceA panel-based controller, edge controller or motion / CNC platform is chosen.
- 3 DeploymentRuntime, fieldbus, service, backup and maintenance strategy are finalized.
- Engineering tools Process solutions
Frequently asked questions
What is a smart controller?
A controller in which the CODESYS Control runtime runs on an industrial PC or panel PC. PLC logic, HMI, motion control, fieldbus communication and data collection run on the same hardware and in the same CODESYS project instead of separate devices.
What is the difference between a SoftPLC and a classic PLC?
Programming uses the same IEC 61131-3 languages. The difference is that a SoftPLC is not tied to specific hardware: the same software can move to PCs of different power, uses the PC's processor, memory and network resources, and HMI and data tasks run on the same device.
Which communication protocols are supported?
EtherCAT, Modbus TCP/RTU, OPC UA and CANopen are used on the platforms on this page. On the plant side, SQL, MQTT and ERP / MES links can be set up.
Is an extra licence needed for servo axes and CNC?
Axis control can be done with CODESYS SoftMotion. ONX Control's own libraries, X Motion Library (EtherCAT CiA402 axis control) and X CNC Library (from G-code to axis motion), do not need a SoftMotion axis licence; a CODESYS Control runtime licence and the ONX lock code are enough.
Which platform should I choose?
The choice should depend on control load, motion requirements, data traffic and the maintenance scenario rather than screen size. Once I/O density, the HMI's role, the number of axes and data flow are defined, the decision is made between an edge controller, a panel-based controller or a motion / CNC platform.
What is ONX EtherCAT Master?
An EtherCAT communication stack based on real-time Linux, developed by ONX Control within TÜBİTAK 1501 Industrial R&D project no. 3250444. It aims at a hardware-independent, deterministic control architecture; the technical report can be downloaded from this page.
Let's choose the controller for your machine architecture
Share your I/O count, axes, HMI needs and communication infrastructure; we will come back with a platform proposal and an architecture draft.