Intelligent industrial devices for deployment in automation

RS Components has introduced KUNBUS to its portfolio, which provides intelligent communications modules, including fieldbus and industrial Ethernet-based devices for a range of automation markets. The products include 14 new lines comprising industrial computers, PLCs and data acquisition and HMI devices. A key series from the company is the Revolution Pi series of open-source and modular industrial PCs, based on the Raspberry Pi platform. This innovative and reliable modular system, which meets the EN61131-2 international standard for PLCs, provides a series of central processing units including the RevPi Connect, RevPi Core and RevPi Core 3. Installed in DIN-rail housings, all the products come with USB, Ethernet and HDMI connections and are based around the Raspberry Pi Compute module, making them very compatible with the Raspberry Pi model 3 or Raspberry Pi B+. Depending on application demands, these base modules can be expanded seamlessly using suitable digital or analogue I/O modules, as well as fieldbus gateways to connect them to an industrial network. “The KUNBUS Revolution Pi is an innovative series of communication modules based around Raspberry Pi-based computing technology,” said James Milne, portfolio manager at RS. “This exciting open-source and highly modular platform can provide many of our customers with an inexpensive way of connecting up their automation processes and enabling them to reap the benefits of the industrial IoT.”