The PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) has been and still is the basic component of the industrial automation world. PLCs are usually pretty expensive pieces of hardware, which led many people who know micro-controllers to come up with their own ideas to implement similar functionality.
Arduino is a kind of universal programmable controller, although it is only the “core” and in any case it has been built for general applications; with a little of external hardware (essentially interfaces capable of transferring signals from sensors and to actuators, reducing the EMI which may damage the microcontroller) and an appropriate software may, however, become something very similar to a PLC. For output you can use Arduino Relay modules. For input you can use varying Arduino sensors of build your own adapter for some industrial sensors.
Arduino as a programmable logic controller (PLC) tutorial we will explain how to “convert” our Arduino board in a PLC-like controller. There are several ways to turn Arduino into a Programmable Logic Controller, and Arduino as a programmable logic controller (PLC) tutorial presents two: Ladder Logic for PIC and AVR software and ladder.h Generator for LDmicro → Arduino. Also OpenPLC project has a OpenPLC Ladder Editor that can generate code for a standard arduino from a ladder diagram.
In some applications PLCs are more used as IO interfaces for SCADA systems more than doing the controlling. If you want to make Arduino board to look like PLC from SCADA point of view, you can put in software that make it to communicate with MODBUS or other suitable SCADA protocol. One easy way to experiment is to try SCADA for Arduino that includes both Arduino software and SCADA software. I tried it and you can read my experiences with it at Experimenting with SCADA for Arduino posting.
If you are worried if your Arduino based rat’s nest would survive in industrial environment or would be accepted by industrial control people, it is a good idea to to consider available Arduino compatible products designed for industrial control applications. There are now several commercial products built for Arduino PLC applications:
CONTROLLINO advertises to be first software Open-Source PLC. It is ARDUINO compatible.It started as Kickstarter project, but is now available directly from manufacturer web site. It advertises to be designed to control your Internet of Things and be CE & UL certificated. For more details check the video ARDUINO + PLC = CONTROLLINO
Industruino is an Arduino compatible industrial controller. Industruino is a fully featured Arduino Leonardo compatible board housed in a DIN-rail mountable case + prototyping area + onboard LCD + membrane panel. With this product you will be able to permanently install your Arduino application to industrial. Industruino is a pre-built solution offering a range of industrial voltage level I/O. All controlled with the ease of Arduino coding.
Industrial Shields has a selection of Arduino compatible industrial PLC hardware that can be plugges to DIN rail. The ARDBOX PLC, as it uses an Arduino UNO or Arduino LEONARDO, lets you program it through the USB. M-DUINO family is based on Arduino Mega. This PLC can be programmed using the Arduino IDE platform
BieMme Italia offers Soft PLC Arduino which is based on Advanced Arduino Relay Shield. You plug your Arduino to this shield, and it should be then industrial compatible with the control voltage and electrical protection. BieMme Italia also has Bmini All-in-one that has 4 optoisolated 24V digital inputs, 4 high quality relays, 8 analog inputs, PWM, I2C, RS485, Ethernet and more.
279 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2020/08/24/evaluating-raspberry-pi-as-a-programmable-logic-controller/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Arduino’s Portenta Machine Control Gets a Revamped Library, New User Guide
If you’ve been struggling to get to grips with the Arduino Portenta Machine Control’s capabilities, Arduino’s new documentation will help.
https://www.hackster.io/news/arduino-s-portenta-machine-control-gets-a-revamped-library-new-user-guide-1d443b12a54e
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/new-products/16020-teollisuuspalvelin-raspberry-pistae-kyllae-onnistuu
Italialainen sulautetun teollisuusratkaisujen kehittäjä Sfera Labs on esitellyt teollisuuspalvelimen, joka pohjaa Raspberry Pi CM4 -moduuliin. Sen etuna on avoimuus: palvelimella voidaan ajaa kaikkia sovelluksia, jotka toimivat Raspberry Pi -kortilla.
Uusi palvelin on nimeltään Strato Pi Max. Kyse on Raspberry Pi CM4 -pohjaisesta teollisuusohjaimesta, joka tarjoaa avoimia, optimoituja ja luotettavia ratkaisuja teollisiin ja IoT-sovelluksiin-
Strato Pi Max on DIN-kiskoon asennettu moduuli, jossa on langaton Wi-Fi- ja BLE-yhteys, kaksi Ethernet-porttia, kaksi SD-, eMMC- ja/tai SSD-tallennusvaihtoehtoa ja kaksi USB-porttia. Moduuli tukee jopa neljää sulautettua laajennuskorttia, jotka laajentavat ominaisuudet kattamaan sarja- (RS485/RS232)- ja CAN-väyläliitännät, digitaaliset I/O-liitännät, langattomat lisäyhteydet ja tuen keskeytymättömälle virtalähteelle (UPS).
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Arduino PLC Starter Kit aims to teach programmable logic control to high school and university students
Arduino PLC Starter Kit combines the Arduino Opta micro PLC, the Arduino DIN Simul8 digital input simulator and power distribution board, and the Arduino DIN Celsius board with two independent
heater circuits and one temperature sensor acting as a temperature laboratory.
The kit is supported by the Arduino PLC IDE first introduced in 2022 and comes with various cables and a power supply that allows users to quickly get started.
https://www.cnx-software.com/2024/04/04/arduino-plc-starter-kit-programmable-logic-control-education/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://wiki.seeedstudio.com/Edgebox-Rpi-200_N3uron_AWS/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1hb7tXbeYsaJJeCwrCf_jxv8D2PIrQTr2mPp8uPlzU24EwOIShsgu5Q_Y_aem_AXZWs1ezA0RiZKxyFxQ8onkdRlc_Ltypj0zLHK2uo83QVeKnZ9B2SC3Da7MMihv7EcSSTECZoitLtCA7ZEJxpHGt
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2024/05/13/pienia-pc-mikroja-teollisuuteen/
Tomi Engdahl says:
AKX00031 – DIN-kiskon ohjauskotelosarja, jossa LCD-näyttö, Arduino
Elfa Distrelecin tuotenumero: 303-68-961
Valmistajan osanumero: AKX00031
https://www.elfadistrelec.fi/fi/din-kiskon-ohjauskotelosarja-jossa-lcd-naeyttoe-arduino-akx00031/p/30368961?cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=20360686748&cq_con=&cq_term=&cq_med=pla&cq_plac=&cq_net=x&cq_pos=&cq_plt=gp&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3ZayBhDRARIsAPWzx8pY8Jd4U3tme59iHMc1TGOFT0GAAydVFw_KFiH2-SwGEsKL8dvxDxIaAvryEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
https://media.distrelec.com/Web/Downloads/_t/ds/AKX00031_eng_tds.pdf
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/16225-arduino-taipuu-logiikkaohjaimeksi
Infinite Electronics -konserniin kuuluvat langattomien liitäntälaitteiden toimittaja L-com on esitellyt uuden sarjan avoimen lähdekoodin Arduino -logiikkaohjaimia ja virtalähteitä. Nämä tuotteet palvelevat keskeisiä toimintoja prosessiohjauksessa, kuljetus- ja liikennejärjestelmissä, ruoka- ja juomateollisuudessa sekä teollisuuslaitosten, maatalouden, rakennusten ja kotitalouksien automaatiossa.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.etteplan.com/about-us/insights/sda-and-hardware-agnostics-disrupt-the-world-of-industrial-automation/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/new-products/16265-lisaeae-tehoa-ja-muistia-raspberry-pi-pohjaisiin-moduuleihin
Tomi Engdahl says:
In this tutorial, Christopher Mendez demonstrates how you can use the new Opta Digital Expansions to extend your Opta-powered solution’s capabilities along with the Arduino PLC IDE: https://docs.arduino.cc/tutorials/opta-digital-exp/opta-expansions-plc-ide/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.tomshardware.com/raspberry-pi/raspberry-pi-compute-module-4s-review
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2024/07/06/arduino-plc-keeps-the-beat/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2024/08/22/a-cheap-diy-plc-based-on-the-atmega328p/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Arduino Opta Serial and I2C Breakout
This adapter kit enables serial and I2C access on the Arduino Opta micro PLC.
https://www.hackster.io/news/arduino-opta-serial-and-i2c-breakout-a74dfb9f414e
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.hackster.io/news/plc-on-a-pcb-with-atmega328p-6d6d13ddd39a
Tomi Engdahl says:
In this tutorial, discover how to enable Modbus RTU communication on the Portenta Machine Control using the Arduino PLC IDE: https://docs.arduino.cc/tutorials/portenta-machine-control/pmc-modbus-rtu-plc-ide/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sfera Labs Strato Pi Max DIN rail industrial controllers now support the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5
The Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 (CM5) was launched at the end of last month, and we are starting to see companies slowly announce upgraded CM4 designs. Yesterday, we wrote about EDATEC ED-IPC3100 DIN-Rail mountable industrial computers, and today, we’ll cover Sfera Labs’ addition of the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 to their Strato Pi Max DIN rail industrial controllers.
The controllers still feature a gigabit Ethernet port, a 10/100M Ethernet port, two USB 2.0 ports, a Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller for power management and boot sequence control, and support expansion modules for up to sixteen RS-485 or RS-422 ports, four CAN V2.0B ports, digital and analog I/O, and more.
https://www.cnx-software.com/2024/12/12/sfera-labs-strato-pi-max-din-rail-industrial-controllers-raspberry-pi-compute-module-5/
Tomi Engdahl says:
STEVAL-SILKT01
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Evaluation kit for industrial PLC solutions targeting SIL3 applications
https://www.st.com/en/evaluation-tools/steval-silkt01.html?ecmp=tt42205_gl_enews_dec2024&mkt_tok=ODU2LVBWUC03MTUAAAGX6KjchUun4qrKM2_WKBT6QuKVyyfWwpiPDUsd6mWxqDvAX9418Tf853Ia-5Cmz2iO69hhHsgA9YLQ7VTyoPQE6WAYW6hwITqUEJJjRHu7ecV8F3L_
The STEVAL-SILKT01 is an evaluation kit designed to implement a PLC solution with hardware architecture designed to meet the requirements coming from functional safety standards IEC61508, EN 62061, EN ISO 13849-1, EN ISO 13849-2, to enable the use as a reference design for factory automation use cases having a hardware platform with safety integrity level SIL3.
he evaluation kit STEVAL-SILKT01 contains one mother board STEVAL-SILKTA01 (main board) and two daughter boards STEVAL-SILKTB01 (actuation board).
The board architecture offers a dual-core data processing based on STM32H743ZG for the STEVAL-SILKTA01 and on STM32G431RB for the STEVAL-SILKTB01.
On the main board (STEVAL-SILKTA01) are available three connectivity interfaces, two of them with differential communication working on RS485 and CAN physical layer, the other one with Ethernet technology to support the Ethernet/IP.
The hardware is coming with the firmware package STSW-SILKT01 based on the STM32Cube architecture and consisting of: application layer, drivers layer with BSP/CMSIS and HAL library, middleware layer.
All features
Designed to meet IEC61508-2, EN 62061, EN ISO 13849-1, EN ISO 13849-2 for a SIL3/PLe achievement
Dual core architecture based on STM32H743ZG and STM32G431RB
Dual digital outputs IPS1025H, IPS4260L
Dual digital inputs CLT03-1SC3
Full diagnostic coverage >90%
Galvanic isolation for data transmission, and digital I/O signals using STISO621
Redundancy on board, at hardware level and data processing
Real time communication supporting Ethernet technology for Ethernet/IP, and differential serial communication for RS485 and CAN
Overload and overtemperature protections, integrated on board at device level
Tomi Engdahl says:
Open source PLCs, IoT gateways, sensors and systems suitable for a broad spectrum of applications from smart homes to industry. Automate. Without limits.
https://www.unipi.technology/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2SN7Ny3Uyx3tPodElsX_gKJ_vzTJlqBX1Tv2dYhaUThe-mSbBirtQn6lM_aem_0Eye6wBVTQpmvBtJpp4-dQ
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.unipi.technology/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2SN7Ny3Uyx3tPodElsX_gKJ_vzTJlqBX1Tv2dYhaUThe-mSbBirtQn6lM_aem_0Eye6wBVTQpmvBtJpp4-dQ
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.hackster.io/albydnc/remoto-iot-plug-and-play-firmware-with-mqtt-e4d4fd
Tomi Engdahl says:
EDATEC ED-IPC3100: Raspberry Pi CM5 and Broadcom BCM2712-Based Industrial Computer with 4G LTE and 4K HDMI
https://www.electronics-lab.com/edatec-ed-ipc3100-raspberry-pi-cm5-and-broadcom-bcm2712-based-industrial-computer-with-4g-lte-and-4k-hdmi/
Tomi Engdahl says:
AAEON SRG-CM4 IoT gateway features Raspberry Pi CM4 SoM for industrial applications
AAEON SRG-CM4 is an IoT gateway based on the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (CM4) with 1GB to 8GB of RAM and 8GB to 32GB of eMMC storage, all powered by the Broadcom BCM2711 quad-core Cortex-A72 SoC. The gateway features a modular chassis, maintaining the compact size and industrial-grade features typical of AAEON’s edge gateway products, making it ideal for various embedded applications.
https://www.cnx-software.com/2024/09/27/aaeon-srg-cm4-iot-gateway-features-raspberry-pi-cm4-som-for-industrial-applications/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.cnx-software.com/2025/01/08/arduino-portenta-proto-kit-me-aims-to-ease-prototyping-for-professionals/
Tomi Engdahl says:
EDATEC ED-SBC2300 – A Raspberry Pi CM4-powered industrial Mini-ITX motherboard
https://www.cnx-software.com/2024/08/29/edatec-ed-sbc2300-a-raspberry-pi-cm4-powered-industrial-mini-itx-motherboard/
Tomi Engdahl says:
EtherCAT IO on CODESYS with a Raspberry Pi
https://hackaday.io/project/201834-ethercat-io-on-codesys-with-a-raspberry-pi
Getting started with learning EtherCAT and CODESYS on a very affordable hardware platform
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EtherCAT is a popular industrial Ethernet technology for real-time automation control, offering high speed and reliability. Using CODESYS on a Raspberry Pi to manage EtherCAT I/O is a cost-effective and scalable solution for industrial automation projects. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to set up EtherCAT I/O with CODESYS and a Raspberry Pi.
Conclusion
Setting up EtherCAT I/O on a Raspberry Pi with CODESYS opens up endless possibilities for industrial automation projects. The combination of affordable hardware and powerful software like CODESYS provides a robust platform for developing custom automation solutions. With the steps outlined in this guide, you should be able to set up and test your EtherCAT network successfully.