Altus' continuous investment in research and development provides the design of high-tech equipment, solutions that adhere to the reality of the international industry and are capable of meeting the most varied demands of a constantly changing market. This innovative streak is part of the company's DNA, an intrinsic characteristic in each of the products developed throughout our 40-year history. Now, this same vocation for innovation brings to the global industry a CPU with advanced software and cybersecurity functionalities capable of dynamically integrating the IT and TA areas of your business.
The NX3008, the new Nexto Series processing unit, arrives as a complete solution for systems in different segments and with the most varied complexities. With robust hardware and advanced software features that allow it to be used in both machines and process market applications, the CPU delivers performance, connectivity and versatility for the most varied demands of Industry 4.0. Discover the main highlights of the new Altus CPU and discover how it can boost performance and increase your company's competitiveness.
Access the official launch page to download the technical documentation for a of the most complete products on the global automation market.
PLC with high availability and high performance
Preemptive and multitasking, the operating system of the new NX3008 CPU operates based on a high-speed processor 64-bit ARM with 1 GHz, which makes it 3x faster than previous models in the line. These features also allow the new model in the Nexto family to control more than 2,000 input and output points, process complex arithmetic calculations and advanced control functions, as well as more than 1,000 PID loops in up to 2 milliseconds.
To guarantee the completeness of the application for which it is responsible, the unit has a system that provides 1 MB of retentive memory. This feature, present in the most advanced control equipment, prevents the loss of operating data due to a power supply or communication failure between the bus and the CPU. The programmable controller also has advanced features inherited from the Nexto Series, such as One Touch Diag (OTD), Easy Plug System (EPS) and Multiple Block Storage (MBS).
Another feature of Nexto products that will also be present in the new CPU is the conformal coating. In the process, also called tropicalization, a thin layer of non-conductive material is applied to the product plate to protect against corrosion, extreme temperatures, salt spray, humidity, among other factors. This extra protection preserves the investment and ensures that the automation system remains in operation for longer.
As a product designed to meet the demands of a global industry, the NX3008 was designed to comply with the main certifications on the market. In addition to the CE marking, which is mandatory for any electronic equipment that aims to export to the European Union, the product will also have DNV certification. The standard is a requirement for companies in Asia, Europe and North America to use programmable controllers in marine applications, such as vessel control systems and oil and gas production platforms.
Furthermore, in the coming months the CPU should receive UL and cUL certifications, mandatory requirements for exporting products to the United States and Canada.
Communication and connectivity features
Created to meet the demands of an increasingly connected industry, the NX3008 CPU features a wide variety of interfaces communication capable of connecting the equipment to the most different systems and machines on the market. The new Nexto Series control device has 02 Ethernet ports with support for the PROFINET Controller communication protocol, which allows the controller to be used in a network with MRPring architecture. The equipment also has 1 Gigabit Ethernet interface.
The equipment also has an RS-485 port and another CAN port, for connecting to field networks, a USB interface for connecting to modems and a MicroSD memory card for data storage. This profusion of connectivity features allows the new Altus CPU to be applied in architectures with varied communication networks. In addition to the PROFINET standard, the equipment also supports other important communication protocols, such as PROFIBUS-DP, MODBUS/RTU, MODBUS/TCP, MODBUS RTU/TCP, EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT Master, IEC 60870-5-104, CANopen and J-1939, OPC DA, OPC UA and MQTT.
The product, like other equipment in the Nexto Series, uses the MasterTool IEC XE programming software, a technological platform based on CODESYS with scalability for micro to large projects (free up to 320 I/O points). Fully adherent to the IoT universe, the CPU has the ability to write directly to SQL databases and interact directly with the most relevant cloud hosting services on the market, such as Microsoft Azure, IBM Cloud, Google One and Amazon AWS. The unit also has a difference that is present in few PLCs on the market: the unit has an embedded WebServer, a tool that allows the creation of supervision and application monitoring screens without the need to use a SCADA system.
Advanced software and cybersecurity features
In addition to highlights related to hardware upgrades, the NX3008 also has new software features for cybersecurity, connectivity and virtualization. One of these features is the Embedded VPN, which creates a private tunnel connection directly to the CPU. This functionality allows you to access your business's control network remotely and completely securely. To further increase product security, the CPU also has a firewall feature.
The new Altus CPU also supports FTP type connections, which enables the device to exchange data with a server that uses this technology model. This functionality allows data packages generated by the controller, such as logs collected through a datalogger function, to be accessed remotely.
Another new feature available on the NX3008 is its embedded Docker platform. The feature, native to the CPU, makes it possible to virtualize software developed for operating systems with Unix technology. The feature gives more versatility and speed to the system's operation, as it allows the processing of multiple data within the CPU itself.
