ESX.4cl-ag

The powerful electronic compact control unit ESX.4cl-ag is a flagship among the programmable control units in the STW portfolio. It offers extensive functionality in a very compact and robust die-cast aluminium housing. This makes the ESX.4cl-ag suitable for the most demanding applications, particularly in mobile machines with limited installation space.

Compact, more cores, and communication capable

The ESX.4cl-ag has a processor with three cores (Infineon AurixTM). The ESX.4cl-ag can be networked with other components in the system via four CANBUS interfaces and a managed Ethernet switch with a total of one 100Base-Tx Ethernet and three Single Pair Ethernet ports (100Base-T1 and 1000Base-T1). The Ethernet switch enables the exchange of large amounts of data without negatively affecting the controller's available processing performance. The specially designed SPE interfaces are capable of implementing the new High-Speed ISOBUS standard.

58 freely configurable analogue and digital multifunctional inputs ensure efficient reading and processing of a wide variety of signal types (most are also with SENT functionality). The user has the choice of supplying the connected sensors from either programmable or fixed supply voltages, from 5 to 12 V. A total of 56 low-side and high-side outputs each deliver up to 4 A, depending on the configuration. This allows connected components and actuators to be supplied with power, and when required, also verified by the system. Two 10 A half-bridges make it possible to control brushed electric motors with the ESX.4cl-ag. A second switch-off path disconnects the outputs of the ESX.4cl-ag reliably and safely. This emergency shutdown path is mandatory for safety relevant applications.

As with all ESX controllers, the system LED and a programmable LED conveniently indicate the status of the controller via two windows.

Coprocessor i.MX6

The optional and powerful i.MX6 ultralite coprocessor can be used to meet the highest networking demands of mobile machines. With versatile interfaces and protocols, the embedded iMX module of the ESX.4cl-ag manages communication within a machine, between different machines (M2M) and connects to the IoT world, directly to smart devices, or to cloud services.

The path to the application

The open and freely available open source development and lifecycle management tool openSYDE from STW enables application programming and the mapping and testing of functionalities in "C" and in Structured Text (ST) according to IEC61131 (logi.CAD3). Certification according to SIL 2 / PL d / Ag PL d for functional safety applications is in progress.

Systems that are already in the field can be configured, managed and updated with the help of openSYDE. With the numerous pre-installed widgets in openSYDE, data pools available via CAN or Ethernet can be displayed graphically and used in HMIs or cloud applications. Numerous convenient functions, such as current controller and ramp functions for outputs or frequency averaging for inputs, are integrated and available for application programming. Additional libraries such as CANopen, J1939 or ISOBUS* and High Speed ISOBUS* further facilitate system integration. Matlab* support is also planned. 16 MB flash memory, 6 MB RAM and 256 kB EEPROM are available for customer applications. Large tables or cyclically recorded data can be implemented within an external 128 Mbit flash memory or optionally a 512 kbit FRAM.

Robust for the harshest environments

The ESX.4cl-ag, like all controllers of the control family, was developed for the rough requirements of agriculture, forestry, construction and municipal equipment. The aluminium die-cast housing is fitted with a pressure compensation element and offers protection class IP6k5k / IP67k, or when M12 connectors are not used, up to IP6k9k.

*scheduled features