Softing Inc., a leading global provider of products for automation, IT networks and automotive electronics, has released its tManager® industrial PC (IPC), which extends the tManager portfolio offering, providing a solution to users that don’t have a spare PLC slot and to Siemens PLC users that either don’t have Rockwell PLCs or have a mixture of Rockwell and Siemens PLCs.
Image Credit: Softing Industrial Automation GmbH
As a powerful digital transformation solution, all tManagers across the portfolio directly connect PLCs to upstream SQL databases and cloud-based services to leverage IT dashboards, analytics and business metrics. Also, all tManagers connect to downstream Logix, Siemens and Modbus PLCs.
Previously, tManager was solely an in-chassis PLC module for ControlLogix and CompactLogix PLCs. Now since the tManager IPC is a built-for-purpose industrial PC and can be DIN rail mounted outside the PLC chassis, it allows users to take advantage of all the traditional tManager applications like track and trace, high-speed sorting and recipe management without consuming a spare PLC slot. This new format is useful in Rockwell applications and also enables customers with Siemens or Modbus TCP PLCs to use tManager IPC and simplify their connection to SQL databases.
tManager ControlLogix, tManager CompactLogix and tManager IPC all include core benefits like store and forward upon network failure, failover server support, email notifications, and status tags for monitoring transactions and system operation. tManager does not require any modifications to PLC logic to read tags for performance monitoring.
Like its PLC module counterpart, tManager IPC is simple to set up and requires no coding or OPC protocol translation. Its easy menu-driven setup can be completed in about 10 minutes. As an expansion of the tManager product offering, this built-for-purpose IPC solution enables easy IT/OT integration including MQTT connection to cloud applications.