PC Cards for Industrial Ethernet & Fieldbus
The M.2 format is extremely compact and versatile. Among other benefits, it offers you PCI Express interface technologies for master and slave applications for numerous fieldbus and Real-Time Ethernet protocols.
PCI Express is the successor to PCI technology and offers an increased data throughput. Our PCI Express cards can be used universally for all fieldbus and Real-Time Ethernet protocols.
The low-profile PCI Express PC cards are designed for PCIe systems of limited height. They can be used universally for numerous fieldbus and Real-Time Ethernet protocols.
Our mini PCIe halfsize cards have an impressive, extremely compact design. They enable you to implement slave applications for numerous fieldbus and Real-Time Ethernet protocols.
Mini PCI Express is the successor to the mini PCI format and offers an increased data throughput. Our mini PCI Express cards can be used universally for all fieldbus and Real-Time Ethernet protocols.
The PCI bus is an established standard in automation and is widely used in many areas. Our PCI cards can be used universally for all fieldbus and Real-Time Ethernet protocols.
Compact PCI is the industrial version of the PCI bus, offering impressively high data rates in a robust design. Our compact PCI cards enable you to handle numerous fieldbus and Real-Time Ethernet protocols.
Mini PCI is the miniature format of the established PCI cards. It is used especially in embedded systems or compact box IPCs. They can be used universally for all fieldbus and Real-Time Ethernet protocols.
PCI 104 is the successor to the stackable PC/104 technology and is mainly used in complex systems. Our PCI 104 cards can be used universally for all fieldbus and Real-Time Ethernet protocols.
The stackable PC/104 format is mainly used in complex systems. Our PC/104 cards can be used universally for all fieldbus and Real-Time Ethernet protocols.
Our PC cards for industrial communication at a glance
Our cifX PC cards give you complete flexibility in choosing how you want to network your PC-based application. From form factor over protocol stacks to additional features like heat sinks or remote network interfaces - choose the combination that suits your needs! Switching between formats and to other protocols is almost seamless, thanks to our unified drivers and API across the cards!
Your know-how of flexibly networking your machines and devices with cifX is retained and can be directly applied to future projects. The switch to other netX-based communication solutions such as gateways or modules is also paved by our platform strategy.
The cifX PC cards are available in all common form factors including additional hardware such as remote network interfaces and heat sinks for extended temperature ranges.
Thanks to Hilscher's netX technology, cifX PC cards are multi-protocol capable and cover all common standards from legacy fieldbus to Industrial Ethernet networks:
- PROFINET
- PROFIBUS
- CC-Link
- DeviceNet
- EtherCAT
- Ethernet/IP
- CANopen
- Powerlink
- Modbus
- Sercos
- MQTT
- OPC UA
cifX PC cards can cover all Industrial Ethernet networks with only one hardware - simply change the firmware!
cifX PC cards can be used universally and are both slave and master capable. For pure slave applications with particularly high requirements regarding energy efficiency and size, further product lines are available such as PC cards in the extremely small M.2 format.
For easy integration into different applications, all cifX PC cards have a uniform API.
For a fast integration of our PC cards we offer a large variety of device drivers. Besides a C toolkit, drivers are available for all relevant operating systems such as Windows, Linux, QNX, VxWorks, INtime and RTX.
Related links
Are you looking for an integration partner for your industrial communication project? From multi-protocol capable netX chips to IIoT applications - our network of partner companies offers you the support you need!
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You've got questions? We've got the answers!
We make industrial communication possible. From legacy fieldbus to Real-Time Ethernet and the cloud. Our solutions are multi-protocol capable, flexible and reliable. Learn more about how our netX software and hardware technologies work and how we make machine data accessible for you with our IIoT platform netFIELD.
PC Cards FAQ
Hilscher PC cards, known as the cifX series, are communication cards for PCs and embedded systems. They enable connection to fieldbus and industrial Ethernet networks and are particularly suitable for automation applications in which a computer needs to exchange data with industrial controllers.
The Hilscher cifX series is available in various form factors, including:
- PCI
- PCI Express (PCIe)
- mini PCIe
- CompactPCI / CompactPCI Serial
- M.2 format
- Low Profile PCIe
Thanks to the netX technology, the cards support a wide range of Industrial Ethernet and fieldbus protocols, such as: PROFINET, EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, Modbus, CC-Link IE Field, as well as classic fieldbuses like PROFIBUS, DeviceNet, or CANopen.
- Use in an industrial PC
- Fieldbus connectivity for Windows- or Linux-based IPCs
- Test and development environments for fieldbus and Ethernet protocols
The cifX cards are plug-and-play capable and are delivered with a unified driver and API concept. This allows developers to use the same interface regardless of the protocol, significantly simplifying integration.
- Multi-network capability: One hardware platform can support different protocols
- Unified API: The same software interface for all cards and protocols
- Long-term availability: Industrial-grade designs with long-term supply
- Flexibility: A wide range of form factors for any PC architecture
- Broad driver support for using cifX cards with all common operating systems
- Easy integration into existing systems
- Wide selection of form factors for different IPCs
- Support for nearly all relevant fieldbus and Ethernet protocols
- Unified software environment for fast development
- Rugged, industrial-grade hardware
Configuration is done using the Hilscher toolchain (e.g., Communication Studio) and the cifX SDK. Updates and firmware changes can easily be deployed via the PC.
- Automation technology
- Machinery and plant engineering
- Manufacturing industry
- Test and measurement technology
- Production lines with heterogeneous networks
They are particularly attractive for system integrators, machine builders, and developers who want to connect their PC-based systems to industrial networks—flexibly, quickly, and with minimal development effort.