Success Story: Accelerated development through maximum proficiency

E-T-A Elektrotechnische Apparate GmbH from Altdorf in central Franconia is the world market leader for circuit breakers and overcurrent protection. The medium-sized company operates globally in the sectors of mobility and transportation, industry and production, telecommunications as well as medical and device technology. At a customer’s request, E-T-A decided in 2019 to develop an inexpensive bus controller for the electrical circuit breakers of the REX12D series. The controller is designed for use in machines in automated environments, in general, and for lathes with multiple sensors and drives, in particular. The fieldbus connection is used for continuous data transfer of all status information and measured values of the overcurrent protection system. Reliable detection of overloads and short-circuits provides effective protection against unwanted anomalies and plant downtimes and their negative impact.

For the design and development of the fieldbus connection, E-T-A Systemtechnik consulted LEBER GmbH & Co. KG for advice. The service provider from Schwaig near Nuremberg has extensive experience in integrating communication functionality into a wide range of systems and products. LEBER’s task was to create a multiprotocol capable device including circuit diagram, BOM, layout, EMC and ESD testing. This involved implementing and certifying the protocol stacks relevant for E-T-A for PROFINET, Modbus, EtherCAT and Ethernet/IP.

As a result of the cooperation, the ControlPlex System CPC12 was created, which provides transparency across all levels of the automation pyramid thanks to Hilscher’s netX 90 communication controller. Three major factors led to the decision to use Hilscher technology: speed of development, form factor and pricing.

Compared to the previous CPC20 bus controller, E-T-A benefits from the high functionality of the netX 90 SoC in the CPC12. It’s the smallest multiprotocol chip on the market, offering valuable benefits beyond industrial communication tasks. The application runs completely autonomously on the integrated application core without having to install an additional application controller. Thanks to the netX 90, the CPC12 also dispenses with many surrounding components, such as voltage regulators.

This high functionality of the netX 90 saves a lot of space, enabling a smaller form factor of the CPC12 bus controller. The space required on the printed circuit board is reduced by over 80%, which is a significant reduction compared to the previous product. Eliminating the need for additional components and reducing the amount of required materials for the compact device also have a positive impact on the unit price. The combination of fast development, fewer additional components and the cost-effective netX 90 reduces unit costs by more than 80%.