The new generation TX700 HMI/LC series can control and display more complex processes and applications than ever before. With multiple interfaces and an integrated OPC UA server, this product meets the needs of future automation applications. The TX700 is particularly suitable for customers seeking a multi-functional controller suitable for a variety of applications, helping to keep inventory levels under control. Users requiring a basic display without control functions can also find suitable products in the TX100 series.
The dilemma of intelligent upgrading
Industry 4.0 is undoubtedly one of the main directions for many companies to upgrade, but many companies inevitably face a dilemma during the upgrade process: to achieve intelligent functions, should they abandon the equipment they are currently using? This is neither efficient nor necessary. Intelligent automation does not mean abandoning all mature equipment in the workshop, but rather bringing the advantages of modern systems to tried-and-tested equipment. Currently, Turck's new product, the TX700 HMI/PLC, combines existing interfaces and machines with future production capabilities.
Ideally, existing actuators and mechanical components are reused in refurbishment projects and upgraded with modern sensor and controller technologies during industrial automation upgrades. However, the inherent complexity of field equipment is often one of the factors affecting the feasibility of achieving smart functionality through refurbishment.
The flexible setup is particularly well-suited for Industry 4.0 renovations.
The TX700 HMI/PLC series is a typical example of products that inherit flexibility, especially for this type of renovation project.
The TX700 series comes standard as a master station for Profinet , Ethernet/IP , ModbusTCP , Modbus RTU , and CANopen networks, without any licensing requirements. It can also be used as a slave station in the aforementioned Modbus networks. In terms of physical interfaces, the TX700 provides three Ethernet ports, one serial port, two USB ports, and one SD card slot. The three Ethernet ports allow for physical isolation between different Ethernet communications with the corporate network or cloud services and real-time I/O communications of machine and factory networks. The three RJ45 slots are also useful, allowing connection to a maintenance PC or bridging two ports to create a switch with a linear topology. The TX700 is available with 5 , 7 , 10 , 15 , and 21- inch screens.
The TX700 series uses a real-time Linux operating system instead of a Windows Embedded platform. This unlocks additional performance, which, combined with higher processor performance, enables more complex visualization applications and allows for the deployment of more workstations in Ethernet networks. The glass display features capacitive touch and swipe and zoom gesture controls. To ensure intuitive operation, most users will not change the standard gesture controls. However, these can be modified as needed during programming.
The surprising feature of enabling predictive maintenance
In addition to its superior performance, the TX700 offers a decisive advantage: it can be used not only as a PLC and HMI but also deployed as an IoT gateway. This is achieved through an integrated OPC UA server, which enables data transfer to higher-level systems. This simplifies monitoring of machine status and processes via cloud services, as well as data assessment in predictive maintenance.
Connecting to Turck's proprietary Turck Cloud will become even simpler in the future. Values and variables to be transferred to the cloud can be defined via checkboxes in Codesys. The Kolibri encryption protocol makes transfers to the Turck Cloud solution exceptionally secure. Any user wishing to use the MQTT protocol to transfer machine data to different clouds can purchase a ready-to-use MQTT function block and use it on the TX700 .
Customer benefits
Remote maintenance reduces worries and saves travel costs
The TX700 device can be easily configured via the system settings menu, without the need for external tools. However, the system settings menu can also be opened on a PC via a browser, allowing for easy setup using only a mouse and keyboard. An integrated VNC server is another remote option. It can also display the TX700 's screen content using a VNC client on a PC . This allows for remote operation of the entire HMI . This option is particularly useful for remote machine maintenance support tasks. With additional web display capabilities, user groups other than the machine operator can also view graphics and information important to them. Whether it's management, work scheduling, or maintenance, each user group has its specific machine problems and can quickly find answers using the corresponding customized views.
Provides the flexibility needed by PLC programmers
Similar to its predecessor, the TX700 uses the Codesys 3 controller for PLC programming . Codesys is widely used by many PLC programmers because its PLCs are designed as open-source community solutions, allowing all users to access other users' experiences through the Codesys forums and the free OSCAT library. Any user who does not wish to use Codesys TargetVisu for visual design can switch to Turck's TX VisuPro visual editor at any time and free of charge .
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