Arduino’s Opta micro-PLC presents engineers with a ready-made, easy-to-use solution for industrial IoT projects and building automation, with security and certification to match for fastest time to market. Presented in an IP20-rated, 69 x 80 x 90 mm, DIN-rail-mountable enclosure, Opta was designed in partnership with Finder, a leading relay manufacturer, and it can be programmed within the well-documented Arduino ecosystem or using IEC 61131-3-standard PLC languages.
Opta can be used in operating temperatures from -20°C to +50°C and is available in three increasingly connected variants to serve the requirements of your IoT:
- Opta Lite (with onboard ethernet and USB-C programming ports)
- Opta RS485 (adds RS485 half-duplex connectivity interfaces)
- Opta WiFi (also adds Wi-Fi/Bluetooth LE connectivity, compatible with Arduino IoT Cloud and third-party cloud services for real-time remote control, data monitoring, and OTA updates)
The heart of Opta is an STM32H747XI dual-Arm Cortex-M7, Cortex-M4 32-bit MCU supported by 1 MB RAM and 2 MB flash memories. An additional 16 MB flash via a QSPI interface can be used for data logging or other desired functionality. The interfacing options and other key features of the devices are as follows:
- 8x configurable digital/analogue inputs
- Digital operational range: 0-24 V
- Analogue operational range: 0-10 V
- 4x Normally Open (NO) relays rated at 250 VAC (400 VAC max.), 10 A (15 A peak)
- TCP/IP and ModBus TCP ethernet connectivity
- 12-24 VDC power input
- RTC with 10 days Network Time Protocol (NTP) sync through Wi-Fi or ethernet
In addition to this core module, Arduino also offers digital and analogue expansion modules to bring further functionality to your Opta-based design.
These simply plug into the Opta’s auxiliary port and can be easily mounted along the same DIN rail as the main module. The expansion modules feature the following interfaces:
Arduino Pro Opta Ext D1608E
- 16 programmable voltage inputs
- 8 electromechanical relays rated at 250 VAC, 6A
Arduino Pro Opta Ext D1608S
- 16 programmable voltage inputs
- 8 solid-state relays rated at 24 VDC, 2A
Arduino Pro Opta Ext A0602
- Programmable inputs:
-> 4 analogue inputs rated at 0-10 V, 0/4-20 mA,
-> 2 analogue inputs for 0-10 V, 0/4-20 mA or temperature sensor (RTD PT100) - 2 analogue outputs rated at 0-10 V, 0/4-20 mA
- 4 digital PWM outputs
For those just getting started with PLC programming, Arduino’s PLC Starter Kit provides everything you need to practice programming the Opta, with all the cabling and power supplies required, in addition to two kit-exclusive DIN-mountable interface testing boards.
Both boards are protected against +24-V miswiring events and input reverse polarity because we all make mistakes when learning.
The Arduino DIN Simul8 features 8 SPST toggle switches for testing 8 signal lines within your Opta educational project. These are supplied via DC barrel jack connector.
The Arduino DIN Celsius features a TMP236A2DBZR temperature sensor and 24-V power lines for 2x independent heater arrays. This enables easy testing of relevant sensor data inputs during your learning journey.
For more information on Arduino’s Opta micro-PLC, please consult this official datasheet.
If you have a commercial project in mind and would like to evaluate Opta, fill out the form below, and ipXchange will facilitate evaluation of this disruptive addition to the industrial PLC market.
