ABB AC500-XC ruggedised PLC

ABB’s ‘extreme conditions’ AC500-XC PLC is protected against a wide variety of threats including high and low temperatures, high humidity, low air pressure, salt mist and hazardous gases, and vibration and shock. This typically reduces system building costs by eliminating the need for sophisticated protective enclosures with special seals, HVAC, shock absorbers or EMC protection.

The AC500-XC PLC is a ruggedised variant of ABB’s modular AC500 PLC. Almost all of the modules in the AC500 range are available in XC (eXtreme Conditions) variants, providing users with a modular control platform offering greater flexibility and scalability.

AC500-XC PLCs also run exactly the same program code as the AC500, simplifying development for large systems that require control systems for both standard and extreme conditions.

Embedded environmental protection opens up extensive applications potential for the ABB AC500-XC. Extended temperature operation allows the PLCs to operate in temperatures from -30 to +70°C, with reliable system start-ups in temperatures as low as -40°C. Circuit boards are conformally coated to protect against high humidity levels. The PLC has extended immunity against salt mist and atmospheres with corrosive gases such as H₂S, SO₂, Cl₂ and NO₂. High levels of vibration and shock can be tolerated, with accelerations up to 4g from random vibrations up to 500 Hz, or 2g from sinusoidal vibration. The PLC is capable of operating at altitudes up to 4000 m. It also offers extended EMC protection against voltage surges and fast transients, as well as electrostatic discharge.