ADS-TEC Industrial IT customers from the modern mechanical and plant engineering sector are often faced with the challenge of having to connect their industrial PCs to different communication networks. Above all, they need versatile connectivity and compatibility with all common industrial communication standards.

For ADS-TEC Industrial IT as a manufacturer of industrial PCs, the integration of various permanently installed PC cards from other manufacturers involves potentially high costs due to individual development efforts, such as the mechanical adaptation of the industrial PC with regard to the internal cable routing and the interface cut-outs. For ADS-TEC Industrial IT, these adaptations are usually associated with a time-consuming development process, which is often only economically viable for larger projects.

© ads-tec Industrial IT

In order to meet the challenges of its customers described at the beginning, ADS-TEC Industrial IT is using the tried-and-tested netJACK interchangeable module from Hilscher in the new 9000 series. In addition to the ability to map all common industrial protocols for factory automation with master and slave or device functionalities, the PCI Express connection option was a unique selling point that sets the netJACK module apart from its competitors.

This allows the Nürtingen-based company to equip its IPCs with a physical real-time Ethernet interface directly and without additional cabling and to use Hilscher's proven protocol stacks. This enables ADS-TEC Industrial IT to save costs for the development of its own firmware.

Flexible integration of industry protocols

This means that a whole range of fieldbus and Real-Time Ethernet protocols can be integrated into the IPCs from ADS-TEC Industrial IT without additional development effort - and even without the use of tools when installing the module. If the communication protocol used by an IPC needs to be changed, the module's firmware can be easily adapted to the new requirements and the required software loaded onto the netJACK module. This reduces the number of device variants and provides end customers with a flexible way of integrating industrial protocols. The adaptation can be carried out at any point in the supply chain, even by the end customer himself.

ADS-TEC Industrial IT has been relying on Hilscher technology for several years. Thanks to Hilscher 's familiar ecosystem and platform concept, the switch to a module-based solution was easy for the IPC specialist from Nürtingen to implement. Hilscher technology will therefore also be an integral part of new Intel Whiskey Lake-based products at ADS-TEC Industrial IT.

Jochen Gengenbach, Product Manager Industrial PCs & Monitor Systems at ads-tec Industrial IT GmbH

© ads-tec Industrial IT

"We are delighted to have found a competent partner in Hilscher, whose solution has enabled us to reduce the complexity of the development and production of our box PCs and HMIs. With our new 9000 series, we are now able to offer our customers more freedom in machine and system planning."

Jochen Gengenbach, ads-tec Industrial IT GmbH

netJACK

© Hilscher

The netJACK interchangeable module is a universal solution in a closed IP40 housing for upgrading devices with master or slave functionality. All variants have the same mechanics and an identical software interface. The interchangeable module can be easily installed without tools at any point in the supply chain - even at the end customer's premises.

• Suitable for master and slave applications
• One hardware for all Real-Time Ethernet protocols
• Connection via PCI Express, dual-port memory or SPI

About ads-tec Industrial IT GmbH

For over 40 years, ads-tec Industrial IT GmbH has been developing and producing industrial computer and IT systems for sectors such as automation, logistics, medicine, automotive and mechanical engineering at its headquarters in Nürtingen near Stuttgart.