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SmartTILE is not a standalone PLC in the usual sense – it is the CPU “brain board” used inside TRi’s Super PLCs, made available so OEMs can build their own custom PLC hardware around it.
Here is how it differs from complete PLCs:
1. Role in the system SmartTILE:
- Described as “the brain of Triangle Research's high-end, time-tested and proven F-series PLCs.”
- Each F‑series PLC is made of two parts: 1) “The SmartTILE‑Fx CPU board, which is the brains of each F‑series PLC. It is identical throughout the PLC family.” 2) “The carrier board, which is the electrical interface between the SmartTILE controller and more common industrial voltage level I/Os.”
PLC (e.g., Fx1616‑BA, Fx2424, FMD series, Nano‑10):- A finished controller that already combines the SmartTILE CPU with a carrier board, industrial‑level I/O, power conditioning, connectors, and mounting options.
[Editor's notes:] FMD and Nano-10 do not use SmartTILE but have integrated the many of the SmartTILE functions directly into its own circuit board. They are slightly lower cost but are less powerful than the SmartTILE based PLCs such as the Fx2424 and Fx1616-BA.
2. Target users and purpose SmartTILE:- Offered “to small, medium, and large OEM equipment makers to easily build their own private‑labeled, low cost, network‑ready Super PLC… purpose‑built to fit their equipment perfectly.”
- Lets OEMs “design their own carrier board to interface to the specific I/O and communication signals demanded by their application or industry.”
- Intended to shorten time‑to‑market by prototyping on standard F‑series PLCs, then migrating to a custom SmartTILE‑based design.
Standard PLC- Aimed at users who want a ready‑to‑use industrial PLC with fixed I/O mix and form factor (e.g., Fx1616‑BA, Fx2424, FMD88‑10, Nano‑10).
3. Hardware integration and I/O SmartTILE:- Integrates all key controller functions: “Ethernet port, UART serial port, FRAM, RTC, file system and of course, the 5V digital and analog I/Os.”
- Exposes signals via two 40‑pin 0.1" headers so an OEM can design a custom carrier/interface board and still “fully access all the SmartTILE features.”
- On its own it provides:
- 16 digital inputs and 16 digital outputs (5 V CMOS), expandable “up to 128 Inputs and 128 Outputs
with some additional circuitry on the OEM's carrier board.” - 8 analog inputs and 4 analog outputs (0–5 V).
- 3× UART (3.3 V), 1× I²C port, LCD port signals via the headers.
PLC:- The carrier board converts SmartTILE’s 5 V CMOS and header signals into field‑ready I/O (e.g., 24 V digital I/O, relay outputs, analog ranges like 0–10 V or 4–20 mA, terminal blocks, etc.), and provides mounting and power interface.
- Example: Fx1616‑BA and Fx2424 are described as complete “Super PLCs” whose “brain board… is the SmartTILE,” but they are sold as finished PLC products with integrated I/O and connectors.
4. Flexibility vs. off the‑shelf completeness SmartTILE:- A platform: “Use SmartTILE as a platform for multiple carrier boards to serve different applications.”
- Lets you “lower cost and simplify overall design by consolidating components” and tailoring I/O and connectors to your machine.
- Best when you want a custom PLC that still uses TRi’s proven CPU, firmware, and i‑TRiLOGI programming environment.
Standard PLCs:
- Fixed hardware configuration – you choose from existing models and expansion boards rather than designing your own carrier.
- Faster if you just need a controller you can mount, wire, and program immediately, without hardware design work.
5. Programming and software
Both SmartTILE and TRi PLCs:- Programmed with the same i‑TRiLOGI (ladder + TBASIC) environment; SmartTILE‑Fx “is programmable by the Floating‑point version of i‑TRiLOGI Version 7.xx (TL7).”
- This means software development is essentially the same; the main difference is whether you are using a custom carrier (SmartTILE‑based) or a standard PLC board.[/i]
In summary:- A TRi PLC (Fx‑series, FMD, Nano‑10, etc.) is a complete, ready‑to‑install controller.
- SmartTILE is the embedded CPU core of those PLCs, sold separately so OEMs can design their own carrier boards and create custom PLCs that still use TRi’s proven hardware, networking, and programming tools.
For more details, see:- SmartTILE product page: https://triplc.com/smarttile.htm
- Fx‑series manuals, “Create a Custom PLC with SmartTILE” section (e.g., Fx1616‑BA / Fx2424 User Manuals, Section 1.11).
