Product Description:

The CX1800-0100 is an expansion option offered by Beckhoff within the CX Embedded PC Systems series. The component attaches to a CX controller and extends it with operating-system-level services for file handling, web presentation, and network transport so the hardware can act as both PLC and data server on the plant floor. By placing these layers inside the controller housing, it streamlines data exchange, remote diagnostics, and user interaction on machines with limited wiring. The module ships with a complete library set that covers device drivers, communication stacks, and web interfaces for the supported functions.

At runtime the module provides 8 MB of RAM for variable storage and buffer allocation, while removable media is enabled because there is CompactFlash support. External peripherals, such as barcode readers or removable storage devices, can be attached via USB support, eliminating the need for additional fieldbus cards. Network connectivity is handled by a full TCP/IP implementation that cooperates with Winsock, letting user code open standard sockets for peer connections. Built-in services include a HTTP/FTP server, a separate file server, and ATL/MFC libraries so legacy applications can run unchanged. Secure browser access is handled through the HTML, DHTML, SSL, and ISAPI layers, and S-keys support permits encrypted key sequences during remote operation.

Resource supervision ensures the operating system always retains the 32 MB of required CPU RAM, avoiding performance loss when concurrent threads are active. Structured data exchange is simplified by the integrated XML DOM, and time alignment with supervisory systems is achieved through SNTP. Operator devices are detected through HID support, while touch support allows direct panel input where keyboards are impractical. These resources allow the control application to combine deterministic logic with IT-oriented services inside the same embedded hardware envelope.