Introducing Opta, Arduino first-ever micro PLC with Industrial IoT capabilities

The Opta series, which comes in Ethernet, RS485, and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth variations, is geared toward professionals and is built on the STM32H747XI.

The Opta, described by Arduino as its "first mini PLC [Programmable Logic Controller]," is a tough device built with the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in mind.

With support for standard languages like LD (Ladder Logic Diagram) and FBD (Function Block Diagram), it enables professional users to scale up industrial and building automation projects by utilizing our renowned open-source, simple-to-use, anti-vendor-lock-in approach. Arduino created it specifically with PLC engineers in mind.

The DIN-rail mountable Opta, created by Arduino in collaboration with Finder, is powered internally by an STMicro STM32H747XI dual-core microcontroller, which features a single high-performance Arm Cortex-M7 core operating at up to 480MHz and a lower-power Cortex-M4 core operating at up to 240MHz alongside a shared floating-point unit (FPU), Chrom-ART accelerator, a hardware JPEG accelerator, 2MB flash (SRAM).

The Opta is available in three models, each of which offers a different set of features: the Opta Lite, which comes with Ethernet connectivity and USB Type-C for programming; the Opta RS485, which, as might be expected, adds RS485 half-duplex support; and the Opta WiFi, which has radios for both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communications. According to Arduino, every model supports over-the-air updates, has a dedicated secure element for cryptographic guarantees, four relays for switching up to 2.3kW loads, and supports over-the-air updates.

Opta makes it possible for everyone to create, iterate, and execute increasingly ambitious ideas for improved manufacturing quality, enhanced efficiency, better productivity, and profitability. This is made possible by its onboard connection and machine-learning capabilities.

For the Opta family, Arduino has not yet disclosed the price; additional details are anticipated before the hardware becomes available in December of this year. On the official product website, you can sign up to get notifications when the Opta range is released.