OREANDA-NEWS. September 06, 2012. GE Intelligent Platforms (NYSE: GE) today announced the availability of its PACSystems® RSTi, a new, innovative standards-based granular machine I/O integrated with the company’s PACSystems controllers on PROFINET that meets the needs of the Industrial Internet. The RSTi is based on global standards and delivers on the PROFINET promise of a consistent and standard high performance communication link between field I/O and controller. The unit’s integration into the control system also simplifies development and commissioning that results in increased productivity.


The RSTi family of PROFINET-based granular I/O is part of GE Intelligent Platforms’ High Performance Platform that leverages industry standards as well as the company’s experience in embedded technology and automation to deliver long-life higher performance solutions that are easy to configure, manage and upgrade.

“The RSTi, like all of our new control solutions, is based on open standards, leveraging our expertise in automation and ruggedized computing to meet the needs of the Industrial Internet,” said Bill Black, Controllers Product Manager for GE Intelligent Platforms. “In designing our distributed network architecture GE set a goal of making distributed I/O configuration and operation as simple as traditional rack-based systems. With the introduction of RSTi this capability is extended to an entire new range of applications that benefit from the combination of a wide range of high-density, small form-factor I/O types.”

The RSTi provides simplified installation by placing the granular I/O closer to the field devices using standard Ethernet cabling. The distributed nature of the unit provides the flexibility to expand and reconfigure field devices without impacting control-to- device wiring unlike centralized control systems that require new wiring to be installed back to the central control cabinet, thereby lowering the total cost of ownership by reducing the high cost of field wiring. OEMs can build machines in sections with local I/O drops which can easily be assembled at the customer site, connected to the controller by a high performance network, one standard Ethernet cable versus hundreds of wires. And, the compact size will be attractive to equipment builders and end users alike because it allows the modules to be closer to the control devices and therefore reduces wiring and hardware cost.

“Equipment builders are continuously looking for ways to improve the performance of their equipment while augmenting usability and reducing size and complexity,” continued Black. “These requirements extend to the control system. With PACSystems GE provides high performance control solutions with best-in-class integration of distributed, networked, I/O ideally suited for demanding applications.”

The RSTi extends the capabilities of the PROFINET-enabled solution with the addition of a comprehensive line of granular slice I/O that allows users to simplify panel design and reduce the overall size of the control panel while benefiting from the performance, maintainability and upgradeability of the PACSystems platform. There are more than 80 different module types to choose from for discrete, process, motion and specialty applications. In addition, communications protocols like PROFINET, PROFIBUS DP, DeviceNET, MODBUS/TCP, MODBUS serial, Ethernet/IP, EtherCAT, CANopen and CC-Link are available. Users can standardize on the RSTi for a wide range of applications which, in turn, reduces spare parts, training and support costs.