Altus at ADIPEC 2023

As a company with global operations, Altus seeks to increase its participation in the industrial market in different territories. To strengthen its brand in the Middle East, one of the regions with the highest rate of investment in technology today, Altus will participate in ADEPIC, one of the biggest events in the energy segment in the world.

Held in Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, between October 2nd and 5th, the fair will address some of the sector`s main challenges for the coming years, such as advancing decarbonization and preparing the energy system for the future.

The Altus space will be located at stand 14240 at the Brazil Pavilion, organized by APEX-Brasil. Check out what we will be exhibiting at the fair in the next paragraphs!

Security and high availability for E&P processes

Visitors passing by Altus` space at the fair will be able to check out our most advanced control and automation solutions for onshore and offshore processes.

This year, the highlights will be the novelties projected for the PLCs from Nexto Series, products used in the main FPSOs operating in Brazil, such as the Petrobras’ replicating units installed in the Pre-salt fields. With high processing speed, advanced real-time diagnostics and support for network redundancy, Nexto programmable controllers deliver security and high availability for critical and highly complex processes, such as those found in top-side, hull and CSS systems on offshore applications.

One of main highlights will be the NX3008, the newest CPU from the Nexto Series, a global product with advanced software and cybersecurity features capable of dynamically integrating the IT and OT areas of an industry. Created to meet the demands of an increasingly connected industry, the NX3008 CPU has a wide variety of communication interfaces capable of connecting the equipment to the most different systems and machines on the market. The new Nexto Series control device has 03 Gigabit Ethernet ports, 02 of which support the PROFINET Controller communication protocol, which allows the controller to be used in a network with MRP ring architecture. 

Fully adherent to the IoT universe, the CPU can write directly to an SQL database and interact directly with the most relevant cloud hosting services on the market, such as Microsoft Azure, IBM Cloud, Google One and Amazon AWS. The unit also has a differential present in few PLCs on the market: the unit has an embedded WebServer, a tool that allows the creation of supervision and application monitoring screens without the need to use a SCADA system.

Another features available in the unit is the embedded VPN, which creates a private tunnel connecting directly to the CPU. This functionality allows you to access your business`s control network remotely and completely securely. To further enhance product security, CPU also has a firewall feature.

The new Altus CPU also supports FTP connections, which enables the device to exchange data with a server that uses this technology model. This functionality allows data packets generated by the controller, such as logs collected through a datalogger function, to be accessed remotely.

Another new feature available is its embedded Docker platform*. The feature, native to the CPU, makes it possible to virtualize software developed for operating systems with Unix technology. The feature gives more versatility and speed to the operation of the system, as it allows the processing of multiple data within the CPU itself.

*Under development.

In addition to the NX3008, the Nexto Series of programmable controllers also has other advanced CPUs capable of meeting the most complex demands of the market, such as the automation of different processes in hydroelectric power plants, photovoltaic plants, substations and PCHs. With high processing speed, advanced real-time diagnostics and support for network redundancy, Nexto programmable controllers deliver security and high availability, and can be used in the acquisition and transmission of signals between generating units and other devices that are part of the application.

Nexto Xpress, um CLP compacto all-in-one

Besides to the robust Nexto Series products, the company will also present the novelties for the Nexto Xpress IoT ready PLC solution. With different embedded communication interfaces and support for a wide variety of communication protocols, Altus compact controllers can be used as IoT gateways for small applications. Among its many 4.0 functionalities, the Xpress products can, for example, collect production data from the application in the field through a MODBUS TCP network and send them via OPC UA or MQTT to a supervisory system hosted in the cloud.

Speaking of communication, the product has built-in Ethernet, Serial RS 485, CAN and USB interfaces, enabling support for a varied list of communication protocols, such as MODBUS TCP and RTU, PROFINET, CANopen and J-1939, IEC 60870-5 -104, EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT, OPC DA, OPC UA and MQTT. The features also allow the controller to communicate directly with the leading cloud hosting services on the market. The XP340 model, like the NX3008 CPU, still has WebServer support.

The Xpress products, as well as the other Nexto Series equipment, use the MasterTool IEC XE programming software, a technological platform based on CODESYS with scalability for projects from micro to large (free of charge up to 320 I/O points). Have you already downloaded version 3.40 of MasterTool IEC XE, the latest software update? Click on the banner below to download.