The Bavarian electronics specialist STW offers its customers hardware, software and integration for the most demanding automation tasks in mobile machinery from a single source. The company bundles these products and services in the STW modular system. The modular concept accelerates the development and implementation of automation systems for construction, agricultural, forestry, municipal, and special machinery. It makes it easy for machine manufacturers to provide answers to customer requirements and forward-looking industry trends as quickly as possible.
STW has always been a specialist in freely programmable control systems, robust sensor and smart communication technology. However, the STW modular system offers far more services and benefits for manufacturers of mobile machinery than just hardware expertise. The comprehensive range is made up of the following individual components:
Flexible and robust automation and digitization hardware
The freely programmable controllers from STW are especially optimized for applications with particularly challenging functional safety requirements. Thanks to its scalable portfolio, the robust ESX.4 controller family provides solutions for almost any application. From the flagship ESX.4cl with multicore Aurix processor and high-speed ISOBUS support to the already ASIL B-certified ESX.4cm-a and the smart ESX.4ct compact controller with integrated Bluetooth module and 6-axis gyroscope: machine manufacturers have all the options they need to implement intelligent, functionally safe and powerful automation systems. For even more demanding applications, such as autonomous functions with AI integration, the high-performance platform HPX will be available at bauma in Munich.
STW's sensor range offers highly robust measuring systems for temperature, pressure, strain, inclination and angular velocity. In particular, the newly developed SMX.igs-a IMU (Inertial Measurement Units) demonstrates the innovative strength of the STW development department. The intelligent sensor measures accelerations and rotation rates in all three spatial axes and calculates the inclination angles. Freely configurable filter algorithms can be used to further increase the stability of the measured values. For maximum flexibility, the easy-to-integrate sensor is available as a standard version with safety level Pl b and as a variant with redundant internal sensors as a SIL2 / Pl d- version.
The TCG-4 series communication modules are used to transfer the measured values recorded by the sensors and data from the automation components to networked (cloud) systems. They have 4G/3G/2G, WiFi and Bluetooth interfaces and already meet the requirements of the EU's RED-DA cyber security directive, which comes into force in mid-2025. Furthermore, the TCG-4 series ensures user-friendly access to the AWS (Amazon Web Services) ecosystem with predefined software modules.
Central electrical systems, on-board power supply control units and display solutions round off STW's comprehensive hardware range. What all components have in common is maximum robustness, which predestines them for applications with the most adverse environmental conditions. Open interfaces ensure maximum flexibility in application development.
Open source software for user-friendly programming
Machine and application developers can implement, commission and analyze STW automation systems in a user-friendly way with STW’s openSYDE software platform. This TÜV-certified open-source solution for safety applications up to SIL 2 / PL d covers the entire product life cycle of the machine. The complete system definition, configuration, maintenance and documentation - both of STW hardware and of compatible components from certified partners - is possible with openSYDE. All system-relevant data and information is always available in a standardized form. In conjunction with the Neuron Power Engineer automation platform, openSYDE is available as a highly efficient, open IEC61131-3 development and runtime environment. With a “C” IDE and support for Matlab / Simulink, STW also meets the requirements of programming with the highest demands on runtime speed or software modeling for mapping the most complex algorithms.
With openSYDE.X, STW is already working on the next evolutionary stage of the software platform. openSYDE.X acts as a hardware-, manufacturer- and operator-independent framework that provides the operating and status data of the machines in an open and transparent format and transports it to the cloud. The time-consuming programming of middleware, which makes the machine data usable for cloud-based process software, is no longer necessary.
Integration services and cyber security support
The requirements for mobile machinery in terms of certification and standardization have been steadily increasing in recent years. With the Machinery Ordinance (MVO) and the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), further challenges for machine manufacturers are already on the horizon.
Machines must work highly efficiently, be as easy to operate as possible and at the same time be safe to use. If machine manufacturers need support with the integration of their hardware or application development to meet these requirements, the STW modular system offers suitable services.
STW has experts in application development and programming, porting and modifying applications, especially from older or third-party control systems to the future-proof ESX.4 controller family. STW specialists also advise on the system architecture of the automation system, taking functional safety requirements into account. Cyber security experts provide support in complying with existing and upcoming EU regulations, such as the aforementioned CRA. STW's field application engineering team can be deployed to provide system support or intensive premium support for large-scale projects.
Comprehensive support for demanding machine manufacturers
The STW modular system combines many years of expertise in the digitalization and automation of mobile machinery with knowledge of the user-friendly integration of solutions. The highly compatible hardware and software products guarantee maximum flexibility and user-friendliness in machine and application development thanks to open interfaces. If support is still required, STW has a comprehensive team of service specialists ready to help machine manufacturers implement future-proof systems. This unique combination of hardware, software and service expertise enables machine manufacturers to significantly minimize the necessary development and integration time and costs. The machine manufacturer can focus fully on its core competence: designing the best possible machine for its market.
The global STW partner network of distributors and system integrators guarantees support for all aspects of the STW modular system, regardless of where in the world your machine is being developed.
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