EdgePLC is an open-source industrial hardware carrier launched by Beilai Tech, the world's first to integrate an edge computing gateway, AI computing power, and PLC control into one device. It covers the full BL234 to BL245 selection matrix and is compatible with industrial OS platforms such as CODESYS, Phoenix Contact vPLCnext, and Wansheng WasomCodeX. It is well suited for industrial OS, industrial AI agent, and edge AI deployment practices.
Traditional PLCs are closed "black boxes" with hardware and software tightly bound. AI inference can only be added through an external industrial PC, and a communication cable stands between control and intelligence. Industrial OS and AI agents need an open hardware carrier that can simultaneously host real-time control, edge computing, and AI inference—not a locked-down controller.
EdgePLC is exactly this foundation. It is not "a PLC plus an AI box"; rather, from the chip level, control, computing, and inference share the same system. The flagship model BL245 is powered by the Rockchip RK3588J, with a built-in 6TOPS NPU that supports local execution of vision models such as YOLO. CODESYS Runtime executes control logic with deterministic cycles on isolated cores, and AI inference results directly drive physical I/O, closing the entire loop within a single device.
EdgePLC is not a single model but a complete product matrix covering high-, mid-, and low-end requirements.
| Series | Processor | NPU Compute | Positioning | Typical Scenarios |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BL234 | Allwinner T507-H (4×A53) | None | Entry-level control-display integration | Basic logic control, HDMI 4K display, logistics sorting |
| BL237 | RK3562J (4×A53+M0) | 1TOPS | Lightweight AI entry | Visual inspection, AGV navigation |
| BL241 | RK3568J (4×A55) | 1TOPS | Lightweight AI enhanced | Vision-guided robotics, edge AIoT gateway |
| BL244 | RK3576J (4×A72+4×A53) | 6TOPS | Heavy-load AI | Multi-channel vision, motion control + AI integration |
| BL245 | RK3588J (4×A76+4×A55) | 6TOPS | Flagship | 8K decoding, 1024-point I/O, complex industrial AI |
| BL246 | Raspberry Pi CM5 (BCM2712) | Expandable Hailo | Open-source ecosystem | Raspberry Pi developers, AI accelerator expansion |
Different compute levels, different budgets, different scenarios—there is always one that fits.
CODESYS is the industrial software ecosystem that EdgePLC adapted to earliest and most deeply. The entire EdgePLC series supports genuine CODESYS licensing. Engineers can directly use ladder diagrams, function block diagrams, and structured text programming, and existing PLC program assets can be migrated seamlessly. CODESYS offers three functional editions—PRO, SM, and CR—covering everything from basic logic control to SoftMotion multi-axis synchronization and further to CNC+Robotics advanced motion control. One software suite covers all requirements from simple to complex.
Phoenix Contact vPLCnext natively supports IEC 61131-3 and mixed programming with C++/C#/Python. It is deployed based on OCI containers, comes pre-installed with the Linux 6.1 real-time kernel, and has been adapted to ARM platforms such as RK3568/3576/3588 and Allwinner T527/536. Its core philosophy is "software-defined automation"—control logic is not bound to proprietary hardware but is freely deployed in container form. EdgePLC's ARM+Linux foundation is naturally aligned with this philosophy and provides an immediately usable physical carrier for vPLCnext.
Wansheng WasomCodeX is compatible with IEC 61131-3 and also supports mixed programming with C/C++/Rust. It adopts a WebAssembly architecture to achieve "develop once, run on multiple platforms" and is positioned as an industrial AI agent programming IDE. Control logic is no longer just a "program" but an "AI agent" capable of carrying AI decisions. EdgePLC's open hardware platform is precisely the landing point for such industrial AI agents to move from code to the physical world.
CODESYS, vPLCnext, and Wansheng are only the beginning. EdgePLC's open architecture supports OpenPLC, Ubuntu, and Docker containers, and in theory can run any industrial software that runs on Linux. It is not a closed hardware "bound to one ecosystem" but a neutral foundation that can simultaneously host multiple industrial OS platforms—those who build OS, those who build AI agents, and those who build control systems can all build freely on the same device.
Traditional PLCs open up the "upper garden" while the underlying layer remains a proprietary wall. EdgePLC pushes openness down to the lowest layers of the operating system, runtime, and toolchain, giving users true ownership of their technology stack choices.
Q1: What exactly is EdgePLC?
A: EdgePLC is an open-source industrial hardware carrier launched by Beilai Tech, the world's first to integrate an edge computing gateway, AI computing power, and PLC control into one device. It supports industrial OS platforms such as CODESYS, vPLCnext, and Wansheng.
Q2: What compute tiers does EdgePLC cover?
A: From the entry-level BL234 (no NPU, control-display integration) to the lightweight AI tier BL237/BL241 (1TOPS NPU), the heavy-load AI tier BL244/BL245 (6TOPS NPU), and the open-source ecosystem BL246 (Raspberry Pi CM5, expandable with Hailo), EdgePLC covers all high-, mid-, and low-end requirements.
Q3: Which industrial OS platforms can EdgePLC run?
A: It has been adapted to CODESYS, Phoenix Contact vPLCnext, and Wansheng WasomCodeX. It also supports OpenPLC, Ubuntu, and Docker, and can run any Linux-compatible industrial software.
Q4: Is EdgePLC suitable for industrial AI agent deployment?
A: Yes. The built-in NPU supports local inference of vision models such as YOLO. CODESYS ensures control determinism on isolated cores, and AI inference results can directly drive I/O, closing the entire loop within a single device.
The next step for industrial AI is not to move more computing boxes into the factory, but to put computing power, control, and intelligence into an open controller. EdgePLC is that open foundation.
