Beckhoff C6920 Industrial Control Computer Selection and Expansion Guide

Beckhoff C6920 Control Cabinet Industrial Computer Selection and Expansion Configuration Guide

In the field of industrial automation control, the computing power, scalability, reliability, and environmental adaptability of the controller directly determine the performance boundary of the entire control system. The Beckhoff C69xx series control cabinet industrial PC, with its compact aluminum casing, flexible multi generation processor selection (6th/7th generation Intel Core i7/i5/i3/Celebron), rich onboard interfaces (4 x USB 3.0, 2 x Gigabit Ethernet, DVI, RS232), and optional dual PCI/PCIe expansion slots, has become an ideal hardware platform for TwinCAT automation software operation. This article will provide an in-depth analysis of the hardware architecture, processor and memory upgrade path, storage medium selection strategy (HDD/SSD/CFast comparison), PCIe/PCI expansion card installation specifications, RAID 1 data redundancy configuration, and UPS battery pack configuration scheme of the industrial computer based on the technical manual C6920-0060. It will provide a full stack technical reference for system integrators and on-site engineers from selection planning to deployment and maintenance.

Chapter 1: Overview of Product Positioning and Hardware Architecture

1.1 Core positioning of control cabinet industrial PC

C6920-0060 belongs to the Beckhoff C69xx series of control cabinet installation industrial PCs, designed specifically for mechanical engineering automation scenarios that require compact size, high computational density, and flexible scalability. Its core design philosophy can be summarized as "three highs" - high performance, high scalability, and high reliability. This model uses a 3.5-inch Beckhoff independently developed industrial motherboard, with all interfaces (4 x USB 3.0, 2 x Gigabit Ethernet, 1 x DVI, 1 x RS232) located on the same side of the chassis for easy wiring inside the cabinet.

Quick overview of physical parameters:

Dimensions (excluding mounting plate): 65mm (width) x 235mm (height) x 121mm (depth)

Weight: Approximately 1.9kg (basic configuration)

Protection level: IP20 (only applicable for installation inside enclosed control cabinets)

Installation method: Optional rear wall mounting plate or right side wall mounting plate (switched through option C9900-M653)

Heat dissipation method: The right panel is equipped with built-in heat dissipation fins, supporting fanless operation, and the maximum ambient temperature can reach 55 ° C

1.2 Key differences between different generations of processors

The basic configuration of C6920-0060 is equipped with the sixth generation Intel Celeron G3900TE (2.3 GHz, dual core), but can be upgraded to multiple sixth or seventh generation processors through factory selection. It is worth noting that processor upgrades are not just about computing power - seventh generation (Kaby Lake) processors require Windows 10 64 bit or Windows Server 2016 operating systems to no longer support Windows 7. This detail is particularly important when migrating old systems.

Option code, processor model, number of cores, TwinCAT 3-level operating system limitations

Basic configuration Celeron G3900TE 2.3 GHz 2 TC3: 50 None

C9900-C607 Pentium G4400TE 2.4 GHz 2 TC3: 50 None

C9900-C608 Core i3-6100TE 2.7 GHz 2 TC3: 60 None

C9900-C618 Core i3-7101 (T) E 3.4 GHz 2 TC3: 60 requires Windows 10 64 bit or Server 2016

C9900-C609 Core i5-6500TE 2.3 GHz 4 TC3: 70 None

C9900-C619 Core i5-7500 (T) 2.7 GHz 4 TC3: 70 requires Windows 10 64 bit or Server 2016

C9900-C610 Core i7-6700TE 2.4 GHz 4 TC3: 80 None

C9900-C620 Core i7-7700 (T) 2.9 GHz 4 TC3: 80 requires Windows 10 64 bit or Server 2016

Selection Tip: TwinCAT Level 3 (TC3: 50/60/70/80) reflects the relative performance level of the CPU in real-time tasks. The higher the level, the more stringent the number of supported axes or cycle cycles. The quad core i7 (level 80) is suitable for complex motion control and large-scale data processing scenarios.

Chapter 2: Memory Expansion and Storage Media Configuration Strategies

2.1 DDR4 Memory Capacity and Upgrade Path

The basic configuration of C6920-0060 is 4 GB DDR4 RAM, but it can be expanded to a maximum of 32 GB through factory options:

Option code capacity description

C9900-R270 8 GB replaces 4 GB, suitable for medium-sized visualization and logic control

C9900-R271 16 GB suitable for multi axis motion control and local database caching

C9900-R272 32GB recommended for large data processing, virtual machine deployment, or complex HMI projects

Engineering constraint: Memory upgrades must be optional at the factory and do not support users to replace them on site (involving motherboard BOM changes). It is recommended to determine the memory capacity based on the TwinCAT project scale and third-party software requirements at the beginning of the project to avoid subsequent factory upgrades.

2.2 Storage medium selection: HDD vs SSD vs CFast

The basic configuration of C6920-0060 includes one 2.5-inch hard drive/SSD slot and one CFast slot. The configuration can be changed to 2 CFast slots (abandoning 2.5-inch disk slots) through options C9900-D190. Each of the three storage media has its own applicable scenarios:

Advantages and disadvantages of media types, recommended selection

2.5-inch hard disk (HDD) has the lowest unit capacity cost; Suitable for large capacity data log storage of mechanical rotating components, with poor vibration resistance; Slow read/write speed basic configuration (320 GB)

2.5-inch SSD (solid state drive) has no mechanical components and strong vibration resistance; Fast read and write speed (3D flash technology), unit capacity cost higher than HDD C9900-H750 (240 GB)/H746 (480 GB)/H760 (960 GB)

CFast card industrial grade embedded storage with extreme temperature range (-40 ° C to+85 ° C); Extremely low power consumption and relatively small capacity; The highest unit capacity cost is C9900-H583 (40 GB)/H587 (80 GB)/H624 (160 GB)

Key selection suggestions:

If the device is installed in an environment with continuous vibration (such as near stamping machines or large motors), SSD or CFast should be prioritized to avoid damage to the magnetic head of HDD due to vibration.

If the system disk and data disk need to be physically separated (separating the operating system and applications on different media), the basic configuration (1 x SSD+1 x CFast) or dual CFast options can be selected.

The CFast card has an extended temperature range (-40 ° C to+85 ° C), making it suitable for deployment in extreme temperature workshops without air conditioning.

Chapter 3: PCIe/PCI Expansion Card Configuration and Installation Specification

3.1 Overview of Expansion Slot Options

One major feature of C6920-0060 is its optional Passive Backplane expansion capability. In addition to the standard configuration (65mm wide chassis), users can choose an expansion version that increases the chassis width by 70mm (to 135mm) and depth by 18mm to accommodate up to 2 full-length PCI/PCIe cards (maximum length 190mm). The expansion card interface is located on the top right side of the chassis and comes with a separate aluminum cover plate - there is no need to open the host core shell when installing the expansion card, greatly simplifying on-site deployment operations.

Option code slot combination applicable scenarios

C9900-B506 2 × PCIe x1 dual channel high-speed communication card (such as additional Ethernet, CANopen, PROFIBUS master station)

C9900-B510 2 × PCIe x1 has the same functionality as B506 and is suitable for different PCIe signal routing requirements

C9900-B514 1 × PCI+1 × PCIe x1 combines old PCI cards (such as some specialized motion control cards) with new PCIe cards

Engineering precautions:

The maximum length of the expansion card is 190mm - before selecting, it is necessary to confirm whether the physical dimensions of the third-party card exceed the limit.

The power supply of the expansion card slot is uniformly powered by the built-in power supply of the PC, without the need for additional external power connection.

The number and combination of slots must be selected at the factory and do not support users to install them themselves later (with fixed backboard welding configuration).

3.2 Collaborative installation of interface extension options

If the C6920 is already equipped with PCIe/PCI expansion slots, the following interface expansion options can be additionally selected and led out through the blocking area of the expansion card slot:

Option code interface type description

C9900-E238 additional DVI-D leads out the second DVI-D interface through the slot stopper

C9900-E294 with additional DisplayPort maximum resolution of 1920 × 1080; Cannot be ordered simultaneously with the second DVI

C9900-E308 optocoupler isolated RS232 D-sub 9-pin serial port with electrical isolation (PCIe interface)

FC9071 Gigabit Ethernet 1-channel PCIe interface, 10/100/1000 Mbit/s adaptive

Engineering Tip: The above interface expansion options require one PCIe slot to be occupied. If multiple expansion interfaces are required simultaneously, sufficient slots should be reserved on top of the B506/B510/B514 options.

Chapter 4: RAID 1 Data Redundancy and UPS Uninterrupted Power Supply

4.1 Onboard SATA RAID 1 Controller

The motherboard of C6920-0060 integrates a SATA RAID 1 controller and supports real-time disk mirroring in dual 2.5-inch hard drive/SSD configurations. This feature is particularly important for production line control systems that require extremely high data integrity, such as those involving recipe management and process parameter storage. When a physical failure occurs on one hard drive, the system can seamlessly switch to another hard drive to continue running, avoiding downtime.

Deployment points:

RAID 1 is only available when using 2.5-inch disk slots. If C9900-D190 (dual CFast slots) is selected, the RAID function will not be available.

The establishment of a RAID 1 group requires pre configuration in the BIOS, and it is recommended to specify it at the factory to avoid data erasure caused by on-site reconfiguration.

4.2 Integrated UPS and External Battery Pack

C6920-0060 can be optionally equipped with an integrated uninterruptible power supply (UPS) (option C9900-U209), which is built into a 24V power supply unit. When the main power supply is interrupted, it can switch to external battery power supply, ensuring that the control system has enough time to complete data storage and safe shutdown.

Selection of matching battery pack:

C9900-U330:3.4 Ah external battery pack, including two VRLA-AGM sealed lead-acid batteries, DIN rail installation, working temperature from 0 ° C to 50 ° C. Suitable for scenarios requiring longer backup time.

Usage restrictions: UPS batteries cannot be charged through external chargers and must be charged through a powered on industrial computer. If the main power supply is frequently interrupted and the UPS battery is not fully charged for a long time, the battery life will be significantly shortened.

Chapter 5: Interface Layout and Peripheral Connection

5.1 List of onboard interfaces

All onboard interfaces of C6920-0060 are located on the same side of the chassis (for easy wiring inside the control cabinet):

4 x USB 3.0: Supports high-speed peripherals such as industrial cameras, large capacity USB drives, and external hard drives.

2 x Gigabit Ethernet (100/1000BASE-T): Supports dual port independent operation - one can be dedicated to EtherCAT real-time communication, and the other can be used for upper computer connection or factory network access.

1 x DVI: Used to connect Beckhoff control panels or other DVI displays.

1 × RS232: Classic serial port, used to connect old serial devices such as code readers, weighing instruments, and frequency converter debugging ports.

Display output expansion: By selecting C9900-E238 or C9900-E294, a second DVI-D or DisplayPort output can be added to achieve dual screen display - suitable for applications that require simultaneous display of HMI operation interface and diagnostic monitoring screen.

5.2 Ideal Matching with Beckhoff Control Panel

The original text specifically states that the C6920 and Beckhoff control panel (connected via DVI and USB) form an ideal combination, providing a high-performance control platform for mechanical engineering applications. In practical deployment, if the distance between the control panel and the industrial computer exceeds the standard USB cable limit (5 meters), the CU8800 USB extender series (extended to 50 meters through CAT5 Ethernet cable) can be used to arrange the panel in a more convenient operating position.

Chapter 6: Selection Decision Tree and Procurement List Compilation

Step 1: Determine the processor level

Simple logic control+simple HMI → Celeron G3900TE (basic configuration)

Medium axis motion control (≤ 16 axes) → Core i5 (C9900-C609 or C9900-C619)

Complex motion control (>16 axes)+big data processing → Core i7 (C9900-C610 or C9900-C620)

Mandatory check: If a seventh generation CPU is selected, the operating system must be Windows 10 64 bit or Server 2016

Step 2: Determine the memory capacity

Basic HMI+PLC logic → 4 GB

With visualization and data archiving → 8 GB (C9900-R270)

Multi axis motion+third-party database → 16 GB (C9900-R271)

Virtual Machine Deployment → 32 GB (C9900-R272)

Step 3: Determine the storage solution

Standard industrial environment → 320 GB HDD (basic)+CFast (data backup)

Vibration environment or pursuit of fast startup → 240/480/960 GB SSD (C9900-H750/H746/H760)

Extreme temperature environment → Dual CFast (C9900-D190+40/80/160 GB CFast card)

Data redundancy requirements → Dual 2.5-inch disks (basic disk configuration)+RAID 1

Step 4: Determine expansion requirements

No expansion card required → Standard 65mm wide chassis

1-2 PCIe cards required → C9900-B506 or B510

Need 1 PCI+1 PCIe → C9900-B514

Step 5: Determine power supply and data protection requirements

Need to shut down the power safely → C9900-U209 (UPS)+C9900-U330 (external battery pack)

Chapter 7: Common Selection Misconceptions and Engineering Tips

Misconceptions/Risks and Correct Practices

Optional seventh generation i7, but plan to install Windows 7 seventh generation CPU (code ending in 618/619/620), only supports Windows 10 64 bit or Server 2016. Before selecting, be sure to confirm the operating system version.

After purchasing dual PCIe expansion slots, it is still required to install additional DVI (E238), additional DP (E294), optocoupler RS232 (E308), and expansion network card (FC9071) at the same time as the additional network port, all of which occupy PCIe slots. It is necessary to ensure that the total number of slots meets the requirements.

When selecting a mechanical hard disk (HDD) in a vibrating environment, it is mandatory to use SSD (C9900-H750/H746/H760) or CFast, otherwise the lifespan of the hard disk will be significantly shortened.

The later installation of PCIe card expansion backboards (B506/B510/B514) must be integrated at the factory and cannot be installed on-site. If expansion is needed in the later stage, the entire machine must be returned to the factory for renovation.

Charging UPS batteries through external chargers is strictly prohibited - UPS batteries must be charged through the C6920 in the powered on state, otherwise it may damage the battery or power module.