Beckhoff CP62xx Built in Panel PC: A Complete Guide from Hardware Architecture to On site Maintenance

In modern industrial automation systems, human-machine interaction terminals not only need to have powerful data processing capabilities, but also need to adapt to harsh on-site environments, provide intuitive operating interfaces, and be easy to install and maintain. The CP62xx series built-in panel PC launched by Beckhoff is designed specifically for this purpose. This series of products can be directly embedded into the control cabinet door panel, with a front panel protection level of IP65 (dustproof, waterproof) and an IP20 rear panel. It supports three display sizes of 12 inches, 15 inches, and 19 inches, with resolutions covering 800 × 600, 1024 × 768, and 1280 × 1024. Users can choose versions without buttons, function keys, numeric keypad, or alphanumeric keypad according to their needs, and can also expand PCIe modules or PCI/PCIe card slots. This article will focus on engineering applications and provide a comprehensive analysis of the structural characteristics, interface definitions, installation steps, grounding and EMC requirements, power and UPS configuration, maintenance, and common troubleshooting of CP62xx. It will help on-site engineers quickly grasp the key points of equipment use and maintenance.

Product Overview and Structural Features

CP62xx belongs to Beckhoff's embedded panel PC series, and its design goal is to integrate industrial computers and display terminals into one, directly installed on the front door of the control cabinet. The device adopts a 3.5-inch motherboard, equipped with Intel processor, DDR4 memory, 2.5-inch hard drive or SSD, and provides a CFast card slot. The rear is equipped with standard interface areas (RS232, DVI, USB, dual Ethernet, power supply) and optional expansion interfaces.

Key structural components (refer to Fig.2 and Table 2):

Clamping rod: used to fix the equipment on the control cabinet wall panel without the need for additional screws.

Fan box: Provides forced air cooling inside the device and can be replaced independently.

Nameplate: Indicate key information such as model, serial number (BTN), production date, MAC address, etc.

Connection area: a centralized area for all data and power interfaces.

Display screen and touch screen glass: support touch operation (if optional), daily cleaning requires enabling the "cleaning mode".

The back of the device is equipped with a grounding bolt (functional grounding) and an 8-pin power socket. In terms of scalability, users can order C9900-B500 (2 x PCIe module slots), C9900-B504 (2 x PCIe card slots), C9900-B508 (2 x PCI card slots), or C9900-B512 (1 x PCI+1 x PCIe card slots). Adding module slots will increase the depth of the rear by 30 mm, while adding card slots will increase it by 66 mm.

Interface Explanation and Usage Scenarios

2.1 Standard Interface

All CP62xx devices are equipped with the following interfaces in the rear connection area (fixed position, not changed due to expansion):

RS232 (COM1, X102): 9-pin D-SUB male, asynchronous serial communication, supports standard RS232 levels. Typical applications: Connecting old PLC programming ports, barcode scanners, and serial printers.

DVI (X103): Only outputs digital signals and can be connected to a DVI monitor or converted to HDMI through an adapter. Suitable for expanding second displays or mirrored displays.

USB (X104-X107): Depending on the device generation, it may be 4xUSB 3.0 (0070/0080 generation) or 4xUSB 3.2 Gen.2 (0090 generation). Each port has a maximum power supply of 900 mA and is equipped with electronic overcurrent protection. Used for connecting keyboards, mice, USB drives, USB industrial cameras, etc.

Ethernet (X108, X109): Two Gigabit LAN ports. Controller allocation: LAN1 (X108) is Intel ®  I210 or i226 (depending on generation), supporting ≤ 1 ms cycle time and EtherCAT distributed clock; LAN2 (X109) is Intel ®  i219， Suitable for real-time Ethernet over 1 ms (without distributed clock). Speed: 0070/0080 generation supports 100/1000 Mbit/s; The 0090 generation supports 100/1000/2500 Mbit/s. LED indication: LINK/ACT (green constant/flashing), SPEED (orange=100M, green=1000M/2500M).

Power supply (X110): 8-pin connector, including 24V main power supply, PC-ON input, Power Status output, and optional external battery pack interface (for models that integrate UPS).

2.2 Optional interfaces (factory pre installed or PCIe module)

Users can add interfaces in two ways:

Factory pre installation (directly led out to the connection area): optional C9900‑E159 (RS232)、C9900‑E188 (RS485)、C9900‑E189 (RS422)、C9900‑E234 (2 X USB 2.0), FC9071-0000 (single port Gigabit Ethernet).

PCIe module (requires ordering C9900-B500 module slot first): optional FC9062 (2 x Gigabit Ethernet), C9900-E301 (2 x RS232), C9900-E309 (2 x RS485), C9900-E310 (2 x RS422), C9900-E277 (2 x USB 3.0).

These options greatly expand the connectivity capabilities of CP62xx, such as using dual RS485 modules to directly connect multiple Modbus RTU slave stations, or adding additional real-time Ethernet ports through FC9062.

Attention: Both RS485 and RS422 modules provide electrical isolation, and the RS485 module is factory configured with half duplex, no feedback, and terminal resistance on; The RS422 module is full duplex, with feedback enabled and terminal resistance enabled. Users can adjust the settings according to the actual bus topology.

Installation and grounding: the foundation for ensuring reliable operation

3.1 Opening and installation of control cabinet

CP62xx adopts a clamping rod installation method, which does not require drilling holes on the equipment. The size of the opening varies depending on the size of the display screen (specific dimensions need to be downloaded from the Beckhoff official website). Requirements for installation:

Wall thickness: The standard panel is 1-5 mm, and the stainless steel front panel model is 1-3 mm.

Leave at least 5 cm of ventilation space above and below.

Avoid direct sunlight on the screen and place the screen at the optimal line of sight for the operator.

Installation steps:

Insert the device into the control cabinet opening from the front.

On the back of the device, rotate the four clamping rods outward by 90 degrees.

Use a 3.0 mm hex wrench to tighten the clamping rod (not requiring a large torque) to ensure a tight fit between the front frame of the equipment and the cabinet door, ensuring an IP65 seal.

3.2 Protective Grounding and Functional Grounding

Protective Grounding (PE): Low impedance grounding is achieved through Pin 4 (Φ symbol) of the power socket. This is to prevent dangerous contact voltage in the event of insulation failure. The PE pin of the power socket must be connected to the central grounding point of the control cabinet using a wire with a cross-sectional area of not less than 1.5 mm ².

Functional grounding (FE): There is a dedicated grounding bolt at the rear of the device (see Fig.27). The bolt must be connected to the grounding point of the control cabinet using a wire or flat conductor with a cross-sectional area of at least 10 mm ². Functional grounding is key to ensuring electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) - failure to connect functional grounding may result in communication errors or crashes of equipment due to electromagnetic interference. CP62xx meets the EN 61000-6-2 (immunity) and EN 61000-6-4 (radiation) standards, provided that the functional grounding is correctly connected.

Power connection and UPS configuration

4.1 Main power supply wiring

Pin definition of CP62xx 8-pin power socket (see Table 11):

Pin 5:0 V (negative pole of main power supply)

Pin 6:+24 V (positive pole of main power supply)

Pin 1: - BAT (Negative pole of external battery pack)

Pin 2:+BAT (positive pole of external battery pack)

Pin 3: 24 V UPS output (2.5 A, compatible with battery pack)

Pin 4: Protective Grounding PE

Pin 7: PC-ON input (0 V=power on, 24 V=normal shutdown)

Pin 8: Power Status output (24 V=system completely shut down, load capacity 0.5 A)

Wiring requirements:

The maximum cross-sectional area of the wire is 1.5 mm ².

It is recommended to use a 1.5 mm ² cable for long-distance power supply to reduce voltage drop; The voltage at the power plug of the device shall not be lower than 22V.

The minimum temperature resistance of the power cord is 70 ° C.

A 24 V power supply that meets PELV requirements must be used, and PE and 0 V must be equipotentially connected in the control cabinet.

The use of PC-ON signal: Under normal circumstances, PC-ON should be connected to 0 V (or suspended, internally pulled down)? Actually requires 0 V startup). If remote normal shutdown is required, 24V can be sent to the PC-ON pin through a switch. After the system shuts down, the Power Status output changes from 24 V to 0 V, which can be used to disconnect the main contactor. This method can avoid data loss caused by directly cutting off the 24V power supply and extend the lifespan of the UPS battery.

4.2 External UPS and battery pack

If the device is equipped with integrated UPS function, it needs to be connected to the Beckhoff C9900-U330 battery pack. When wiring, connect the+BAT and - BAT of the battery pack to Pin 2 and Pin 1 of the power outlet, respectively. At the same time, the 24V main power supply can also be connected to the battery pack first, and then supplied to the equipment by the battery pack (see wiring diagram Fig.23 for details). UPS configuration requires installing the Beckhoff UPS software components in the operating system and selecting "Beckhoff P24Vxxxx" and COM4 port in the UPS configuration tool. After proper configuration, when the main power supply is cut off, the device will automatically switch to battery power and perform a normal shutdown of the operating system according to the set time.

Warning: Only use Beckhoff original battery pack C9900-U330, incorrect type may cause fire or explosion. Do not let the battery supply power for a long time when the main power is disconnected; Frequent reliance on battery shutdown every day can significantly shorten battery life.

Maintenance and replacement of vulnerable parts

Beckhoff recommends regularly replacing the following components to ensure long-term reliability (Table 32):

UPS battery pack: 5 years

2.5-inch hard drive: 5 years, or 20000 hours of operation above 40 ℃ and 30000 hours below 40 ℃

3.5-inch hard drive: 5 years

Fan: 7 years

CFast/SSD/MicroSD/Compact Flash: 10 years

Motherboard battery: 5 years

Before all replacement operations, the device must be powered off (unless replacing the RAID hard drive or fan case, which allows for hot replacement? Does the original text allow for the replacement of hard drives/SSDs/fans with power on? In fact, Table 7.2 mentioned earlier that "Excluded from this is the replacement of hard disks and 2/2 SSDs in RAID configuration as well as fan cartridges", which means that hard disks and fan enclosures in RAID configuration can be replaced during device operation. But it is recommended to operate with caution. ）

5.1 Replace the motherboard battery (CR2032)

The battery is located inside the cover plate next to the rear connection area. Loosen the knurled screws, remove the cover plate, pull out the old battery, insert the new battery (with the positive pole facing towards the back cover), and reinstall the cover plate. Only R/C (BBCV2) type, model RC2032, 3 V batteries can be used.

5.2 Replacing storage media (hard drive/SSD or CFast)

It is also necessary to open the back cover. For hard drives/SSDs, simply grab the Beckhoff label and pull it out; When inserting a new disc, the label faces the back cover. For CFast, gently push it to pop it out, insert the new card and press it into place. Note that faulty disks can be replaced online under RAID configuration.

If you need to backup the system before replacement, you can use Beckhoff Service Tool (BST) to create an image. When there is no backup, you can contact Beckhoff service to provide the original Windows image (if the device already has a valid license).

5.3 Fan replacement

The fan is installed in the form of a box component at the rear of the device. Unscrew two M4 screws, remove the old fan box, and insert the new box.

Touch screen cleaning and "cleaning mode"

When cleaning the touch screen of CP62xx during operation, it is necessary to prevent accidental touch. The Beckhoff Display Control Tool provides a "Clean Mode" function: run the tool (the sun icon appears on the taskbar), right-click and select "Cleaning Mode", and the device will temporarily disable touch input (can be set for 5-120 seconds). During this period, you can use a soft cloth and glass cleaner to clean the screen. Do not use cleaning agents containing abrasives, metal scrapers, steam jets, or high-pressure water guns.

Common troubleshooting

Typical faults and solutions are as follows:

Possible causes and solutions for the fault phenomenon

The device is completely unresponsive. Check the power cord for missing power and measure if the voltage is between 22-30V

The device cannot fully start (black screen or stuck in BIOS). BIOS settings are incorrect. Enter BIOS and load defaults

The device starts but the controller is working abnormally. If there are software or external device issues, please contact the machine or software manufacturer

The screen is dark or there is no display at all (but the power supply is normal). If the backlight is damaged or the display component is faulty, please contact Beckhoff service

TwinCAT access error via USB TwinCAT cycle time 10 ms too short, cycle time increased to 50-80 ms

Summary of Technical Specifications

Project specifications

Power supply 22-30 V DC, maximum 5.5 A (24 V power supply)

Protection level: front panel IP65, rear panel IP20

Working temperature 0~+55 ° C

Transportation/storage temperature -20~+65 ° C

Humidity ≤ 95%, no condensation

Anti vibration EN 60068-2-6:10-58 Hz/0.035 mm; 58-500 Hz / 0.5 G

Impact resistance EN 60068-2-27:5 G/30 ms

EMC EN 61000-6-2 (Immunity), EN 61000-6-4 (Radiation)

Certification CE, EAC, UKCA, FCC Class A