This week's EYE ON NPI is Perfect and Looking Cool - We're checking out the Arduino Opta line of programmable PLCs (https://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/a/arduino/opta-expansions). PLC stands for "programmable logic controller" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programmable_logic_controller) and these devices are used in manufacturing and robotics to automate sensor inputs and robotic control outputs in factories. Because of dependable PLC performance, your food, clothing, medicine and water are affordable and high quality, with repeatable results. Manufacturing engineers have used PLCs since the 80's, and they've been essential for the 3rd Industrial Revolution (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_Age). If in the second industrial revolution moved us from individually-manufactured handmade goods (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handicraft) to assembly-line repeatability (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assembly_line), then the information age and PLCs took us from the back-breaking work of doing the same task day-in-day-out to robots (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjL_dQ5HAAg). Tasks like: measuring out the exact weight or count of product, applying labels, heating to temperature and holding it there for 45 minutes. While designing the machines that do this automatically is also time-consuming expensive, it's something you only have to do once. The Opta was designed in collaboration with Finder, (https://opta.findernet.com/en/) an Italian company like Arduino, which specializes in PLC design. This is a great team-up because Finder already had a family automation products and tools, so it has the industrial experience whereas Arduino has the IDE, cloud and PCB-design skills to bring in the user experience. The Opta family looks like a classic PLC, with screw terminal inputs and outputs. There are LEDs embedded to the case that can be controlled, as well as analog inputs, digital IO and built in power relays. All of the IO ports have wide voltage ranges like 0-10V and are well protected from under/over-volting, short-circuiting or ESD. Inside is an STM32H747XI (https://www.digikey.com/short/hzr2rnv2), a ultra-powerful Cortex M7 @ 480MHz + Cortex M4 @ 240MHz chip with a ton of SRAM and Flash. It can easily run an entire factory! Some versions have WiFi, Ethernet, or RS-485 for connectivity - however they are all designed to run standalone. Traditional PLCs are completely opaque, to the point where you have to use only the proprietary software that the vendor provides. What's nice about the Opta (https://www.digikey.com/short/jbb74j41) is you get to use the Arduino IDE, which has integrated support with a couple different programming systems. (https://docs.arduino.cc/software/plc-ide/tutorials/plc-programming-introduction/) You can of course use the classic Arduino sketch system (https://opta.findernet.com/en/tutorial/getting-started) and use digitalWrite(), analogRead() and all the other C++ capabilities of the classic IDE. But you can also use the classic "IEC 61131-3 programming languages" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_61131-3), Structured Text ST, Instruction List IL, Ladder Diagram LD, Sequential Function Chart SFC, and Function Block Diagram FBD. These are somewhat archaic languages, but many mechanical engineers are trained in their use, so the Opta is a nice transitionary device. There's also expansion options so if you want more digital input pins and relays, you can plug a port on (https://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/a/arduino/opta-expansions) which will give you 16 more inputs and 8 more SSR or electromechanial relay outputs. If you've ever been curious about how PLCs work, or if you want to maintain, upgrade or repair factory equiptment, the Arduino + Finder Opta (https://www.digikey.com/short/jbb74j41) is an great product which will let you replicate the microcontroller experience to industrial automation. And best of all, it's in stock right now at DigiKey! Order today and DigiKey will ship your Opta immediately so that you can be manufacturing the future by tomorrow afternoon.