Schneider Electric Modicon

Schneider Electric Modicon
Name	Modicon
Founded	1968
Location	Grenoble, France
Parent	Schneider Electric
Products	Programmable logic controllers, industrial automation

Schneider Electric Modicon

Modicon is the brand name for a series of programmable logic controllers produced by Schneider Electric that originated with a pioneering programmable controller introduced in 1968. The Modicon family has been associated with landmark projects, industrial automation, and standards development involving organizations such as General Electric, Siemens, Rockwell Automation, ABB, and Honeywell International. Over decades Modicon platforms were deployed across sectors tied to institutions like Électricité de France, ArcelorMittal, BASF, and Dow Chemical Company.

History

The Modicon lineage began in 1968 with a device developed for process control use-cases at companies including Monsanto and in projects with Westinghouse Electric Company and Philips. In the 1970s and 1980s Modicon units were used alongside systems from Emerson Electric, Brown, Boveri & Cie, FMC Corporation, and Alstom on installations for clients such as ExxonMobil, Shell plc, BP, and TotalEnergies. In the 1990s, consolidation in automation brought Modicon under the corporate umbrella of Schneider Electric, aligning it with Square D and other acquisitions and interoperating with initiatives from IEC and IEEE. In the 2000s and 2010s Modicon evolution paralleled developments at National Instruments, Mitsubishi Electric, Yokogawa Electric Corporation, and Omron Corporation as part of industry-wide moves toward Ethernet-based control, integration with Microsoft-centered IT stacks, and compliance with frameworks promoted by ISA and OPC Foundation.

Product Lines

Modicon product lines include families comparable to offerings from Siemens AG and Rockwell Automation, addressing discrete and process control markets for customers like Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo. Major Modicon series historically include small controllers analogous to Allen-Bradley MicroLogix, midrange platforms comparable to Siemens S7-300, and high-end controllers competing with Honeywell Experion and ABB 800xA. Modicon ranges were packaged with I/O modules, communication modules, and networking options used by companies such as Ford Motor Company, General Motors, BMW, and Daimler AG. Add-on modules and expansion chassis mirrored modular strategies employed by Schneider Electric Industries peers including Eaton Corporation and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation.

Architecture and Technical Features

Modicon architectures incorporate fieldbus and Ethernet connectivity standards promoted by bodies like IEC 61131, IEEE 802.3, OPC Foundation, and PROFIBUS International. Hardware designs often embrace redundancy and fault-tolerant topologies similar to architectures from Honeywell and Emerson Process Management, and are deployed in conjunction with networking equipment from Cisco Systems and Siemens Mobility. Control logic executes using processing cores influenced by microprocessor developments from Intel Corporation, ARM Holdings, and vendors such as Motorola (now NXP Semiconductors). I/O strategies for Modicon installations align with sensor and actuator suppliers like Siemens, Balluff, Pepperl+Fuchs, and Schneider Electric subsidiaries, while power supplies and surge protection interfaces reference components by Eaton, ABB, and Schurter AG.

Programming and Software

Programming environments for Modicon controllers adhere to standards from IEC 61131-3 and interoperate with software ecosystems comparable to Rockwell Automation's RSLogix, Siemens TIA Portal, and tools from National Instruments. Development toolchains integrate with SCADA systems from Wonderware (AVEVA), GE Digital, Schneider Electric EcoStruxure, and historians from OSIsoft for data logging used by utilities like Enel and EDF Energy. Communication stacks support protocols championed by OPC Foundation, PROFIBUS International, and Hart Communication Foundation and are managed through asset management approaches from Honeywell Process Solutions and Siemens Digital Industries.

Applications and Industry Use

Modicon controllers have been applied in industries served by companies such as ArcelorMittal (steelmaking), BASF (chemical), Caterpillar Inc. (machinery), Siemens Gamesa (wind turbines), and Schlumberger (oilfield services). Typical applications include manufacturing lines for Procter & Gamble, process plants for Dow Chemical Company, water treatment systems for municipalities like City of Paris utilities, and building automation projects for clients such as AccorHotels. Integration projects often involve system integrators like Rockwell Automation, Siemens AG, Schneider Electric divisions, and engineering firms such as Jacobs Engineering Group and Fluor Corporation.

Safety, Standards, and Certifications

Modicon platforms comply with industrial standards and certification regimes administered by organizations including IEC, ISO, UL LLC, CE marking regulatory frameworks, and industry consortia like OPC Foundation and Profibus International. Safety features reflect mappings to functional safety standards such as IEC 61508 and ISO 13849 and are implemented in systems used by aerospace suppliers like Safran and rail manufacturers like Alstom. Cybersecurity guidance for Modicon deployments references recommendations from NIST, ENISA, and industry practices from ISA/IEC 62443.

Category:Industrial automation