Revolution Pi Connect SE

Cost-efficient industrial DIN-rail computer based on the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4S and Debian Linux – edge gateway, soft PLC and IIoT controller in one device. It works as edge gateway, soft PLC and IIoT controller in one. It is the lowest-cost RevPi Connect for projects without fieldbus gateways. With thin-edge.io, the RevPi Connect SE connects to Cumulocity in minutes. You can then collect data, monitor device health and manage software remotely.

Reading meters and machines

Two separate RS485 lines let you run two Modbus RTU buses at once, for energy meters, inverters and more.

Connecting your network devices

A built-in switch links up to three Ethernet devices. The fourth port goes to your company network.

Measuring and switch on site

Read a pressure or level sensor, send a setpoint, or switch an alarm lamp with the relay.

Going wireless

Use WLAN where there is no cable, and Bluetooth for nearby sensors.

Staying secure

A built-in TPM 2.0 chip protects your keys and your connection to Cumulocity.

Service remotely

Update software, change settings and fetch logs from Cumulocity, without a site visit.

Technical Information

• CPU Broadcom BCM2711, quad-core Arm Cortex-A72 @ 1.5 GHz (Raspberry Pi CM4S), passively cooled with heat sink
• Memory 1 GB LPDDR4 RAM, 8 GB, 16 GB or 32 GB eMMC flash
• Hardware Interfaces
  • 2 × 10/100 Mbit/s Ethernet (RJ45, separate MAC addresses)
  • 1 × RS485 (screw-type terminal)
  • 1 × digital input, 24 V control voltage (e.g. power-good signal of a UPS), protected against overvoltage and negative voltages;
  • 1 × relay output, approved up to 30 V switching voltage, max. 2 A @ 30 V DC (resistive load) – optionally switched by the hardware watchdog
  • 2 × USB-A (max. 1 A in total), 1 × Micro-HDMI 2.0a (4K)
  • 1 × Micro-USB (for flashing the eMMC image only)
  • PiBridge (RevPi I/O modules)
  • ConBridge (RevPi Con modules)
  • 6 status LEDs (bi-color), 2 of them freely programmable
• Reliability Hardware watchdog (triggers after approx. 60 s, can be disabled), real-time clock with min. 24 h buffer time
• Expansion RevPi I/O modules (digital, analog, relay) via PiBridge; RevPi Con modules via ConBridge. Not compatible with RevPi Gateways.
• Standards ESD, EMI and surge/burst tested per EN 61131-2 and IEC 61000-6-2; CE, RoHS, REACH, UKCA, UL (File No. E494534)

Note: With 1 GB RAM, the device is intended for headless operation. Revolution Pi recommends the Linux desktop GUI only on devices with at least 2 GB RAM.

 

Cumulocity Integration with thin-edge.io

thin-edge.io is an open-source, lightweight framework for connecting edge devices to Cumulocity. It runs natively on the Debian-based RevPi OS and its small footprint suits the 1 GB RAM of the RevPi Connect SE. It provides a local MQTT interface, so any application on the device – Python scripts, Node-RED flows, shell scripts or your soft PLC – can send data to the cloud without its own cloud SDK.

• Telemetry: measurements, events and alarms
• Device management: inventory, health and service monitoring, restart, shell commands
• Software management: install, update and remove packages remotely
• Configuration and log management: fetch and update config files and logs from Cumulocity
• Child devices: represent connected machines, meters or sensors as individual devices in Cumulocity
• Remote access: secure SSH/VNC sessions via Cumulocity Cloud Remote Access
• Extensible: plugins, e.g. for Modbus data acquisition

 

Add Inputs, Outputs

The Connect SE has inputs or outputs of its own but can even be equipped with expansion modules right next to it. They plug into the system bus on both sides. All values then appear in one shared process image.

• RevPi DI, RevPi DO and RevPi DIO: digital inputs and outputs for machine states, counters, lamps and valves
• RevPi AIO and RevPi MIO: analog inputs and outputs for sensors such as pressure, level or temperature
• RevPi RO: relay outputs for switching higher loads

Details

Module	Channels	Typical use
RevPi DI	16 digital inputs (24 V, EN 61131-2), counter/encoder up to 2 kHz	Machine states, counters, pulse meters
RevPi DO	16 digital outputs, up to 500 mA, PWM	Signal lamps, valves, contactors
RevPi DIO	14 digital inputs + 14 digital outputs	Mixed machine signals
RevPi AIO	Up to 4 voltage/current inputs (±10 V, 0/4–20 mA), 2 RTD inputs (Pt100/Pt1000), 2 analog outputs	Pressure, flow and level sensors, temperatures
RevPi MIO	8 analog inputs, 8 analog outputs (0–10 V), 4 digital I/Os incl. PWM, pulse and encoder	Mixed analog/digital applications
RevPi RO	4 relay contacts, max. 250 V AC / 30 V DC, 5 A	Switching higher loads and AC circuit

Fieldbus connectivity: The RevPi Connect SE is not compatible with RevPi Gateway modules (PROFINET, EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, PROFIBUS). If you need to connect to these networks, choose the RevPi Connect S with the same base hardware, or the RevPi Connect 5.

Note: Expansion modules have their own temperature ranges (e.g. most I/O modules up to +55 °C). The most restrictive module defines the range of the overall system.

RevPi Connect SE, S, 4 or 5?

Choose the RevPi Connect SE if you want the lowest-cost entry with RS485, on-board digital I/O and I/O expansion – and do not need fieldbus gateways.

Choose the RevPi Connect S if you need the same base hardware plus support for PROFINET, EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP or PROFIBUS gateways.

Choose the RevPi Connect 4 or RevPi Connect 5 if you need Gigabit Ethernet, more RAM (2–8 GB), optional WLAN/Bluetooth, TPM 2.0, or a local HMI with Linux desktop. The Connect 5 also offers on-board CAN / CAN FD, fieldbus gateways and operation up to +60 °C.

Getting Started in 5 Steps

1. Choose your variant based on eMMC size (see table above), plus any I/O or Con modules you need.
2. Install and power up: Mount the device on a DIN rail, connect 24 V DC and Ethernet. Configure attached RevPi modules with the PiCtory web tool.
3. Install thin-edge.io on the device:
   curl -fsSL https://thin-edge.io/install.sh | sh -s
4. Connect to your Cumulocity tenant:
   sudo tedge cert create --device-id <your-device-id>
sudo tedge config set c8y.url <your-tenant>.cumulocity.com
sudo tedge cert upload c8y --user <your-user>
sudo tedge connect c8y
   Onboarding options evolve – always check the current thin-edge.io documentation.
5. Send your first data:
   tedge mqtt pub te/device/main///m/environment '{"temperature": 21.3}'
   The device and its measurement now appear in Cumulocity Device Management.

Step-by-step guide: Revolution Pi tutorial: Cumulocity with thin-edge.io

Resources

• RevPi Connect SE in the Revolution Pi shop
• Tutorial: Installing thin-edge.io and connecting to Cumulocity

Partner: Revolution Pi (by KUNBUS GmbH, Germany)

Device on Partner Website