DIN-Rail Industrial Carrier Board for a Compute Module
Description
A carrier board that turns a commercial compute module into a DIN-rail industrial controller — the board that sits between a Linux-capable module and a factory floor.
Interfaces
- RS-485 for legacy fieldbus and Modbus devices
- Dual Ethernet for separated control and plant networks
- 24 V digital I/O, the industrial standard rather than logic levels
- DIN-rail form factor — the enclosure sets the outline, not the other way round
Engineering Constraints
24 V I/O next to a compute module. Industrial I/O runs at 24 V and is expected to survive miswiring, inductive kickback, and long cable runs. The compute module is a low-voltage device with no tolerance for any of that. Protection and isolation are the design, not an afterthought.
Two Ethernet ports that stay independent. Separated networks are only separated if the board keeps them separated — magnetics placement, isolation barriers, and return-path discipline decide whether that holds under noise.
A fixed mechanical envelope. DIN-rail width is not negotiable. Connector placement, mounting, and thermal path were fixed before component placement began, because in that form factor the mechanics constrain the electronics.
Documented Architecture
Issued as a controlled architecture document under its own identifier, covering the interface map, power tree, and I/O allocation. The client owns it and can hand it to another engineer without a conversation.
Deliverables
- Hardware architecture document under formal revision control
- Schematic, layout, and fabrication package
- Interface and I/O allocation map
- DFM review before release
Published without client, project name, or location under NDA. Architecture and interfaces are unchanged.