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The XL200 Series controller is the flagship machine control product from AMS Controls. This dedicated, industrial computer is designed for roll forming machine control. Specifically, the XL200 handles length control for roll formed products, from over all part length to punching operations.
Supporting the XL200 Series controller in this role is Eclipse, a Production Management software platform. The XL Series was specifically designed to integrate with Eclipse, tying a company's ERP system to their production equipment. Such a system not only allows the company to digitally transmit their production data from the office to the shop floor, but it provides an extensive feedback and analysis system for Production Control. Good footage, scrap, runtime, downtime, throughput and overall efficiencies are tracked and presented to management in the form of reports, including charts and graphs. Management can compare products, machines and operator performance to each other, as well as track all material consumption through the system.
The product line has seen an evolution since its initial release in 2001. As with all AMS Controls products, the XL200 Series has undergone several revisions of hardware and software in an attempt to provide our customers with the best technology with the most features for a reasonable price.
What's the difference between versions?
There are critical differences between the various major XL200 Series controller versions. In order to understand the capabilities and whether or not they are compatible with each other, the following descriptions are presented.
Software Version Number Explanation
The software version number for a XL200 Series controller is typically represented as "4.09.02". The first number (4) reflects the hardware platform on which the software was written to run. The next number (09) represents a "major release" version, indicating the software engineers consider this version to be significantly different from previous releases. The last number (02) references a "maintenance release".
Typically, software development occurs in cycles. Each cycle ending in a major release. When a specific need arises, such as a customer who has an immediate need for a new feature or bug fix, the software has an interim - or maintenance - release.