National Instruments cRIO-9036 CompactRIO Controller
The cRIO-9036 is a rugged 8-slot CompactRIO embedded controller from National Instruments, designed for deterministic control, industrial automation, embedded monitoring, and high-performance real-time applications. It combines a 1.33 GHz Intel Atom dual-core processor with a user-programmable Xilinx Kintex-7 70T FPGA, delivering deterministic processing, FPGA-based hardware control, and modular I/O expansion in a compact industrial platform.
Key Features of cRIO-9036
The NI cRIO-9036 includes:
- 1.33 GHz Intel Atom E3825 dual-core CPU
- 1 GB DDR3L RAM
- 4 GB onboard storage
- Kintex-7 70T FPGA
- 8-slot CompactRIO architecture
- NI Linux Real-Time operating system
The controller is optimized for deterministic industrial control, embedded monitoring, and real-time measurement applications.
FPGA-Based Embedded Architecture
The onboard Kintex-7 70T FPGA enables engineers to implement:
- Custom timing and synchronization
- Deterministic hardware-level control
- Inline signal processing
- Industrial communication protocols
- High-speed digital processing
- Real-time trigger and event handling
This FPGA-based architecture makes the cRIO-9036 suitable for motion control, machine automation, power systems, robotics, and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) applications.
Modular CompactRIO System
The cRIO-9036 supports up to 8 NI C Series modules, enabling integration of:
- Analog input/output
- Digital I/O
- CAN / LIN communication
- Motion control
- Vibration and condition monitoring
- Temperature and strain measurement
- Industrial communication interfaces
The modular design allows engineers to build scalable embedded systems for industrial and laboratory deployments.
Rugged Industrial Design
The cRIO-9036 features a rugged industrial form factor:
- Fanless design
- Operating temperature range from -40 °C to 70 °C
- Shock and vibration resistance
- DIN-rail and panel mounting support
- Industrial EMC and hazardous location certifications
This makes it suitable for harsh industrial environments, transportation systems, energy infrastructure, and outdoor automation applications.
Connectivity and Interfaces
The controller includes:
- 2× Gigabit Ethernet ports
- 2× USB host ports
- 1× USB device port
- 2× serial ports (RS-232 and RS-485/422)
- Mini DisplayPort
- SDHC storage slot
The Mini DisplayPort supports local HMI deployment and industrial visualization applications without requiring an external industrial PC.
Software Ecosystem
The cRIO-9036 integrates with:
- LabVIEW FPGA
- LabVIEW Real-Time
- NI-RIO drivers
- NI industrial automation software ecosystem
Developers can program the FPGA directly, deploy deterministic real-time applications, and synchronize I/O operations across multiple modules.
Typical Applications
The NI cRIO-9036 is widely used in:
- Industrial automation
- Embedded control systems
- Machine condition monitoring
- Robotics and motion systems
- Automotive testing
- Aerospace validation
- Power and energy monitoring
- Distributed data acquisition
- FPGA-based deterministic control
Technical Specifications
Typical specifications of the cRIO-9036 include:
- Intel Atom E3825 dual-core processor
- 1.33 GHz CPU frequency
- Kintex-7 70T FPGA
- 1 GB DDR3L RAM
- 4 GB onboard storage
- 8-slot CompactRIO architecture
- 9–30 VDC power input
- NI Linux Real-Time operating system
- Industrial Ethernet, USB, serial, and DisplayPort interfaces
Summary
The NI cRIO-9036 is a rugged 8-slot CompactRIO real-time controller that combines a dual-core Intel Atom processor, a Kintex-7 FPGA, and modular C Series I/O support for deterministic industrial automation and embedded control applications.
