cRIO-9058

The NI cRIO-9058 is one of the most powerful controllers in the CompactRIO family, combining an Intel Atom x7-E3950 quad-core processor, a Xilinx Kintex UltraScale FPGA, and NI’s modular C Series I/O architecture into a single rugged industrial platform. Designed for advanced automation, edge computing, machine control, and high-speed data processing, the cRIO-9058 delivers significantly higher FPGA performance and processing capability than earlier Kintex-7-based CompactRIO systems.

For engineers building next-generation industrial systems, the cRIO-9058 provides the deterministic control of a PLC, the flexibility of an embedded computer, and the hardware-level performance of an FPGA platform.

Typical applications include:

• Industrial automation
• Robotics and motion control
• Semiconductor manufacturing
• Machine vision systems
• Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation
• Energy monitoring
• Industrial IoT edge computing
• High-speed test and measurement

System Architecture

The cRIO-9058 combines:

• Intel Atom x7-E3950 Quad-Core Processor
• Xilinx Kintex UltraScale FPGA
• NI Linux Real-Time Operating System
• C Series Modular I/O Expansion

Key specifications include:

Compared with previous CompactRIO generations, the cRIO-9058 offers significantly improved computing resources for edge analytics, machine learning deployment, and complex automation tasks.

Kintex UltraScale FPGA Performance

The biggest upgrade in the cRIO-9058 is the integration of a Xilinx Kintex UltraScale FPGA.

Compared with Kintex-7 devices used in the cRIO-904x family, the UltraScale architecture provides:

• More FPGA logic resources
• Higher DSP processing capability
• Faster data throughput
• Larger memory bandwidth
• Improved timing performance

The FPGA can be used for:

High-Speed Signal Processing

Process large volumes of sensor data with microsecond-level latency.

Motion Control

Implement multi-axis servo control and encoder processing.

Custom Industrial Protocols

Develop custom EtherCAT, SPI, UART, CAN, or proprietary communication systems.

Machine Vision Triggering

Provide deterministic synchronization between cameras, sensors, and actuators.

Hardware-Timed Automation

Execute complex control logic directly in FPGA hardware.

This makes the cRIO-9058 particularly attractive for advanced industrial and embedded applications.

Real-Time Processing and Edge Computing

The quad-core Intel Atom processor runs NI Linux Real-Time, providing deterministic execution of industrial applications.

Engineers can perform:

• Real-time control
• Data logging
• Industrial communication
• Database connectivity
• Edge analytics
• Predictive maintenance
• AI model deployment
• Cloud integration

The separation between CPU and FPGA tasks enables efficient system design:

• FPGA handles deterministic I/O and signal processing.
• CPU handles supervisory control and network communication.

This architecture is ideal for Industry 4.0 and Industrial IoT deployments.

Industrial Automation Applications

The cRIO-9058 is designed for demanding industrial environments.

Typical applications include:

Machine Builders

Control complex production equipment and manufacturing systems.

Robotics

Implement synchronized multi-axis motion control.

Semiconductor Equipment

Handle high-speed process control and data acquisition.

Energy Systems

Monitor and control power generation and distribution equipment.

Industrial Test Systems

Perform deterministic testing and validation operations.

Smart Manufacturing

Act as an industrial edge controller for connected factories.

Its combination of FPGA performance and processing power allows engineers to consolidate multiple system functions into a single controller.

Advanced Communication Interfaces

The cRIO-9058 supports modern industrial communication requirements.

Supported interfaces include:

• Gigabit Ethernet
• USB 3.0
• RS-232
• CAN
• EtherCAT
• Modbus TCP
• OPC UA
• MQTT
• REST APIs

The controller can communicate with:

• PLC systems
• SCADA platforms
• MES systems
• ERP systems
• Cloud platforms
• Remote monitoring applications

This makes it suitable as both a machine controller and an edge gateway.

Modular C Series I/O Expansion

The cRIO-9058 supports a broad range of NI C Series modules.

Popular modules include:

Analog Input

• NI-9205
• NI-9215
• NI-9234
• NI-9220

Analog Output

• NI-9263
• NI-9264
• NI-9269

Digital I/O

• NI-9401
• NI-9403
• NI-9425
• NI-9477

Motion and Encoder

• NI-9411
• NI-9361

Industrial Process Control

• NI-9203
• NI-9208
• NI-9326

This modular design allows engineers to create customized control systems tailored to their applications.

Rugged Industrial Design

The cRIO-9058 is designed for continuous industrial operation.

Industrial specifications include:

• Operating temperature: -20 °C to 55 °C
• Fanless architecture
• 50 g shock resistance
• 5 g RMS vibration resistance
• Industrial EMC compliance

Suitable environments include:

• Manufacturing facilities
• Power plants
• Transportation systems
• Oil and gas installations
• Semiconductor fabs
• Remote monitoring stations

The fanless design reduces maintenance while increasing long-term reliability.

Comparison with Similar CompactRIO Controllers

Compared with the cRIO-9048, the cRIO-9058 provides a newer UltraScale FPGA architecture with significantly higher performance. Compared with the cRIO-9056, the cRIO-9058 offers the largest FPGA resource capacity within the CompactRIO product family, making it ideal for computation-intensive applications.

Why Engineers Choose the cRIO-9058

Engineers select the cRIO-9058 when they need:

• Maximum CompactRIO performance
• Advanced FPGA processing
• Multi-axis motion control
• Edge computing capability
• High-speed industrial communication
• Machine vision synchronization
• Large-scale data acquisition
• Long-term industrial reliability

It is particularly well suited for applications where traditional PLCs cannot provide sufficient processing power or deterministic performance.

Conclusion

The NI cRIO-9058 is a flagship CompactRIO controller that combines a quad-core Intel Atom processor, Xilinx Kintex UltraScale FPGA, and modular C Series I/O architecture into a powerful industrial control platform.

Its combination of:

• Intel Atom x7-E3950 quad-core processor
• Kintex UltraScale FPGA
• NI Linux Real-Time
• Advanced industrial networking
• Flexible C Series expansion
• Edge computing capability
• Rugged fanless design

makes it an ideal solution for industrial automation, robotics, machine vision, semiconductor equipment, energy systems, Industrial IoT, and advanced embedded control applications.