Siemens 6AU1240-1AB00-0AA0 SIMOTION C240 PN Programmable Motion Controller with PROFINET & PROFIBUS

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Siemens 6AU1240-1AB00-0AA0 SIMOTION C240 PN Programmable Motion Controller with PROFINET & PROFIBUS
Siemens 6AU1240-1AB00-0AA0 SIMOTION C240 PN Programmable Motion Controller with PROFINET & PROFIBUS - Image 2

Siemens 6AU1240-1AB00-0AA0 SIMOTION C240 PN Programmable Motion Controller with PROFINET & PROFIBUS

Product Overview

The Siemens 6AU1240-1AB00-0AA0​ is a SIMOTION C240 PN programmable motion controller purpose-built for medium-to-high complexity machine applications that demand tight synchronisation between logic control and multi-axis motion. As a member of Siemens’ SIMOTION C-series, the 6AU1240-1AB00-0AA0​ bridges classical PLC functionality with deterministic motion control, hosting up to 32 technology axes, sub-millisecond servo/interpolation clocks (0.5 ms), and native PROFINET IRT alongside dual PROFIBUS interfaces. It is engineered to operate PROFIdrive-compliant SINAMICS S120 drives, SIMATIC ET 200 distributed I/O, and third-party PROFIBUS DP-V2 slaves within a single engineering frame inside the TIA/SIMOTION Scout environment.

Physically, the Siemens 6AU1240-1AB00-0AA0​ is a compact DIN-rail mounted unit (200 × 125 × 118 mm, IP20) powered from 24 V DC (20.4–28.8 V range, ~1.2 A typical, 15 W dissipation). Onboard I/O includes 18 digital inputs (2 of them measurable, 4 BERO-capable, 1 MHz encoder frequency support) and 8 digital outputs (all usable as fast cam outputs), plus an integrated relay channel for controller enable or “ready” signalling. The unit also carries a 4-channel analogue/stepping/hydraulic driver interface, SSI absolute encoder input, and a hardware real-time clock buffered ~4 weeks. Memory architecture provides 50 MB RAM, 29 MB RAM disk (load memory), and 107 KB retentive memory, with user data backed on the mandatory MMC.

In the automation hierarchy, the 6AU1240-1AB00-0AA0​ sits between a pure PLC and a drive-top controller: it gives machine builders CAM, gearing, pressure/force control, hydraulic closed-loop, and high-speed event-driven I/O without needing a separate IPC. When paired with SINAMICS S120 bookshelf/line modules and ET 200SP/MPN remote I/O, the C240 PN becomes the deterministic brain of coordinated drive systems where 0.5 ms PROFINET send cycle and IRT is required. It is a direct-fit upgrade path from the non-PN C240 (6AU1240-1AA00-0AA0) for plants migrating from PROFIBUS-only to PROFINET IRT topologies.

Siemens 6AU1240-1AB00-0AA0 SIMOTION C240 PN Programmable Motion Controller with PROFINET & PROFIBUS

 

Technical Specifications

Parameter Name Parameter Value
Product Model 6AU1240-1AB00-0AA0​
Manufacturer Siemens
Product Type Programmable Motion Controller (SIMOTION C240 PN)
Supply Voltage 24 V DC (20.4 … 28.8 V allowed)
Typical Current Consumption 1.2 A
Power Dissipation 15 W
Max. Axes (Motion) 32
Min. PROFINET Send Cycle 0.5 ms (IRT / RT supported)
Min. PROFIBUS Cycle 1 ms
Min. Servo / Interpolation Clock 0.5 ms
Onboard Digital I/O 18 DI / 8 DO (fast cam capable)
Relay Output 1 (controller enable / ready)
Analogue / Stepper / Hydraulic IF 4 channels (±10.5 V, 16-bit, 750 kHz step max)
Encoder Inputs 4 (incremental 1 MHz / SSI absolute, RS-422, 5 V)
Communication Interfaces 1 × PROFINET IO (3-port switch), 2 × PROFIBUS DP
RAM / Load Memory / Retentive 50 MB / 29 MB / 107 KB
Operating Temperature 0 … +55 °C
Storage Temperature -40 … +70 °C
Dimensions (W × H × D) 200 × 125 × 118 mm
Protection Class IP20 (EN 60529)

 

Main Features and Advantages

Deterministic multi-axis motion in a compact footprint

The Siemens 6AU1240-1AB00-0AA0​ delivers up to 32 technology axes with 0.5 ms servo and interpolation clocks, making it suitable for machines where electronic camming, gearing, and flying shear must run synchronized across dozens of drives. Compared to a general-purpose PLC, the C240 PN offloads path planning, jerk-limited ramps, and cam-table execution into firmware-optimised blocks, freeing the user program for sequencing and HMI logic.

Dual-fieldbus openness – PROFINET IRT + dual PROFIBUS

A standout advantage of the 6AU1240-1AB00-0AA0​ is its hybrid bus architecture. The integrated 3-port PROFINET IO controller interface runs IRT (isochronous real-time) for SINAMICS S120 and ET 200SP/MPN distributed I/O with 0.5 ms send cycles, while two independent PROFIBUS DP ports continue to serve legacy PROFIdrive drives, MICROMASTER/MASTERDRIVES, and third-party DP-V2 slaves. This makes the C240 PN ideal for brownfield retrofits where a PROFIBUS island must coexist with a new PROFINET IRT backbone.

Rich onboard I/O and drive-side interfaces

Unlike many motion controllers that rely entirely on remote I/O, the Siemens 6AU1240-1AB00-0AA0​ integrates 18 DI (including 2 high-speed measurement inputs and 4 BERO-capable), 8 DO (all fast-cam rated), 1 relay, 4 configurable analogue/stepper/hydraulic channels (±10.5 V, 16-bit, up to 750 kHz pulse for steppers), and 4 encoder inputs accepting 1 MHz incremental or SSI absolute (RS-422, 5 V). For hydraulic press or injection applications, the analogue/hydraulic channels let the controller close force/pressure loops directly without extra AO modules.

Engineering continuity and scalability

The 6AU1240-1AB00-0AA0​ is programmed in SIMOTION Scout (within TIA Portal or standalone), reusing MCC (Motion Control Chart), MEL (Motion Execution Language), and structured text libraries. Code and axis configurations are largely portable to higher-end SIMOTION P320/P350 IPC-based units if a future machine scales beyond 32 axes or needs Windows-side PC applications. The onboard MMC-based persistent storage and ~4-week RTC buffer further simplify commissioning across sites with power-cycled cabinets.

 

Application Field

The Siemens 6AU1240-1AB00-0AA0​ is positioned for production machines where motion complexity exceeds what a standard S7-1500 PLC with technology objects can comfortably carry, but where a full IPC-based solution (SIMOTION P) is over-dimensioned. Its sweet spot is 8–32 axes of coordinated motion with sub-millisecond synchronisation.

In packaging machinery​ (flow wrappers, cartoners, case packers), the 6AU1240-1AB00-0AA0​ manages electronic cam decks between infeed screws, film feeds, turret indexes and discharge pushers, with PROFINET IRT locking SINAMICS S120 servos to ≤0.5 ms jitter. In printing and converting, the same controller handles register correction, web tension via the hydraulic/analogue channels, and flying shear cut at full line speed, while the dual PROFIBUS ports keep legacy shaft-mounted drive nodes online during a phased PROFINET migration.

Textile and winding machines​ benefit from the 32-axis ceiling and 1 MHz encoder inputs — the Siemens 6AU1240-1AB00-0AA0​ can close diameter-calculated taper-tension loops across multiple wind/unwind stations while gearing to a master shaft. In plastic injection and hydraulic presses, the 4 configurable analogue/hydraulic channels allow the controller itself to run pressure/force profiles without an external analog rack; PROFIdrive over PROFINET then handles the servo eject and core-pull axes. Converting, labelling, and rotary indexing tables​ also use the 750 kHz stepper pulse outputs for cost-sensitive auxiliary axes alongside the main SERVO axes on PN/DP.

Because the C240 PN supports both PROFINET IO controller and device roles, the 6AU1240-1AB00-0AA0​ can also sit as a slave under a supervisory S7-1500/400 PLC in large lines, taking only the motion-heavy segments while handing overall sequence ownership upstream — a deployment pattern common in automotive body-shop sub-lines and battery-cell stacking equipment.

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