Controllers combine motion and PLC roles to simplify machine designs
10 September 2025 
Trio Motion Technology has launched the first controllers in its new Motion-PLC range, offering advanced motion control, with the functions and simplicity of a PLC. The new class of controller – first previewed at the SPS exhibition in Germany last November – combines high-performance motion control over EtherCat, plus logic and I/O expansion, enabling faster, simpler machine development.
The first models, now available to order, are the MCS 30, the MCS 40 and the MCS 50 Flexible Machine Controllers, aimed at stand-alone and sub-machine applications such as pick-and-place, gantries, glue-laying and flying shears. They provide machine and motion control of up to eight axes over high-speed EtherCat.
The controllers have up to two Ethernet ports with fieldbus support for HMI and upstream devices, including Modbus TCP, Profinet I/O and Ethernet I/P, as well as extensive I/O integration to expand machine connections.
The MCS 40 and 50 models incorporate a multi-tasking operating system that performs motion and logic control in parallel. The motion control capability is based on Trio’s Motion-iX motion engine, which has more than 30 years of development behind it. The engine includes a variety of pre-programmed functions that simplify development, from point-to-point moves, through to complex motion.
The Motion-PLCs can be programmed in familiar PLC languages complying with the IEC 61131-3 standard. They also include a PLCopen motion library.
With the MCS 40 and MCS 50 controllers, developers also have access to TrioBasic, Trio’s licence-free high-level, English-based motion programming language. Free access to Trio’s Motion Perfect programming software and commissioning cuts the cost of machine development “significantly”, according to Trio.
The Motion-PLC controllers can add “click in” I/O slices via the MS-Bus interface – Trio’s local communication protocol that provides high data throughput and efficiency. The controllers support up to 16 of Trio’s new MS I/O slices, including any combination of digital or analogue inputs or outputs. The I/O can optionally be increased to achieve 1,024 digital ports and 128 analogue ports via Trio’s new MS EC I/O coupler that provides a bridge between EtherCat and the MS-Bus system.
The first Motion-PLC controllers are 100mm high by 75mm deep and 23mm wide, ensuring a compact footprint, whether they are machine- or cabinet-mounted.
The MCS 30, 40 and 50 will be joined by additional models that will extend the scale of control to manage larger stand-alone machines. Designated All-in-One Controllers, the ultimate devices in the Motion-PLC range will add serial ports, flexible axis ports, plus NPN or PNP on-board I/O.
The Motion-PLC controllers can be combined with Trio’s servodrives, motors and HMIs, to create integrated, motion-first machine automation systems.
“Motion-PLC simplifies machine development,” says Trio president, Tom Alexander. “This makes machines faster to design, install, and commission, while for end-users, it makes machines easier to use, and it also increases reliability. Crucially, these advantages are supported by Trio’s motion control specialisation, and highly capable logic control.”
