Industrial controller / automation device

Programmable controller for industrial automation, running on plant networks.

An industrial controller runs production logic on plant networks and often has a long operational life. CRA documentation has to reflect both the controller firmware and the support period decision, which for long-lived industrial equipment is usually longer than for consumer devices. The Annex I focus is availability and integrity of control functions.

Where this device type sits in the Regulation

In the Regulation's own structure, an industrial automation controller is NOT named in Annex III or Annex IV, so it would fall in the default class under Art. 32(1)(a) (Regulation (EU) 2024/2847), unless a specific product matches a named category for another reason. Whether THIS specific controller is actually outside the annexes is the manufacturer's guided questionnaire answer, never an assumption of this site.

CRA importance classes for this product type

All other products (default class) Important class I (Annex III) Important class II (Annex III) Critical class (Annex IV)

Typical components

• PLC runtime
• Fieldbus stack
• Control logic
• Industrial protocol stack

Most relevant Annex I requirements

• I.2(h) — availability of essential control functions after an incident
• I.2(f) — integrity of control commands and configuration
• I.2(k) — reduce the impact of an incident on the controlled process

Examples

• Programmable logic controller (PLC)
• Building automation controller
• Industrial IoT gateway