Distributed IO capacity
Each Branch Main and Expansion unit can provide up to 30 IO points, and a full Branch system can scale to 450 IO points.
Branch PLC
Distributed PLC control for remote IO architectures.
Branch places PLC-powered IO closer to sensors and actuators with vLink-connected units. Use it when the machine layout benefits from distributed control.
- Best known for
- Distributed IO
- Scale
- Up to 15 units
- Development workflow
- 100 m vLink spans
Project fit
Match the PLC family to the machine layout.
Ace fits compact standalone control. Branch fits distributed IO layouts where control points are spread across the machine.
When Branch fits
Use Branch when the architecture benefits from distributed IO.
Traditional backplane and brick systems keep the CPU and IO in one central location. Branch expansion units connect with vLink cables, so IO can live closer to the devices it controls.
Need help choosing between Ace and Branch?
Start with the machine layout: compact standalone control points to Ace; remote IO and distributed units point to Branch.
Compatible distributed logic
Use each Expansion like traditional IO, or embed a subroutine so it runs local logic with full Branch processing power. Mix both approaches in one system.
Debug the whole system together
vBuilder shows live data across the system and lets you stop, start, single-step, and target breakpoints on individual devices from one project.
Motion capable on every unit
Use pulsed outputs up to 100 kHz, high-speed pulse or quadrature counters, and PWM on digital outputs. Added Expansions can scale a system to 15 pulsed outputs and 15 high-speed counters.
vLink architecture
Connect nearby IO or span a large machine.
Branch uses a tree of vLink-connected Expansion units to move IO and processing closer to the work while keeping the system inside one coordinated vBuilder project.
Two paths from every unit
Each Branch unit provides two vLink output ports. Expansion units add a vLink input and can continue the tree through their own outputs, up to four layers deep and 15 total units.
Direct cable connections
For runs of six feet or less, connect a Branch or Expansion output directly to the next Expansion input with a two-foot or six-foot vLink cable.
Up to 100 meters with Cat5e
For a longer span, use a paired set of vLink Extenders, a vLink cable at each end, and a customer-supplied Cat5e cable up to 100 meters (328 feet).
Processing where it helps
Leave an Expansion as conventional remote IO or deploy an embedded subroutine to it. Data moves between devices like subroutine data, without building a separate PLC network.
Hardware formats
Choose Branch as a panel-ready PLC or as part of your custom hardware.
The same Branch model selection can support conventional installations or embedded designs where the PLC becomes part of the equipment hardware.
Build with familiar PLC wiring.
Use this format for standard Branch systems, replacement projects, and layouts that connect through terminal wiring and vLink expansion.
Configure standalone BranchPlug Branch into your own hardware.
Replace the pluggable terminal format with standard 0.1-inch headers that seat in matching sockets on your custom board. You keep Branch processing and distributed control with fewer loose wires and a cleaner finished assembly.
Configure embedded BranchElectrical specifications
Branch Main and Expansion electrical limits.
Use the model table for IO counts and the official datasheets for model-specific wiring, signal, and configuration details.
Confirm the selected model before wiring.
Legacy family summaries and downloadable datasheets can differ by product revision and model. Treat the values below as family-level legacy guidance; the current datasheet for the selected model is authoritative.
Branch Main
- Power
- 5.1 to 28.0 VDC, 300 mA maximum
- Digital inputs
- 3 to 30 VDC
- Digital outputs
- 3 to 30 VDC sinking transistor, 500 mA maximum
- Analog resolution
- 12 bit
Branch Expansion
- Power
- 5.1 to 28.0 VDC, 300 mA maximum
- Digital inputs
- 3 to 30 VDC
- Digital outputs
- 3 to 30 VDC sinking transistor, 200 mA maximum
- Analog resolution
- 12 bit
Models
Branch PLC model selection
Use this list when maintaining, replacing, or specifying a Branch-based layout.
Branch Main models
The supervisory PLC for a Branch system, with two vLink expansion outputs on every model.
Model
Digital In
Digital Out
Analog In
Analog Out
Thermocouple / Diff
Serial
Price
Add
Branch 11
Digital In
6
Digital Out
6
Analog In
-
Analog Out
-
Thermocouple / Diff
Thermocouple
-
Serial
-
$85
Branch 22
Digital In
12
Digital Out
12
Analog In
-
Analog Out
-
Thermocouple / Diff
Thermocouple
-
Serial
-
$135
Branch 221v5
Digital In
12
Digital Out
12
Analog In
6
0-5V
Analog Out
-
Thermocouple / Diff
Thermocouple
-
Serial
-
$169
Branch 221v10
Digital In
12
Digital Out
12
Analog In
6
0-10V
Analog Out
-
Thermocouple / Diff
Thermocouple
-
Serial
-
$169
Branch 221c
Digital In
12
Digital Out
12
Analog In
6
0-20mA
Analog Out
-
Thermocouple / Diff
Thermocouple
-
Serial
-
$169
Branch 1430
Digital In
6
Digital Out
12
Analog In
-
Analog Out
-
Thermocouple / Diff
Thermocouple
-
Serial
1
RS232/485
$139
Branch 1450
Digital In
6
Digital Out
12
Analog In
-
Analog Out
-
Thermocouple / Diff
Thermocouple
2
Serial
1
RS232/485
$169
Branch 1482v5
Digital In
-
Digital Out
-
Analog In
-
Analog Out
-
Thermocouple / Diff
Thermocouple
-
Serial
-
$289
Branch 1482v10
Digital In
-
Digital Out
-
Analog In
-
Analog Out
-
Thermocouple / Diff
Thermocouple
-
Serial
-
$289
Branch 1482c
Digital In
-
Digital Out
-
Analog In
-
Analog Out
-
Thermocouple / Diff
Thermocouple
-
Serial
-
$289
Branch 1486v10
Digital In
6
Digital Out
12
Analog In
4
0-5V
Analog Out
2
16-bit
Thermocouple / Diff
Thermocouple
2
Serial
1
RS232/485
$309
Branch 1486v5
Digital In
6
Digital Out
12
Analog In
4
0-10V
Analog Out
2
16-bit
Thermocouple / Diff
Thermocouple
2
Serial
1
RS232/485
$309
Branch 1486c
Digital In
6
Digital Out
12
Analog In
4
0-20mA
Analog Out
2
16-bit
Thermocouple / Diff
Thermocouple
2
Serial
1
RS232/485
$309
Branch Expansion models
Add remote IO as conventional expansion points or deploy local logic with an embedded subroutine.
Model
Price
Add
Exp 11
$85
Exp 22
$135
Exp 221v5
$169
Exp 221v10
$169
Exp 221c
$169
Guided selection
Configure a Branch system
Compare Branch Main and Expansion requirements and keep the builder focused on Branch hardware.
Configure BranchProgramming
Build and debug your control program with Velocio software.
vBuilder
Build tag-based ladder logic or flow chart applications. Reuse logic with subroutines and objects, and use linked subroutines to share the same objects without passing data between routines. Warnings and errors appear in real time as you build.
Explore vBuilder
Command HMI Software
Build operator controls quickly. Connect to a programmed PLC, gather tags, and create pages with graphs, labels, numbers, and value adjustment tools.
Explore Command HMI SoftwareBuild the system
Accessories that help move from bench test to installed machine.
Terminal boards
Standard PLC spring-cage connectors accept 20–26 AWG wire. Terminal boards add larger screw connections that accept wire up to 16 AWG; check the selected board datasheet for its complete range.
Relay, optocoupled, and higher-power transistor boards provide IO status LEDs and prewired PLC connections. Their built-in mounts fit 35 mm DIN rail or #8 screws or bolts spaced one inch apart.
Simulator sticks
A digital Simulator Stick plugs into a standard, non-embedded Ace, Branch, or Expansion digital-input port and provides six switches for testing input logic without field devices.
Power and regulation
Ace and Branch accept 5.1 to 28 VDC through a two-position connector for 26–20 AWG wire. When a panel supply is not already available, use an appropriate DC supply or convert an 8–28 VDC source into six regulated 5 V outputs for multiple PLCs or powered terminal boards.
Programming cable
Ace and Branch use a standard USB to Mini-USB cable for programming. Mini-USB is not the smaller Micro-USB connector commonly supplied with older phones, so confirm the connector before reusing a cable.
Adhesive and vMount placement
Standard Ace and Branch units include a strong adhesive mounting strip. For mechanical mounting, twist vMount into the PLC’s underside slots in the orientation that fits the panel, then snap it onto 35 mm DIN rail. For #8 screws or bolts, place the mounting holes one inch apart.
Not sure which family fits?