Hermes Standard Companion
Retrofit IPC-HERMES-9852 onto existing PLC controlled SMT Manufacturing Equipment.
With the release of the IPC-HERMES-9852 Standard and its intent to replace the legacy SMEMA standard, SMT machine OEMs who use a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) in their product require an upgrade path for new equipment or their customers with existing equipment.
End Users of existing SMEMA based SMT equipment should consider the SMEMA Hermes Adaptor instead to interface with the legacy SMEMA signals.
FELIX, our Hermes Standard Companion manages the Hermes connection state between the Up and Downstream Machines. It retrieves the Hermes PCB Board record from the Upstream machine and stores this data locally making it available for the PLC to retrieve or update if required.
Machine Ready and Board Available states are sent to and retrieved from the PLC using messages defined by the PLC/OEM using Network Sockets. The Hermes Board record is then offered to the Downstream machine when the Machine is Ready and the PLC has messaged to indicate a Board is ready to depart. The use of Modbus is also under software development.
The Companion is a hardware device that runs on a powerful 2.4GHz single board computer with a Ethernet port for Hermes connections and network connections to the PLC. The Companion can manage more than one lane limited by RAM and performance.
Configuration is conducted by a MultiPlug Extension which also handles all the Hermes software connections.
FELIX Mk1 RP5
An upgrade path for OEM SMT Machine builders to add the Hermes Standard on PLC controlled SMT equipment.
- Compact Design
- Low Cost
- Speedy Setup
- Headless Device
- Software Extendable via the MultiPlug Edge Computing Platform
A product website can be viewed at: www.the-hermes-standard-companion.info
Newsletters
Typical Applications
- Hermes Standard Software integration for PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) controlled SMT Equipment
Videos
These are videos for the SMEMA Hermes Adaptor which shares the software found on the Hermes Standard Companion.
- All SMEMA Hermes Adaptor Videos
- SMEMA Hermes Adaptor Unboxing and Setup
- SMEMA Hermes Adaptor Software Updates
- Dummy IPC-Hermes-9852 Data Creation
- SMEMA Hermes Adaptor Product Launch Live Stream
- SMEMA Hermes Adaptor with Barcode Readers
- Importing IPC-Hermes-9852 data via Files to the SMEMA Hermes Adaptor
- IPC-Hermes-9852 Supervisory System Connections
- IPC-Hermes-9852 Data Validation
- Merging and Adding Hermes Data
- SMT Product Recipe Changeover
- Downloading Production Data as a File
- Using MultiPlug Hermes Events
- IPC-Hermes-9852 Commands
- Programmable Events for Signal Towers
- SMT Inspection Stations
- Moving Data between SMEMA Hermes Adaptors
- Checking for Software Updates
- Split Barcodes to the Hermes Standard
- SMEMA Hermes Adaptor Promotion Video for Productronica 2025
- MPN
- B514AE46
- HS Code
- 8517 62
- SMT Lane Configuration
- 1+ Lanes (Limited by RAM and performance)
- Size
- Length 98 x Width 64 x Height 33 - Weight 164 grams
- Computer
- 2GB RAM, 32GB Storage. Linux. Raspberry Pi 5
- Network
- Ethernet
- Input voltage
- 5.1 Volt 5A Supply via USB-C - optional industrial 24v stepdown
- Connectors
- 2x USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.0
- Indicators
- Power / Status
- Buttons
- Shutdown / Restart
- Mount
- Wall
- Real Time Clock
- Yes
- Cooling
- Active
- MultiPlug Extension
- MultiPlug.Ext.Hermes
Power Supplies
Questions from customers:
Is there a product website?
www.the-hermes-standard-companion.info
Does the Companion support the CFX (Connected Factory Exchange) standard as well?
This is planned. Please contact us.
Do you support Modbus?
This is planned. Please contact us. MultiPlug.Ext.ModbusTCP
Using the Hermes Standard Companion
- Software Engineers should consult the Technical Support Wiki and study the REST API of MultiPlug.Ext.Hermes.
- Modbus is under Software Development. MultiPlug.Ext.ModbusTCP
- Note: OEM Software Development can occur by installing MultiPlug and the required MultiPlug Extensions prior to having the receipt of a Companion.
- Contact Us with any support questions.
- Due to the nature of the web browser based user interface, the Companion can be accessed from any device that has access to the local network or using adjacent equipment that features a web browser.
Items required:
Hardware:
- Hermes Standard Companion
- USB-C 5.1V 5A Power Supply
Software:
- MultiPlug Edge Computing Platform - License Included
- MultiPlug.Ext.Hermes - Core software. License Included
- MultiPlug.Ext.Network.Sockets - Required for Sockets communication to the PLC and Hermes Connections.
- MultiPlug.Ext.ModbusTCP - Optional connection to the PLC, Under Software Development
Physical and Conceptual Connection Diagram
