ctrlX OS from Bosch Rexroth is presented here running on Advantech’s UNO edge IPCs as an app-based automation platform built on a real-time capable Linux with Ubuntu Core and snap packages. The idea is “smartphone of automation”: you pick the industrial PC form factor you want from the UNO family, get a pre-validated OS image with core apps like firewall and VPN, and then extend it with your own apps from an ecosystem rather than rebuilding the stack each time. This gives OEMs, machine builders and IT/OT teams a consistent software base across very different hardware profiles. https://www.ctrlx-os.com/en/ctrlx-os/
In the demo, ctrlX WORKS shows both a Bosch Rexroth ctrlX CORE controller and an Advantech UNO device side by side, all managed through the same web UI and REST APIs. The platform is explicitly API-first: every setting exposed in the UI, from firewall rules to user management, can be scripted via REST, so one script can roll out configuration to a single device or to fleets of hundreds. Apps such as an IoT dashboard based on Grafana, Node-RED with OPC UA connectors and a Python runtime are installed, updated or removed with one click or via automated scripts, aligning industrial automation with DevOps practices.
A key concept is the ctrlX Data Layer, which acts as a structured, real-time namespace for everything the device knows: CPU metrics, field I/O, application state and custom variables. That data tree can be traversed, filtered and mirrored between devices so that one node can be the “hero” and others the “sidekicks,” all sharing a synchronized data model. This makes it easier to build distributed control and analytics topologies where edge IPCs, controllers and higher-level IT systems share a common view of the plant without custom glue code for each box.
For developers, ctrlX OS behaves like a modern software platform rather than a closed PLC. Bosch Rexroth provides an SDK, documentation and reference apps on GitHub, plus an app-development guideline so partners can package their own snaps that integrate cleanly with the OS, data layer and security model. The ctrlX OS Store then acts as a digital marketplace where OEMs, ISVs and integrators publish apps ranging from connectivity and security to HMI and AI, and customers can add them to any ctrlX OS-based device with standard licensing. Because the OS is hardware-independent and available as a virtual machine, the same app portfolio can span controllers, edge IPCs, HMIs and on-prem or cloud infrastructure.
Cybersecurity and regulation are central to the story. ctrlX OS is positioned as “secure by design” and “secure by default,” certified to IEC 62443-4-2 Security Level 2 and prepared for Europe’s Cyber Resilience Act, including a structured process for vulnerability management and security patch delivery during operation. Built-in functions such as certificate handling, role-based access with LDAP integration, encrypted backups and firewall/VPN apps aim to make it realistic for OT teams to maintain a secure posture over the full lifecycle without building their own Linux distribution.
Recorded at the Advantech booth during SPS – Smart Production Solutions in Nuremberg, the discussion also highlights the OEM partnership between Bosch Rexroth and Advantech: UNO edge IPCs ship from the factory with ctrlX OS and a curated set of apps, turning them into ready-to-use edge gateways and controllers that can then be tailored per project through additional apps and scripts. The commercial model is deliberately flexible: you buy hardware with a base OS image and partners can choose subscription or perpetual licensing per app, while integrators can bundle their own apps on top as part of full project deliveries. The result is a sector-agnostic platform for energy, manufacturing, infrastructure or any other domain where developers want to focus on domain logic and let an open industrial Linux handle real-time execution, fleet management and security.
