Finder shows how it is evolving from a relay specialist into a full control-cabinet and industrial automation partner, using its Opta micro PLC and 7M smart energy meters to connect classic switching hardware with data-driven control. The video walks through use cases such as lidar-based people detection, compact PLC control and cabinet-level power management, illustrating a path from simple relay logic to secure Industrial IoT architectures. https://opta.findernet.com/en/
At the center is the Opta PLC, co-developed with Arduino as a secure micro PLC based on a dual-core STM32H747 Arm Cortex-M7/M4 MCU and programmable both in C++/Arduino sketches and IEC 61131-3 languages like Ladder and Function Block Diagram. Offered in Ethernet, RS-485 and Wi-Fi/BLE variants, and expandable to dozens of I/Os, Opta can handle lidar distance sensing up to about two meters, machine control and edge data acquisition. A built-in crypto device enables authenticated, encrypted communications so the same hardware can scale from stand-alone logic control to connected PLC nodes.
Finder then positions its broader control-cabinet portfolio around Opta: interface and safety relays, DIN-rail power supplies from a few amps up to more than 40 A, and accessories for cabinet heating, ventilation and service lighting. A magnetic LED lamp that can run from the panel or on battery supports maintenance when cabinets are de-energized, and a range of panel sockets (Italian, French, US and both Swiss standards) lets panel builders export identical designs worldwide. Filmed at SPS 2025 in Nuremberg, the booth highlights this modular, export-ready cabinet platform.
Energy management is the second pillar. MID-certified 7M energy meters for single-phase and three-phase loads up to 80 A provide measurements that can be read and configured via NFC with the Finder Toolbox NFC smartphone app, even when the meter is not powered. Through Modbus or M-Bus these meters stream data into Opta, enabling dashboards that compare production, office consumption and EV charging, and supporting load-shedding or tariff-driven control. This metering layer is presented as a basis for Industry 5.0 incentives and ESG reporting, where verifiable energy data is becoming mandatory.
The interview closes on Finder’s ecosystem approach. Opta and the 7M/6M metering families are positioned as platforms for system integrators and OEMs, with Finder focusing on hardware, Arduino and IEC-61131-3 compatibility and cybersecurity features rather than vertical application software. A growing network of partners is expected to build sector-specific applications on top, from control panels to brownfield energy retrofits, using familiar cabinet components instead of proprietary black-box systems.
