IOboard.net
IOboard.net is a German company making Intelligent Analog and Digital Ethernet IO modules.
IOboards are modular and expandable, allowing many combinations of analog and digital inputs and outputs with various ranges of voltage and current.
IOboards mount on a standard DIN rail and feature industrial screw terminals.
IOboards connect directly to Ethernet and are easy to use in Windows, Linux or real time operating systems. For Windows, there is no need for drivers, DLLs or USB ports, all of which are notoriously a headache for developers. Ethernet and TCP/IP ensure reliable operation every time, with no surprises such as USB ports that disappear.
IOboards are intelligent and event driven. There is no need to waste time polling the device from an external computer, IOboard can be instructed to detect analog or digital input changes and react accordingly. IOboards can also implement PID loops autonomously.
I/O modules with USB or serial ports are toys: affordable but not practical.
Networked I/O modules are expensive, sometimes they are practical.
IOboards are affordable and practical.