Advantech: Industrial computing and remote I/O for field measurements

Advantech supplies industrial computing and remote I/O, including Ethernet modules for current, voltage, RTD and thermocouple measurements.

Best for: Bringing existing analogue instrumentation and wired temperature sensors onto an Ethernet acquisition network.
Less suited to: A turnkey electricity billing meter or a direct replacement for safety-rated protection equipment.
Deployment: Powered remote I/O connected to field sensors and an Ethernet client or supported messaging system.
Data in: Voltage and current channels on ADAM-6017; RTDs on ADAM-6015; thermocouples on ADAM-6018+.
Pricing: Model, hardware revision and regional supply prices require a current quotation.

Overview

Advantech makes industrial computers, communications equipment and remote I/O used to connect physical processes to software. For energy projects, its ADAM modules are particularly relevant when a site already has wired instrumentation but needs network access to the measurements. The important choice is the electrical input, rather than simply the number of channels: current transmitters, resistance temperature probes and thermocouples need different front ends. ADAM-6017, ADAM-6015 and ADAM-6018+ cover those respective cases. They acquire signals for a larger monitoring system; they are not interchangeable with a certified electricity meter. Company scope and module documentation explain that division.

Offering

The ADAM-6017 provides eight differential analogue inputs and two digital outputs. Its documented ranges include low voltage, 0–20 mA and 4–20 mA, making it useful for pressure, flow or other transmitters whose outputs must be scaled into engineering units. ADAM-6015 instead accepts seven RTD channels and provides wire burnout detection. ADAM-6018+ is an eight-channel thermocouple module with independent channel ranges. This lets a project select the measurement technology before selecting a software integration. Channel count alone therefore gives a misleading comparison between these three products. Analogue and thermocouple manual; RTD product.

Technology

The documented Ethernet path is Modbus TCP, with additional messaging capabilities on selected revisions. The March 2026 datasheet explicitly associates MQTT and SNMP support on ADAM-6017 and ADAM-6018+ with D-version hardware. A protocol badge on a current product page should therefore not be copied onto an unidentified installed unit. For an analogue channel, commissioning must also check voltage versus current configuration, its selected range and the relationship between the returned value and the transmitter span. The manufacturer manual supplies address assignments and wiring information. This profile records those integration ingredients without representing them as a tested Edge import. Current datasheet; manual.

Markets

These modules suit industrial facilities where existing sensors need to be retained while data collection moves onto an Ethernet network. An energy-management project might use current transmitters for process quantities and separate RTDs for pipe or equipment temperatures, alongside a dedicated electrical meter. The ADAM family makes those measurements available without requiring every sensor to contain its own network interface. Selection still depends on sensor type, cable arrangement, signal range and the environmental requirements of the installation. Comparing the RTD and thermocouple models before buying avoids an otherwise similar-looking module with the wrong input circuitry. Input families and wiring; RTD features.

Company

Advantech was established in 1983 and is headquartered in Neihu Science Park, Taipei, Taiwan. Its corporate governance material describes industrial computer manufacturing, assembly, sales and after-sales services, with manufacturing centres in Taiwan, China and Japan. This entry concerns the global Advantech company, rather than treating its European operation as the same entity record. Regional sales pages remain useful sources for product availability, but their contact details do not replace the global corporate identity. For procurement, the exact ordering code and hardware revision belong in the quotation alongside the chosen input module. Corporate identity and operations.