Do not confuse the EX9000 modules with the EX9188 series !

The EX9188 Series are embedded controllers designed for industrial automation applications, offering PC processing capability in a compact DIN rail mounted unit. These Controllers are basically small DOS PC’s running a special operating system called Datalight RomDos. This is comparable to normal DOS, but with a lot of added features. The EX9188 Series is based on the AMD 80188 40MHz processor. This processor provides 256k bytes of RAM, 256k bytes of Flash ROM for program or data storage and four serial ports (3 RS-232, 1 RS-485). The user can download application programs from a PC which can then be run in real-time on the controller. The user can apply the product as a small system controller or as a local stand alone controller.

The built-in Datalight RomDos allows the user to run standard "C' programs or programs under DOS.
Its robust hardware design and small packaging make it an ideal choice for harsh environments where standard industrial PCs are not suitable. The EX9188 series provides four serial ports. Every port supports interrupt handling capability. The interrupt software is designed to be simple to use. COM1 can be configured for RS-232 or RS-485 communication, COM2 is dedicated as RS-485 port. COM3 and COM4 are dedicated as RS-232 ports. The EX988 Controllers have a real time clock built in, together with a watchdog timer which is designed to reset the CPU if the system fails.

You can use these EX9188 controller to control a lot of EX9000 modules without the need for a host PC.
However the EX9188 controller can also be used for applications in other machines were low cost processing is required.