What the new CompactLogix™ 5390 means for the future of control 

1. Could you please introduce yourself? 
 

SI: I'm Siva, Global Product Manager for CompactLogix, based in Singapore. I've been with Rockwell Automation for 20 years now. I spent nearly 8 years in engineering, primarily in hardware engineering, before transitioning into product management.

Since then, I've had the opportunity to manage several product portfolios, including Point I/O and the CompactLogix 5380 controllers and I/O platforms. Today, I'm focused on helping develop the next generation of CompactLogix controllers, including the new 5390 platform. 
 

2. Let's look at this new release; what sets the CompactLogix 5390 apart from previous generations? 

SI: If I had to highlight one thing, it would be simplification.

When we speak to customers, one of the biggest challenges they tell us about is simply selecting the right controller. Historically, within the CompactLogix portfolio, customers had more than 50 controller variants to choose from. Depending on the application they might need motion, safety, enhanced security or none of those features at all. What that means is engineers often spend a significant amount of time comparing controller specifications and feature sets before they can even begin developing their application.

With CompactLogix 5390, we took the opportunity to simplify the portfolio. We've integrated capabilities such as safety, motion and security into the platform, reducing the need to navigate multiple controller variants just to access specific functionality. Ultimately customers can spend less time selecting hardware and more time focusing on developing the application itself. That's the biggest difference with 5390. 
 

3. Where does CompactLogix 5390 sit within Rockwell Automation's broader control portfolio? 
 

SI: CompactLogix remains our mid-range control platform. At the entry level we have the Micro800 family, and at the higher end we have ControlLogix. That positioning isn't changing, but what we wanted to improve was the transition path between those platforms. Previously there wasn't always a smooth step from Micro800 into the Studio 5000 environment. While the CompactLogix 5380 portfolio offered an entry point, we saw an opportunity to make that progression even easier. That's one of the reasons we introduced a new 400 KB controller. It gives customers with smaller applications a more natural pathway into CompactLogix while still benefiting from the Studio 5000 ecosystem.

At the other end of the portfolio, we've expanded capability as well. Previously, some customers would run into limitations around motion control. With CompactLogix 5390, we're introducing support for up to 128 axes of motion on the 10 MB controller, creating a smoother progression between CompactLogix and ControlLogix for higher-performance applications.

Whether customers are moving up from a smaller controller or bridging toward larger, more demanding applications, the transition path is much more seamless.
 

4. How will CompactLogix 5390 help system integrators and OEMs deliver projects faster or more efficiently?

SI: There are two key areas I'd highlight...

The first is simplified controller selection. When OEMs and system integrators can spend less time working through controller variants and feature combinations, they can move much faster into system design and application development.

The second is architectural simplification. I've seen customers using a CompactLogix controller with one local I/O platform and then selecting a different platform for remote I/O. From an engineering perspective, that means learning multiple technologies, maintaining multiple architectures and training new employees across different systems.

Last year we launched PointMax I/O, and it has been very well received. With CompactLogix 5390, PointMax can now be used as local I/O as well. That means customers can standardise on a single controller platform and a single I/O platform across a much broader range of applications.

For a system integrator, that simplifies development. For a new engineer joining the business, it shortens the learning curve. And for OEMs, it means they can create more standardised architectures and deploy projects more efficiently.

At the same time, many of the traditional decisions around safety, motion and security become easier because those capabilities are already built into the platform. Customers can focus on developing the application rather than worrying about whether they've selected the right controller variant. 
 

5. Cybersecurity is becoming increasingly important in industrial environments. How was security approached in the design of the platform? 

SI: Security has changed dramatically over the last 10 to 15 years.

Historically, security was often treated as something that sat above the controller, typically at the application level. If you think about traditional software security, it was largely focused on detecting threats after they entered the system, but today's industrial environments require a different approach.

When we developed CompactLogix 5390, security was considered from the very beginning. It's built into the core architecture of the platform itself, starting at the hardware level and extending right through to the application layer. Internally, we follow a secure-by-design development approach, incorporating security throughout the product lifecycle. That includes technologies such as CIP Security, as well as support for industry requirements like IEC 62443 and emerging regulations such as the European Cyber Resilience Act.

The key point is that security can no longer be an add-on. It needs to be built into the foundation of the platform, and that's exactly how we've approached 5390.
 

6. How are you helping customers transition to CompactLogix 5390 without disruption? 

SI: One thing that's important to understand is that CompactLogix 5380 isn't going away.

Both platforms will continue to be available for the foreseeable future, and we're continuing to invest in and actively support the 5380 platform. We're not asking customers to rip and replace existing systems. What we're doing is giving customers another option.

If you've already migrated to CompactLogix 5380, you can continue to use that platform with confidence. But if you're planning a new machine, a new application or a migration from older controller families such as 1769-based systems, then 5390 presents a compelling opportunity.

Customers can benefit from integrated safety, motion and security capabilities, dual IP functionality and a more compact form factor. For some applications, reducing cabinet space is a significant consideration. In those cases, 5390 may be a particularly attractive option because it allows customers to achieve more functionality within a smaller footprint.

Ultimately, we're allowing customers to choose the platform that best fits their needs while ensuring they have a straightforward migration path when they're ready.

7. What excites you most about this launch?

SI: What excites me most is seeing customer feedback turned into a real product.

When we run voice-of-customer sessions, customers are very open about the challenges they face. They tell us what's making their jobs difficult, what's slowing projects down and where they need more flexibility.

One of the biggest themes we heard was complexity. Customers told us it was becoming cumbersome to navigate the portfolio, select the right controller and understand which features they needed for a particular application. We also heard feedback around scalability - customers didn't want to feel constrained by limitations around motion, Ethernet/IP nodes or future expansion requirements.

With CompactLogix 5390, we've addressed many of those concerns directly. We've simplified the portfolio, added more flexibility and removed a lot of the complexity that customers were telling us about.

Now I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with it. It's one thing to develop and launch a platform, but the real excitement comes when customers start using it to build new machines, new systems and new applications.

That's when you really find out whether you've solved the right problems. 

8. If customers take away one thing from this launch, what should it be? 

SI: Simplification. I know I've used that word throughout this conversation, but it really is the key message behind CompactLogix 5390.

If I look at the feedback we've received over the years, one of the most consistent themes has been reducing complexity. Customers wanted a simpler way to select controllers, greater flexibility as their applications evolved and a more straightforward path as they scaled their systems.

That's exactly what we've tried to deliver. Whether it's the streamlined controller portfolio, the integration of safety, motion and security, or the ability to standardise architectures using PointMax I/O, everything comes back to simplifying the experience for the customer.

If people remember one thing about CompactLogix 5390, I hope it's that we've made it easier for them to focus on their applications rather than the complexity behind them.