Omron / CJ series

Every CJ1W I/O unit number, the connector trap that catches people, and which units have short-circuit protection.

The CJ series is Omron's compact rack-based platform and it runs a great deal of New Zealand packaging, food and general manufacturing. CJ1 arrived in 2001, CJ2 followed as a fully compatible successor, and a lot of both is still in service.

CJ1 is largely discontinued. CJ2 is mature. We supply both from surplus and tested used stock, and can quote current CJ2 hardware as a distributor.

Read this before you order a connector-type unit

The single most expensive mistake on this platform, and it is one digit in the number.

Units with 32 or 64 points use a connector rather than a terminal block, and Omron supplies the same unit with two different connector types.

Same points, same voltage, same current. Different physical connector. Order the wrong one and your existing loom will not plug in.

The same split runs through the output range. Check the connector type on the unit before you order, not just the point count.

And the connectors are not included

Omron states it plainly: connectors are not included for models with connectors. You buy the connector separately, or use a Connector-Terminal Block Conversion Unit, or an I/O Relay Terminal.

That is an extra line item on every connector-type unit. Tell us the module list and we will include them.

CJ2 CPU units

The 3 versus 1 in the model number is the Ethernet port. A CJ2M-CPU31 has one, a CJ2M-CPU11 does not. Easy to misread and not something you can add later.

CJ2M comes in five program capacity variations from 5K steps to 60K steps. All models support up to 40 I/O units, regardless of CPU.

CJ2M-CPU31 as a worked example

Pulse I/O Modules

Up to two Pulse I/O Modules mount to the left side of a CJ2M CPU, adding positioning for up to four axes, high-speed counters, interrupt inputs and pulse train or PWM outputs.

Note these require CJ2M CPU units at unit version 2.0 or later. And as above, connectors are not provided.

Serial option boards

The CP1W-CIF41 Ethernet board and CP1W-DAM01 LCD board cannot be used with a CJ2M CPU. Those are CP-series only.

Also note the RS-232C serial port connector is not provided and must be purchased separately.

CJ1 CPU units

DC input units

AC and special input units

Relay and triac output units

A hazardous area note on the CJ1W-OA201. Omron states it is not UC1 cULus certified for Class I Division 2 hazardous locations. Every other unit in the output range carries that certification. If your installation is in a classified area, that one is excluded.

Transistor output units

Which units have load short-circuit protection

Only four: CJ1W-OC202, CJ1W-OD204, CJ1W-OD212 and CJ1W-OD232.

If you are replacing a unit on a circuit that has had a short, and the original had protection, the replacement needs it too. Substituting an OD211 for an OD212 loses the feature and the ERR indicator that tells you it has tripped.

Mixed I/O units

Analog units

Temperature and process units

Motion and counter units

Communications units

Power supplies and rack components

The CJ1W-BAT01 is worth knowing about before you need it. CJ series CPUs retain the program on a battery. If you have CJ racks in service and nobody knows when the batteries were last changed, act on that while the plant is running.

Do you have a current backup of the program? For a lot of older sites the honest answer is no, and that turns a battery failure into a much bigger problem.

Adding units to an existing rack

Two limits to check before you order.

40 I/O units maximum per PLC. That is the total across the system regardless of CPU model.

Power supply capacity. Each unit draws from the rack supply. A rack extended over the years can be close to its limit, and the next unit tips it over. A CJ1W-PA202 gives 14 W and a CJ1W-PA205R gives 25 W.

Watch for adapter loads too. Omron notes to add 0.15 A per unit when using NT-AL001 RS-232C/RS-422A adapters, and 0.04 A per unit for CJ1W-CIF11 adapters.

If you are adding rather than replacing, tell us what is already in the rack and we will check the budget.

CJ1W will not work on NJ or NX

Repeated from the Omron overview because it decides whether a migration is a swap or a rebuild.

CJ1W I/O units run on CS1 racks. Worth confirming the specific part against the CS1 system manual, since a small number of unit types are CJ-only.

CJ1W I/O units do not run on NJ or NX at all. The Sysmac generation uses a different EtherCAT-based architecture. Every module is replaced.

If the machine has years left, keeping the CJ system running on surplus spares is very often the cheaper answer.

What we can supply

CJ1 and older. CPUs, the full CJ1W I/O range, power supplies and communications units. Surplus and tested used, since official supply has largely ended.

CJ2. CPUs, Pulse I/O Modules, option boards and the shared CJ1W I/O range. New where available, surplus otherwise.

The awkward bits. Connectors, Connector-Terminal Block Conversion Units, I/O Relay Terminals and batteries. Small parts that stop a job.

We buy CJ series

If you are migrating to NX, the entire CJ rack is being replaced and every module has value to plants still running the platform. Do not scrap it. See Sell To Us.

Related

Omron overview for the platform map and number decode.

For equivalents from other brands see CompactLogix and SIMATIC S7-300.

Send us your model numbers

Include the full number. On 32 and 64 point units, tell us the connector type if you know it, or send a photo of the connector. If you are adding to a rack, list what is already in it. Quotes in NZD including GST.

Request a quote

Industech is an independent supplier of new, surplus and used industrial automation equipment. We are not an authorised distributor of, approved by, sanctioned by, or affiliated with OMRON Corporation. Omron and Sysmac are trademarks of OMRON Corporation. All trademarks, brand names and model numbers are the property of their respective owners and are used here for identification purposes only.