Omron NX-SL & G9SP

Image URLs on Omron.eu, Pilz.com and Sick.com are served from gated CDN paths that change per session — embed from each product page's rendered <img> tag on the day of the meeting rather than hot-linking the path captured here.

At a glance

• Category: Programmable / configurable machine safety controller reaching Performance Level e (PL e), Category 4 per EN ISO 13849-1 and Safety Integrity Level 3 (SIL 3) per IEC 61508 / IEC 62061. Two Omron answers cover two buying motions:
  • NX-SL — Safety CPU Unit for the NX / NJ Sysmac platform. Configured and programmed in Sysmac Studio, communicates via Safety over EtherCAT (FSoE), optionally Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) Safety on the NX-SL5 generation.
  • G9SP — standalone configurable safety controller (no Sysmac needed). Programmed in the free G9SP Configurator. Optional non-safety serial and Ethernet gateways to the standard PLC.
• Typical DACH applications: robot cells, packaging and bottling lines, machine-builder OEM (original equipment manufacturer) machines sold into automotive / food & beverage / intralogistics, muting cascades on palletisers and bottle fillers, press-brake and sheet-metal safeguarding, CNC (computer numerical control) loaders, Sysmac-backbone production lines where motion, vision, I/O and safety need to share one engineering tool.
• Price positioning: Mid-to-upper market in DACH. NX-SL is typically positioned against Pilz PNOZmulti 2 and Sick Flexi Soft at comparable project cost once you include the Safety CPU, EtherCAT coupler, NX-SI input units and NX-SO output units; G9SP is positioned against PNOZmulti 2 on small-to-mid standalone cells where Sysmac is not in scope.
• Headline selling point:
  • NX-SL: one engineering tool (Sysmac Studio) for standard logic, motion, vision and safety, over one cable (EtherCAT + FSoE), with up to 128 Safety I/O Units and 2 032 safety points on the NX-SL5700 — the densest integrated-safety offer in the three-vendor comparison.
  • G9SP: up to 20 PNP safety inputs plus 8 PNP OSSD (Output Signal Switching Device) safety outputs in a single standalone box, programmed in a free configurator, with optional serial and Ethernet gateways — a clean, low-friction alternative to a PNOZmulti 2 base unit plus expansion.
• Honest framing for DACH: Pilz is the category-definer. In Switzerland and Germany, safety engineers default to Pilz PNOZmulti 2 on machine-builder OEM builds and Sick Flexi Soft where Sick light curtains, scanners and switches are already specified — the Flexi Soft pairs naturally with the rest of the Sick safety catalogue. NX-SL wins inside a Sysmac decision (the customer has already chosen NJ / NX, or is evaluating the whole stack). G9SP wins as a small-footprint standalone when the customer specifically doesn't want a Pilz ecosystem lock-in and doesn't want to pay for Sysmac. Trying to flip a committed Pilz house to Omron safety on a per-machine basis, without the PLC / motion / drives context, is the hardest fight in the category.

Key specifications

DACH-standard safety output is PNP OSSD. The comparison is structured as: NX-SL (Sysmac-integrated) and G9SP (standalone) vs Pilz PNOZmulti 2 base unit (PNOZ m B0 / PNOZ m B1) and Sick Flexi Soft FX3 main module (FX3-CPU0 base / FX3-CPU3 with Flexi Line + USB).

Where Omron wins

• One engineering tool, one cable (NX-SL only). Sysmac Studio configures the NJ / NX CPU, EtherCAT I/O, motion axes, vision, HMI and safety program in one project file. Safety inputs, safety outputs, safe motion (STO / SS1 / SS2 / SOS / SLS / SLP over FSoE to Omron 1S / G5 servos) and standard logic all share the same EtherCAT cable. On a comparable Pilz PNOZmulti 2 or Sick Flexi Soft build, the customer runs Sysmac Studio or Siemens TIA for the standard side, PNOZmulti Configurator or Safety Designer for the safety side, and physically wires two or more networks plus fieldbus gateway modules. Fewer tools, fewer modules, faster commissioning — this is the structural advantage to lead on inside a Sysmac decision.
• Density at the top of the range (NX-SL5700). 2 032 safety points, 128 Safety I/O Units and 4 MB program memory. A fully expanded PNOZmulti 2 base unit reaches tens of safety points with right-hand expansion; a fully expanded Flexi Soft FX3 reaches 96 safe inputs / 48 safe outputs. For big line-level safety — a multi-cell automotive body-in-white segment, a full bottling line with muting cascades at the palletiser, depalletiser and case-packer — NX-SL is the only one of the three that doesn't need a second controller to scale.
• Safe motion native (NX-SL). FSoE safe-motion function blocks on Omron 1S servos (STO, SS1, SS2, SOS, SLS, SLP — Safe Torque Off, Safe Stop 1 / 2, Safe Operating Stop, Safely Limited Speed / Position) configured inside the same safety program. Pilz reaches the equivalent via PNOZmulti + motion-monitoring modules (PNOZ m EF Multi or similar), Sick via Flexi Soft Drive Monitor / FX3-MOC. Both work; both are separate modules to specify and wire.
• CIP Safety path (NX-SL5 generation). The NX-SL5 family adds CIP Safety over EtherNet/IP, which matters if the end-of-line integrator is a Rockwell house or the plant has mixed-vendor Ethernet/IP and CIP Safety. Pilz and Sick both reach CIP Safety via gateway modules, not natively — NX-SL5 is closer to first-class on that protocol.
• Standalone density, no ecosystem (G9SP only). 20 inputs + 8 OSSDs + 6 test outputs in a single box, free configurator, no base-plus-expansion accounting. For a small-to-mid machine where the customer explicitly rejects a Pilz ecosystem pull-through (because they don't want Pilz rising to the PLC decision next time), G9SP is the cleanest answer — lower BOM than a PNOZ m B0 with a 45 mm base plus at least one expansion, and more honest about its positioning (it is a standalone box, and doesn't pretend to scale to line level).
• Published MTTFd / PFHd discipline across the Omron safety catalogue (E3Z, G9SP, NX-SL). Omron prints mean-time-to-dangerous-failure and PFHd figures on public datasheets across the safety catalogue, feeding SISTEMA (Safety Integrity Software Tool for the Evaluation of Machine Applications) calculations. Pilz and Sick both match this with per-block PFHd — it's a category norm now, but it's worth flagging as a published-number-not-letter discipline when the machine builder runs their own ISO 13849 file.

Where Pilz PNOZmulti 2 wins

• Brand default in DACH. Swiss and German safety engineers default to Pilz. Pilz wrote the category — "PNOZ" is a generic term in DACH safety culture the way "Tempo" is for tissues. A machine-builder safety file with PNOZmulti inside passes approval at OEM and end-user safety acceptance with no brand questions; an NX-SL file will sometimes draw a "why didn't you use Pilz?" from the end-user safety officer. This is not a technical argument — it's cultural. Don't pretend it doesn't exist.
• Matching safety sensor catalogue. PSENopt II light curtains, PSENslock / PSENmag / PSEN sl door switches, PSENcode RFID (radio-frequency identification) switches, PSENscan laser scanners. A fully-Pilz machine is a coherent catalogue with a single safety-handbook PFHd library, a single configurator (PNOZmulti Configurator), a single hotline in Ostfildern, and a single approval path. Omron's F3SG-SR, OS32C and D40 families are technically credible but don't have the same DACH brand-coherent pull.
• Pilz services wrap. Pilz sells risk assessment, safety-concept design, safety validation, CE marking support, and functional-safety training as a service line. When a machine-builder customer doesn't have in-house safety expertise, Pilz is often selected because the same brand also delivers the safety file. Omron's equivalent services exist but are less visible in DACH as a line item.
• Ethernet-native base unit (PNOZ m B1). Two integrated Ethernet interfaces on the m B1 base mean no ETH expansion module for diagnostics and non-safe communications. On an NX-SL build, diagnostics ride the NJ / NX EtherNet/IP port; on a G9SP build you add the -SCM gateway module. On Flexi Soft you add an FX3-GEPR gateway. Pilz is the only one with two Ethernet ports on the base unit at no module cost.
• PNOZmulti Configurator user experience. Graphic, icon-based. Users on Manufacturing Automation and control.com describe the tool as straightforward for non-programmers — which matches the typical electrical engineer writing a safety program in a small-to-mid machine shop. Sysmac Studio is more capable but also steeper for a first-time user, and Safety Designer sits between them.

Where Sick Flexi Soft wins

• Broadest safety-network gateway matrix. FSoE, PROFIsafe on PROFINET, EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP + CIP Safety, Modbus TCP, CC-Link, CANopen via FX3-G*** gateway modules. If the customer's PLC is a Siemens S7-1500F, a Rockwell GuardLogix, a Mitsubishi iQ-R with CC-Link IE Safety, or a mixed fleet, Flexi Soft is the neutral safety layer underneath. Both Pilz and Omron reach this, but the module catalogue behind Sick is broader.
• Pairing with Sick safety sensors. If the machine already has a Sick microScan3 / nanoScan3 / deTec4 light curtain, a Sick S300, or a Sick RFID interlock, Flexi Soft is the matching controller — same Safety Designer tool, same configuration file, same Sick safety handbook, same support hotline. In DACH, Sick is the default laser-scanner and light-curtain brand, so Flexi Soft pulls through by catalogue cohesion the way Omron can't on the optical-safety side.
• Flexi Line (cell-to-cell safe chaining). FX3-CPU3 supports Flexi Line — up to 32 Flexi Soft stations on a safety-chain between machines in a line. For automotive body-in-white, transfer lines, intralogistics conveyor cascades where safety needs to reach across cell boundaries without a central safety PLC, this is a specific Sick feature. Pilz has Pilz SafetyNET p (parallel positioning), Omron has FSoE between NX-SL controllers — the Sick model is the simplest of the three to commission on a linear cell layout.
• Drive Monitor (FX3-MOC) for safe motion. FX3-MOC provides safe motion monitoring for third-party drives (Bosch Rexroth, Siemens Sinamics, Lenze, SEW). Useful when the machine already has non-Omron servos and the customer wants safe-motion functions without switching the servo vendor. NX-SL's safe-motion wins only when the servos are Omron 1S / G5.
• Well-known, broadly taught. Flexi Soft has been on the market since 2008 with 50 000+ installs claimed by Sick. Swiss and German integrator staff, apprenticeship programmes, and trade-school curricula know Flexi Soft. Rolling out NX-SL on a plant with a dozen legacy Flexi Soft machines means retraining maintenance — and that's an argument against switching as much as an argument for keeping the incumbent.

Typical objections & responses

Researched from Rabwell PLC comparison article, Manufacturing Automation first-impressions on PNOZmulti Configurator, control.com product news on PNOZmulti 2 FSoE, automation.com Flexi Soft launch coverage, and Soup01 technical write-ups on Omron FSoE and Pilz FSoE master configuration.

• "We're a Pilz house — all our safety files are Pilz." (Most common DACH objection.) → Concede the brand reality, then reframe around the decision in front of the customer. "Understood — on existing machines we'd never suggest ripping Pilz out. The question is the next project. If the next machine needs integrated motion with safe-motion function blocks and a single engineering tool for the whole stack, NX-SL collapses what's currently two tools and two networks into one. If it's a traditional relay-logic-equivalent with a few guard doors and an e-stop chain, keep Pilz — we won't win that on technical grounds and we'll both look bad trying."
• "Sysmac Studio is a paid licence; PNOZmulti Configurator, Safety Designer and G9SP Configurator are free." (Valid. Sysmac Studio is licensed per-seat.) → "Correct, and it's a weak point inside pure-safety buying centres. Two responses: (a) on a full Sysmac project the Sysmac Studio licence is already sunk for the PLC / motion engineer, so safety rides in at zero marginal tool cost. (b) On a safety-only decision we should be putting G9SP with its free configurator in front of you, not NX-SL. If you want NX-SL the case has to include the motion / vision / controller value, not just the safety logic."
• "FSoE compatibility across brands is murky — Omron's own documentation says 'for compatibility with FSoE devices other than Omron, the customer must validate FSoE communications'." (Sourced from Omron NX-SL technical documentation captured in the Soup01 FSoE walk-through.) → "Fair flag. FSoE is an ETG (EtherCAT Technology Group) standard and multi-vendor in principle, but the validation statement is Omron being conservative. On mixed-vendor FSoE, Sick Flexi Soft and Pilz PNOZmulti 2 have longer public interop track records. On single-vendor Omron FSoE (NX-SL master + Omron 1S servos + NX safety I/O), it's plug-and-play. Scope the project: is your FSoE slave list all-Omron, or mixed?"
• "Pilz writes the safety file for us; Omron expects us to write our own." (DACH services-wrap objection.) → "Pilz Services is a real differentiator, don't argue with it. Two angles: (a) for customers who want CE marking delivered, Pilz is sometimes the right answer and we'll lose that deal — that's fine. (b) For machine builders who already have an internal safety officer and an existing SISTEMA workflow, the Pilz service wrap is value they're paying for but not using. Omron price against the hardware alone, and the delta funds an external safety consultant if needed. In Switzerland, Sibe Suisse and a handful of independent TÜV-aligned consultants do exactly this work."
• "Flexi Soft is already in half our plants — switching means retraining." (Sick-incumbent objection.) → "Valid and expensive. We wouldn't propose replacement; we'd propose NX-SL on the next Sysmac-backbone machine and leave Flexi Soft where it runs. On retrofits where a Sick laser scanner is already in the cell, we integrate it — F3SG-SR, OS32C and the Sick optical-safety family all emit standard PNP OSSDs and wire the same way into an NX-SI input. The safety-layer change doesn't need a sensor-layer change."
• "Omron Sysmac Studio is harder to learn than PNOZmulti Configurator." (Usability objection — true for a first-time safety-only user.) → "Agreed on first-use curve. PNOZmulti Configurator and Safety Designer are simpler because they only do safety. Sysmac Studio does everything, so the safety workspace sits inside a bigger tool. For a machine builder who standardises on Sysmac for PLC and motion, that's an advantage — one tool, one project file. For a cabinet builder who only touches safety, it's a disadvantage. Match the tool to the buyer."
• "We don't see NX-SL in Swiss integrator references — Pilz and Sick are everywhere here." (True and structural.) → "Reference depth is a real gap in DACH today. What I can put on the table: a site visit to an existing Sysmac + NX-SL installation (internal list, to confirm), an Omron Switzerland applications engineer on-site for commissioning, and a written support SLA (service-level agreement) on response time. If the decision turns on reference density alone, Pilz will win. If it turns on architecture fit for a Sysmac project, NX-SL wins on merit."

The switch story

The NX-SL and G9SP stories are different and need to be sold differently.

NX-SL is an architecture sell, not a safety-layer sell. The moment a customer is evaluating the whole Sysmac stack — NJ or NX CPU, 1S servos, Sysmac Studio as the engineering tool, EtherCAT as the machine bus — NX-SL is the native safety layer. Putting a PNOZmulti 2 or a Flexi Soft next to a Sysmac project means running a second engineering tool, wiring a second network (even if it's EtherCAT with a Pilz FSoE module, the configuration lives in PNOZmulti Configurator not Sysmac Studio), and specifying a fieldbus gateway. NX-SL removes those. The pitch is not "NX-SL is a better safety controller than PNOZmulti" — it's "inside a Sysmac decision, NX-SL is the zero-friction safety layer, and the value is system-level, not safety-only." Lead with a Sysmac architecture conversation; let the safety logic follow.

G9SP is a cost-and-simplicity sell against PNOZmulti 2 on small-to-mid standalone. On a machine with ~20 safety inputs, ~8 safety outputs, one or two muting cascades, no safety-networked drives, and no requirement to integrate with a line-level safety controller, a G9SP-N20S plus its free configurator is a shorter BOM (bill of materials) than a PNOZ m B0 plus the right-hand expansion required to reach the same I/O count. Pitch against the full Pilz line item: base unit plus expansion plus Configurator (free basic) plus ecosystem pull-through. G9SP wins on a "we don't need Pilz services, we need the box" buyer. Don't pitch G9SP on a Sysmac-backbone machine — the customer should be looking at NX-SL.

Cell chaining is a Sick question. If the machine is part of a linear transfer line where safety needs to propagate cell-to-cell without a plant-level safety PLC, Flexi Soft's Flexi Line is the reference answer. NX-SL can do this over FSoE between NX-SL controllers, and Pilz does it over PNOZmulti Link or SafetyNET p, but Sick's Flexi Line is the best-known simplest implementation in DACH. Don't force an NX-SL into that slot — lose small, keep the customer.

Mixed-vendor PLC / safety decoupling is a Flexi Soft question. If the plant has a Siemens S7-1500F via PROFIsafe, a Rockwell GuardLogix via CIP Safety, and an Omron NJ via EtherCAT all in the same hall, Flexi Soft's gateway matrix is the neutral safety layer that plugs into each. NX-SL is the right answer only when you're changing the PLC decision at the same time, which is a bigger sales motion than one machine.

Application examples

• Sysmac-integrated robot cell with safe-motion. NX-SL3500 Safety CPU + NX-SIH400 safety input units (4 safe PNP inputs each) + NX-SOH200 safety output units (2 safe PNP OSSDs each) + Omron 1S servo with safe-motion via FSoE. Cell functions: light-curtain muting on part entry, STO on e-stop, SS1 on guard-door open, SLS during teach mode. Competes directly with PNOZmulti 2 + PNOZ m EF Multi motion module, or Flexi Soft + FX3-MOC. Lead NX-SL when the customer is buying Omron 1S servos; lose gracefully if the servos are Siemens or Bosch Rexroth.
• High-density line-level safety on a bottling line. NX-SL5700 (2 032 safety points, 128 Safety I/O Units) across the bottle filler, capper, labeller, palletiser and palletiser-muting cascade. One safety program, one Sysmac Studio project, one network (EtherCAT + FSoE). Pilz would require a PNOZmulti 2 on each cell and a SafetyNET p or safe-link to chain them; Flexi Soft would require multiple FX3-CPU3 + Flexi Line. NX-SL is the only single-controller answer at this scale.
• Standalone small-to-mid machine, no Sysmac. G9SP-N20S (20 safe inputs + 8 OSSDs + 6 test outputs). Typical spec: a sheet-metal press with two light curtains, four guard-door switches, two e-stops, two reset buttons, one EDM loop on the press contactor, one safe speed monitor via a PNP pulse input. Competes directly with PNOZ m B0 + expansion. G9SP is a one-module BOM.
• Muting cascade on palletiser infeed. Two-sensor parallel muting on the pallet-pass-through, sequential muting on the outfeed roller conveyor. NX-SL with certified muting function blocks in Sysmac Studio; or G9SP with muting function blocks in G9SP Configurator. Matches PNOZmulti 2 muting blocks and Flexi Soft native muting in Safety Designer — functional parity, win on architecture fit.
• Press brake / hydraulic press safeguarding. Two-hand control (per EN 574), F3SG-SR light curtain with blanking, safe speed monitor on the ram via NX-SL + Omron 1S servo safe motion, or G9SP + G9SA contactors + speed-monitor safety relay. On a Sysmac-backbone press, NX-SL with integrated safe-motion wins over PNOZmulti 2 + motion-monitor or Flexi Soft + FX3-MOC.
• CNC machine tool loading robot cell. Safety interlock on the loader door, muting on the part-pass window, e-stop chain across the cell, safe-speed limit during maintenance jog. NX-SL inside a Sysmac-controlled cell, or G9SP standalone if the CNC is third-party and the loader is on a separate controller.
• Automotive body-in-white transfer line with cell-to-cell safety. Flexi Soft with Flexi Line is the category default and we'll lose this one on reference weight. NX-SL5700 can chain safety between cells via FSoE, but the reference story in DACH is thinner. Pilz SafetyNET p is the other option. Honest answer: unless there's a strong Sysmac pull on the PLC side, let Sick take the safety layer and integrate over EtherNet/IP at the cell boundaries.
• AGV / AMR (automated guided vehicle / autonomous mobile robot) charging-station safety. G9SP standalone for the charging-station interlock, dock-presence, safe-stop and e-stop chain. Competes with a PNOZ m B0 on an AGV manufacturer's docking spec. G9SP is compact enough to fit inside the station cabinet without a base-plus-expansion assembly.
• Intralogistics sorter / diverter safety. NX-SL on a Sysmac-controlled sorter where the safety I/O rides the same EtherCAT backbone as the standard logic and motion. Honest framing: if the existing plant safety standard is PNOZmulti 2 in a cabinet at every sorter cell, we're not going to displace it mid-project. Pitch on the next greenfield sorter.
• Food & beverage packaging line washdown-adjacent cabinet. NX-SL or G9SP inside an IP54 cabinet with the washdown-rated light curtains (F3SG-SR PNP) outside. Same electrical wiring standard as a PNOZmulti 2 + PSENopt II or Flexi Soft + deTec4. Pitch on Sysmac if the line is Omron-controlled; drop to G9SP if standalone.
• Machine-builder OEM replacement / drop-in. A customer standardised on PNOZmulti 2 wants a second-source safety controller because of lead-time or price pressure on Pilz. G9SP on small-to-mid machines is the credible drop-in; NX-SL is a bigger architectural shift and shouldn't be pitched as a drop-in. Pick the right horse.
• Safe torque off (STO) wiring on small conveyors. A minimal case: one e-stop, one door switch, two STO channels to a 1S servo drive. G9SP-N10S is overkill in I/O count but simpler to commission than a PNOZ m B0 with two expansion points. Against Pilz, this is a "fewer line items, free tool" win.

Sources

• Omron NX-SL datasheet (F109) — https://files.omron.eu/downloads/latest/datasheet/en/f109_nx-sl3_safety_cpu_unit_datasheet_en.pdf. Captured as PDF for NX-SL3 family; NX-SL5 family (NX-SL5500 / NX-SL5700) covered in the datasheet at https://mm.digikey.com/Volume0/opasdata/d220001/medias/docus/2978/NX-SL(SI,SO)%20Series.pdf and the Omron product page https://industrial.omron.eu/en/products/NX-SL5700. Ratings: SIL 3 / PL e / Cat 4.
• Omron G9SP datasheet — https://assets.omron.eu/downloads/latest/datasheet/en/g9sp_standalone_safety_controller_datasheet_en.pdf and https://files.omron.eu/downloads/latest/datasheet/en/f090_g9sp_safety_controller_datasheet_en.pdf. I/O counts per model (N10S / N10D / N20S) per https://www.mouser.com/datasheet/2/307/Safety_G9SP_DS_EN_202010_F42I_E_05-1660525.pdf.
• Omron NX-SL3 / NX-SL5 specifications page — https://www.ia.omron.com/products/family/3243/specification.html and https://www.ia.omron.com/products/family/3813/specification.html. SIL 3 / PL e / Cat 4, FSoE per IEC 61508, NX-SL5700 2 032 safety points / 128 Safety I/O Units / 4 MB.
• Pilz PNOZ m B0 operating manual — https://pim.galco.com/Manufacturer/Pilz/TechDocument/Operation%20Manual/772100_opm.pdf, https://cdn.logic-control.com/docs/pilz-safety/Manuals/PNOZ_m_B0_Operating_Manual_1002660-EN-11.pdf. 20 safe inputs (of which up to 8 switchable as outputs), 4 safe semiconductor outputs + 4 configurable semiconductor outputs / test pulse. PL e / SIL CL 3. Dimensions 45 × 101.4 × 120 mm.
• Pilz PNOZ m B0.1 datasheet — https://media.automation24.com/datasheet/en/772104-17.pdf.
• Pilz PNOZ m B1 datasheet — https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/2574582.pdf, Pilz eShop https://www.pilz.com/en-INT/eshop/product/772101. No on-board I/O, 4 clock outputs, two Ethernet interfaces, 8 right-hand expansion modules supported.
• Pilz FAQ on PNOZ m B0 inputs / outputs and PFHd — https://www.pilz.com/en-INT/support/faq/products-solutions/articles/181058 (PFHd per block on PNOZ m B0: Logic CPU 4.74 × 10⁻¹⁰, expansion left 3.30 × 10⁻¹¹, expansion right 2.79 × 10⁻¹¹).
• Pilz PNOZmulti Configurator product page — https://www.pilz.com/en-INT/products/small-controllers/software. Licence-cost-free basic functionality; simulation function from v10.9.
• Sick Flexi Soft FX3-CPU0 datasheet — https://www.sick.com/media/pdf/7/77/477/dataSheet_FX3-CPU000000_1043783_en.pdf. FX3 CPU supports 96 safe inputs / 48 safe outputs max when fully expanded, up to 12 expansion modules + 2 gateways.
• Sick Flexi Soft FX3-CPU3 datasheet — https://www.sick.com/media/pdf/4/44/944/dataSheet_FX3-CPU320002_1059305_en.pdf. Adds USB programming and Flexi Line.
• Sick Flexi Soft product information — https://www.sick.com/media/docs/6/66/166/product_information_flexi_soft_safety_controllers_en_im0051166.pdf.
• Sick Flexi Soft hardware operating instructions — https://www.sick.com/media/docs/0/60/660/operating_instructions_flexi_soft_modular_safety_controller_hardware_en_im0031660.pdf.
• Sick Safety Designer software page — https://www.sick.com/ag/en/safety-designer/p/p444968.
• Pilz PNOZmulti 2 FSoE launch coverage — https://control.com/news/pilz-pnozmulti-2-small-controller-now-with-safety-over-ethercat-fsoe-for-security-and-efficiency/.
• Soup01 technical walk-through — Pilz PNOZmulti 2 FSoE Master — http://soup01.com/en/2024/04/30/pilzpnozmulti-2_part2_configure-an-fsoe-master/.
• Soup01 technical walk-through — Omron NX-SL5700 FSoE with ECC203 — http://soup01.com/en/2024/04/16/omronlets-build-an-ethercat-fsoe-network-with-sl5700-x-ecc203/.
• Rabwell PLC comparison of safety PLCs — https://rabwellplc.com/blogs/news/omron-safety-plc-competitors-analysis.
• Manufacturing Automation first impressions — PNOZmulti Configurator — https://www.automationmag.com/4099-first-impressions-pilz-safety-pnozmulti-configurator/.
• Objections research — Rabwell PLC comparison article, control.com news item on PNOZmulti FSoE (2023), automation.com coverage of Sick FX3 Flexi Soft launch, Manufacturing Automation on PNOZmulti Configurator, Soup01 walk-throughs on Pilz FSoE and Omron FSoE for the "FSoE cross-vendor compatibility" objection. Snapshots not stored — cited in card so Julian can re-verify before a specific meeting.

Open questions

• Captured Pilz HTML (pdfs/other-competitors/pilz-pnozmulti-specs.html) resolved to a 404 error page — the Pilz navigation is there but the specification content is not. Re-scrape with a deep-link to https://www.pilz.com/en-INT/products/small-controllers/configurable-control-systems and the product-specific base-unit pages (772100 / 772104 / 772101) to get PNOZmulti 2 content captured locally.
• No captured HTML for Sick Flexi Soft in pdfs/other-competitors/ — only sick-detec4-specs.html (light curtain) and sick-ue-relays-specs.html (relays) exist. Snapshot the FX3-CPU0 and FX3-CPU3 product pages plus the Safety Designer page before the next Julian meeting that mentions Sick.
• Exact per-model PFHd on NX-SL3300 / NX-SL3500 / NX-SL5500 / NX-SL5700 and on G9SP-N10S / N10D / N20S — not found on the public product pages captured; likely in the Sysmac Studio Safety Data Handbook and the G9SP appendix manual. Pull internally.
• NX-SL licence-cost structure inside Sysmac Studio — Sysmac Studio is per-seat licensed. Confirm whether the safety workspace is included in the base Sysmac Studio licence or is a separately-priced safety option. This directly drives the "Sysmac Studio is paid vs PNOZmulti / Safety Designer / G9SP Configurator free" objection.
• NX-SL5 CIP Safety support — NX-SL5500 and NX-SL5700 both claim CIP Safety, but the exact conformance level (originator only vs originator + target, number of CIP Safety connections) is not fully captured. Pull from Omron product marketing.
• Omron matching safe-door-switch depth in DACH — Pilz PSEN family and Euchner CES are the brand defaults for guard locking on DACH machine builds. Omron D40A / D40Z coverage and RFID-coded switch availability in Switzerland stock need internal-distribution verification.
• Swiss services-wrap — Pilz Services sells risk assessment and CE marking as a line item. Omron Switzerland should have an equivalent offer (internal or via a Swiss integrator partner); confirm and name the partner so the "Pilz delivers the safety file, Omron doesn't" objection has a concrete counter-answer.
• FSoE multi-vendor interop track record — Omron's documented "validate cross-vendor FSoE" statement is a conservative note, but a list of known interoperating slaves (Pilz FSoE outputs into Omron NX-SL master, Sick Flexi Soft FSoE slave into Omron master, Omron FSoE master to Beckhoff TwinSAFE) would materially strengthen the objection response. Pull from Omron FSoE interop lab test reports.
• Image URLs — Omron.eu, Pilz.com and Sick.com serve product images from gated CDN paths that change per session (Pilz routes via /imagecache/mam/pilz/images/..., Sick via cdn.sick.com/media/...). Embed from each product page's rendered <img> tag on the day of the meeting rather than hot-linking a path captured here.