A Biodigester Micro-CHP Controller needs strong hardware. The Moduline IV offers stable control in rough field environments.

A Biodigester Micro-CHP Controller must run day and night. It has to manage heat, power and safety while the biodigester produces gas. Because these systems often sit in farms or small industrial sites, the controller must handle weather, vibration and long service hours.
The GOcontroll Moduline IV fits this need. It has a strong aluminium housing, flexible IO modules and a powerful processor for real-time control. As a result, the controller works well for managing pumps, valves, sensors and generator units inside a micro-CHP setup. It also offers easy software tools, which help teams adjust the control system quickly.

The Moduline IV was built for field use. It uses a CNC-milled EN-AW5083 aluminium housing, which protects the electronics from impact and harsh weather. Additionally, it includes a pressure-vent plug that lowers the risk of moisture inside the unit. This feature is helpful in farm environments where humidity is often high. The controller also supports temperatures from −20 to 85 °C, so it can run near engines or boilers without trouble.
Because micro-CHP systems run continuously, the controller needs a strong power base. The Moduline IV supports 8–32 VDC supply and has load-dump protection designed according to ISO 7637-2. Therefore, it handles unstable supply lines often found in off-grid or farm installations.

A Biodigester Micro-CHP Controller needs many sensor types. The Moduline IV supports up to eight Moduline IO modules, which helps engineers create the exact setup they need.
These modules can measure or control:

• Gas temperature

• Gas pressure

• CH₄ sensors

• Pump control signals

• Valve outputs

• Generator status lines

The Input Modules support analog, digital and frequency inputs, while output modules handle up to 4 A per pin. This makes it possible to drive small actuators or send signals to external power stages. The modules connect through sealed automotive connectors, so wiring stays protected from dust and moisture.

Stable combustion and heat flow are important in a micro-CHP system. The Moduline IV uses an NXP i.MX8M Mini processor with four ARM Cortex-A53 cores running at 1.6 GHz, giving enough power for real-time models. Engineers can build the control logic in MATLAB Simulink and deploy it directly to the controller. Therefore, they can create control blocks for gas mixing, ignition timing, generator load and heat output without coding.
Node-RED is also available by default. It helps create simple dashboards or push data to a local server. Because many biodigester owners want to see temperatures, gas levels or generator output on a phone or tablet, Node-RED gives a fast way to build these views.

A Biodigester Micro-CHP Controller often sits away from the main building. Because of this, stable communication helps operators respond to problems quickly.
The Moduline IV includes:

• 4 CAN 2.0B interfaces

• 1 LIN interface

• Ethernet (10/100 Mbps)

• USB for local tools

Optional features include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular and GNSS. These options allow the system to send logs or alarms to service teams. GOcontroll’s remote services support secure access, software updates, and predictive maintenance. This is useful for sites that run 24/7 and cannot afford downtime.

Below is a simple workflow for using the Moduline IV as a Biodigester Micro-CHP Controller:

Input stage

Temperature, pressure and flow sensors send their values to the input module. The controller reads these signals at a steady rate.

Control stage

A Simulink model calculates gas quality, burner needs and generator load. It adjusts valves and pumps through output modules.

Safety stage

The model checks gas levels, ignition status and temperature limits. If something goes wrong, the controller can shut down parts of the system.

Monitoring stage

Node-RED or a local HMI shows the system state. Operators can see heat output, gas production and energy flow.

Remote support

With optional wireless hardware, data can go to a cloud dashboard. This helps maintenance teams track system health and plan service.