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Manufacturing · head to head

ABB 800xA vs Erbessd Instruments

ABB 800xA logo

ABB 800xA

Manufacturing

Distributed control system and process automation platform for continuous and hybrid process plants

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Erbessd Instruments logo

Erbessd Instruments

Manufacturing

Vibration analysis, dynamic balancing and wireless monitoring sold from a public online store

From
$999/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ABB 800xA licensing is by I/O count, controller count and workplace clients, and none of it is published, so two plants of similar size can be quoted very differently with no external benchmark to argue against.; Erbessd Instruments erbessd is a small manufacturer against SKF, Emerson and Bently Nevada, so global service coverage, calibration logistics and enterprise procurement processes are thinner than the incumbents.
  • They diverge on capability: ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, Erbessd Instruments covers DigivibeMX.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ABB 800xA and Erbessd Instruments actually diverge.

Attributes where ABB 800xA and Erbessd Instruments differ
AttributeABB 800xAErbessd Instruments
Starting priceOn request$999/one-time
Pricing modelquoteOne-time purchase
PlatformsWindowsWindows, Web, iOS, Android

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Manufacturing).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ABB 800xA

  • Extended Automation
  • AC 800M controllers
  • Connectivity servers
  • Safety integration
  • IEC 61850 electrical
  • Batch management
  • Information management
  • Asset optimisation

Only in Erbessd Instruments

  • DigivibeMX
  • Phantom wireless sensors
  • Gateway 2.0
  • EI-Analytic
  • Dynamic balancing
  • Thermographic camera module
  • Public online store
  • Local or cloud database

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ABB 800xA

  • A refinery replacing operator consoles and control room infrastructure while keeping working field controllers in placenot Erbessd Instruments
  • A pulp and paper mill consolidating process, electrical and safety monitoring into a single operator workplacenot Erbessd Instruments
  • A mining operation that needs SIL 3 safety functions on the same network as process control rather than a separate safety systemnot Erbessd Instruments
  • A marine or offshore platform where ABB already supplies the electrical distribution and IEC 61850 integration removes a second systemnot Erbessd Instruments

Erbessd Instruments

  • A reliability engineer costing a twenty-machine wireless monitoring pilot from published prices before requesting capitalnot ABB 800xA
  • A contract vibration analyst needing a portable analyser and two-plane field balancing in one instrumentnot ABB 800xA
  • A plant that wants to keep its vibration database on site rather than in a vendor cloud for security reasonsnot ABB 800xA
  • Adding current and temperature monitoring to the same wireless gateway as vibration without a second platformnot ABB 800xA

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ABB 800xA

  • Licensing is by I/O count, controller count and workplace clients, and none of it is published, so two plants of similar size can be quoted very differently with no external benchmark to argue against.
  • Engineering and commissioning typically cost more than the software and controller hardware together, and that share is not visible in the initial ABB quotation, which prices the system rather than the project.
  • It is Windows only for servers and workplaces, so the operating system lifecycle drives forced upgrade cycles that have nothing to do with your process.
  • Once configured, the aspect object model and the specific integrator conventions used make handing the system to a different service provider expensive; ABB service contracts are effectively sticky.
  • Software maintenance is an annual contract on top of the licence and lapsing it means you cannot take version upgrades, so the system quietly ages out of security support if the plant skips renewals to save money.

Erbessd Instruments

  • Erbessd is a small manufacturer against SKF, Emerson and Bently Nevada, so global service coverage, calibration logistics and enterprise procurement processes are thinner than the incumbents.
  • Nothing in the range carries functional safety certification, so it cannot perform machine protection or shutdown duties and must sit alongside a protection system on critical machines.
  • DigivibeMX is Windows-only, so an organisation standardised on managed cloud or Linux tooling has to maintain a Windows analysis workstation.
  • Enterprise integration is limited to APIs and generic protocols, so pushing findings into SAP PM or a large EAM will need custom middleware rather than a supported connector.
  • The hardware and software are a matched pair, so Phantom sensors are analysed through Erbessd software and cannot be pointed at a third-party analytics platform.

Pricing, plan by plan

ABB 800xA

On request
  • ABB Ability System 800xA$undefined/year
    • Licensed by I/O count, controller count and workplace clients
    • Sold as a project through ABB or a certified partner
    • Annual software maintenance contract priced separately

Erbessd Instruments

$999/one-time
  • Phantom sensors and gateways$999/one-time
    • Individual sensors, modules and gateways listed with prices in the public online store
    • Gateway 2.0 supports up to 250 sensors
    • USB gateway option for direct PC connection
  • DigivibeMX and EI-Analytic$undefined/year
    • Analysis software and analyser bundles sold by edition
    • Cloud platform access licensed separately from the local Windows database option
    • Bundle pricing for analyser, software and balancing kits quoted per configuration

Which should you pick?

Choose ABB 800xA if

  • You need extended automation.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want ac 800m controllers.
ABB 800xA review

Choose Erbessd Instruments if

  • You need digivibemx.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want phantom wireless sensors.
Erbessd Instruments review

Questions people ask

Is ABB 800xA or Erbessd Instruments better?
Neither clearly leads. ABB 800xA starts at On request and Erbessd Instruments at $999/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ABB 800xA or Erbessd Instruments?
ABB 800xA starts at On request and Erbessd Instruments at $999/one-time.
Does ABB 800xA or Erbessd Instruments run on more platforms?
ABB 800xA runs on Windows. Erbessd Instruments runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
What is ABB 800xA best used for?
ABB 800xA is most often used for a refinery replacing operator consoles and control room infrastructure while keeping working field controllers in place, a pulp and paper mill consolidating process, electrical and safety monitoring into a single operator workplace, a mining operation that needs sil 3 safety functions on the same network as process control rather than a separate safety system, a marine or offshore platform where abb already supplies the electrical distribution and iec 61850 integration removes a second system. Of those, a refinery replacing operator consoles and control room infrastructure while keeping working field controllers in place and a pulp and paper mill consolidating process, electrical and safety monitoring into a single operator workplace are not what Erbessd Instruments is typically brought in for.
What can ABB 800xA do that Erbessd Instruments cannot?
ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, AC 800M controllers, Connectivity servers, Safety integration. Erbessd Instruments covers DigivibeMX, Phantom wireless sensors, Gateway 2.0, EI-Analytic.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ABB 800xA: Is 800xA sold as a perpetual licence?

Yes, the system licence is perpetual, but a separate annual software maintenance agreement is required to receive updates and version upgrades.

Erbessd Instruments: Can I actually buy sensors online?

Yes. Erbessd runs a public store listing individual sensors, modules and both gateways with prices and stock, which is unusual in this sector.

ABB 800xA: Can 800xA control non-ABB field hardware?

Yes. Connectivity servers front third-party PLC and DCS systems and legacy ABB families, which is the main reason it wins brownfield projects.

Erbessd Instruments: Do I have to use the cloud?

No. DigivibeMX keeps data in a local database, and EI-Analytic is the optional browser-based alternative using the same sensors.

ABB 800xA: Does it replace a separate electrical SCADA?

It can. IEC 61850 substation integration is native, so many plants drop a separate electrical monitoring system.

Erbessd Instruments: How many sensors does one gateway take?

Gateway 2.0 supports up to 250 sensors; a USB gateway is available for direct PC connection.

ABB 800xA: What is the realistic implementation timeline?

A full plant migration is measured in years, not months; phased cutovers of one unit at a time are the norm.

Erbessd Instruments: Can it trip a machine on high vibration?

No. It is monitoring and diagnostics only, with no safety certification for protection duties.

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