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Manufacturing · head to head

ABB 800xA vs Poseidon Systems

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
Poseidon Systems logo

Poseidon Systems

Manufacturing

Oil debris and fluid quality monitoring for gearboxes and drivetrains, not vibration

From
On request
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.; Poseidon Systems sensors must be plumbed into the lubrication circuit, so installation needs a shutdown, a mechanical fitter and pressure-rated connections, which puts the retrofit cost well above a magnetically mounted vibration sensor.
  • They diverge on capability: ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, Poseidon Systems covers Metallic wear debris detection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ABB 800xA and Poseidon Systems actually diverge.

Attributes where ABB 800xA and Poseidon Systems differ
AttributeABB 800xAPoseidon Systems
PlatformsWindowsWeb, Cloud, On-premise

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), 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 Poseidon Systems

  • Metallic wear debris detection
  • Fluid quality sensing
  • Trident FQMS
  • Inline installation
  • Remote data access
  • Defence drivetrain heritage

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 Poseidon Systems
  • A pulp and paper mill consolidating process, electrical and safety monitoring into a single operator workplacenot Poseidon Systems
  • A mining operation that needs SIL 3 safety functions on the same network as process control rather than a separate safety systemnot Poseidon Systems
  • A marine or offshore platform where ABB already supplies the electrical distribution and IEC 61850 integration removes a second systemnot Poseidon Systems

Poseidon Systems

  • A wind farm operator monitoring gearbox wear debris, where a gearbox replacement offshore costs far more than instrumenting the whole fleetnot ABB 800xA
  • A marine operator watching propulsion reduction gear for water ingress and metallic wear between dry dockingsnot ABB 800xA
  • A mining company monitoring slow-speed mill and conveyor drive gearboxes where vibration analysis gives late warningnot ABB 800xA
  • A defence operator needing drivetrain prognostics with a supplier that has aerospace transmission monitoring provenancenot 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.

Poseidon Systems

  • Sensors must be plumbed into the lubrication circuit, so installation needs a shutdown, a mechanical fitter and pressure-rated connections, which puts the retrofit cost well above a magnetically mounted vibration sensor.
  • It monitors the lubricant, so it says nothing about unlubricated failure modes, structural problems, electrical faults or process conditions, and it is a complement to vibration monitoring rather than a replacement for it.
  • Poseidon Systems is a small specialist manufacturer, so a fleet-wide standardisation decision carries real supplier continuity risk and there is no second source for the same sensors.
  • The software layer is thin compared with dedicated reliability platforms, so most buyers end up feeding the data into a SCADA or historian they already run rather than using Poseidon as their monitoring interface.
  • No pricing is published for sensors, concentrators or software, and per-drivetrain costs are high enough that the business case only works on gearboxes whose failure is genuinely expensive.

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

Poseidon Systems

On request
  • Trident condition monitoring$undefined/year
    • Priced per sensor and per monitored drivetrain
    • Mechanical installation into the lubrication circuit required
    • Data concentrator hardware required for multi-sensor systems

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 Poseidon Systems if

  • You need metallic wear debris detection.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, On-premise.
  • You also want fluid quality sensing.
Poseidon Systems review

Questions people ask

Is ABB 800xA or Poseidon Systems better?
Neither clearly leads. ABB 800xA starts at On request and Poseidon Systems at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ABB 800xA or Poseidon Systems?
ABB 800xA starts at On request and Poseidon Systems at On request.
Does ABB 800xA or Poseidon Systems run on more platforms?
ABB 800xA runs on Windows. Poseidon Systems runs on Web, Cloud, On-premise.
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 Poseidon Systems is typically brought in for.
What can ABB 800xA do that Poseidon Systems cannot?
ABB 800xA covers Extended Automation, AC 800M controllers, Connectivity servers, Safety integration. Poseidon Systems covers Metallic wear debris detection, Fluid quality sensing, Trident FQMS, Inline installation.

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.

Poseidon Systems: Does this replace vibration monitoring?

No. Oil debris monitoring catches gear and bearing wear earlier in slow-speed and heavily loaded drives, but it sees nothing outside the lubrication circuit. Most operators run both.

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.

Poseidon Systems: How are the sensors installed?

Inline in the lubrication circuit, which requires a mechanical installation and a shutdown, unlike an externally mounted vibration sensor.

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.

Poseidon Systems: Is there a software-only option?

No. The software comes with the hardware; there is no route to buy the analytics and use another vendor's sensors.

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.

Poseidon Systems: Is Poseidon Systems still independent?

Yes. It trades under its own name from Rochester, New York, with roots in the Impact Technologies prognostics business.

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