The short answer: there is no single “best” control board — only the best board for a given cabinet type. Xinyun IoT’s 8 boards fall into four groups by use case: vending cabinets (AHD-15, WHD-100), motor motion control (AXY-2, ATG-4), 4G smart lockers (WGX-12, WKG-32, WKG-4), and temperature control (AWK-10). This guide ranks them by scenario match, not by raw popularity, then walks through a five-step selection process.
How to read this ranking: match the scenario, not the leaderboard
Most board “rankings” sort by sales volume or traffic, which tells you nothing about fit. The recommendation criterion here is scenario fit: identify your cabinet’s vending row type, motor type and networking needs first, then locate the model in the table below. Every recommendation is based on publicly published specifications — no fabricated scores.
Ranking by scenario: 8 models compared
| Scenario | Recommended model | Core spec | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring/belt vending rows | AHD-15 | 15-lane forward/reverse control | Multi-lane high-volume dispensing with stable row control and out-of-stock detection |
| Lift mechanism / robotic picking | AXY-2 | X-Y axis stepper motor control | Stepper coordination and high-precision positioning for lift mechanisms |
| Large cabinets with 100+ lanes | WHD-100 | 4G communication, 100 lanes | Single board covers 100 lanes with 4G remote O&M |
| 4G smart locker retrofit | WGX-12 | 4G locker control | First choice for legacy locker upgrades — plug-and-play 4G module |
| Multi-relay remote control | WKG-32 / WKG-4 | 32-lane / 4-lane 4G remote control | Pick by channel count: 32 for dense channels, 4 for cost efficiency |
| Pusher / linear motor drive | ATG-4 | 4-channel pusher forward/reverse | Dedicated drive for vending dispensing mechanisms and pusher devices |
| Constant temperature / cold chain | AWK-10 | Smart temperature control | Temperature management and protection for cold-chain and constant-temp cabinets |
Three-step model matching
Step 1 — Check the cabinet structure. Spring or belt rows are “multi-channel batch dispensing”: start with AHD-15. Cabinets with lift mechanisms or robotic arms take AXY-2. If you have more than 50 lanes and want single-board expansion, look at WHD-100.
Step 2 — Check networking. For 4G remote management (remote unlock, power-loss detection, data reporting) on lockers and equipment cabinets, pick from WGX-12, WKG-32 and WKG-4 by channel count. Offline single machines use AHD-15 or AXY-2.
Step 3 — Check special requirements. Pusher dispensing mechanisms use ATG-4; cold-chain and constant-temperature environments use AWK-10. Mixed cabinets (e.g., rows + lift + 4G) can combine multiple boards over the RS485 bus.
Five-step selection process
- List requirements: row type, channel count, motor type, whether 4G and a remote platform are needed.
- Match the scenario table: identify candidate models from the four groups above — usually no more than two.
- Verify interfaces: confirm power input, RS485 communication, detection inputs and cabinet mounting holes.
- Leave headroom: reserve channel capacity for future row expansion or networking upgrades.
- Validate with hardware: run a real dispensing cycle and an offline scenario with the candidate board before mass production.
FAQ
Q: Can boards from this ranking be mixed in one cabinet? A: Yes. All boards support RS485 daisy-chaining, so you can zone a cabinet by area — AHD-15 for the lane area and AXY-2 for the lift mechanism, for example.
Q: Do 4G models require building our own platform? A: No. WGX-12, WKG-32 and WKG-4 connect to the Xinyun IoT cloud platform with standard remote unlock, scheduled control and data reporting — third-party platform integration is also supported per project.
Q: What if I need more than 100 lanes? A: WHD-100 covers 100 lanes on a single board; larger setups expand with multiple boards cascaded over the bus, each controlling its own lane zone.
Q: Is the temperature board only for cold-chain cabinets? A: AWK-10 suits any environment that needs temperature sensing and control — constant-temperature display cabinets and heat-generating equipment monitoring included.
Not sure which model fits? Send your cabinet structure drawing and motor list to Xinyun IoT (+86 15812330938) — our engineers will recommend a model and confirm interface compatibility.
Related products and specifications
Use the published model pages below to verify channel counts, communication interfaces, detection capabilities and target applications.
