SHARP ZW Series Modules ZW-164S

Technical Dossier

Product Details And Specifications

SHARP ZW Series Technical Notes

The SHARP ZW series represents one of Japan's most widely deployed compact PLC families in heavy industrial environments. Installed across petrochemical refineries, chemical processing plants, nuclear facility auxiliary systems, and continuous manufacturing lines throughout Asia and the Middle East, the ZW series established SHARP's position as a credible automation supplier during the 1980s–2000s industrial expansion cycle. Its modular rack-based architecture, deterministic scan cycle, and broad I/O density made it a preferred choice for OEM machine builders and system integrators requiring a cost-controlled, field-proven controller platform. Today, the ZW series is in the mature-to-end-of-life phase; SHARP has discontinued active production of most ZW variants, making third-party spare parts sourcing and lifecycle extension support the primary operational concern for installed-base customers.

The Evolution of ZW Series Architecture

The ZW series was introduced as a successor to SHARP's earlier JW-series PLC platform, inheriting the JW instruction set while transitioning to a more compact form factor and higher I/O density per rack slot. Early ZW units (ZW-162S, ZW-164S, ZW-166S) used a parallel backplane bus operating at TTL logic levels, with CPU modules executing ladder logic at scan rates of 1–10 ms depending on program size. The series supported both fixed I/O configurations and modular expansion via dedicated expansion racks connected through proprietary ribbon or D-sub cables.

Mid-generation ZW modules introduced analog I/O capability (ZW-20DA1, ZW-24DA1) and limited communication adapters for RS-232C and RS-485 serial links, enabling basic SCADA integration. Later variants added support for SHARP's proprietary JW-NET industrial network, allowing multi-drop configurations across larger plant sections. The ZW series never adopted open fieldbus standards (PROFIBUS, DeviceNet, EtherNet/IP), which has contributed to its isolation from modern DCS migration projects and accelerated its obsolescence timeline. Compatibility between early and late ZW backplanes is limited; CPU firmware versions must be matched to I/O module generations to avoid bus arbitration faults.

SHARP ZW Series Full Catalog & Functionalities (SKU List)

The following SKUs represent the core ZW series module range. Each entry reflects a distinct hardware function within the ZW rack system.

ZW-162S: Compact CPU module, 16-point fixed I/O, 2K step program memory.
ZW-164S: Standard CPU module, 16-point I/O, 4K step memory, RS-232C port onboard.
ZW-166S: Enhanced CPU, 16-point I/O, 6K step memory, extended instruction set.
ZW-20EX1: 20-point DC input expansion module, sink/source configurable, 24VDC.
ZW-20AT1: 20-point transistor output module, NPN open-collector, 0.5A per point.
ZW-24RG1: 24-point relay output module, 2A/point, Form-A contacts, 250VAC rated.
ZW-28AT1: 28-point mixed I/O transistor module, 16DI / 12DO configuration.
ZW-32CT1: 32-point DC input module, high-density, common terminal block wiring.
ZW-40EX1: 40-point DC input expansion, dual common groups, 24VDC logic level.
ZW-40AT1: 40-point transistor output, high-density, NPN, 0.3A per point.
ZW-42RG1: 42-point relay output, dual-row terminal, 1A/point, general-purpose switching.
ZW-80EX1: 80-point DC input module, maximum density I/O for large machine control.
ZW-80AT1: 80-point transistor output, high-density NPN, requires external power supply.
ZW-162EX: CPU expansion module, extends program memory to 16K steps for ZW-162S base.
ZW-164EX: Memory expansion for ZW-164S, supports extended data register allocation.
ZW-20DA1: 2-channel analog output module, 4–20mA or 0–10V, 12-bit resolution.
ZW-24DA1: 4-channel analog output, 4–20mA, 12-bit, for process control valve positioning.

Quality Control for the ZW Series Range

The ZW series backplane bus and CPU-to-I/O communication architecture requires module-level functional testing rather than simple visual inspection. DriveKNMS applies the following verification protocol to all ZW inventory: