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Atlas Copco Elektronikon Controller Generations Explained

The Elektronikon is Atlas Copco's controller for stationary compressors (GA, GX, ZR/ZT and dryers). Over time it has run through several generations — and the naming is not a clean single ladder. This guide lays out each generation, what changed, and how to tell them apart.

Read this first. Atlas Copco's own materials mix two naming systems: early mainboardrevisions (Mk III, Mk IV) of the original Elektronikon, and modern display/feature tiers(base → Graphic → Graphic Plus → Touch), later re-badged in the parts world as Mk5 and then Mk5S. So some boundaries below are marketing/service distinctions rather than hard technical breaks. Exact launch years are not published, so eras are approximate.

Quick comparison

Generation	Display	Era (approx)	Connectivity	Typically fitted to
Elektronikon (Mk III / Mk IV)	Segment / basic mono LCD + LEDs	1990s–late 2000s	Serial for service tools; fieldbus via add-on	Older GA screw compressors, dryers
Elektronikon I / I+	Basic monochrome LCD	~mid-2000s	Limited; module for Modbus/Profibus	Smaller / entry GA
Elektronikon II	Monochrome LCD, deeper menus	~mid–late 2000s	Serial + optional comms modules	GA / GA VSD and stationary screw
Mk5 (base / standard)	Graphic dot-matrix	~late 2000s+	Ethernet/USB/CAN; Modbus/Profibus via Gateway; SMARTLINK-ready	GA / GA VSD, GX, ZR/ZT
Mk5 Graphic	Graphic screen with trend graphs	2010s	As Mk5 base + on-screen graphs	GA / VSD, GX, ZR/ZT
Mk5 Graphic Plus	High-visibility colour graphic	2010s	Ethernet/USB/CAN; Gateway; SMARTLINK	Higher-end GA VSD, ZR/ZT
Mk5 Touch	4.3" colour touchscreen	~mid-2010s+	SMARTLINK 2.0 embedded; Ethernet/CAN/RS485/IO bus	GA / GA VSD⁺; popular retrofit
Mk5S Swipe	4.3" HD colour, swipe navigation	~2018–2020+	SMARTLINK 2.0; bus connectivity	Current GA / GA VSD⁺, retrofit path
Mk5S Touch	Colour touchscreen (Mk5S platform)	Current	SMARTLINK 2.0; bus connectivity	Current GA / GA VSD⁺

Legacy: Elektronikon I / II (and Mk III / Mk IV)

The original Elektronikon used a simple segment or monochrome LCD with warning LEDs (automatic operation, general alarm, service, voltage-on). Mk III and Mk IV are mainboard revisions of the same controller, not different screens — Mk IV improved the microprocessor hardware and wiring. The two-tier "Elektronikon I vs II" split that followed put a fuller-featured II (more parameters, deeper menus) above an entry-level I / I+. These handle core load/unload regulation, machine protection (temperature, motor overload, phase), service-hour monitoring and automatic restart after a voltage failure.

Current: Mk5 — Graphic, Graphic Plus and Touch

The Mk5 generation moved to a graphic screen with menu navigation and event logging. Mk5 Graphicadds real-time trend graphs so you can see how the machine has run. Mk5 Graphic Plus sits above it with a high-visibility colour screen and smarter, energy-optimising control. Mk5 Touch introduces a 4.3-inch colour touchscreen, features such as Delayed Second Stop and narrow pressure-band control, and is marketed heavily as a retrofit/upgrade controller. All of them use the modern connectivity stack — Ethernet, USB, CAN — with Modbus/Profibus available through a Gateway module, and are SMARTLINK-ready.

Newest: Mk5S (Swipe & Touch)

Mk5S is the newer platform, with a 4.3-inch HD colour screen — offered as Swipe (gesture navigation) and Touch. It carries the same protection and control feature set, can sequence multiple compressors with optional equaliser software, and connects to Atlas Copco's cloud through SMARTLINK 2.0. Note that public documentation does not cleanly separate "Mk5S Touch" from "Mk5 Touch" — match by the exact part number and serial.

What is SMARTLINK?

SMARTLINK is Atlas Copco's IoT / cloud remote-monitoring platform for Elektronikon-equipped machines. It provides 24/7 monitoring of pressure, temperature, running hours and operating mode via web and mobile app, real-time alerts, a service timeline and leakage-detection functionality. Modern machines connect at no extra cost; the current iteration is SMARTLINK 2.0.

Key principle: shared hardware, software defines the model

Within one generation, the controller is largely a single shared hardware platform — the machine-specific behaviour comes from the loaded application software and parameters. That is why one physical controller can carry different part numbers, and why the correct part must be confirmed against the machine serial and then programmed. (This applies within a generation; across the big jumps — segment LCD → Mk5 graphic → touch — the hardware genuinely changes.)

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Elektronikon Mk5 Graphic and Mk5 Touch?

Mk5 Graphic uses a graphic (non-touch) screen with on-screen trend graphs and button navigation. Mk5 Touch uses a 4.3-inch colour touchscreen with icon-based navigation, features such as Delayed Second Stop, and embedded SMARTLINK 2.0 cloud connectivity. Within the Mk5 family the underlying hardware platform is shared; the display tier and loaded software define the exact model.

Is Mk5S the same as Mk5 Touch?

Mk5S is the newer 'S' platform. It appears as Mk5S Touch (colour touchscreen) and Mk5S Swipe (gesture navigation). Public Atlas Copco documentation does not draw a crisp technical line between Mk5 Touch and Mk5S Touch, so the safest approach is to match by the exact part number and machine serial rather than by generation name alone.

Are Elektronikon controllers within the same generation interchangeable?

Physically they often share the same hardware platform, but each one runs application software and parameters specific to the machine. A physically identical controller loaded with the wrong program will not run your compressor correctly, which is why the part number must be confirmed against the machine serial — and why programming matters.

→ How to identify your controller → Compatibility chart → Fault & warning messages

Need the exact controller for your machine? Send us your serial or browse the full catalogue — we confirm the match and program it before shipping.