John Deere Electronics adds CODESYS support to M Series controllers in Europe

John Deere Electronics has expanded the software options available for its M Series electronic control units (ECUs) in Europe, adding support for the CODESYS development environment through its long-time partner New Eagle. The update means OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers can now choose between New Eagle’s Raptor toolchain and CODESYS for application development on the same rugged controller hardware, depending on project needs and in-house skills.  

Why this matters for OEM components buyers right now

Electronic control hardware is increasingly purchased as a “platform” decision, not a single-programme component. The controller’s I/O, communications and environmental rating still matter, but software tooling and lifecycle compliance are now just as decisive, especially for multi-variant machines sold across regions.

Adding CODESYS to the M Series ecosystem is a practical step in that direction. It widens the pool of engineers who can work on an M Series-based architecture, supports IEC 61131-3 style workflows familiar across industrial automation, and makes it easier for equipment builders to reuse libraries and code patterns across product lines.  

A decade-long software partnership, now broadened

New Eagle has worked with John Deere Electronics for around a decade on bringing modern embedded development workflows to rugged controller hardware. In May 2024, John Deere highlighted the pairing of M Series controllers with New Eagle Raptor software as a way to shorten development cycles and accelerate time-to-market on OEM-grade electronics.  

The March 2026 update builds on that proposition by adding CODESYS as an additional supported option within the broader tool ecosystem available for M Series controllers in Europe.  

New Eagle is also in an expansion phase as a platform business. MiddleGround Capital acquired New Eagle in November 2021, and the firm has continued to execute add-on moves in controls and software.  

Rugged ECUs designed for harsh duty

From a components standpoint, the appeal of M Series is interesting: it is built for environments where electronics routinely fail. John Deere’s documentation positions the M Series for severe heat and extreme cold, chemical vapours, and direct exposure to water, dirt, dust and rock, with an IP67 environmental rating widely cited in industry coverage.  

In the same reporting, M Series controllers are described as offering:
• high-current outputs
• multiple combinations of CAN, LIN and Ethernet within a common architecture
• built-in acceleration and temperature sensors
• wake-up capabilities
• AEC-Q qualified electrical components
• 32-bit microprocessors  

For OEMs, that mix is less about ticking boxes and more about reducing the number of controller variants needed across platforms. A consistent ECU architecture makes it easier to standardise harnessing, diagnostics, spare parts and validation processes across machine families.

Why CODESYS

Raptor and CODESYS tend to map to different team habits:
• Raptor-centric teams often come from model-based development and calibration-heavy workflows, with a focus on rapid iteration, reuse and deploying across multiple embedded targets.
• CODESYS-centric teams often come from industrial automation and IEC 61131-3 programming practices, with strong familiarity in Structured Text, Function Block Diagram and PLC-style debugging and maintenance.

By supporting both, the M Series platform becomes easier to adopt across mixed engineering organisations, joint ventures, and Tier 1 supplier networks where “the software tool you already use” can be a deciding factor.

Industry coverage of the launch frames it explicitly as added flexibility for on- and off-highway, utility and industrial vehicle applications, and notes CODESYS can be used alongside New Eagle’s Raptor tooling as requirements evolve.  

Compliance pressure: cybersecurity is becoming a procurement requirement

The announcement also lands at a time when EU regulatory expectations are sharpening for “products with digital elements.” The EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) entered into force on 10 December 2024. Key reporting obligations apply from 11 September 2026, with the main obligations applying from 11 December 2027.  

For OEM procurement and engineering leaders, the practical takeaway is that cybersecurity and vulnerability handling are moving from “nice-to-have features” into evidence-based compliance work. That shift tends to push suppliers toward:
• clearer software bill of materials and update pathways
• hardened development toolchains
• stronger documentation around security processes and responsibilities

This does not automatically mean every ECU is in scope in the same way, but it does mean buyers increasingly ask the same questions during sourcing: update support period, vulnerability reporting process, and lifecycle handling for software components.

John Deere Electronics adds CODESYS support to M Series controllers in Europe published on The HeavyQuip Magazine.