Electronic Regulators

SMC electro-pneumatic regulators — also called electronic regulators or E/P regulators — convert an electrical control signal into a precisely controlled, proportional output pressure. Automation Distribution is an authorized SMC distributor carrying the full ITV line, from compact OEM-scale units to high-pressure and vacuum models. This page is a selection guide: use it to match a series to your application, then jump into the right subcategory.

What is an electro-pneumatic regulator?

An electro-pneumatic regulator sets and holds output pressure electronically instead of by hand. You feed it a command signal — an analog voltage or current, a preset selection, or a digital fieldbus value — and an internal pressure sensor closes the loop, driving the actual output to match the setpoint and holding it against flow and supply variation. That makes it the right tool wherever pressure has to be adjusted on the fly, repeated setpoint-to-setpoint, or commanded directly from a PLC: tension control, force and clamping, paint and coating, leak testing, web handling, and servo-pneumatic positioning.

The practical difference from a manual regulator is control authority. A manual regulator is set once by an operator; an ITV regulator is commanded by the machine, logged, and changed in milliseconds without anyone touching a knob.

How to choose an ITV series

Start with body size. It drives port size and flow capacity, which is the first thing that has to fit your application. All three standard bodies share the same core control performance and the same set of output ranges — roughly 0.005–0.1 MPa, 0.005–0.5 MPa, and 0.005–0.9 MPa — so the decision is about flow and footprint, not precision.

Series Port size Best for
ITV1000 — Compact 1/8, 1/4 Tight panels and OEM machine builds where space and weight matter and flow demand is modest.
ITV2000 — Standard 1/4, 3/8 The general-purpose default. Covers the majority of mid-flow pressure-control applications.
ITV3000 — Large-Flow 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 Large actuators and high air-consumption circuits that would starve a smaller body.
If flow is borderline, size up. A regulator that can't pass enough air will sag under demand no matter how tight its control loop is.

Analog, preset, or fieldbus — picking the control signal

Every ITV series is available in more than one command interface, and this is a hard compatibility decision, not a preference. Choose the one your controller already speaks:

Analog

The most common option: 0–5 VDC, 0–10 VDC, 4–20 mA, or 0–20 mA. Wire it to an analog output card and command pressure directly. Current-loop (4–20 mA) is the choice for long runs or electrically noisy plants.

Preset

Switch-selected setpoints (4-point and 16-point preset models) let a machine step between stored pressures on digital I/O alone — no analog card required.

Fieldbus & serial

Networked models take their setpoint over an industrial bus — DeviceNet, CC-Link, PROFIBUS DP, or RS-232C — so the PLC commands pressure digitally over the plant network instead of running dedicated analog wiring. If your line is standardized on a protocol, the regulator has to match it. Browse all networked units together in Fieldbus & Serial Communication.

High-pressure and vacuum variants

When the standard 0.9 MPa bodies don't cover the job, three purpose-built families do:

  • ITVH2000 — high-pressure electro-pneumatic regulator for supply pressure up to 3.0 MPa.
  • ITVX2000 — high-pressure model rated for supply pressure up to 5.0 MPa, for the most demanding circuits.
  • ITV2090 / ITV2091 — electronic vacuum regulator for proportional control on the vacuum side, for handling, chucking, and packaging.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between the ITV1000, ITV2000, and ITV3000?

Body size, and therefore port size and flow. ITV1000 is the compact body (1/8–1/4 ports) for space-constrained builds; ITV2000 is the standard mid-flow body (1/4–3/8); ITV3000 is the large-flow body (up to 1/2) for high air consumption. Control performance and the available output ranges are consistent across all three.

Can an ITV regulator be controlled by a PLC over a network?

Yes. Alongside analog (0–10 VDC, 4–20 mA) and preset models, ITV regulators are available with DeviceNet, CC-Link, PROFIBUS DP, and RS-232C interfaces so the setpoint is commanded digitally over the plant bus. See Fieldbus & Serial Communication.

What's the difference between ITVH and ITVX?

Both are high-pressure electro-pneumatic regulators; they differ in maximum supply pressure. ITVH2000 handles up to 3.0 MPa, ITVX2000 up to 5.0 MPa. Choose by the supply pressure your circuit runs.

What output pressure ranges are available?

The standard ITV bodies offer three set-pressure ranges — approximately 0.005–0.1 MPa, 0.005–0.5 MPa, and 0.005–0.9 MPa. Match the range to your working pressure for the best resolution; the high-pressure ITVH and ITVX families extend well beyond this for supply-side demands.

Analog or digital input — which do I need?

Match your controller. If you have a spare analog output, an analog model (voltage or current) is simplest. If you only have digital I/O, a preset model steps between stored setpoints. If the machine is built around a fieldbus, use the matching networked model so pressure control lives on the same bus as the rest of your I/O.

Shop SMC electro-pneumatic regulators

Automation Distribution is an authorized SMC distributor and carries the complete ITV electronic regulator line — compact, standard, large-flow, vacuum, high-pressure, and fieldbus. Browse the subcategories above to find your series, or call 1-888-600-3080 to talk through supply pressure, flow, and signal type for your application.