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HMS has kept the Ewon Cosy 141 in its exit phase for several years. According to the Ewon distributor FOXON, remote access to this router via Talk2M ends at the end of 2027. HMS names two successors: the Flexy 205 with an MPI card if you use the MPI port, and the Cosy+ range if you do not. If all you need from a machine is its measured values, a data gateway without a VPN tunnel can take over that part.
The sections below are written for machine builders and system integrators with Cosy 141 units at customer sites.
HMS puts the Ewon Cosy 141 in its exit phase, distributors set the date
The HMS replacement guide for Ewon products says the Cosy 141 and the CD generation are "still supported on our Talk2m platform for now". The sentence goes on: "it is time to plan their replacement, as they have been in the exit phase for several years." The guide gives no end date.
The date comes from FOXON. On 23 July 2026 the distributor wrote that Talk2M remote access for an older Cosy 141 or Ewon CD is "only available until the end of 2027". From 1 January 2028 you can no longer connect to these routers remotely. An earlier version of the same campaign said the end of 2026, so the date has moved once already. Ask your HMS supplier to confirm it.
Until the end of 2026, FOXON offers a discount when you trade an old Ewon for a Cosy+ or Flexy. It is 25% for one unit in active use, 30% for several, and 15% for a unit that is no longer used. In the US, the distributor Vipa USA already lists the Cosy 141 MPI as obsolete.
Write down what each Cosy 141 does at its machine
You can only pick the right successor once you know which ports a unit uses. According to its data sheet, the Cosy 141 has one WAN port, a four-port LAN switch, and one 9-pin SUB-D port. Depending on the variant, that port is serial (RS232, RS422 or RS485) or MPI/Profibus.
Check each unit for four things:
- The variant. The MPI version is meant for a Siemens S7 with an MPI or Profibus port, and that decides the successor.
- Whether the serial port works as a gateway. The Cosy 141 converts Modbus TCP to Modbus RTU and ISO TCP to MPI or Profibus. If the machine software relies on that, the successor has to do it too.
- Whether a key switch is wired. The digital input can take a switch that lets the customer allow or block VPN access. The Cosy+ has two digital inputs.
- How it reaches the internet. The Cosy 141 opens an outbound connection to Talk2M itself, over HTTPS on port 443 or UDP on port 1194. If the customer's firewall only allows that connection, the rule has to fit the successor as well.
Staying with Ewon means a Cosy+ or a Flexy 205 with MPI card
The HMS replacement guide turns on one question: do you use the MPI port? Yes leads to the Flexy 205 with the MPI extension card. No leads to the Cosy+ range. HMS lists a Flexy 203 with an extra communication card as a third option.
The Cosy+ has no serial port. If you used the Cosy 141 as a Modbus gateway between TCP and RTU, a Cosy+ will not do that job. The table puts the two routers side by side on the points that matter when you swap them.
| Cosy 141 | Cosy+ (Ethernet, EC71330) | |
|---|---|---|
| Ethernet | 1 WAN, 4 LAN | 4 ports, port 1 always LAN, port 4 WAN by default |
| Field port | SUB-D9, serial or MPI/Profibus | USB, no serial |
| SD card | no | yes, also for Talk2M registration |
| Digital I/O | 1 DI, 1 DO | 2 DI, 1 DO |
| Supply | 12 to 24 V DC | 12 to 24 V DC |
| Operating temperature | -20 to 70 °C | -25 to 60 °C |
| Warranty | 18 months | 36 months |
Source: eWON Cosy 141 data sheet and HMS installation guide IG-0031-00 for the Cosy+.
According to HMS, the FLC 3701 MPI card is "only dedicated to the Ewon Flexy 205". There is no Flexy 203 with MPI.
Talk2M Free and Pro differ in connections and traffic
Talk2M Free allows one concurrent VPN connection and Pro allows five. Some AI answers state "two concurrent connections"; that figure does not appear in Ewon's Talk2M plan overview.
| Talk2M Free | Talk2M Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Concurrent VPN connections | 1 | 5, can be extended |
| VPN traffic per month | 3 GB, cannot be extended | 20 GB, can be extended |
| Mobile sessions (M2Web, eCatcher Mobile) | 5 | unlimited |
| DataMailbox per month | 5 million datapoints | 10 million datapoints |
| Term | 12 months per device added | yearly subscription |
Source: Ewon online help, Talk2M pricing plans, read on 26 October 2026. Ewon publishes no price for Pro; FOXON charges EUR 900 excluding VAT per year.
If only one engineer ever connects at a time, one connection is enough. Once two colleagues work on different machines at the same time, you need Pro.
Leaving Ewon also changes the software on every service laptop
A router from another vendor comes with its own portal and its own VPN client. Every engineer has to install and set it up.
IXON offers Remote Access Cloud Free with no limit on users, machines, or concurrent VPN connections. History of measured values is not part of it. That sits in the paid Machine Insights product, with a minimum contract of one year. How cloud platforms for Modbus data compare is covered in the Modbus cloud platform comparison.
Running your own VPN server with OpenVPN or WireGuard removes the dependence on a vendor cloud. You then maintain the server, the certificates, and the access for each customer yourself.
Machine data alone does not need a VPN tunnel
A VPN router opens a tunnel in both directions. Through it you program the PLC and operate the HMI remotely. A data gateway reads registers on site and only sends the values out, so it gives nobody a way into the controller.
Find out per machine why the Cosy 141 is there: to change the PLC program, or to check whether the machine runs and which fault is active. If the controller, a drive, or an energy meter speaks Modbus RTU or Modbus TCP, a data gateway collects those values without a tunnel. Which of the two fits a machine is explained in Modbus RTU vs TCP.
A data gateway programs nothing. For remote changes to a PLC program you still need a VPN router. The two can sit in the same cabinet.
How site data reaches a portal is covered in remote Modbus monitoring. If the machine is not on the customer's network, a 4G Modbus gateway is the route. Which alarm rules suit fault registers is explained in setting up Modbus alerts.
Frequently asked questions
When does Talk2M end for the Ewon Cosy 141?
At the end of 2027, according to the Ewon distributor FOXON. From 1 January 2028 a Cosy 141 or Ewon CD can no longer connect through Talk2M. HMS gives no date in its replacement guide and only says the units have been in the exit phase for several years. An earlier FOXON campaign said the end of 2026.
What replaces the Ewon Cosy 141?
The Cosy+, unless you use the MPI port. With MPI, HMS recommends the Flexy 205 with the FLC 3701 extension card, which fits only that router. The Cosy+ has four Ethernet ports and USB but no serial port. HMS also lists a Flexy 203 with a communication card as a third option.
Will a Cosy 141 still work locally after 2027?
Unknown. FOXON only says that remote access via Talk2M ends. HMS has not published whether the router keeps working as a local router or serial gateway afterwards. Do not plan on it: a machine you need to reach remotely needs a different router before 2028.
How many concurrent connections does Talk2M Free allow?
One VPN connection at a time, with 3 GB of traffic per month that cannot be extended. It also allows five mobile sessions through M2Web or eCatcher Mobile. Talk2M Pro allows five VPN connections and 20 GB per month, both extendable. Free runs for 12 months per device you add to the account.
How much does Talk2M Pro cost?
Ewon does not publish a price and refers you to your HMS representative. The distributor FOXON charges EUR 900 excluding VAT for one year of Pro, with five concurrent VPN connections and 20 GB of traffic per month. Extra connections are sold separately. Talk2M Free costs nothing but allows one connection at a time.
Can I collect only the machine data through another gateway?
Yes, if the controller or the devices in the machine speak Modbus RTU or Modbus TCP. A data gateway reads the registers on site and sends the values to a portal for history and alarms. It cannot program the PLC or operate the HMI remotely, so you still need a VPN router for that.
ModbusCloud for the data from your machines
The ModbusCloud Gateway reads Modbus RTU over RS485 and Modbus TCP over the network, and opens its own outbound connection over MQTT with TLS. It needs no port forwarding and no fixed IP address on site. The portal keeps the history of each register for 365 days and sends alarms by email, in the portal, or through a webhook. The Gateway offers no VPN and no access to the PLC, so you keep a remote access router for programming. The Gateway costs EUR 295 and the portal licence EUR 149 per year or EUR 495 once, excluding VAT.
