IT standards improve automation: TwinCAT programming environment integrated in Microsoft Visual Studio®

TwinCAT 3 – eXtended Automation

In TwinCAT 3, Beckhoff introduces the newest software generation for PC-based control technology that will expand the world of automation with many powerful new functions. The broad term for this new technology is: eXtended Automation (XA). This contains the XA Architecture, which in turn consists of the XA Engineering and XA Runtime components.

In TwinCAT 3 and eXtended Automation Technology (XAT), dynamic PC-based control software is available that will expand the potential of the standard automation world considerably. In addition to the object-orientated IEC 61131-3 extensions, the programming languages of the IT world are available via C and C++. Additionally, the integration of Matlab®/Simulink® facilitates a connection to the scientific field. All of this is possible in one flexible engineering environment. The software modules can run in different languages within a common runtime. The advantage of this modularity is the improved reuse of modules once they have been written and tested. The runtime operates under demanding real-time conditions with the use of multi-core technology and the support of 32- or 64-bit operating systems.

eXtended Automation Architecture

The familiar TwinCAT features are continued with eXtended Automation Architecture (XAA). In addition, all widely used fieldbuses will be supported in the future. Motion Control, from point-to-point movements to CNC is still possible using XAA, of course. This pure automation technology is significantly expanded with the Scientific Automation themes already presented in TwinCAT, such as robotics, measurement technology and Condition Monitoring. New features include the possibility to use additional programming languages, such as C/C++ and Matlab®/Simulink®.

eXtended Automation Engineering

The eXtended Automation Engineering environment (XAE) is essentially the widely used Microsoft Visual Studio®. Alongside the already existing C/C++ languages, Beckhoff has also integrated the IEC 61131-3 programming standard into this globally-recognised development environment. As a result, the benefits and convenience of the IT framework become available for automation.

TwinCAT System Manager – the configuration tool for I/O and Motion – is similarly integrated into the same development environment. The advantage of this is the possibility to integrate further programming languages or to use additional tools, such as source code administration tools, with little effort.

Integration in Visual Studio® takes place in two different ways. In the TwinCAT Standard version, only the framework of Visual Studio® is used with all of its advantages with regards to handling, linking to source administration software, help functions, etc.

In the second variant, the TwinCAT 3 components integrate themselves directly in Visual Studio® 2010 if it is present. If it is not present, Visual Studio® is installed with the TwinCAT 3 components. In this version, the programming languages C/C++ and the connection to the Matlab®/Simulink® world via the Matlab®/Simulink® real-time workshop are available to the user. For the programming languages C/C++, a debugger with online monitoring functionality has been developed that extends beyond the normal debugging functions of C/C++.

eXtended Automation Runtime

In the eXtended Automation Runtime (XAR), all modules written in IEC 61131, C/C++ or Matlab®/Simulink® are processed in real-time. The proven TwinCAT real-time extension for Microsoft operating systems is used here. The tasks can be processed with a minimum cycle time of 50 μs and a very small amount of jitter. TwinCAT real-time has also been extended with the possibility to distribute certain tasks to different cores of a multi-core CPU. This enhances PC controller performance even further.

64-bit operating systems, which are now widely used, are also supported by TwinCAT 3. Only the modular software architecture with clear interfaces enables the processing of runtime objects written in different programming languages. These so-called TcCOM interfaces are based on the familiar Component Object Model and have been adapted for automation technology. Modules are called by tasks via these interfaces and can also call each other, independent of the programming language. At the lowest level, Automation Device Drivers (ADD) can also be implemented with this module definition. These could be, for example, drivers for new fieldbuses.

www.beckhoff.com/TwinCAT3