The document provides an overview of TwinCAT 3 software and eXtended Automation (XA) from Beckhoff Automation. It discusses (1) how TwinCAT 3 addresses customer wishes from TwinCAT 2 like integration, C/C++ support, and migration capabilities, (2) the key aspects of XA including engineering (XAE), architecture (XAA), and runtime (XAR) environments, and (3) new TwinCAT 3 capabilities such as support for multi-core systems, connectivity tools, and migration from TwinCAT 2 projects.

1. “eXtending” the Automation Toolbox:
Introduction to TwinCAT 3 Software
and eXtended Automation

2. Before We Start
 This webinar will be available afterwards at
designworldonline.com & email
 Q&A at the end of the presentation
 Hashtag for this webinar: #DWwebinar

3. Moderator
Presenter
Leslie Langnau
Robert Trask
Design World
Beckhoff Automation

4. Introduction to TwinCAT 3 software and eXtended Automation
“eXtending” the Automation Toolbox
Robert Trask, PE
TwinCAT Specialist
Beckhoff Automation

5. New Automation Technology
PC-based Control
IPC
Automation
I/O
Motion

6. eXtended Automation
Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Introduction
eXtended Automation (XA)
Connectivity
Migration
Functions
Product overview

7. eXtended Automation
TwinCAT 2.x, a success story since 1996
Main Features
 Scalability: in Hardware and in Software
 Openness: tools (ADS) to share information (.h, .dll, .NET, also Java, NI, Delphi,
 Support of all major fieldbus technologies
 Real time: Beckhoff real time extension for Microsoft OS, high determinism, low jitter
 Complete control system: from I/O to CNC and Robotics
 Motion control without special hardware
What customers liked:
 Complete and scalable solution
 Feasible for many different areas
 Fieldbus openness and support of different supplier I/O and drives
 Ease of networking and sharing data
 Ability to freely run other software on control system without affecting control

8. eXtended Automation
TwinCAT 3.x wish list
Wishes from customers:

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
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Integration: one tool, one project
C/C++ support for real time applications: reuse of existing code
Matlab/Simulink: known in universities, reuse of existing Simulink code
Support of latest generation PC hardware: Multicore, 64bit
Modular software design: use of ready to use modules without programming
Handle complex software: more and more software in the machine
Support object orientation: new in IEC61131-3 3rd Edition
Migration: easy migration from TwinCAT 2 to TwinCAT 3
Compatibility: Use TwinCAT 2 code (including libraries) in TwinCAT 3
Keep the free visualization, quick to make simple screens for debugging
ADS works, don’t change a thing!
Better version control
More modern look and feel to code editors

9. TwinCAT 3
Motivation
Beckhoff PC-based Control:
Setting New Standards in Automation
PC-Hardware
Feldbus
Base
I/O
TwinSAFE
PLC
Control
Control
(PID)
Motion
NC PTP
NC I
CNC
Robotics
Measurement
Technology
TwinCATSoftware
Connectivity

10. TwinCAT 3
Motivation

Integration of PLC, Motion and HMI into one software on one CPU:
 Minimize hardware
 faster cycle times
 reduced interface complexity
 better diagnosis

PC Control offers an “open” control system
 abstraction as a principle
 functions in software & independent from hardware

scalable performance and cost by selection of standard CPUs

powerful operating systems add IT functions to automation solutions

automation and IT world share the same benefits:
 performance increase
 cost decrease

11. TwinCAT 3
PC-based Control Milestones

12. TwinCAT 3
PC-based Control Milestones
Industry 4.0
 The “fourth industrial revolution”
 Heavy focus on intelligent, networked systems
 Convergence of information technology (IT) and automation technology (AT)
 Idea heavily promoted in Germany/Europe by government and industry
The Internet of Things


The development of Internet-like structures to identifiable objects
Term coined by Kevin Ashton of MIT and has become popularized by companies such as
Oracle, IBM and SAP

13. eXtended Automation
Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Introduction
eXtended Automation (XA)
Connectivity
Migration
Functions
Product overview

14. TwinCAT 3
eXtended Automation (XA)
 Architecture (XAA)
 Engineering (XAE)
 System Manager
 PLC
 Motion Control
 C/C++ programming
 Matlab® integration
 C#/.NET programming
 Runtime (XAR)

15. eXtended Automation
Engineering (XAE)

16. eXtended Automation Engineering
Features
 TwinCAT 3 – extended, modular engineering tool
 One programming environment, one project file, one debug environment
 Integrated TwinCAT System Manager
 Programming according to IEC 61131-3 3rd edition
(including NEW object orientation extensions)
 Cyclically execute C and C++ with deterministic access to remote I/O
 Matlab®/Simulink®
 Migration of TwinCAT 2 projects
 IDE = Microsoft Visual Studio® 2010/2012

17. eXtended Automation Engineering
Scalable Functionality
TwinCAT 3 Standard
TwinCAT 3 Engineering Environment
.NET
 for PLC programmers and users of
existing modules
C++
 configuring, setting up and diagnosis
 debugging PLC
Powershell
IronPytho
n
COM
 using the Microsoft Visual Studio®
shell
System
Manager
Configuration
– I/O
– PLC
– MC
– NC
– CNC
– Safety
– others
Programming
IEC
61131
Objectoriented
extensions
IEC Compiler
TwinCAT Transport Layer – ADS
TwinCAT 3 Runtime

18. eXtended Automation Engineering
Scalable Functionality
TwinCAT 3 Integrated
 Integration into Microsoft Visual Studio®
2010
 for PLC and C/C++ programmers
 configuring, setting up and diagnostics
 module generation (C/C++ or
Matlab®/Simulink®)
 debugging PLC, C/C++,
Matlab®/Simulink®
Caption:
code generation
debugging
upload of TC modules

19. eXtended Automation Engineering
Workbench Integration
TwinCAT 3 framework = Microsoft Visual Studio® 2010/2012
 usage of the most common programming environment
 maintained by a company
 extendable via plug-ins
 link to common source control software
 usage of C and C++ for programming automation devices
 usage of .NET languages for non-real-time applications
(e.g. HMI)
 improved help system

20. eXtended Automation Engineering
Free Choice in Programming Languages
Simultaneous programming according to IEC 61131 and C++

21. eXtended Automation Engineering
TwinCAT I/O – Integrated System Manager
Mapping of process images
 open for all common fieldbuses
 support of all PC hardware interfaces
 easy commissioning and diagnosis
 assignment of logical and physical process images
 Changes of the bus system do not require a change of
the PLC code.
TwinCAT process images

22. eXtended Automation Engineering
TwinCAT 3 PLC
Shared tree structure
for hard- and
software
Programming languagedependent toolbox
Shared output window
of all languages

23. eXtended Automation Engineering
TwinCAT 3 Motion Control – Abstraction Layer

24. eXtended Automation Engineering
TwinCAT 3 Motion Control – From PTP to Robot Control

25. eXtended Automation Engineering
C/C++ Programming Languages

reuse of existing C/C++ code

cooperation of C/C++ and PLC code

real-time applications for all platforms (CE, XP,…)

opens new areas – not standard PLC users

well-known programming language
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standardised (C: ISO/IEC 9899 TC3, C++: IEC 14882)
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generation of Automation Device Drivers (ADD) enables to implement own drivers (e.g.
fieldbus drivers)

Beckhoff SDK provides the functionality (like PLC libraries) for
 ADS, File I/O, Motion
Application areas

image processing, robotics, measurement technology

26. eXtended Automation Engineering
C/C++ Programming Languages
Method CycleUpdate:
– is called cyclically
Logical input/output
image

27. eXtended Automation Engineering
Matlab®/Simulink® Integration

28. eXtended Automation Engineering
Matlab®/Simulink® Integration

29. eXtended Automation Engineering
.NET Programming Languages (e.g. C#)

Well-known programming languages

Standardized C# (ISO/IEC 23270)

Creates intermediate code (Common Intermediate Language – CIL)
Benefits:

Efficient engineering with higher abstraction level

Widely accepted

“Garbage collection” organised on the memory.

Could now be handled as part of one integrated solution
Restrictions:

Garbage collector is not suitable for real-time applications.

30. eXtended Automation Engineering
C# and .NET Programming

31. eXtended Automation Engineering
Rutime (XAR)

32. eXtended Automation Runtime
Multi-core Support

33. eXtended Automation Runtime
Support of Multi-core Systems
 distribution of projects to cores (e.g. PLC, NC, Motion Control and HMI run on different
cores)
 scalable base time for each core
 scalable CPU usage for each core

34. eXtended Automation Runtime
Support of Multi-core Systems
Enables cores for
real-time usage
Defines the base
time for a core
Defines the CPUusage limit
Assignment of a task
to a CPU

35. eXtended Automation
Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Introduction
eXtended Automation (XA)
Connectivity
Migration
Functions
Product overview

36. Connectivity
Solutions For Many Different Areas

37. Connectivity
Tools that Enable Industry 4.0

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Consistent, vertical, horizontal
Cyclical/event-driven
Data exchange and/or commands
Open protocol with example code
Available for major Windows platforms
Access from PLC via function blocks
Routable via: local/network
 Components free of charge
 OCX/DLL/.NET/
Script/Web service

38. Connectivity
Tools that Enable Industry 4.0

39. eXtended Automation
Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Introduction
eXtended Automation (XA)
Connectivity
Migration
Functions
Product overview

40. eXtended Automation
TwinCAT 2 to TwinCAT 3 Migration
Conversion of an existing TwinCAT 2 project into the TwinCAT 3 format:
 integrated converter for TwinCAT 2 projects (System Manager & PLC Control)
 extension of the projects with new functionalities
 higher reusability of existing code parts in new projects
 use of the same tool for all projects/applications

41. eXtended Automation
Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Introduction
eXtended Automation (XA)
Connectivity
Migration
Functions
Product overview

42. Functions
Continuity
TwinCAT Functions offer a broad range of different add-ons that can
also be used for TwinCAT 3!
Communication
 OPC UA, Modbus, Telecontrol, Serial
Controller implementations
 Controller Toolbox, Temperature Control
Engineering tools
 ECAD Import, Source Code Management
Diagnosis/Measurement technology
 Scope 2

43. Functions
TwinCAT 3 Tools and Highlights
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only one software for programming and configuration
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Visual Studio® integration
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more freedom in the choice of programming language
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support for the object-oriented extension of IEC 61131-3
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use of C/C++ as the programming language
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link to Matlab®/Simulink®
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open interfaces for expandability and adaptation to existing tool landscape

faster and more flexible runtime environment

configuration of binary PLC/C++/Matlab® runtime modules

active support of multi-core and 64-bit systems

migration of TwinCAT 2 projects

44. eXtended Automation
Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Introduction
eXtended Automation (XA)
Connectivity
Migration
Functions
Product overview

45. TwinCAT 3
Convergence of Technologies Leads to Industry 4.0

46. Beckhoff | New Automation Technology
Thank you for your time!
For further information visit:
www.beckhoff.com/TwinCAT3
© Beckhoff Automation GmbH
All images are protected by copyright. The use and transfer to third parties is not permitted.
Beckhoff®, TwinCAT®, EtherCAT®, Safety over EtherCAT®, TwinSAFE®, XFC® and XTS® are registered
trademarks of and licensed by Beckhoff Automation GmbH. Other designations used in this presentation
may be trademarks whose use by third parties for their own purposes could violate the rights of the
owners.
The information provided in this presentation contains merely general descriptions or characteristics of
performance which in case of actual application do not always apply as described or which may change as
a result of further development of the products. An obligation to provide the respective characteristics shall
only exist if expressively agreed in the terms of contract.

47. Questions?
Design World
Leslie Langnau
llangnau@wtwhmedia.com
Phone: 440.234.4531
Twitter: @DW_3DPrinting
Beckhoff Automation
Robert Trask
r.trask@beckhoff.com
Phone: 760.525.7376
Twitter: @TwinCAT3

48. Thank You
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