TwinCAT 3 and eXtended automation technology (XAT) provide dynamic PC-based control software to 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 now available via C and C++, while the integration of Matlab/Simulink facilitates a connection to the scientific field in a single flexible engineering environment. To improve the re-use of modules once they have been written and tested, software modules can run in different languages. The runtime operates under demanding realtime conditions through the use of multicore technology and the support of 32 or 64-bit operating systems.
eXtended Automation (XA) contains the XA Architecture, which in turn consists of the XA Engineering and XA Runtime components.
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, but now this pure automation technology is significantly expanded with scientific automation themes such as robotics, measurement technology and condition monitoring. New features include the use of 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, the framework of Visual Studio is used bringing all of its advantages with respect 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. In this version, the programming languages C/C++ and the connection to the Matlab/Simulink world via the Matlab/Simulink realtime workshop are available to the user. 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 realtime. The proven TwinCAT realtime 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 realtime has also been extended with the possibility to distribute certain tasks to different cores of a multicore CPU. This enhances PC controller performance even further.
64-bit operating systems, which are now widely used, are also supported by TwinCAT 3. 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.
For more information contact Kenneth McPherson, Beckhoff Automation, +27 (0)11 795 2898, k.mcpherson@beckhoff.com , www.beckhoff.co.za
| Tel: | +27 11 795 2898 |
| Email: | info@beckhoff.co.za |
| www: | www.beckhoff.com |
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