PLCs, DCSs & Controllers


Modular automation of assembly lines

October 2010 PLCs, DCSs & Controllers

PC and EtherCAT-based control technology for assembly and handling.

Assembly lines consist of several units, which are often developed and tested independently of one another. The new runtime environment of TwinCAT 3 is also modularly structured, allowing developers to make use of a large number of existing modules and combine them in a modern development environment based on Microsoft Visual Studio to form new modules or entire control programs. Both the IEC 61131-3 automation languages and C and C++ are available and can be used alongside one another. Additional development tools such as Matlab/Simulink can also be used to create modules. By means of the interaction of the TwinCAT 3 control modules via defined interfaces on a common control platform, the full performance of an industrial or embedded PC can be utilised without communication or synchronisation losses.

TwinCAT 3 can use all cores of modern CPUs and can also be used on both 32 and 64-bit systems. The TwinCAT tasks can be outsourced to different CPU cores. This further increases the performance of the PC controller and, in addition to PLC and motion control, can integrate functions such as measurement technology, condition monitoring and robotics. Beckhoff PC-based control technology provides the necessary foundation with powerful CPUs, fast I/O, the fast EtherCAT bus system and TwinCAT software.

For more information contact Kenneth McPherson, Beckhoff Automation, +27 (0)11 795 2898, [email protected] , www.beckhoff.co.za



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