Recent supply chain problems have started effecting industrial automation. Late last year industry experts expected supply shortages to largely dissipate by mid-2022, but given circumstances show the disruptions will last longer, possibly into 2023 and 2024.
It is not only the shortage of chips that is causing delays in the delivery of controllers and other intelligent automation components. Also, machine builders are being confronted with this universal problem and are having to find new ways to get products manufactured and delivered on time.
Hardware and operating system independent CODESYS Control Software
One solution is the use of hardware and operating system independent control software (Soft PLC). It allows regular intelligent devices to be converted into fully capable industrial controllers. The devices can then be programmed using the CODESYS Software Suite.
CODESYS has been offering hardware independent Soft PLCs for over 20 years and continuously they have been expanding their products. Today, CODESYS provides hardware independent Soft PLCs with and without real-time for Windows, as well Soft PLC solutions for Linux x86 and ARM based systems.
To combat hardware availability and lead-times issues, today, machine builders can easily shift to available devices on the market. All that is needed is to purchase the new hardware, go to the CODESYS North America Store (https://us.store.codesys.com/) and download the appropriate CODESYS Control Soft PLC to the new device. It is as simple as installing an app on your smartphone.
CODESYS Virtual PLC has no hardware requirements
The CODESYS virtual PLC goes one step further here. It allows users to run the CODESYS Soft PLC in a virtual environment without the need for a device. Instead, the device gets replaced by containers and hypervisor technologies.
The CODESYS virtual PLC can be installed several times on a device and has no hardware requirements. It is connected to the Automation World via virtual LAN. CODESYS is currently delivering CODESYS Controls in Docker containers to pilot customers. The product will be available for purchase in the CODESYS North America Store soon.
CODESYS will soon release solutions based on hypervisor technology, for example to easily install CODESYS Control on a server.
Hardware-independence with CODESYS-Motion-CNC-Robotics of the actual drive-in use
In case the drive supplier can no longer deliver, CODESYS offers a solution: CODESYS-Motion-CNC-Robotics. The CODESYS-Motion-CNC-Robotics package is completely independent of the drive product used. The connection between Softmotion and hardware is established by a drive-specific device driver. Currently CODESYS provides drivers for over 40 different drive products.
Hardware-independence on the visualization side
The hardware component replacement of a machine visualization can be exchanged without having to rebuild the operating software. The CODESYS Software Suite visualization is created once, and later it can be decided where the application should be accessed. CODESYS offers two possibilities:
- a WEB application or via any browser (CODESYS WEB-Visu)
- or classically on the display of the device (CODESYS Target Visu).
The CODESYS visualization itself is therefore always loaded into the controller as part of the Soft PLC application. The CODESYS visualization can also be transferred to another device in a way no different than how the control application can be loaded to different devices. With the latest version, HTML-5 elements can also be integrated. This allows customers to create control elements with JavaScript and HTML-5. Of course, this development work can be done in alternative text editors outside the CODESYS Software Suite.
Hardware-independence in Engineering is the trend
Only 10 years ago it was without question that development environments would be targeted for Windows platforms. Today, customers want more flexible tools that can be used with Linux computers, tablets, by central administrators, and other options not always compatible with Windows. Because of this, CODESYS is already working on a development environment based on web technology which can be operated both, in the cloud and on a central server or desktop. This development environment will provide platform-independence by enabling development to be done within the browser.
CODESYS is the global market leader of manufacturer-independent IEC 61131-3-automation software with over 5 million device licenses sold worldwide. The CODESYS system is the basis of a comprehensive suite that covers the entire software side of automation including Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), communication, Soft PLC, motion, drives, CNC, robotics, redundancy, and visualization.
