The display of logic sequences in the CFC editor now appears more compact.

© Codesys

Speaking of the CFC editor: users of the free-graphic function block diagram editor benefit from a whole series of small but significant improvements: For example, the space used for display in the editor is optimized and created code is displayed more clearly. If blocks are called up in the CFC, their input and output variables can now be freely positioned in the graphical display - which in turn improves clarity and speeds up further work. Keyboard shortcuts and enlarged connection areas ensure that programmers can enter the desired code more quickly. Last but not least: the editor view can be switched from the normal display to an eye-friendly dark theme.

Smoother user interfaces

User interfaces created with the Codesys Development System can now be animated even more smoothly using a GPU.

© Codesys

With the visualization integrated in the Development System, users create graphical user interfaces in the editor - in a single interface parallel to the PLC application. They use these screens to test the logic application they have created, put it into operation or use it to create a sophisticated operating concept for the automated machine or system. In addition to the development system, these operating screens can be displayed in a separate PC runtime, in the browser or on suitable panel controllers.

The new version makes working on the latter variant of Codesys visualization even more fun: support for client animations and overlay functions can be activated via a single option. If the target device has a graphic coprocessor (GPU), this is activated and the CPU of the controller is no longer used for graphic operations. The result is clear to see: Animations, such as flying in dialogs, swiping to the next operating page or showing or hiding graphic elements, are smoother with the new version. The configuration of such animations is very simple: all you need to do is specify the movement target and the duration of the animation - Codesys takes care of controlling the GPU and ensuring smooth execution. The update also makes it possible to rotate visualization elements composed of different basic elements together - also calculated in the GPU. It is even possible to use animated graphic elements such as 'animated GIF' files.

With the configuration of redundant controllers, users can now also configure the synchronization of the web visualization to these controllers with just a few mouse clicks. In the event that the active controller changes, for example due to a failure, all connected WebVisu clients are also synchronized to the controller that is then automatically reactivated. Operators can therefore always see the current status of the machine or system, including the associated alarm management for the redundant system.

Integrated Git client

With Codesys Git, changes can be easily incorporated into an ongoing development project and their origin can be traced at any time.

© Codesys

For years, an optional package of additional tools has been offered to users for the efficient programming of sophisticated logic applications. Developers in high-level language programming have long benefited from the added value of such tools. The 'Codesys Professional Developer Edition' bundle includes tools to statically analyze source code for typical problem areas, measure the processing time of individual parts of the PLC application on the target device or enable automated tests of the application. Apache Subversion was previously supported for source code management. Now an integrated client for the popular open source version management system Git has been added to the bundle. Users benefit from this in several ways: the source code of control applications can be managed in distributed databases, so-called repositories. If changes are made to the source code during the development process, the system automatically logs them. If necessary, older versions of the application can be easily restored. A PLC application is often installed on different machines in the course of its 'life', but the machines are maintained and serviced independently of each other. Managing such changes in development branches is quite tedious without an additional tool, but is easy to implement with Git and integration in Codesys. And is a project implemented with several application developers at the same time due to its size, complexity or time pressure? Then the tasks can be coordinated naturally and securely with a tool like Git. Users use version management in a logical workflow that hardly differs from working without a Git connection.

OPC UA support

Numerous communication protocols are implemented in Codesys: For example, for downloading and debugging the application, for using I/O modules via fieldbus, for reading peripheral modules via proprietary interfaces or for communication between other controllers. With an integrated OPC UA server, Codesys has already been supporting the most important protocol for Industry 4.0 applications for several years. The new service pack completes the OPC UA offering in several directions:

In the Development System, users can now import XML-based information models into a corresponding repository. OPC UA information models can be added to the project via the 'communication manager' object. The data model agreements made for numerous industries, in particular the OPC UA Companion Specifications, can thus be flexibly integrated. The user can choose which of the available data structures or types should be used. IEC 61131-3 declarations or program blocks are generated at the touch of a button and instantiated either manually or automatically by command. These variables can be used immediately in the PLC code and published via the OPC UA server. If an information model contains OPC UA methods, the user can code their function in the generated block themselves. Connected OPC UA clients benefit from this: they can call these methods and thus functions of the server! In this way, the server executes special application code, virtually 'on demand' from the client. ((place image 6 here))

An OPC UA client, implemented as a library, already enables data exchange in both directions by calling function blocks within the application. This approach is very flexible, but somewhat complex for many users. It is much easier with the new data source manager: in addition to proprietary protocols, the mechanism now includes an OPC UA client. Users can use it to dock onto any OPC UA server, browse its data and integrate it into the project. This means that this data is available in the development system in exactly the same way as if it had been declared in the local project. The aforementioned library takes care of communication in the background. The client can be used both in the PC-based visualization Codesys HMI and in normal control projects.

An OPC UA client can now be added and configured in the data source manager.

© Codesys

If the performance requirements for data exchange via OPC UA server/client communication are too high, Codesys offers a solution in the form of a library for OPC UA Pub Sub. Function blocks can be used to configure both transmitters and receivers in the application and feed them with data. Data exchange is currently based on UDP. However, the library is designed in such a way that time-synchronized communication protocols can be added at any time. The future implementation of a real-time-capable OPC UA-based fieldbus system is thus prepared.