Introduction

Licenses for TwinCAT 3 Engineering and TwinCAT 3 Runtime components

TwinCAT 3 consists of the TwinCAT 3 development environment (TwinCAT 3 Engineering, XAE) and the TwinCAT 3 runtime environment (TwinCAT 3 Runtime, XAR). The TwinCAT 3 development environment is usually installed on the development PC, while the TwinCAT 3 Runtime is installed on the control computer, although both may be installed on the same computer. For example, the development computer can be used simultaneously as a test control computer without the need for an independent control computer.

PCs developed for office use do not generally meet the requirements for a platform for hard real-time (low jitter, etc.) and are thus only conditionally suitable for use as control computers.

The core of TwinCAT 3 Engineering (PLC programming) is free of license costs and can be installed on any number of development computers.

Various functions extending beyond pure PLC programming (TwinCAT 3 functions) and all TwinCAT 3 runtime licenses are chargeable, however.

The TwinCAT 3 Engineering and the TwinCAT 3 runtime components can be downloaded free of charge from the Beckhoff homepage.

Licenses for education and training

The free TwinCAT 3 download enables a straightforward, unbureaucratic acquisition for education and training purposes. The TwinCAT 3 development environment can be installed on any number of development computers. The 7-day trial license for TwinCAT 3 products, which can be renewed over and over again, enables TwinCAT functionalities to be used in a straightforward and cost-effective manner in the lab.

Requirements for high-level language programming in TwinCAT 3

Programming in high-level languages (such as C++) with TwinCAT 3 requires the full version of Microsoft Visual Studio, which has to be acquired separately from Microsoft and installed before TwinCAT 3. TwinCAT can then be integrated in the full version of Visual Studio during installation.

TwinCAT 3 licenses for non-Beckhoff IPCs If you use an IPC from a manufacturer other than Beckhoff (TwinCAT 3 platform level >= 90), a TwinCAT 3 license dongle is always required for licensing TwinCAT 3.

For the operation of TwinCAT 3 on virtual machines please refer to the TwinCAT License Agreement and the notes on the Beckhoff website.