TwinCAT PLC

The Beckhoff TwinCAT Software System turns any compatible PC into a real-time controller with a multi-PLC system, NC axis control, programming environment and operating station. The TwinCAT programming environment is also used for programming the BC/BX. If you have TwinCAT PLC (Windows NT4/2000/XP) installed, you can use the fieldbus connection or the serial port for downloading and debugging software.

TwinCAT I/O or TwinCAT PLC can also be used as the Ethernet Master (host), in order to exchange process data with the Bus Terminal Controller. TwinCAT provides you with the System Manager as a configuration tool, as well as the drivers and the ADS protocol.

Bus Terminal Controllers of the BCxx50, BCxx20 and BXxx00 series

These 2nd-generation Bus Terminal Controllers are configured with the TwinCAT System Manager and programmed with TwinCAT PLC Control. TwinCAT PLC must be installed for these couplers (Windows NT4, Windows 2000, Windows XP).

Programming and program transfer

Online change

The Bus Terminal Controllers of the BX series and the BCxx50 support online change. This means that the PLC program is replaced with a new program without interrupting the program. The switch-over to the new program occurs after the task is completed. This means that two versions of the PLC program have to be stored. 512 kbyte are available, which therefore have to be divided by two, leaving 256 kbyte for the actual PLC program. In addition, several kbyte are required for task configuration etc. During an online change, dynamic data are stored in memory. Should a program approach the memory limit (program size greater than 240 kbyte), the online change may no longer work, even though the program may still be written to the BX after "Rebuild all".

When is online change not available?

Online change is not available under certain conditions,.