Installation options

TwinCAT 3 is delivered with a component-based setup that you can download from the Download section on the Beckhoff homepage.

TwinCAT 3 is installed by default in the directory C:\TwinCAT\3.x (x = TwinCAT-version number). Changing the installation path is not recommended.

The following setups are available for each new version of TwinCAT 3.1:

TwinCAT 3.1 eXtended Automation Engineering (XAE) (full installation)
TwinCAT 3.1 eXtended Automation Runtime (XAR)
TwinCAT 3.1 Engineering Remote Manager
TwinCAT 3.1 ADS

Full installation - TwinCAT 3.1 eXtended Automation Engineering (XAE)

The full installation of TwinCAT 3.1 contains various installation options that you can select during the installation:

Full installation - TwinCAT 3.1 Engineering and Runtime (Complete option)
Full installation - TwinCAT 3.1 Engineering (Custom option)
Full installation - TwinCAT 3.1 Runtime (Custom option)

Installation option	Scope	Use
Full installation - TwinCAT 3 Engineering and Runtime (Standard installation)	Installs the complete TwinCAT system on a single PC: TwinCAT 3 Engineering (XAE, development system/environment) local TwinCAT 3 Runtime (real-time runtime system/environment, XAR)	First installation On development workstations that use the PC at the same time as a control computer. No external test system required: you can also use the development system as a test system. Additional control hardware for tests is not absolutely necessary.
TwinCAT 3 Engineering full installation	Installs the TwinCAT 3 Engineering for the development computer	If the control computer is always strictly separated from the development system. External test system required: you CANNOT use the development computer as a test system for the control program.
Full installation - TwinCAT 3 Runtime	Installs the TwinCAT 3 Runtime for the control computer The TwinCAT 3 Runtime (XAR) is already pre-installed on many Beckhoff IPCs or can be ordered as an option.	For pure control computers without a development system

Installation option

Scope

Use

Full installation - TwinCAT 3 Engineering and Runtime

(Standard installation)

Installs the complete TwinCAT system on a single PC:

TwinCAT 3 Engineering (XAE, development system/environment)
local TwinCAT 3 Runtime (real-time runtime system/environment, XAR)

First installation
On development workstations that use the PC at the same time as a control computer.
No external test system required: you can also use the development system as a test system. Additional control hardware for tests is not absolutely necessary.

TwinCAT 3 Engineering full installation

Installs the TwinCAT 3 Engineering for the development computer

If the control computer is always strictly separated from the development system.
External test system required: you CANNOT use the development computer as a test system for the control program.

Full installation - TwinCAT 3 Runtime

Installs the TwinCAT 3 Runtime for the control computer

The TwinCAT 3 Runtime (XAR) is already pre-installed on many Beckhoff IPCs or can be ordered as an option.

For pure control computers without a development system

Installation of the TwinCAT 3 eXtended Automation Runtime (XAR)

This installation contains only the components that are needed for the TwinCAT 3 Runtime. The setup is thus much smaller than that for the full installation of TwinCAT 3.

Typical application for the setup:

New installation or update of the TwinCAT 3 Runtime system on a target system.

Installation of the TwinCAT 3 Engineering Remote Manager

This installation contains only the engineering components of a TwinCAT 3 version and cannot be installed stand-alone. It always requires a newer full version of TwinCAT 3.1.

Typical application for the setup:

Use of older TwinCAT 3 Engineering versions without several TwinCAT 3 versions being completely installed alongside one another. Following the installation, a TwinCAT 3 Engineering version is then available in the Remote Manager and can be selected before loading a project. This installer is thus always only provided for downloading with the subsequent TwinCAT version.

Installation of TwinCAT 3 ADS

This installation contains only the components necessary for the use of ADS. ADS (TwinCAT Automation Device Specification) is a medium-independent protocol for communication with/between TwinCAT components. ADS is normally installed automatically together with TwinCAT 3 XAE or TwinCAT 3 XAR.

Typical application for the setup:

A separate HMI system (with no control function of its own) that exchanges its process data with a TwinCAT-based control computer via ADS.