Commissioning and configuring license dongles
 | Use the latest ESI files If your ESI files (EtherCAT Description Files for Beckhoff EtherCAT products) currently installed in TwinCAT 3 do not support the dongle version you are currently using, the dongle cannot be detected correctly. You can download the current ESI files here: |
Before working with a TwinCAT 3 license dongle in TwinCAT 3 Engineering, set the target system into which the license dongle is integrated.
Integrating the EL6070 license key terminal
Integrate the EL6070 license key terminal into the EtherCAT network connected to the IPC to be licensed. The license key terminal must subsequently always be plugged into this position in the EtherCAT bus.
In the TwinCAT System Manager, use a scan of the connected devices to check whether the system finds the EL6070 license key terminal. If the system does not find the EL6070 license key terminal, the license key terminal cannot be selected later.
Connecting the C9900-L100 license key USB stick
Connect the C9900-L100 license key USB stick to a USB port of your IPC. The USB dongle can may subsequently be plugged in to other USB ports.
In the TwinCAT System Manager, use a scan of the devices connected to the USB ports to check whether the system finds the C9900-L100 license key USB stick. If the system does not find the license key USB stick, it cannot be selected later.
The following configuration is identical for both license dongle types.
Adding a license dongle to the license configuration
- 1. Add a license dongle to the license configuration:
- In the Solution Explorer, select the License node in the SYSTEM subtree and select Add New Item from the context menu.
- To open the license manager, double-click on License in the SYSTEM subtree of the Solution Explorer. Enable the Order Information tab and click Add.
Differences in the "Search USB Dongle on Target" and "Search in I/O configuration" buttons:
Search in I/O configuration
This is the standard method. The USB dongle is stored in the configuration of the project. An entry in the "currentconfig.sys" file is used to control that a license file that is not yet in the license folder of the IPC is automatically copied to the license folder of the IPC when TwinCAT Runtime is started. Afterwards, a manual restart of the runtime is required, as this cannot be triggered automatically for security reasons!
The license files can also be copied manually into the license folder via the "Cache Dongle Licenses" button and are then immediately available.
Note that the license files are checked when TwinCAT Runtime is started and then approximately every two minutes. The license status displayed in TwinCAT represents the results of the last license check and does not reflect the current contents of the license directory. The pure (manual) copying of the license files into the license folder therefore does not lead to an immediate change of the license status displayed in TwinCAT.
Search USB Dongle on Target
With this method, a TwinCAT USB dongle can be found in the system and communicated with.
| The USB dongle is NOT stored in the configuration of the project. There is also no entry in the "currentconfig.sys" file which would cause a license file that is not yet in the IPC's license folder to be automatically copied to the IPC's license folder when TwinCAT Runtime is started.
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This method of using a USB dongle is therefore not suitable for applications where a USB dongle is to be replaced later and then used automatically, since the license files of the new dongle would have to be copied to the target system manually.
An example application for the Search USB Dongle on Target button is its implementation for engineering licenses. If in doubt, always use the "Search in I/O configuration" button!
| To use a USB dongle, e.g. with engineering licenses, the relevant license file simply needs to be available in the license directory of the IPC. No further configuration is required in this case. |
Configuring the license dongle
- 1. Click Search.
- The Select I/O Box/Terminal window opens.
- 2. Select the desired license dongle and accept the selection with OK.
- Each configured license dongle is displayed below the License node in the Solution Explorer:
| The name of the dongle cannot be changed in the current TwinCAT 3 version. |
Checking the license dongle status
Double-click on the dongle entry in the project tree to display the dongle properties in the License Device window.
- If a connection to the license dongle has been established, the dongle status is "valid". This is also indicated by a green color of the status field.
- If the connection to the dongle could not be established (e.g. because the dongle was disconnected), this is indicated by the dongle status "No Connection" and a red color of the status field.
| The System ID displayed is the ID from the last contact with the configured dongle. It does not necessarily match the ID of the currently inserted dongle. |
Updating the license dongle status manually
In configuration mode TwinCAT has no connection to the license dongle. The displayed parameters originate from the last contact to this dongle. If you replace the license dongle with a different license dongle, for example, you must manually update the status of the license dongle.
To update the dongle data, click on Reload Info under the dongle properties in the License Device window.
Removing the license dongle from the license configuration
To remove the dongle from the list, select the corresponding dongle entry in the project tree and select Remove from the context menu.
When the project is saved, the configuration data is permanently stored in the project.