Technical introduction

Regarding the TwinCAT Analytics workflow the Analytics Runtime is able to make a continuous analysis of data from different remote controller. The Analytics Runtime based on a standard TwinCAT PLC Runtime. The application code can be generated automatically by the Analytics Workbench. So, the user has no additional engineering effort, but is free to do code changes or to add own analysis code. The usage of other standard Beckhoff PLC libraries like Tc3_Database or Tc3_ConditionMonitoring is possible, too.

Connection handling with remote devices

The number of devices/controller to be analyzed is limited. The Analytics Runtime itself allows four connections to controller without additional packages.

Currently one connection is counted for the following controllers:

• Controller with TF3500 Analytics Logger
• Controller with TF6720 IoT Data Agent (can have many underlaid controllers)
• EK9160 IoT Coupler

If you need more than four connections in your application, you can add Controller Packs. Possible packs are shown here.

The picture below shows an application architecture with 11 connected controller. In this case you have to order a license for Controller Pack 8 on the Analytics Runtime device/VM in addition to the TwinCAT Analytics Runtime license.

TwinCAT HMI

Based on the analysis PLC code the engineer is able to design an own HTML 5 dashboard with TE2000 which is integrated in the setup of TE3500 Analytics Workbench. The Analytics Runtime includes the HMI Server. The HMI Server provides the HTML 5 web pages for at least four clients at the same time. The Server provides one client connection by himself and the Analytics Runtime includes the licence for the Client Pack 3. Which gives you the possibility of 4 connections.