CODESYS Virtual Control SL

The IEC 61131-3-compatible runtime system CODESYS Virtual Control SL can be installed on any architecture with container or hypervisor / VM - as often as required and with scalable performance. This makes it easy to implement virtual controls equipped with all the available CODESYS features and programmable with the CODESYS Development System in the IEC 61131-3 languages.

CODESYS Virtual Control SL is silver winner in the "Product of the Year 2023" voting

CODESYS Virtual Control takes second place in the category "Control" of the "Product of the Year 2023" voting.

We are very excited about this award would like to thank all readers of the trade journal Computer&Automation for their vote!

CODESYS Virtual Control lets you transform any modern system into an industrial controller - from small, dedicated ARM devices to IT farms. Completely independent of the hardware substructure.

Based on container structures, this new SoftPLC generation allows scalability in the number and performance of control instances and access to the field level via VLAN.

The advantages: Hardware independence as well as cost savings in procurement and maintenance.

Device Manufacturers

can offer images / configurations for CODESYS Virtual Control SL on their computers and industrial devices. This gives their customers, the users of automation systems, maximum freedom in the development of control applications which they can then, for example, organize in separate "micro-services".

CODESYS Users

can choose any computer architecture, such as industrial devices, servers, or cloud platforms to deploy or orchestrate CODESYS Virtual Control SL. In this way, they can implement exactly those virtual controllers they need for their application. The performance can also be scaled precisely. All control instances can be orchestrated via Linux commands or scripts, with appropriate tools (e.g. Kubernetes, Open Shift) or directly from the CODESYS Automation Server (in preparation). Access to field level is provided by high-performance virtual LAN, which is also available in all industrial devices.

Advantages of virtual control systems compared to classic PLCs:

  • Enormous cost savings in hardware procurement, wiring, operation, and maintenance
  • Machine and plant operators can provide and manage hardware platform themselves.
  • Independence from hardware and hardware manufacturers
  • Easy scaling through dynamic creation of control instances and the ability to expand hardware independently from software
  • Security by design by distributing tasks to several independent control instances with powerful intercommunication
  • Interoperability with other services ("micro services")
  • Simplified rollout of security updates
  • Central maintenance and care of virtual controls with the technologies and convenience of IT systems, including application updates

Curious?

Soon you will be able to test the Virtual Control yourself!


 

Interesting additional information on this topic

Article from Roland Wagner, Head of Product Marketing, CODESYS GmbH

How virtual controllers help prevent delivery problems. »

CODESYS brochures and information material

CODESYS - One software. All applications. Your Automation Solution.
Version: 11/2021
pdf 4 MB
22.06.2022
CODESYS - One software. Any field of application. Your automation platform.
pdf 3 MB
21.06.2022
Various suppliers present CODESYS-compatible devices and exciting solutions that can be useful for your automation tasks. (Only available in german language.)
Version: 11/2022
pdf 3 MB
04.11.2022