Information on the CODESYS Simulation Interface pre-release
The CODESYS Simulation Interface is a new product that allows for physical machine simulations to exchange I/O signals with CODESYS applications running on any CODESYS PLC or SoftPLC. It is an add-on to the CODESYS Development System and will be sold as part of the CODESYS Professional Developer Edition (PDE).
A pre-release with full functionality (a beta version) is available as a trial version for evaluation. It includes the add-on and an example package containing a CODESYS project and a simulation tool demonstrator. If you are interested in trying out the CODESYS Simulation Interface, please contact sales@codesys.com.
For using the CODESYS Simulation Interface, you need the following:
- A machine simulation platform supporting the CODESYS Simulation Interface (called "connector", "coupling", "driver", or similar). For getting a first impression before support is available, the pre-release includes a demonstrator of a simulation tool. – Ask your simulation platform supplier whether they can provide support. (CODESYS is in contact with several providers working on support.)
- The CODESYS Development System with CODESYS V3.5 SP19 Patch 3* or more recent that allows for installing add-ons out of a package file. – If you are not using the original CODESYS Development System but a derivative, please verify that it permits installing CODESYS add-ons from packages files, and that the IDE is based on the appropriate CODESYS version.
- A workplace subscription license for the CODESYS Simulation Interface. – Either you use a PDE subscription license renewed after March 2025, or we provide you with a license free of charge for the time of the prerelease phase.**
You need no particular version of the controller firmware or of CODESYS Control.
* The required add-on packages CODESYS Communication and CODESYS OPC UA PubSub will automatically be installed in the necessary versions (Communication 4.5.2, OPC UA PubSub 1.2).
** Licensing details: The PDE license is a license in the IDE. It is needed for creating the simulation-enabled application on a CODESYS PLC and for creating the simulation broker . Without license, the same project can be used for ordinary programming and creating operational applications. Running simulation-enabled applications and the simulation broker require no simulation-specific licenses. They can run on CODESYS-based PLCs from device vendors (the broker's PLC must include the OPC UA Server feature), on CODESYS PLCs limited to 2 hours, or on CODESYS PLCs with a valid CODESYS Control license (the broker's PLC may need a larger CODESYS Communication license). For using the IDE to log into the application, diagnose the simulated I/O exchange and start/stop/reset the application. For the login, the PDE license will again be needed.