Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) have been around since the late 60´s. They are basically digital computers adapted to industrial automation needs and are largely used in the most diverse manufacturing plants.
Our partner Codesys has a software PLC solution that can be deployed on our ARM-based System on Module families (Colibri and Apalis) in order to transform the module into a PLC solution. It is the perfect fit for use cases where the device end-user must have the capacity to program the device behavior. See the list of Devices using Codesys (you see some famous PLC brands like Beckhoff, Wago, and Eaton).
Codesys System provides several advantages for devices implementing PLC-like solutions. For licensing information please check here.
Codesys can run on Linux or Windows Embedded Compact, please see below for more information.
In order to run Codesys Control on Linux, you have to provide support for the OSADL real-time extension. The information on how to do this you find here.
Attention: This Partner Demo Image is not available anymore. Toradex and CODESYS developed a Partner Demo Container as a replacement, which you can read more on Partner Demo Container - Codesys.
Toradex and Codesys have joined forces and created one demo image for Toradex Colibri iMX6DL modules. The demo pre-built image can be downloaded here and contains the Codesys Runtime demo running for two hours before shut down. The demo image has the following features enabled:
Steps to run the Codesys demo on the Colibri iMX6DL:
Download the pre-build image (tar.bz2 or zip) and extract its contents to a FAT formatted SD card. For Windows users, a program such as 7-zip can be used; if you are a Linux user:
tar xjvf codesys.tar.bz2 -C <path-to-your-sd-card-mount-point>
Use the SD card to flash the Colibri iMX6DL module. Insert the card on the Carrier Board and stop the booting process. If your module is booting from Eboot (Windows CE), you will have to flash the U-Boot bootloader using the recovery mode. If your module already has the U-Boot bootloader, follow the steps for flashing Linux described here, which in most cases consists on stopping the boot process and running:
run setupdate
run update
Since this is a demo image, access to the Linux terminal is not allowed to customers.
The image automatically starts Codesys Runtime when booting the module. Notice that the Ethernet port configuration of the module is: IP address 192.168.10.2 and default gateway as 192.168.10.1. Being so, you may use point-to-point communication and configure your computer in the same network with IP address 192.168.10.1
Back to the host PC, download, and install Codesys Development Tool. Our tests were conducted using Codesys v3.5 SP9 Patch3.
Install the Toradex-Device on the Codesys Development tool.
On the Codesys Development open Tool > Device Repository.
Codesys instruction 1
Download the device description hardware here. Change the file extension from .txt to .xml.
On the Device Repository window click on the Install button and select the file downloaded on the previous step.
After the process is finished you are ready to start a new project.
Codesys instruction 2
Download missing libraries in Library Manager menu entry.
