Is it recording?
It is recording but I thought
since we are still discussing we can just have the discussion
and then start recording so you don't have like a 50 minutes video
No but we can cut it out
Now it's recording right? It is recording, yeah…
So Micheal, when we say PLCnext is an open platform
What do we mean by that?
Yeah,
it's not too difficult to explain.
So if you take a look at classical PLCs
it is a question of the system architecture.
If you take a look at a classical PLC,
you have on the bottom a layer normal operating system
a real-time operating system, and
on that operating system,
each PLC manufacturer has,
placed a proprietary runtime system in that case,
and that is programmed by a vendor specific programming tool...
so you need a specific software for when you want to program a PLC,
you need specific software that comes from the manufacturer.
Exactly.
That is a closed platform
because there's no exchange of code between different PLC vendors possible.
only if you have fulfilled the minimum standard,
You can copy structured text from one to another,
but that is not really handy.
Okay,
That means that you need to program PLC A,
and then you need a specific software for PLC A.
Exactly.
You need to program PLC B, You need specific software for PLC B.
right? exactly.
That means a closed platform.
Exactly and that is a big difference to PLCnext technology
in PLCnext technology,
we have decided to use Linux as an operating system and
any programming tools can compile its code against
the Linux operating system.
So it's possible to
program in Microsoft Visual Studio, Eclipse, or MATLAB Simulink so far.
and this code will be directly compiled against Linux,
so it is also executable.
And even if you program in
PLCnext engineer and code in 61131,
it will be compiled against our runtime system,
But the big difference is
that our runtime system then will be an instance, based on the Linux
and each program has a new instance of our runtime system.
So what...
So... at last,
if you have programmed or have different programs coming from different languages,
you have then placed it onto the Linux system
and each program is running independently.
So this means that,
for example,
if I have an application that requires me to write something in ladder logic,
I can use PLCnext engineer,
write it, write that ladder logic part
put it in there...
Now,
based on my application,
I need to write some code in C++.
Yeah,
Then I can write that C++ into whatever software that I can use,
or maybe you can give an example of what software we can use for C++?
Microsoft Visual Studio or Eclipse.
So I can write,
my C++ programming into Microsoft Visual Studio
and then compile it,
take that file and download it to PLCnext.
Exactly.
And then you can
configure it in the PLCnext engineer in our software
and you see it as a normal program...
because I'm wondering why this question don't come up...
If you have different programs,
each program has to exchange process data with another program
and for that in PLCnext technology,
We have implemented the so-called global data space
and that global data space makes it possible that
each program can exchange process data together,
even a Fieldbus or with other systems.
and When you say this global
data space...
it's like
a container that you can put a ladder logic program in it,
and then you can put a python program in it,
or C++ program in it,
and then these programs can communicate with each other.
For example,
the ladder logic program
can see what's going on in the C++ program,
and then based on those,
based on that program,
it can, for example,
open up a gate or something, right?...
they can communicate.
And this is something that with other PLCs it's not possible.
with other PLCs, You can write a ladder logic...
you can put it into the PLC,
but it's not possible to write something for example,
in C++ or python in another software
and then download it into that PLC right?
Exactly... a collaboration,
and the possibility to have different
sources and different kinds of programs is working on one platform
and these programs are able to be interconnected together
that is unique on PLCnext technology
And that's what we called an open platform.
so open platform means that
I can write something in ladder logic, download it to PLCnext...
and then I can go on my laptop in Visual Studio,
and then write something in C++, and then download it to your PLCnext...
I can write something in Python,
in a different software...
not a specific software that is made for this PLC...
whatever software...
compile it,
and then download it again to PLCnext
and this is what we mean by open...
an Open platform, an Open PLC.
And that was really interesting for me
I think that is something that people...
also maybe there are a lot of people like me,
I was like ok... PLCnext is an open platform oh that's good...
but I didn't really know
how is this open platform...
but now that Micheal explained it like this,
I'm like oh OK, this is an open platform.
Alright good
Do you that Johnny Depp takes tens of those takes?
and you did it at once!
Good...
I think this makes good content for Linkedin... I think so...