TwinCAT I/O – I/O connection to Windows programs
TwinCAT I/O
TwinCAT I/O is a real-time driver for Windows programs running under Windows NT/2000/XP/Vista/CE. Program variables, the I/O devices present in the system and the connected I/O channels are brought into the proper relationship with one another.
TwinCAT I/O
- provides variable-oriented linkage of I/O devices and tasks
- provides variable-oriented linkage of tasks to other tasks
- The smallest unit is one bit.
- supports both synchronous and asynchronous relationships
- Data regions and process images are exchanged consistently.
Openness: all standards
TwinCAT I/O supports all established fieldbuses – even simultaneously.
- EtherCAT
- Lightbus
- PROFIBUS DP (master and slave)
- PROFIBUS MC (Motion Control)
- Interbus
- CANopen
- SERCOS interface
- DeviceNet
- Ethernet
- PC printer port
- USB
- serial Bus Coupler BK8100 to COM
- memory interface (DPRAM) for PC cards
- SMB (System Management Bus)
Open I/O interface
Online display
TwinCAT I/O – properties
TwinCAT I/O provides the connected I/O channels as a structure and organises the mapping of the data transfer.
TwinCAT I/O permits server process images to be linked bit-wise to I/O channels and provides tools which can, for instance, link a lot of channels continuously with a single command. The connections can be moved by drag and drop.
Software wiring
With the aid of the TwinCAT I/O system, the inputs and outputs of a task can be cyclically exchanged with the outputs and inputs of another task – the data consistency remains intact. The TwinCAT I/O system is variable-oriented, which means that the smallest unit which can be addressed and linked is a variable, and the smallest size of a variable is one bit.
Online analysis
At the server’s fieldbus level and the level of the process image, commissioning and servicing are assisted by online display. TwinCAT I/O generates address relationships (mappings) between tasks and I/O devices, and provides powerful online tools:
- online display in a directory tree
- online watch window
- force and write to commission and test task variables and I/O devices
Diagnostic data is displayed in a consistent form for all I/O devices.
Import/export functions
TwinCAT I/O manages variables, making import and export functions available at all levels.
TcTimer API under CE
On Beckhoff CE devices TwinCAT I/O is available with the TcTimer extension. The TcTimer API offers a real-time timer (scalable from 100 µs) and access to the logical process image. Data exchange with the fieldbus is triggered with a method call. The TcTimer API enables external applications to create deterministic applications that are synchronised up to the IO fieldbus level.
Import/export functions
I/O configuration
| Technical data | TwinCAT I/O |
|---|---|
| PC hardware | standard PC/IPC hardware, no extras |
| Operating systems | Windows NT/2000/XP/Vista, Windows NT/XP Embedded, Windows CE |
| Real-time | Beckhoff real-time kernel as a component of TwinCAT |
| User program | User program running in user mode which can, for instance, run cyclically as a multimedia task (“soft” real-time). Access to the I/O process image is provided via cyclical calls of DLL functions. Under CE: hard real-time with synchronised access to process image |
| Memory | only limited by the size of the computer’s RAM (max. 2 GB under NT/2000/XP/Vista) |
| Cycle time | 50 µs upwards selectable |
| Programming | application program in any high-level language, e.g. C++, Delphi, assembler |
| Debugging | via the standard debugging tools of the high-level language used |
| I/O system | free choice of fieldbus: EtherCAT, PROFIBUS DP/MC, CANopen, DeviceNet, Interbus, SERCOS, Lightbus, Ethernet, PC hardware (printer port, COM port, USB), PC cards: generic memory DPRAM support |
| Connectivity | variable access via OPC, Beckhoff ADS OCX/DLL (Automation Device Specification) (under CE: in addition TcTimer API) |
| Ordering information | |
|---|---|
| TwinCAT I/O | licence for using the I/O DLL for data exchange with Windows programs |