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PLCnext vs Microcontroller

Arne SmetsArne Smets
edited January 2020 in PLCnext Technology & PLCnext Controls

Hello Phoenix employees,

I had a presentation as my intership ends this week. My schoolteacher asked the question: What is the reason somebody would pick a PLCnext over a microcontroller.

We had a short discussion with all the attenders and came up with some conclusions, but personally I would like to know what Phoenix thinks about that!

 

Thanks in advance,

Arne Smets

Comments

  • Martin [PLCnext Technology Team]Martin [PLCnext Technology Team]

    Hi Arne,

    By "microcontroller" I assume the questioner was referring to a general-purpose single board computer like a Raspberry Pi ?

    Some benefits of PLCnext over these types of microcontrollers include (in approximate order from most to least compelling, in my opinion):

    • The ability to run deterministic, real-time applications. This is provided by the PREEMPT-RT Linux patch.
    • Hardware features like industrial housing, wide temperature range, shock resistance, ability to connect industrial I/O modules directly to the CPU, etc.
    • The PLCnext Runtime. This is a process that runs on every PLCnext Control device, and includes:
      • The ability to easily schedule real-time tasks and programs, using the Execution and Synchonisation Manager (ESM).
      • The ability to easily transfer data between separate real-time and non-real tasks, using the Global Data Space (GDS).
      • Many additional industrial services like access to local and remote I/O, an OPC UA Server, Proficloud-TSD service, etc.
      • The ability to extend the PLCnext Runtime with your own components and services written in your language of choice.
    • The PLCnext Store.
    • The ability to develop a single automation software project using any combination of IEC 61131, C++, C#, and other languages.
    • The ability to treat the device simply like any other "traditional" IEC 61131 PLC, if that's what you are comfortable with.

    I think that all of the above features are completely absent from most general-purpose microcontrollers. If none of these features are important for a particular application, then a general-purpose microcontroller might be a better choice.  :)

    Just my 2c.

    ~ Martin.

    P.S. I hope you enjoyed using PLCnext during your internship, and best of luck in the future!

     

  • Arne SmetsArne Smets

    Thanks Martin, clear answer! I liked my internship a lot, even while it was quite hard to understand some things. Never worked with PLC's before september, only with embedded software (mplab C).

    The company has a new student who will follow me up in the same project, as I will probably stay and help him out sometimes.

    Thanks for all the responses, as it was not really possible to ask my questions in the company itself (because PLCnext is a new oppertunity and nobody really worked with it before). 

     

    Arne

     

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