Beckhoff TwinCAT 3
Below are the Agent system requirements to configure a Copia Agent for the backup of Beckhoff Twincat3 projects:
- Installation of Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 (at least Build 3.1.4024.29) with the standalone TcXAEShell option (i.e. not the Visual Studio add-on).
- Any additional vendor software required for project backup from the devices must be licensed and installed on PC running the Copia Agent. (i.e. Add-on's etc.)
- The Agent should be tested using the installed Beckhoff software, and proven able to backup the project without error.
To configure a project for Beckhoff TwinCAT 3, you will need to already have a repository created with a Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 Project folder (this can be created during project creation, if desired), which can either be empty or contain a Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 PLC Project (
.plcproj)Click either of the Add a Project buttons in the Projects tab.
First, select the Repository which contains the project.
Next, choose the Branch of the repository that the Project resides in. Our example repository only has a single branch, so we will select the "master" (or main) branch.
To configure a PLC backup for Beckhoff TwinCAT 3, you will need to select the PLC Project folder that contains the
.plcproj file. For example, in this Project there is a single PLC Project in the TwinCAT 3 Project.
This folder contains the
.plcproj file and so it should be selected.
Select the folder that is intended for backup. Click the Next button to continue.
Enter a Name and Description for the Project. The name would often be that same name as the Project folder or PLC.
After selecting the Beckhoff TwinCAT3 Project type, click on Create Project to finish project setup.
If this is not your first Project, and you have already created an Agent and Device, you can assign them to the project while creating it. You can always connect the Project to an Agent or Device at a later time.
You'll notice that any project you create will display a teal eyeball in the top right corner of the project card. This means that you are watching that project and therefore receiving notifications about its backup activity.
If you do not want to receive notifications for a given Project, simply click on the Watch button on the Project card to unwatch the Project.
You have added a Project to the Site. Our next step will be to add a Device and then link it to your Project.
A Beckhoff TwinCAT3 device is the actual PLC which contains the project data that will be backed up.
To create a new Device, select the Devices tab at the top of the interface and click on either of the Add a Device buttons.
Enter a Name and Description for the Device, and select the Beckhoff PLC Project type. At this point, the Communication Path field should display. Enter the Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 AMS NET ID of the PLC into this field.
The AMS NET ID can be found on the Copia Agent, according to the routes that have been configured and tested during initial setup.
When finished entering the information, press Create Device.
Your new device will be displayed in the Device tab.
Now that you've created your Device, it's time to link it to your Project. Click the caret in the device card and choose Edit Device.
On the bottom left, select the Link Device to Project dropdown, and choose the Project that should be associated with this Device.
Click the Save Changes button to finish linking.
Last modified 1mo ago