Platform on production and process automation
Especially in the process industry, plant availability plays a crucial role, so building redundancy into automation technology is vital. This is why Beckhoff expanded its extensive range of solutions in this area with a software solution for redundant control: TwinCAT Controller Redundancy.
While the rugged design of the company's industrial PCs ensures a high level of availability in itself, it expands Beckhoff is now expanding its product portfolio to go one step further with TwinCAT Controller Redundancy (TF1100). This fully software-based solution allows two standard industrial PCs both running the same PLC program to operate as redundant controllers in just a few simple steps.
An additional, high-performance network connection between the two controllers provides the necessary synchronization. Standard Ethernet is used here, so no specific hardware components are required. With minimal effort, this ensures that only one of the two industrial PCs always addresses the fieldbus components and that the control programs run simultaneously on both computers. This synchronicity is the basic prerequisite for being able to replace the primary industrial PC in case of failure without losing information.
In addition to control system redundancy, the proven EtherCAT Redundancy software (TF6220) protects against failures caused by faulty cable connections. The I/O modules are connected by two separate cables, ideally installed in different locations. While EtherCAT Redundancy handles communication from the controller to the fieldbus, the TwinCAT Parallel Redundancy Protocol (PRP, TF6230) now also provides cable redundancy for Ethernet communication in accordance with IEC 62439-3 to higher-level systems, such as MES or decoupled HMI systems. The protocol defines a redundant and transparent network connection, which can be monitored and diagnosed in TwinCAT.
