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Introduction

The CODESYS simulation interface requires three subsystems for a fully integrated system.

  • Simulation broker

  • Simulation interface

  • Simulation demonstrator in the case that the system is supposed be operated for demonstration purposes.

    Or (as an alternative to the simulation demonstrator) a simulation tool from a third-party vendor.

The simulation interface generates an OPC information model and loads it onto the broker. The broker hosts the OPC information model and makes it readable for the simulation tool via OPC UA Client/Server. With this information, the simulation tool is able to create the remote station for OPC PubSub communication.

Simulation broker

The broker is generated using the simulation interface. It is provided as a separate IEC application and executed as an OPC UA Server on a separate CODESYS runtime.

This subsystem allows the user to monitor and control the application simulated by the simulation interface. The device or runtime where the broker runs is also referred to as a "simulation broker" or "sim broker". This subsystem is part of the CODESYS Simulation Interface add-on.

Simulation interface

Add the Simulation Interface object below your application to your project, configure the simulation interface, and start the application. In this way, all I/Os are decoupled and the application is connected to the simulation tool or the simulation demonstrator.

Basically, if the Simulation enabled option is set, the application (or ultimately the I/Os relevant for this application) communicates with the simulation via OPC UA PubSub. When this option is not enabled, the application communicates with the real environment via fieldbuses.

The simulation interface helps you to find your simulated application with your simulation tool (or other UA clients) via OPC UA Client/Server. You get support with the deployment and execution of the simulation broker on another CODESYS runtime environment.

The device or runtime where the simulation interface runs is also referred to as the "simulation target" or "sim target". This subsystem is part of the CODESYS Simulation Interface add-on.

For more information, see: Object: Simulation Interface

Simulation demonstrator

For customers who are developers or vendors of simulation tools and want to implement PubSub communication in their own products and simulation tools, the simulation demonstrator represents a reference implementation.

The simulation demonstrator is a practical demonstration of how serialization and deserialization is basically performed.

The subsystem is not part of the CODESYS Simulation Interface add-on. You get the tool as a CODESYS Simulation Interface Example package.

Important

Version 0.9.0.0 will not be available via CODESYS Installer. The product can be requested from the sales department.

Known restrictions

It is not possible to reconnect the CODESYS Simulation Demonstrator tool to the simulation target in the pre-release version 0.9.0.0. Possible workaround: Select the same broker using the Select Broker Device, Connect command.

This problem needs to be fixed in the OPC UA Stack of the OPC Foundation (#2929). See: https://github.com/OPCFoundation/UA-.NETStandard/issues/2929

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