1.7.2. Device

A PLC (or device or target) is described in a device description. Such a device description typically contains the following entries:

  • Identification of the PLC (Vendor name, target ID, target type, version, etc.)

  • Type of the processor (which CODESYS codegenerator is used)

  • Limit and default values for memory areas of the IEC program (e.g. retain, code, data)

  • Features switched on/off in CODESYS

  • Library profile (list of implemented external libraries in the runtime system)

  • What types and numbers of IEC-tasks are possible on the controller

  • IO-configuration or specification of connectors to plugin fieldbus cards/IO-devices

  • …

Here is an example of a typical device description for a PLC with the most important sections:

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
<DeviceDescription xmlns="http://www.3s-software.com/schemas/DeviceDescription-1.0.xsd" xmlns:ts="http://www.3s-software.com/schemas/TargetSettings-0.1.xsd">
    <Types></Types>
    <Strings></Strings>
    <Files></Files>
    <Device>
        <DeviceIdentification></DeviceIdentification>
        <DeviceInfo></DeviceInfo>
        <DriverInfo></DriverInfo>
        <DeviceParameterSet></DeviceParameterSet>
        <Functional></Functional>
        <CompatibleVersions></CompatibleVersions>
        <ExtendedSettings>
            <ts:TargetSettings>
                <ts:section name="runtime_identification">
                <ts:section name="onlinemanager">
                <ts:section name="runtime_features">
                <ts:section name="taskconfiguration">
                <ts:section name="library-management">
                <ts:section name="recipemanagement"/>
                <ts:section name="symbolconfiguration">
                <ts:section name="memory-layout">
                <ts:section name="codegenerator">
                <ts:section name="visualization">
                <ts:section name="alarmmanager">
                <ts:section name="trace">
                <ts:section name="trendrecording">
                <ts:section name="networkvariables">
                <ts:section name="dataserver">
            </ts:TargetSettings>
        </ExtendedSettings>
        <Connector></Connector>
    </Device>
</DeviceDescription>

The following chapters describes all of these sections in detail: