Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS
Connect TwinCAT 2 and TwinCAT 3 controllers by variable name, browse the PLC symbols and use them in OPC UA, SCADA and AI workflows, without TwinCAT on the PC.
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PLCGateway talks ADS over TCP 48898 directly to the TwinCAT router of the controller; no TwinCAT installation and no ADS router are needed on the gateway PC. Variables are read by their PLC names – program and global variables, structure members, array elements and strings – and the reads of a cycle are packed into ADS sum commands, so long variable lists stay fast.
The device form finds the TwinCAT systems on the network, fills in the IP address and AMS NetId, and adds the ADS route on the PLC with one click. When a new PLC program is downloaded, the driver notices it and resolves the variables again by itself.
- Driver id
ads- Connection
- ADS / AMS · TCP 48898 · UDP 48899
- Address browsing
- yes
- Writing
- yes
What PLCGateway reads and writes
- Program and global variables (MAIN, GVL ...)
- Structure members and function block variables
- Array elements, also multi-dimensional
- BOOL, integer types, REAL, LREAL, STRING, WSTRING, TIME and ENUM
- PLC memory and process image by direct address (%M, %I, %Q)
- Symbol browsing with the data types from the PLC
Address examples
| Address | Meaning |
|---|---|
MAIN.Speed | Program variable |
GVL.Line1.Pump.Running | Structure member in a global variable list |
MAIN.Recipe[3] · MAIN.Matrix[1,2] | Array elements |
.Counter | TwinCAT 2 global variable |
%MW10 · %MX2.3 | PLC memory (word, bit) |
%IB0 · %QX1.0 | Process image of the inputs / outputs |
Controllers and devices
Equipment that is typically connected with this driver.
Connect in a few steps
Add a device with the protocol Beckhoff TwinCAT (ADS) and click Find TwinCAT systems; selecting the PLC fills in its IP address and AMS NetId.
Click Add route on the PLC and enter the user of the PLC (older Beckhoff images: Administrator / 1). This is needed once.
Open the symbol browser, select program and global variables and add them in one step – the data types come from the PLC.
Use the variables on screens, in history and alarms, or publish them over OPC UA and MQTT.
Questions and answers
Do I need TwinCAT or an ADS router on the PC?
No. PLCGateway connects to the TwinCAT router of the controller over TCP 48898 itself; TwinCAT is only needed on the controller.
What is the ADS route for?
TwinCAT answers only computers that have a route on the PLC. PLCGateway adds it from the device form with the user name and password of the PLC; the password is not stored.
Are TwinCAT 2 and the BC/BX Bus Terminal Controllers supported?
Yes. TwinCAT 2 runtimes are reached on AMS ports 801 to 831; Bus Terminal Controllers, which keep no symbols, are read by direct address (%MW, %IX ...).
Connect your machines
Tell us which controllers you run; we show you PLCGateway with your own addresses.
Product and model names are trademarks of their owners. They are named only to show which equipment the drivers communicate with; PLCGateway is not affiliated with these companies.