EasyJava Simulations meets TwinCAT: Remote Real-Time Control Experiments using Programmable Logic Controllers

This paper presents a new methodology to develop remote experiments for the control subjects of System Engineering and Automatica, based on the combined use of TwinCAT and Easy Java Simulations (EJS). The TwinCAT system is used to close the control-loop over the selected plant using its Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), while EJS is used to develop applets to observe/parametrize the behavior of the PLC, and therefore change the behavior of the plant, in accordance with the teachers and students orders. The TwinCAT PLC + EJS applets strategy provides real-time support to the controllers and friendly remote access to their users.