Cheapest Codesys PLC

Hello,

What would be the cheapest PLC running codesys I would be able to get my hands on? I like to expand my mind and I started out as an AB guy who bought a s7-1200 trainer system cause AB is #1 the US, Siemens is close so I figured I could branch out, and would like to again. That little trainer has gotten me work.

I want to be able to practice more than ladder also I hear good things about codesys.

https://www.google.com/search?q=codesys+trainer+raspberry+pi

?

Codesys has a pretty good simulator. I have used it to to write programs (POUs) in C++ and Python. Try it without buying something.

You can download and run the CoDeSys Windows runtime onto any development computer and run it for a couple of hours at a time. Or, get a Raspberry Pi and run that for free for two hours, or pay $60-$90 for a runtime license.

For a real hardware controller, the cheapest is probably the Schneider M241 for which the software is Schneider's branded/skinned CoDeSys 3 development environment, which they named "EcoStruxture Machine Expert".

If you want to get used to flexible hardware platform that uses CoDeSys, go with Wago and look up Kurt Braun's excellent YouTube videos. .

I would highly recommend downloading and installing TwinCAT. With TwinCAT, you would be learning two things at the same time - CodeSys and TwinCAT!! That's because CodeSys is integrated into TwinCAT (the development environment for Beckhoff PLC programming).

You can download and install the engineering and runtime (XAE and XAR) onto your desktop and/or laptop for free. Activation of the 7-day trial license (for the runtime) is unlimited, meaning you can just keep reactivating it with a captcha entry and a mouse click. This also means you can play with and test out standard TwinCAT (CodeSys), but also paid-for modules for TwinCAT, as well as TwinCAT HMI. If you just want to code and run the PLC program for learning, testing code, etc...you can do that without the need for any PLC hardware. There's no reason to spend a dime on anything if you're just wanting to learn, run and test code.

TwinCAT XAE download.

The top download in the link includes the XAE and the XAR (runtime), so that is the only download you require. If you have a version of Visual Studio already installed on your machine (prior to installing TwinCAT), during the install it will ask if you want to integrate TwinCAT into your Visual Studio IDE. You can do that if you desire, but just be sure the VS Shell gets installed too. I believe it no longer gives you a choice to install the VS Shell, and does so automatically regardless, but it didn't used to be that way. Unless you are really familiar with the Visual Studio IDE, my recommendation is to just use the Visual Studio Shell that's included in the install, for PLC development. The Visual Studio Shell is a stripped down version of the full Visual Studio IDE that Beckhoff has created that only includes things needed for TwinCAT PLC development and anything Beckhoff software related. Everything else has been stripped out of it.

Thanks all, I found a cheap schneider m221 to add to my menagerie of different cheap plcs, I have a m1400, s7-1200, micro850, and now schneider m221. I don't like thinking about the SLC-500 fixed IO. (I found the SLC in a dumpster, so don't think I paid for it!)

I also own a panelview 800 and a small Maple systems (Weintek) screen.

I might be insane.

busarider29, is there a cheap Beckhoff that'll run TwinCAT 3?

Engineerj22 said:

Thanks all, I found a cheap schneider m221 to add to my menagerie of different cheap plcs,

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The M221 uses Codesys? I use SoMachine when programming them.

Ken said:

go with Wago and look up Kurt Braun's excellent YouTube videos.

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+1, Kurt has a bunch of great videos, for Wago's I have found the 750-842 a good CPU, has built in Ethernet and serial

You can also use the Demo software from WAGO, its a full version and works great, the only thing it does not do is save the program to the eprom so you will loose the program every time you cycle power, not a big deal if you are just using it for learning

geniusintraining said:

The M221 uses Codesys? I use SoMachine when programming them.



+1, Kurt has a bunch of great videos, for Wago's I have found the 750-842 a good CPU, has built in Ethernet and serial

You can also use the Demo software from WAGO, its a full version and works great, the only thing it does not do is save the program to the eprom so you will loose the program every time you cycle power, not a big deal if you are just using it for learning

Click to expand...

You can program it like a regular PLC? If so, that's even cheaper than the M221!

Engineerj22 said:

busarider29, is there a cheap Beckhoff that'll run TwinCAT 3?

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The cheapest one that I know of is the CX9020. Check Ebay for prices. You can run TC3 on it. We have a couple of them working here in our shop. A bit of a downside to the CX9020 is that it's a single core CPU, so you won't get to play around with multicore CPU configurations in TwinCAT. The CX9020 is a good little PLC and great for small stand-alone machines/projects, or great in a trainer unit. You'll need some I/O as it doesn't come integrated. But you can get some basic Beckhoff I/O terminals dirt cheap on Ebay.

geniusintraining said:

The M221 uses Codesys? I use SoMachine when programming them.

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SoMachine is rebranded Codesys. Also they changed the name of SoMachine to EcoStruxure Machine Expert

Not sure there is a vanilla runtime for the M221 though that would be nice. I hate the branded stuff I would rather just use Vanilla codesys.

M221 is not Codesys, M241 and M251 Are.

goghie said:

M221 is not Codesys, M241 and M251 Are.

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Well that's dumb

theColonel26 said:

EcoStruxure Machine Expert

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I can hear the movement of the brain cells of the members of several marketing departments coming up with a name like that.

LadderLogic said:

I can hear the movement of the brain cells of the members of several marketing departments coming up with a name like that.

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And then they puzzled over what they would call the software used to program their M260, what should we call it, what would we call it...........OH I GOT IT, Ecostruxure Control Expert...yaaaaay, cheered everyone. Of course Excostruxure Machine Expert is Codesys based and Exostruxure Control Expert has nothing whatsoever to do with Codesys.
You think that is all, nop. Ecostruxure Machine Expert-Basic which is used to program their M221 has nothing to do with anything. Not Codesys and not the other two versions of Ecoshit.


Nonetheless, I like their hardware and the software based on Codesys.

Engineerj22 said:

Hello,

What would be the cheapest PLC running codesys I would be able to get my hands on? I like to expand my mind and I started out as an AB guy who bought a s7-1200 trainer system cause AB is #1 the US, Siemens is close so I figured I could branch out, and would like to again. That little trainer has gotten me work.

I want to be able to practice more than ladder also I hear good things about codesys.

Click to expand...

I worked mostly with Siemens TIA and for a couple of year was stupid enough to invest a lot of time learning their platform; I very much regret that now. About a year ago, or slightly more, I realized I spent too much time learning platforms and did not develop my system design/engineering skills.

You have three components, Language, Tool and Methodology. If I am starting today, I would learn just enough of the tool (platform: Siemens, AB, whatever) so that I can get to develop my language (Ladder, ST, STL , etc) skills, again just good enough, so that I can develop my system design skills to the best I can. And as my design skills is improving I would improve language skills with it.
I would learn the basics of any platform only when I need to, or in preparation to work with one and use my research skills to find answers to specific tasks. Learn skills to search online and in forums and do not in any way hesitate to ask on forums, contrary to what others would suggest. Whatever is fastest, which for Siemens and AB is usually web search(including forums). How do I convert 200 words to arrays of bool using this platform, who cares how, learn it today finish your task, document it somewhere so you may find it later and forget it. On with the show.




Edit: I forgot to reply to your question


Go on Codesys site and look for all supported platforms.
Someone here mentioned Beijer and I contact them a couple of years ago and I like their products specs but have yet to try it.

I also heard or read that Beckhoff finally release their long promised CX7000, not sure how much but that is most likely will be my next toy.