A new OptoBlog series takes a closer look at the CODESYS programming option in groov EPIC and how to use it.

If you're looking for programming options that are highly portable or you want to leverage your experience with ladder logic  on a modern control platform, Opto 22's groov EPIC gives you the option of working with the CODESYS Development Environment.

If you aren't already familiar with it, you should definitely check it out. Today, I'll show you how to get started, but keep checking back for more in-depth content in the coming months.

The "P" in EPIC stands for programming and it's no joke. EPIC was designed to give developers and engineers multiple programming options on an edge device. In addition to PAC Control, C/C++, Python, and more, we've provided the CODESYS 3.5 runtime as another control engine.

It supports all the IEC 61131-3 languages like ladder logic (LD) and structured text (ST) and provides a huge library of functions for different applications. Importantly, your program is portable, so you can copy your code between different PLC/IPC brands that use CODESYS.

But how do you get started? 

First, make sure you order and activate the free license for the CODESYS runtime engine (GROOV-LIC-CRE) on your groov EPIC.

Then visit the CODESYS lessons on OptoU, our free, online training site. You'll learn how to:

• Download and configure your CODESYS environment
• Connect it to your EPIC and license the CODESYS runtime
• Configure hardware profiles and I/O
• Create and run a program using LD or ST

We hope these lessons give you the jump-start you need to program your EPIC with CODESYS.

In the rest of this blog series, Garrick Reichert and Josh Eastburn will take you on a deeper dive into the world of CODESYS with programming examples, communication and integration options, as well as a thorough breakdown of using CODESYS vs. PAC Control programming.

It's all coming soon to the OptoBlog...stay tuned!