Industrial automation platforms provide benefits for developers

The industrial automation sector has seen a long-standing tension between end-users' demands for openness and flexibility and suppliers' offerings, especially concerning digital technologies. Initially, hardware and software were highly specialized and proprietary, but this has gradually improved to accommodate user needs, evolving from hardware-focused to software-focused enhancements.

 

The complexity and critical nature of industrial environments necessitated reliable and specialized solutions, hindering the adoption of general-purpose digital technologies, partner publication Machine Design wrote in a recent article. However, the push for customization, extensive data handling and interoperability has driven designers, system integrators and OEMs to seek more open and standardized programming solutions.

 

Open programming languages and platforms are now flourishing, offering control engineers new avenues for innovation while maintaining reliability. The development and adoption of standardized languages like IEC 61131 and common integrated development environments (IDEs) such as CODESYS have been pivotal.

 

These tools support interoperability and code portability across different platforms, reducing dependency on specific suppliers and enhancing flexibility. Additionally, the rise of open microcontroller platforms, such as Arduino and Raspberry Pi, allows the use of modern IT-based languages like C++ and CircuitPython, which are better suited for data-intensive tasks.