TwinCAT 3 consists of the TwinCAT 3 development environment (TwinCAT 3 Engineering, XAE) and the TwinCAT 3 runtime environment (TwinCAT 3 Runtime, XAR).
The core of TwinCAT 3 Engineering (PLC programming) is free in terms of licensing costs and can be installed on any number of development computers. Various functions/development tools that go beyond pure PLC programming (TExxxx) and TwinCAT 3 Runtime licenses (TCxxxx/TFxxxx) are subject to costs.
The price of TwinCAT 3 Runtime licenses is dependent on the performance of the control computer used. The performance is divided into platform levels.
TwinCAT 3 licenses can be activated directly for a control computer. However, it is recommended that a TwinCAT 3 license dongle be used.
TwinCAT 3 licenses can be conveniently ordered on a license key USB stick or an EtherCAT license key device for any current version of TwinCAT 3 and are ready for immediate use (1st generation from TwinCAT 3.1 Build 4022; 2nd generation from TwinCAT 3.1 Build 4026).
The user can add additional license files to a TwinCAT 3 license dongle at any time. A maximum of 20 license files, each with an unlimited number of licenses, can be stored on a TwinCAT 3 license dongle.
The TwinCAT 3 license dongle means that the TwinCAT 3 license is independent of the industrial PCs used. This makes it easy to replace the industrial PC or simply use the licenses on different industrial PCs.
The TwinCAT 3 license dongle also supports lower platform levels. A license for a higher platform level can also be used for all lower platform levels.
TwinCAT 3 license dongles (1st generation from TwinCAT 3.1 Build 4022)
EL6070 | EtherCAT Terminal, license key for TwinCAT 3.1
TwinCAT 3.1 offers an option to manage TwinCAT software licenses via the EtherCAT Terminal EL6070. The EL6070 embodies the hardware license key in the modular EtherCAT I/O system. Data transfer takes place via EtherCAT.
C9900-L100 | License key USB stick for TwinCAT 3.1
As an alternative to the EL6070 license key terminal, the TwinCAT licenses can also be managed using the C9900-L100 USB stick. Data transfer takes place via USB.
EJ6070 | EtherCAT plug-in module, license key for TwinCAT 3.1
TwinCAT 3.1 offers an option to manage TwinCAT software licenses via the EtherCAT plug-in module EJ6070. The EJ6070 embodies the hardware license key in the modular EtherCAT I/O system. Data transfer takes place via EtherCAT.
EP6070-0060 | EtherCAT Box, license key for TwinCAT 3.1
TwinCAT 3.1 offers an option to manage TwinCAT software licenses directly in distributed systems via the IP67-protected EP6070-0060 EtherCAT Box module. The EP6070-0060 embodies the hardware license key in the modular EtherCAT I/O system. Data transfer takes place via EtherCAT.
TwinCAT 3 license dongles (2nd generation from TwinCAT 3.1 Build 4026)
EL6071 | EtherCAT Terminal, license key for TwinCAT 3.1, 2nd generation
TwinCAT 3.1 offers the option of managing TwinCAT licenses via license key devices. The EL6071 embodies the hardware license key in the modular EtherCAT I/O system. It is equipped with a local data memory for storing TwinCAT 3.1 license files. Communication takes place via EtherCAT.
EL6072 | EtherCAT Terminal, license key for TwinCAT 3.1, 2nd generation, with RTC
TwinCAT 3.1 offers the option of managing TwinCAT licenses via license key devices. The EL6072 embodies the hardware license key in the modular EtherCAT I/O system. It is equipped with a local data memory for storing TwinCAT 3.1 license files. Communication takes place via EtherCAT.
C9900-L101 | License key for TwinCAT 3.1, 2nd generation
TwinCAT licenses can be managed via license key devices in TwinCAT 3.1.
C9900-L102 | License key for TwinCAT 3.1, 2nd generation, with RTC
TwinCAT licenses can be managed via license key devices in TwinCAT 3.1.
You can order TwinCAT 3 standard licenses together with a TwinCAT 3 license dongle and have the licenses (pre-)activated for this dongle in the Beckhoff production department. You then no longer have to activate these licenses yourself. This facilitates production planning, for example in series production. The requirement is that you order the licenses and the TwinCAT 3 license dongle in one order at the same time (the dongle must be physically present in the Beckhoff production department for the pre-activation).
In the purchase order, the license device (i.e. the license dongle) must be specified first, immediately followed by the associated licenses in order to enable the assignment of the licenses to this dongle.
Example:
- 1 x EL6070-0033
- 1 x TC1200-0150
Important: The "1" in the third-to-last place in the article number of the TwinCAT 3 license indicates that this license is to be activated in the Beckhoff production department for the preceding license dongle.
Also, when ordering TwinCAT 3 standard licenses together with a Beckhoff Industrial PC, you can have the licenses for this PC (pre-)activated in the Beckhoff production.
The license device (i.e. the Industrial PC) must be listed in the order, immediately followed by the associated licenses in order to enable the assignment of the licenses to this Industrial PC.
Example:
- 1 x C6027-0000
- 1 x TC1200-0080
The "0" in the third-to-last position of the order number of the TwinCAT 3 license indicates that this license is to be activated in the Beckhoff production for the aforementioned Beckhoff Industrial PC.
When ordering licenses that you want to activate yourself, there must be a "2" in the third-to-last position of the order number of the TwinCAT 3 license.
Example:
- 1 x TC1200-0250
If you wish to subsequently add TwinCAT 3 licenses to a license dongle, you can order single licenses at any time. You activate them yourself for the dongle and add them to the dongle memory (the same applies to IPCs).
Example:
- 1 x TC1200-0250
To order licenses that you wish to activate yourself, place a "2" in the third-to-last place in the article number of the TwinCAT 3 license.
Find detailed information in the Beckhoff Information System on www.infosys.beckhoff.com
Single TwinCAT 3 licenses are activated in 3 steps:
1. Create a License Request File.
This file in XML format contains information on the license device (system ID) and a list of the licenses to be activated.
2. Send the License Request File to the Beckhoff License Server (tclicense@beckhoff.com). The License Server signs the License Request File and thus generates a License Response File.
3. Save the License Response Files on the license device.
Find detailed information in the Beckhoff Information System on www.infosys.beckhoff.com
If you wish to use TwinCAT 3 licenses on a computer (or a board) that was not manufactured by Beckhoff, TwinCAT 3 license dongles are available for this purpose.
The TwinCAT license certificate contains information on the purchased licenses.
Listed here among other things are the TwinCAT license TANs required for activation of TwinCAT 3 licenses:
- You can request a license certificate – including subsequently – formlessly from your Beckhoff sales contact.
- You can freely determine the licenses contained in the license certificate within the scope of the respective order. For example, you can also have a license certificate issued for every single license in an order.
Note: For technical reasons the C9900-L100-0033 and EL6070-0033 license dongles cannot currently be ordered empty, i.e. without licenses. If you wish to obtain one of these dongles without (chargeable) TwinCAT licenses, just order a free TwinCAT 3 TC1000 license (TwinCAT ADS) with it.
Example:
- 1 x EL6070-0033
- 1 x TC1000-0150
Alternatively, an empty version of each license dongle is available: C9900-L100 and EL6070. Note, however, that these have a different type ID and are not exchangeable in the TwinCAT I/O configuration with the *-0033 variant.
Trial licenses can be generated in the TwinCAT 3 development environment (XAE) for many TwinCAT 3 functions for a validity period of 7 days. This can be repeated any number of times. An internet connection is not required for this. In this way, these TwinCAT functions can be used simply and cost-effectively in laboratory operations, e.g. in the education sector.
You can retrieve the License Response File for licenses that have already been activated once from the TwinCAT 3 License Server again at any time.
The exact procedure is described here.
When changing the Industrial PC, you can apply to have the TwinCAT licenses transferred to the new PC. To do this, a fully completed license transfer request must be sent by email to Beckhoff Service (via the contact button at the top right of this page):
The software license agreement for Beckhoff software products can be found here under "License conditions for Beckhoff software products".
Since October 2022, the software license agreement for Beckhoff software products also allows the use of TwinCAT 3 on virtual machines.
Please note:
- Beckhoff does not test the operation of TwinCAT software on virtual machines and therefore cannot guarantee its functionality in this environment.
- The use of TwinCAT software on virtual machines is at your own risk.
- Beckhoff does not provide support for specific problems when using the TwinCAT software on virtual machines.
If you have any questions, please get in touch with your Beckhoff sales contact.
Hard real time on virtual machines?
TwinCAT 3 does not support hard real time on virtual machines (VM), as the VM controls the assignment of computing time for TwinCAT 3 and therefore overrides the mechanisms in TwinCAT 3 for achieving hard real time. On a ‘real’ PC, TwinCAT manages the assignment of computing time (including for Windows) and uses this to support hard real time. This is not possible on a VM, as the subordinate VM assigns computing time to an instance and TwinCAT only has partial control within the computing time assigned by the VM.
As a user, can you ensure hard real time through testing when using it in a VM?
Tests can only check the functionality in a current state of the VM. You cannot guarantee hard real time in any given state of a VM. Applications for which hard real time is critical (such as machine controls), should therefore not be run on a VM.
If you have any questions about licensing, you can contact our support team using the contact button at the top right of this page.
Please attach all relevant information to your request, especially License Request or License Response Files (if useful for the request). This will help us to process your request faster.
- Especially for questions regarding the change of the licensing basis, the Beckhoff Service is available.
Please refer to the corresponding subitem on this page. - Especially for support with questions about the TwinCAT License Server (tclicense@beckhoff.com) the email address support.tclicense@beckhoff.com is also available.