CoDeSys SoftPLC Available for PikeOS

Partition Microkernel Opens New Architectural Possibilities for Automation Industry

Mainz/Germany, February 07, 2007

SYSGO, the global supplier of highly reliable device software, has announced the integration of CoDeSys from 3S - Smart Software Solutions as a new partition type for SYSGO's real-time separation microkernel PikeOS. CoDeSys is a leading hardware-independent programming system for creating industrial controller applications, often called PLCs. It is used by more than 200 manufacturers of components and systems for the automation industry. With PikeOS, industrial controller suppliers can arrange their software in independent but cooperating partitions that are absolutely protected from each other.

"PikeOS is a huge asset for CoDeSys users. New application fields can be accessed as due to the protection of the partitions a high safety level is guaranteed", said Dieter Hess, co-CEO and co-founder of 3S - Smart Software Solutions. "The support of legacy code provided by PikeOS allows the system designer to use the most appropriate features of existing, proven software technology, from systems such as Linux, POSIX and VxWorks, and to combine them in an optimal way."

"3S - Smart Software Solutions is a very important supplier of software based programmable logic control for industrial applications and control equipment, and we´re happy that PikeOS is now available to 3S customers," said Walter Grossgarten, Partner Manager at SYSGO. "Industrial control technology, with its broad spectrum of application domains, can make excellent use of PikeOS´s inherent versatility, safety, and compatibility with established software standards."

The PikeOS partition microkernel supports heterogeneous software architectures that contain multiple additional operating systems and runtime environments, such as Linux, ARINC 653 and POSIX. With PikeOS, a relatively uncritical Linux-based part of the application, such as a graphical monitoring system or webserver, may run in one partition, with CoDeSys running in another. It is even possible to run several CoDeSys partitions concurrently; this enables a single control unit to control multiple machines. PikeOS allows partitions to communicate with each other, but one partition cannot corrupt another one.

Further developments are planned for the CoDeSys adaptation of PikeOS, including support for a networked, distributed system of PLCs that would be able to share portions of their states by means of a publish/subscribe mechanism.

About 3S - Smart Software Solutions
The German software specialist 3S-Smart Software Solutions is the manufacturer of the market leading IEC 61131-3 programming tool CoDeSys. The integrated compilers in CoDeSys which translate the controller application into machine code guarantee an optimal performance on the processors in use. As a complete automation suite, CoDeSys offers integrated product extensions for motion control or visualisation.

The new CoDeSys 3.0 unites the functionality of the successful programming system CoDeSys with state-of-the-art technology: CoDeSys 3.0 is a complete automation platform and offers real object oriented programming with version profiles, network programming and an integrated IEC visualisation.

Further Information
3S-Smart Software Solutions GmbH
Dipl. Ing. (FH) Roland Wagner
Leiter Marketing
Memminger Str. 151
87439 Kempten
Germany
Phone: +49/831/5 40 31-17
E-mail: r.wagner@3s-software.com
www.3s-software.com