| title | difficulty | compatible-products | description | tags | author | hardware | software | |||||||
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PLC IDE User Manual |
beginner |
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Learn about the software features and functionalities of the Arduino® PLC IDE. |
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José Bagur |
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This user manual provides a comprehensive guide to the Arduino PLC IDE, a powerful integrated development environment (IDE) that allows you to program using IEC 61131-3 standard languages. The user manual covers all major software elements, functionalities and features that enable you to create industrial automation solutions with Arduino products.
Through this user manual, you will learn how to set up, configure and leverage the full potential of the Arduino PLC IDE, including its IDE, debugging tools and industrial communication capabilities. Whether you are new to PLC programming or an experienced automation engineer, this guide will help you master the Arduino PLC IDE's features, tools and capabilities.
- Opta™ Lite, Opta™ RS485, or Opta™ WiFi (x1)
- USB-C® cable (x1)
- +12-24 VDC/0.5 A power supply (x1)
Note: While this user manual focuses on Opta™ devices, the PLC IDE also works with other Arduino Pro products like the Portenta Machine Control, the Opta™ Analog Expansion (A0602) or the Opta™ Digital Expansions (D1608E and D1608S).
- Latest release of the PLC IDE installer file
- Windows 10 or newer (64-bit)
- Administrator account privileges
Important: Before installing the latest release of the PLC IDE, ensure that any previous versions (including the PLC IDE Tools) are completely uninstalled using Windows "Add or remove programs" tool. Additionally, delete the "T" folder located in C:\Users\AppData\Local\T.
The Arduino PLC IDE combines the well-known Arduino ecosystem with professional PLC development tools to create a complete environment for industrial automation programming. Its foundation lies in full support for the IEC 61131-3 standard, offering developers five essential programming languages:
- Ladder Diagram (LD)
- Functional Block Diagram (FBD)
- Structured Text (ST)
- Sequential Function Chart (SFC)
- Instruction List (IL)
Each language serves specific programming needs in the automation field, allowing developers to select the most suitable approach for their automation tasks. A distinctive strength of the PLC IDE is how it bridges PLC programming with traditional Arduino sketches, allowing developers to work in both environments at once. This integration means you can share variables and functions between your PLC programs and Arduino code, creating more flexible and powerful automation solutions.
PLC IDE handles complex timing requirements through its support for deterministic cyclic tasks and multitasking capabilities, ensuring precise control over critical industrial processes where timing accuracy is essential. For industrial networking, the PLC IDE provides integrated fieldbus support through its no-code configurators. These tools simplify the setup of three key industrial communication protocols:
- Modbus RTU
- Modbus TCP
- CANopen
Development efficiency is enhanced through an extensive collection of pre-installed function blocks and libraries. Developers can use these ready-made components directly or create custom libraries to meet specific project requirements. The development environment also provides a comprehensive suite of debugging tools:
- Live debug mode for real-time operation monitoring
- Oscilloscope for detailed program analysis
- Watch windows and breakpoints for precise debugging
- On-line program changes without halting execution
This combination of features creates a development environment that serves both rapid prototyping needs and professional industrial applications. The PLC IDE makes complex automation tasks more approachable while maintaining the robustness required for industrial systems, supporting developers of all experience levels in creating reliable automation solutions.
The installation and configuration process of the PLC IDE involves three main steps: installing the latest release of the software, establishing connection with your Opta™ device and activating your license. This section guides you through each step to ensure a proper setup of the PLC IDE with your Arduino hardware.
The PLC IDE installation process begins with downloading the correct installer file. The installer follows a specific naming convention that helps you verify you have the right version. The file name structure is:
Arduino-PLC-IDE-Installer_X.X.X_Windows_64bit
where X.X.X represents the version number (for example, 1.0.7). This naming scheme helps ensure you are installing a legitimate and up-to-date version of the software.
PLC IDE is only compatible with Windows. It does not support MacOS or Linux-based computers.
Before starting the installation process, there are two important considerations to ensure a correct setup process:
- Temporarily disable any antivirus software in your computer
- Run the PLC IDE installer file with administrative account privileges
During the installation process, you will notice several terminal windows opening automatically. This is a normal part of the process as the installer file loads necessary resources onto your computer. The installation proceeds through several steps:
Launch the installer by double-clicking the downloaded file; when the PLC IDE installer welcome window appears, click Install to begin after reading and agreeing the license terms and conditions. The installation process starts with installing the PLC IDE Tools.
Click Next at the welcome screen, then choose an installation directory for the PLC IDE Tools. Click Install to proceed with the PLC IDE Tools installation.
After the PLC IDE Tools installation process completes, the main PLC IDE software setup begins. Select an installation directory and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process. A confirmation window will appear when the process finishes. Click Close to exit the installer.
The PLC IDE welcome screen indicates that your PLC IDE installation is complete and ready for the next configuration steps.
After installation, you can launch the PLC IDE to see the welcome screen. If you encounter any issues with the software, try these troubleshooting steps:
- Restart your computer to ensure all drivers and dependencies are properly integrated
- If problems persist after restarting your computer, reinstall the PLC IDE after disabling antivirus protection and running the installer file with administrative privileges
After installing the PLC IDE software, you can connect your Opta™ device to your computer. Connect your Opta™ device directly to your computer using a USB-C® cable, preferably to a USB port on your computer rather than through a USB hub. If you are using an external power supply, verify it meets the specifications of +12-24 VDC/0.5 A before connecting it to your Opta™ device.
After installing and configuring your PLC IDE, you can begin creating your first project. The PLC IDE provides an intuitive interface for project creation and configuration.
You can create a new project using one of the following methods:
- Click the New project... button located in the center of the PLC IDE welcome screen
- Navigate to File > New Project in the menu bar
The New project window allows you to configure several important project parameters:
- Project Name: Define a unique name for your project
- Project Location: Select the directory where your project will be stored
- Target Hardware: Choose the specific Arduino hardware you will use in your project
- Case Sensitivity: Enable this option to enforce exact case matching in project names (uppercase and lowercase letters are treated as distinct). This is useful when managing directories with similarly named files.
Create a new project with the name testProject. This is the project we are going to use on the following sections of the user manual.
Once you create a new project, the PLC IDE will display several new windows. To configure your board settings:
- Locate the left panel of the PLC IDE interface
- Navigate to the Resources tab in the tree structure
- Select your board to open the Board Configuration page
This configuration page provides access to essential board settings and parameters that you will need for your project development.
Before you can begin programming your board, you need to install the runtime program that enables communication between your device and the PLC IDE.
Follow these steps to install the runtime program on your Opta™:
- Navigate to the board configuration page
- Locate the Other section below the Device Info block
- Select the correct Serial Port for your Opta™ device from the dropdown menu
- Click the Download button to begin the runtime program installation
Important: You must reinstall the runtime program whenever you update to a new version of the PLC IDE.
When connecting your device, you'll find two Serial port options in the system as shown below:
These ports serve different purposes:
- Primary port (usually the lowest number): Functions as the standard Serial communication port and serves as a virtual port for Modbus communication. This should be your first choice for connection.
- Secondary port (usually the highest number): Serves as a backup communication port if the primary port fails to connect. May be required for specific configuration scenarios.
Note: If you cannot establish a connection through the primary port, make note of the secondary port number for future reference. You will need this information in later configuration steps.
If you encounter the following error message during the runtime installation:
Cannot download Sketch file (error code: 1)
Try the following:
- Locate your Opta's reset button
- Using a pen tip or similar pointed object, double-tap the reset button
The LED above the reset button will begin blinking as shown in the image below, meaning that your Opta™ device is in bootloader mode.
Once you see the LED indication, click the Download button to restart the installation process. When the runtime program installation completes successfully, you will see a confirmation message in the Output window as shown in the image below.
Tip: For persistent installation issues, try running the PLC IDE with administrative privileges. This can often fix permission-related problems that interfere with the runtime installation or device communication.
After installing the runtime program in your Opta™, you need to establish communication between the PLC IDE and your device. This section guides you through the connection process and the communication settings.
To configure the connection settings:
- Navigate to On-line > Set up communication in the menu bar
- In the communication setup window (DeviceLinkManager Config), locate and select the Modbus protocol
- Click on Properties to configure the Modbus settings
When configuring the Modbus protocol in the Modbus configuration window (Modbus Config), consider the following:
- Use the primary Serial port (lowest number) as your default communication port
- This port serves as the Modbus Virtual port you noted during the runtime program installation
- For additional devices or those with higher Serial number series, use the secondary port number
Note: The Serial port number used here must match the one you used during the runtime program installation.
After configuring the communication settings:
- Click OK to save the Modbus protocol settings
- Click OK again to close the communication setup window
- Navigate to On-line > Connect to establish the connection of PLC IDE with your device
The configuration page will indicate when the connection is successful as shown in the image below:
Note that the available interfaces shown in the image will vary depending on your specific Opta™ variant. The example above displays the interfaces for an Opta™ WiFi variant.
Tip: If the connection fails, verify that you are using the correct Serial port number and that your device's runtime program is properly installed.
Before exploring the advanced functionalities of the PLC IDE, let's begin with the default counter program that comes with every new project. This serves as the Hello World program for the PLC IDE. This example will help you understand the basic workflow of programming and monitoring your Opta™ device with the PLC IDE.
The default project structure includes a basic counter program that demonstrates core PLC IDE functionalities. To access and run this program:
- Locate the
mainfile in your Project window as shown below:
- Double-click on the
mainfile to open the counter program in the editor window:
- To run the program on your Opta™ device, you must first compile it:
- Navigate to Project > Compile in the menu bar
- Alternatively, press F7 as a shortcut
- After successful compilation, download the program to your Opta™ device:
- Navigate to On-line > Download code in the menu bar
- Alternatively, press F5 as a shortcut
Note: Ensure your device is properly connected before attempting to download the program.
If the download process was done successfully, you should see no error messages on the Output window and a message on it indicating that it is connected to your Opta™ device, as shown in the image below.
The PLC IDE provides real-time monitoring capabilities through its Watch window. To access the Watch window, navigate to View > Tool windows > Watch in the menu bar as shown in the image below. This will open a new window on the right side of the PLC IDE called Watch. This is the window that the PLC IDE uses to show the real-time value of variables defined in your programs.
To add variables to monitor, first click the Insert new item button in the Watch window.
In the popup window that appears (Add item to watch window), enter cnt in the Symbol name field and select main as the Location field.
In the next popup window that appears (Debug windows list), Select Watch from the available debug options of the PLC IDE.
Click OK to confirm and add the variable to the Watch window.
Tip: You can also add variables to be monitored by dragging them from the Project tree or the Main program directly into the Watch window.
Monitoring the Hello World Example:
The PLC IDE provides real-time monitoring capabilities through its Watch window. To access the Watch window, navigate to View > Tool windows > Watch in the menu bar as shown in the image below. This will open a new window on the right side of the PLC IDE called Watch. This is the window that the PLC IDE uses to show the real-time value of variables defined in your programs.
To add variables to monitor, first click the Insert new item button in the Watch window.
In the popup window that appears (Add item to watch window), enter cnt in the Symbol name field and select main as the Location field.
In the next popup window that appears (Debug windows list), Select Watch from the available debug options of the PLC IDE. Click OK to confirm and add the variable to the Watch window.
Tip: You can also add variables to be monitored by dragging them from the Project tree or the Main program directly into the Watch window.
Automatically the monitoring should start, if not, select the Watch window and click the Start/Stop Watch button to begin monitoring. The value of cnt will update in real-time.
