Beckhoff has developed a TwinCAT Chat client for the TwinCAT XAE development environment, which makes it easy to use large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT from OpenAI during the development of TwinCAT projects to improve the programming efficiency of control programs. It also offers optimization potential for direct support.

Large language models (LLMs) are neural networks that have been trained on a large amount of text. In recent years, large language models have been increasingly used in the field of natural language processing, including chatbots and machine translation.

The TwinCAT Chat client automates programming in an AI-supported manner, such as creating or adding function block code, and even refactoring optimized code and writing documentation. The client is implemented in TwinCAT XAE, connects to the respective Large Language Model (LLM) cloud (e.g. ChatGPT is based on Microsoft’s AzureTM), provides a user interface, and communicates with the PLC development environment via the Automation Interface. This is possible via the corresponding chat window in Visual Studio, while the functionality of the LLM has been optimized especially for TwinCAT 3 users, i.e. it has been extensively supplemented with TwinCAT-specific content.

About Beckhoff

Beckhoff is a German company focusing on new automation technologies. It was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Weil, Germany. As a global driver of automation technology, Beckhoff has defined many standards in the field of automation and is the setter and promoter of international standards. The company’s industrial PCs, fieldbus modules, drive products and TwinCAT automation software constitute a complete and mutually compatible control system that can provide open automation systems and complete solutions for various industrial control fields. After 40 years of development and hard work, Beckhoff has established more than 30 branches around the world, and with global partners, its business covers more than 70 countries and regions.

Beckhoff entered the Chinese market in 1997. Its China headquarters is located in Shanghai North High-tech Industrial Park. It currently has 300 employees and offices in 30 large and medium-sized cities in China. Innovative products and solutions are widely used in many fields such as wind power generation, semiconductors, photovoltaic solar energy, electronic manufacturing, metal processing, packaging machinery, printing machinery, plastic processing, tire processing, wood processing, glass machinery, logistics and transportation, and building automation.

The EtherCAT real-time industrial Ethernet that the company has vigorously promoted became China’s national recommended standard in 2014 and has been included in the “Guidelines for the Construction of the National Intelligent Manufacturing Standard System” of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. As a technology-driven company, Beckhoff has always focused on seeking breakthroughs and innovations in technology and enjoys a reputation as an “innovation engine” in the industry. Beckhoff’s PC-based control technology has good openness. It supports all mainstream industrial communication protocols and perfectly integrates IT technology, the Internet and automation technology, laying a solid technical foundation for the realization of Industry 4.0 and intelligent manufacturing.
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