Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver

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2 Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver

Table of Contents
Table of Contents 2
Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver 4

Overview 5
External Dependencies 5

Device Setup 6
Symbolic Settings 7
Setting Up an AMS Remote Connection 9

Automatic Tag Database Generation 14

Performance Optimization 15
Adding SYSTEMINFO Global Variables to a TwinCAT PLC Project 17

Data Type Descriptions 18

Address Descriptions 19
Symbolic Tag Based Addressing 19
Tag Scope 19
Addressing Atomic Data Types 20
Ordering of TwinCAT Array Data 22

Error Descriptions 23
Error Codes 23
Address Validation 25
Address <address> is out of range for the specified device or register. 25
Array size is out of range for address <address>. 25
Data type <type> is not valid for device address <address>. 25
Device Address <address> contains a syntax error. 25
Automatic Tag Database Generation Error Messages 26
Unable to generate a tag database for device <device name>. Reason: Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS DLL
necessary for import is not loaded. 26
Unable to generate a tag database for device <device name>. Reason: Device is not responding. 26
Unable to generate a tag database for device <device name>. Reason: Device returned error code
<#>. 26
Unable to generate a tag database for device <device name>. Reason: Memory allocation error. 27
Driver Error Messages 27
Unable to import from Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS Communication driver. 27
Unable to load Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS Communication driver. 27
Unable to open a communication port on the ADS router. 27
Device Status Error Messages 28
Device <Device name> is not responding. 28
Monitoring the global variable <tag address> on device <device name> to update symbol information
when a change is detected. 28
Unable to gather runtime information for device <device name>. Reason: <reason>. 29
Unable to perform Beckhoff compatibility on device <device name> due to memory allocation error. 29
Unable to synchronize with configuration file <file name> on device <device name> due to memory
allocation error. 29

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Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver 3

Unable to read tag <tag address> on device <device name>. Requesting symbol information for each
transaction. 29
Read Error Messages 30
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Actual data type is not compatible with tag of
type <data type>. 30
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Address bounds exceeded. 30
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS DLL necessary for
runtime is not loaded. 30
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Error Code <#>. 31
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Memory allocation error. 31
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Runtime file is not valid. 31
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Symbol not found in file. 31
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Tag data size of <size> bytes(s) exceeds
actual data size of <size> byte(s). 32
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Tag does not meet filtering requirements. 32
Write Error Messages 32
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Actual data type is not compatible with tag
of type <data type>. 32
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Address bounds exceeded. 33
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS DLL necessary for
runtime is not loaded. 33
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Error Code <#>. 33
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Memory allocation error. 33
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Runtime file is not valid. 34
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Symbol not found in file. 34
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Tag access is Read Only 34
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Tag data size of <size> bytes(s) exceeds
actual data size of <size> byte(s). 34
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Tag does not meet filtering requirements. 35

Technical Notes 36
TwinCAT Memory Warning. 36
TwinCAT Time Slice Notes 36

Index 37

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4 Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver

Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver

Help version 1.064

CONTENTS

Overview
What is the Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver?

Device Setup
How do I configure a device for use with this driver? 

Automatic Tag Database Generation

How can I easily configure tags for the Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver?

Optimizing Beckhoff TwinCAT Communications

How do I get the best performance from this driver?

Data Types Description

What data types does the Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver support?

Address Descriptions
How do I reference a data location in a Beckhoff TwinCAT device?

Error Descriptions
What error messages does the Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver produce?

Technical Notes
Where can I find technical notes for the Driver?

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Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver 5

Overview
The Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver is specifically designed to communicate with a Beckhoff TwinCAT software system.
The Beckhoff TwinCAT software system turns any compatible PC into a real-time controller with a multi-PLC
system, NC axis control, programming environment, and operating station. TwinCAT replaces conventional PLC
and NC/CNC controllers (as well as operating devices) with the following:

l open, compatible PC hardware.

l embedded IEC 61131-3 software PLC, software NC and software CNC in Windows NT/XP/Vista, NT/ XP
Embedded, and CE.
l programming and Runtime systems together on one PC or separated.
l connection to all common field buses.
l support of PC interfaces.
l data communication with user interfaces and other programs by means of open standards (such as OPC,
OCX, DLL, and so forth).

World-wide Connection Through Message Routing

TwinCAT PLC programs can run on PCs or on Beckhoff Bus Terminal Controllers. A message router manages and
distributes all the messages, both in the system and via TCP/IP connections. PC systems can be connected with
each other via TCP/IP; Bus Terminal Controllers are integrated via serial interfaces and field buses.

TwinCAT ADS (Automation Device Specification)

The data link to TwinCAT servers occurs via the message router system, which enables Windows programs to
both work with the local server and to exchange data with registered TwinCAT servers worldwide. The message
router allows data exchange to remote servers on other PCs or field equipment.

Note: This driver has external dependencies. The Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS Communication Library is required on
the same computer as the OPC server. To get the necessary files, download and install the free "Minimum Install"
available from Beckhoff.

TwinCAT I/O – Universal I/O Interface For All Common Field Buses
Many PC fieldbus cards from various manufacturers are supported. It is possible to operate more than one
fieldbus card per PC. Master and slave functionality is supported, depending on the selected fieldbus card. The
fieldbus cards can be configured and diagnosed conveniently via the TwinCAT System Manager. TwinCAT I/O
includes the TwinCAT real-time system for operating the fieldbuses and a DLL interface to application programs.

TwinCAT PLC
TwinCAT PLC was conceived as a pure software PLC. It allows up to four virtual PLC CPUs on one PC, with each
running up to four separate user tasks. TwinCAT PLC includes both the programming environment and the
Runtime system. Under the CE operating system and the embedded operating systems for the series BX and BC
controllers, only TwinCAT Runtime is available. Program modifications are implemented via network-capable
powerful communication with the Runtime system.

External Dependencies
This driver has external dependencies. The Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS Communication Library is required on the
same computer as the OPC server. To get the necessary files, download and install the free "Minimum Install"
available from Beckhoff.

The TwinCAT Automation Device Specification (ADS) is a medium-independent protocol for transmissions within
TwinCAT. As of this version, the files are available from the Beckhoff website under Download | Software |
TwinCAT 3 | TC1xxx | Runtime | TC1000 | TC3.1 ADS.

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Device Setup
Communication Protocol
ADS API

Supported Devices
Beckhoff TwinCAT PLC
BC9xxx Coupler Controller
BX9xxx Coupler Controller

Maximum Channels and Devices

The maximum number of channels supported by this driver is 100. The maximum number of devices per channel
is 1024.

Request Timeout
This parameter specifies the amount of time that the driver will wait for a response from the device before giving
up and going on to the next request. Long timeouts will only affect performance if a device is not responding. The
valid range is 100 to 30000 milliseconds. The default setting is 1000 milliseconds.

Retry Attempts
This parameter specifies the number of times that the driver will retry a message before giving up and going on
to the next message. The valid range is 1 to 10. The default setting is 3 retries.

Device IDs
The Device ID is a specific ADS-AMS Net ID. Every PC on the network can be uniquely identified by a TCP/IP
address. The ADS-AMS Net ID is an extension of the TCP/IP address and identifies a TwinCAT message router,
such as "192.168.100.10.1.1". TwinCAT message routers exist on every TwinCAT PC and on every Beckhoff
BCxxxx bus controller.

AMS Remote Connections Management

To communicate successfully with any remote TwinCAT runtime engine on a Beckhoff PLC (or an ADS library on
any remote PC), the AMS Remote Connection Manager utility must be used to assign an AMS Net ID to the local
station hosting the Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver. The AMS Net ID is also used to establish routes to remote AMS/ADS
enabled devices. For more information, refer to Setting Up an AMS Remote Connection.

Important: On Windows Vista and above, User Account Control (UAC) must be turned off before a remote
connection may be configured with the Beckhoff TwinCAT Remote Manager Utility. If the remote connection is
created before UAC is disabled, the configuration settings will be created in an incorrect location (resulting in
poor performance).

Note: For more information about the AMS messaging protocol, please consult Beckhoff's help documentation.

Tag Database Creation

The Automatic OPC Tag Database Generation features of this driver have been designed to make setting up the
OPC application less time consuming. This driver can be configured to automatically build a list of server tags
within the OPC Server that correspond to device specific data. The automatically generated OPC tags can then be
browsed from the OPC client.

Port Number
The ADS devices in a TwinCAT message router are uniquely identified by a number referred to as the ADS-PortNr.
For more information, refer to table below.

System Supported ADS-PortNr Default Setting

TwinCAT 2 PLC Runtime Systems 801 801
811
821
831
TwinCAT 3 PLC Runtime Systems 851 851
852
853
854
BC9xxx/BX9xxx Series Controllers 800 800

Note: Users must allow the TCP port number 48898 (AMS port 801) on the firewall if planning to connect
remotely to an ADS/AMS router. If not, the system will not work reliably and may stop.

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Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver 7

Default Data Type

This parameter specifies the data type that will be assigned to a Client/Server tag when the default type is
selected during tag addition, modification, and import. Client/Server tags are assigned the default data type
when any of the following conditions occur:

1. A Dynamic Tag is created in the client with Native as its assigned data type.

2. A Static Tag is created in the server with Default as its assigned data type.

Symbolic Settings
Import Method
The generated server tags are based on the tags defined in the Beckhoff TwinCAT device. There are two database
import methods that can be used to create a tag database: Upload Symbols from Device and Upload Symbols from
File.

Description of the parameters are as follows:

l Upload Symbols from Device: This feature retrieves the tags directly from the controller over the same
Ethernet connection used for data access.
Note: At this time, tags and symbols can only be uploaded from a TwinCAT soft PLC. They cannot be
uploaded from a hardware BC/BX controller.
l Upload Symbols from File: This feature requires that, when creating the tag database from an import
file, the import file be a .tpy file generated from the Beckhoff TwinCAT PLC Control software.
l Symbol File: This parameter specifies the exact location of the .tpy file from which tags will be imported.
BC9xxx and BX9xxx models must include this file for a Runtime database.
l Auto-Synchronize With Symbol File Changes: This feature updates the Runtime database
automatically when the file has been modified.
Caution: Checking Auto-Synchronize will reflect changes to the Runtime, regardless of whether or not
the new configuration has been pushed down to the device. Users should ensure that the device is using
the same .tpy file as loaded in the server project; otherwise, inaccurate data could be obtained.

Notes:

1. Tag database changes will not appear in the server until Automatic Tag Generation is performed.

2. The BC9xxx and BX9xxx models only support database creation from a .tpy file.

Import and Runtime Compatibility

Additional OPC item information is located in the comment field after the PLC variable declaration in TwinCAT PLC
Control. This optional functionality is used to minimize the OPC namespace of the server project. It also assigns
the appropriate read/write item properties and OPC client access.

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8 Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver

Respect OPC Read/Write Item Properties

When enabled, variables that include the string "OPC_PROP[0005]: <r/w access number>" (defined within the
variable comment field in the PLC project) will be assigned the appropriate Read/Write access. During import and
Runtime, any tag(s) corresponding to a variable with the R/W access specified will carry the same Read/Write
access rights. Whitespace is ignored.

l Syntax: (*~(OPC_PROP[0005] : <Item Access Rights> : <remark>)*)

<Item Access Rights> 1 = Read Only, 2 = Write Only, 3 = Read/Write.

<remark> Optional and ignored.

l Read Only Example: dwTemperature:DWORD; (*~(OPC_PROP[0005]:1:Read Only)*)

Respect Tag Case on Import

When disabled (default), imported tag and address strings are forced into upper case. When enabled, upper and
lower case text is preserved when imported.

Note: Respect Tag Case on Import behavior:

l When disabled (default) and importing from a .tpy file, all text (names and addresses) are forced into
upper case.
l When enabled and importing from a .tpy file, mixed-case text is preserved.
l When importing directly from a TwinCAT-2 PLC, all text is upper case, regardless of this setting.
l When enabled and importing directly from a TwinCAT-3 PLC, mixed-case text is preserved.
l When disabled (default) and importing directly from a TwinCAT-3 PLC, names contain mixed case, but
addresses are in upper case.

Only Import Variables Marked for OPC

When enabled, only tags with the keyword "OPC:1" (defined within the variable comment field in the PLC project)
will be imported and visible during Runtime.

l Syntax: (*~(OPC : 1 : <remark>)*)

<remark> Optional and ignored.

l Example: bMemFlag AT%MX0.0:BOOL; (*~(OPC:1:Visible to OPC Clients)*)

Only Import Variables Marked for OPC + Filter

When Only Import Variables Marked for OPC is enabled with a Filter string, only tags in which the comment
includes the string "OPC:1" and "OPC_Filter: <filter>" will be imported into the project and visible during
Runtime. Filter strings are arbitrary, user-defined strings used for another layer of filtering. If none are
specified, this field will be ignored. Otherwise, the variable will only be imported if the filter string found in the
comment section matches the filter set in Device Properties. Whitespace is treated literally.

l Syntax: (*~(OPC : 1 : <remark>)(OPC_Filter : <filter string> : <remark>)*)

<remark> Optional and ignored.

l Example: bMemFlag AT%MX0.0:BOOL; (*~(OPC:1:Visible to OPC Clients)(OPC_Filter:Memory Access)*)

Combination Usage
Each of the comments described above can be combined for greater control over the filtering and assignment of
OPC Read/Write item properties.

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Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver 9

Only Import Variables Marked for OPC + Respect OPC Read/Write Item Properties
Variables will only be imported and visible during Runtime if "OPC:1" is defined in the comment field. Upon being
imported, corresponding tags will be assigned the appropriate Read/Write access rights.

l Syntax:(*~(OPC : 1 : <remark>)(OPC_PROP[0005] : <Item Access Rights> : <remark>)*)

l Example: dwTemperature:DWORD; (*~(OPC:1:Visible to OPC Clients)(OPC_PROP[0005]:1:Read Only)*)

Only Import Variables Marked for OPC + Filter + Respect OPC Item Properties
A variable with this comment will only be imported and visible during Runtime if "OPC:1" is defined in the
comment field and if the filter string found in the comment section matches the filter set in Device Properties.
Corresponding tags will be assigned Read/Write access rights once they are imported.

l Syntax: (*~(OPC : 1 : <remark>)(OPC_Filter : <filter string> : <remark>) (OPC_PROP[0005] : <Item

Access Rights> : <remark>)*)
l Example: dwTemperature:DWORD; (*~(OPC:1:Visible to OPC Clients) (OPC_Filter:Memory Access)
(OPC_PROP[0005]:1:Read Only)*)

OPC Item Description + Only Import Variables Marked for OPC

Any characters placed before the tilde in the comment field are treated as a description and will be displayed in
the OPC Server as an Item Description.

l Syntax:(*<OPC Item Description>~(OPC : 1 : <remark>)*)

l Example: (*This is my OPC Item Description~(OPC :1:Visible to OPC Clients)*)

Setting Up an AMS Remote Connection

Important: On Windows Vista and above, User Account Control (UAC) must be turned off before a remote
connection may be configured with the Beckhoff TwinCAT Remote Manager Utility. If the remote connection is
created before UAC is disabled, the configuration settings will be created in an incorrect location (resulting in
poor performance).

Configuration Without TwinCAT PLC Installed

A TwinCAT-PC's ADS-AMS Net ID is set using TwinCAT's Remote Manager Utility.

1. Install the Beckhoff TwinCAT Automation Device Specification (ADS) Communication Library,
which is available online from Beckhoff.

2. Next, navigate to TwinCAT\AdsApi\TcAdsDll. Then, double-click on TcAmsRemoteMgr.exe.

3. Beckhoff TwinCAT constructs the AMS Net ID from the TCP/IP address of the local PC by default, and uses
an extension of ".1.1". The AMS Net ID can, however, be chosen freely. In this example, the PC that is
running the OPC server has an IP address of "192.168.100.10." The Beckhoff device has an IP address of
"192.168.100.20".

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10 Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver

4. Next, press Add to include a remote computer in the connection.

5. Then, specify the parameters.

Note: This procedure must be repeated for all remote TwinCAT PLCs. The host computer must be added
in the same way as the remote computers on each of the remote computers.

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Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver 11

6. Once all the settings have been entered, press OK.

7. Next, click on the TwinCAT System Service icon located in the toolbar's notification area. Then, select
Router | Change AMS NetID.

8. Verify that the Local Computer AMS Net ID listed matches the one defined above. If the configuration
has changed, restart the computer.

Configuration With TwinCAT 2 PLC Installed

A TwinCAT-PC's ADS-AMS Net ID is set in the TwinCAT system service. In this example, the PC that is running the
OPC server has an IP address of "192.168.100.10". The Beckhoff device has an IP address of "192.168.100.20".

1. To start, click on the TwinCAT system service icon located within the toolbar's notification area. Then,
select Properties.

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12 Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver

2. In TwinCAT System Properties, select the AMS Router tab.

3. In AMS Net ID, read or modify the desired AMS Net Identifier. The TwinCAT installation constructs the
AMS Net ID from the TCP/IP address of the local PC by default, and uses an extension of .1.1 (as if it were
a sub-net mask for field buses, target bus controllers, and so forth). The AMS Net ID can, however, be
freely chosen.

Note: When an ADS device's services are called on in the network, its AMS Net ID must be known. By
inserting the target PC, TwinCAT can establish the connection between the TCP/IP address of the target
PC and the AMS Net ID of the target message router address.

4. The remote computers must be known to each other to create an AMS connection between multiple
computers. To do so, click TwinCAT | Properties | AMS Router. The AMS Net ID is composed of the
TCP/IP of the local computer plus the suffix .1.1. The AMS Net ID is based on the TCP/IP address, but the
relationship is not entirely fixed.

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Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver 13

5. Next, press Add to include a remote computer in the connection.

6. Then, either specify the parameters manually or select by clicking Browse.

Note: Each computer participating in communications must have an entry in the AMS Router Utility's
Remote Computers section for every other computer that is also participating in communications.

7. Once all the settings have been entered, press OK.

8. Restart the computers.

Configuration With TwinCAT 3 PLC Installed

Follow the instructions listed above in Configuration Without TwinCAT PLC Installed, starting at step two.

Note: For more information about the AMS messaging protocol, refer to Beckhoff's documentation.

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14 Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver

Automatic Tag Database Generation

Controller-to-Server Name Conversions
Leading underscores
Leading underscores (_) in tag/program names will be replaced with U_. This is required since the server does
not accept tag/group names beginning with an underscore.

Preparing for Automatic Tag Database Generation

Upload Symbols from Device
It is recommended that all communications to the Beckhoff TwinCAT of interest are halted during the database
creation process.

In the OPC Server

1. To start, open the Device Properties for the device in which tags will be generated.

2. Select the Database Settings tab, and then select Create tag database from device.

3. Next, select the desired Beckhoff Compatibility options.

4. Then, select the Options tab and make the desired changes.

5. Select the Database Creation tab and utilize as instructed in Database Creation Settings.

Note: At this time, tags and symbols can only be uploaded from a TwinCAT soft PLC. They cannot be
uploaded from a hardware BC/BX controller.

Upload Symbols from File

The driver uses a file generated from Beckhoff TwinCAT PLC called an .tpy import/export file to generate the tag
database.

Note: All tags, including global and program, are imported and expanded according to their data type.

In Beckhoff TwinCAT PLC

The .tpy file is automatically created the first time that a build is done on a clean project.

1. Open the TwinCAT PLC Control program.

2. If using a TwinCAT 2 PLC, click Project | Clean All. If using a TwinCAT 3 PLC, click Build | Clean
Solution.

3. Then, if using a TwinCAT 2 PLC, click Project | Build. If using a TwinCAT 3 PLC, click Build | Build
Solution.

Notes:

1. The program does not generate the .tpy file again until the project is cleaned; however, the .tpy always
regenerates when the project is rebuilt.

2. The .tpy file is located in the same directory as the PLC project.

In the OPC Server

1. To start, open the Device Properties for the device in which tags will be generated.

2. Select the Database Settings tab, and then select Create tag database from import file.

3. Enter or browse for the location of the .tpy file that was previously created.

4. Next, select the desired Beckhoff Compatibility options.

5. Then, select the Options tab and make the desired changes.

6. Select the Database Creation tab and utilize as instructed in Database Creation Settings.

Note: Online tag generation for PLC projects that contain Step-Transitions produce Boolean tags for each step,
describing the state as active or inactive. Offline generation does not produce Step-Transition tags.

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Performance Optimization
Optimizing Communications
With any programmable controller there are unique ways for optimizing system throughput, and the Beckhoff
TwinCAT Driver is no different from the rest. The Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver is designed to optimize reads and
writes. For tags of all data types, requests are grouped into a single transaction. This provides drastic
improvement in performance over single tag transaction. The only limitation is on the number of tags that can fit
in a single transaction.

Optimizing the Application

While the driver is fast, there are a couple of guidelines that can be used to control and optimize the application
and gain maximum performance. The server refers to communications protocols like Beckhoff TwinCAT as a
channel. Each channel defined in the application represents a separate path of execution in the server. Once a
channel has been defined, a series of devices may then be defined under that channel. Each of these devices
represents a single Beckhoff TwinCAT controller from which data will be collected. While this approach to
defining the application will provide a high level of performance, it won't take full advantage of the driver or the
network. An example of how the application may appear when configured using a single channel is shown below.

In this example, each device appears under a single channel called

Beckhoff_TwinCAT. In this configuration, the driver must move
from one device to the next as quickly as possible to gather
information at an effective rate. As more devices are added or
more information is requested from a single device, however, the
overall update rate begins to suffer.

If the Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver could only define one single channel, then the example shown above would be the
only option available; however, the driver can define up to 100 channels. Using multiple channels distributes the
data collection workload by simultaneously issuing multiple requests to the network. An example of how the same
application may appear when configured using multiple channels to improve performance is shown below.

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16 Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver

Each device has now been defined under its own channel. In this
new configuration, a single path of execution is dedicated to the
task of gathering data from each device. If the application has 100
or fewer devices, it can be optimized exactly how it is shown here.
The performance will improve even if the application has more
than 100 devices. While 100 or fewer devices may be ideal, the
application will still benefit from additional channels. Although by
spreading the device load across all channels will cause the server
to move from device to device again, it can now do so with far
fewer devices to process on a single channel.

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Adding SYSTEMINFO Global Variables to a TwinCAT PLC Project

Because the PLC system global variable "onlineChangeCount" is disabled by default, the PLC project must be
changed to include it. The variable is added through the correct PLC library, which depends on both the version
of TwinCAT PLC Control and the target PLC system type (such as PC controller, BC controller, BX controller, and so
forth) being used.

Including the "onlineChangeCount" variable in a PLC will allow the server project to access PLC variables using
tag handles. Without it, the server must use fully qualified Symbolic information strings in each tag read. The
number of bytes in a Symbolic information string can be several times larger than the number of bytes in a tag
handle. For more information on adding the "onlineChangeCount" variable, refer to the instructions below.

Note: The following example applies to TwinCAT development environment version 2.11, and describes how to
include the SYSTEMINFO variables in a TwinCAT PLC project where the target system is a PC controller. It
assumes there is a pre-existing PLC project. The Tc2_System library is now part of the standard TwinCAT 3 PLC
template; however, the library must be added if it is not already listed in the TwinCAT 3 PLC project's Library
Manager to prevent using fully qualified symbolic information strings each time tag data is accessed.

1. In TwinCAT PLC Control, load the PLC project. Do not login.

2. Next, locate and open the Resources tab at the bottom of the Object Organizer. Then, expand the
Resources tree and double-click on Library Manager.

Note: The Library Manager should be displayed in the TwinCAT PLC Control's work area. All libraries that
are attached to a PLC project will be listed in the top left of the Library Manager. New projects should only
have the "STANDARD.LIB" library attached.

3. To add another library, right-click in the open area beneath "STANDARD.LIB" and select Additional
Library. Then, locate and double-click on PlcSystem.lib.

Note: The top left of the Library Manager should now display "PlcSystem.lib".

4. Return to the Library Manager. Then, select PlcSystem.lib and open the Data Types tab.

5. Next, open the SystemDataTypes folder and select the SYSTEMINFOTYPE structure. The variable
"onlineChangeCount" should be included within the Library Manager.

6. Login to the PLC project.

7. In the Resources tree, open the Global Variables folder. Then, double-click on the Global_Variables
icon. At this point, the variable "onlineChangeCount" should appear as an element of structure
"SystemInfo" in the work area.

Important: The "SystemInfo" structure will only be displayed within "Global_Variables" after the user
has logged in to the TwinCAT PLC Control.

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Data Type Descriptions

Data Type Description

Boolean Single bit
Byte Unsigned 8-bit value
Char Signed 8-bit value
Word Unsigned 16-bit value
Short Signed 16-bit value
DWord Unsigned 32-bit value
Long Signed 32-bit value
Float 32-bit IEEE Floating point
Double 64-bit IEEE Floating point
String Null terminated character array

Note: For a description of TwinCAT-platform specific data types, refer to TwinCAT Data Types.

Unsupported Data Types

Unsupported data types include LBCD and BCD.

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Address Descriptions
The following table summarizes the valid addressing formats in the server.

Address
Notation Example Notes
Format
Standard <tag name> tag_1 Tag cannot be an array
Array <array tag name> tag_1 [2, 58, Dimension Range=1 to 3
Element [dim1, dim2, dim3] 547]
Element Range=0 to 65535
tag_1 [0,3]
String <tag name>/<string tag_1/4 Length Range=1 to 65535
length>
The number of characters to read/write equals the
string length.

Note: For information on how elements are referenced for 1, 2 and 3 dimensional arrays, refer to Ordering of
Array Data.

See Also: Addressing Atomic Data Types

Symbolic Tag Based Addressing

The Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver uses a tag or symbol-based addressing structure. These tags (which are commonly
referred to as Native Tags) differ from conventional PLC data items in that the tag name itself is the address, not a
physical or logical address.

Client/Server Tag Address Rules

Beckhoff TwinCAT variable names correspond to Client/Server Tag addresses. Beckhoff TwinCAT variable names
(entered via Beckhoff TwinCAT PLC) follow the IEC 61131-3 identifier rules. Client/Server Tag addresses follow
these same rules and are listed below:

l Must begin with an alphabetic (A-Z, a-z) character or an underscore (_).

l Can only contain alphanumeric characters and underscores.
l First 32 characters are significant.
l Cannot have consecutive underscores.
l Are not case sensitive.

Client/Server Tag Name Rules

The rules for tag name assignment in the server differs from address assignment because tag names cannot
begin with an underscore.

Tag Scope
Global tags are Beckhoff TwinCAT variables that have global scope in the controller. Any program or task can
access the global tags, which use the following notation:

. <tag name>

Program Tags
Program tags are identical to global tags, except that a program tag's scope is local to the program it is defined
in. Program tags follow the same addressing rules and limitations as global tags. The only difference is that
program tags are prefixed with the following notation:

<program name> . <tag name>

For example, Beckhoff TwinCAT variable "tag_1" in program "prog_1" would be addressed as "prog_1.tag_1" in
a Client/Server Tag address.

Structure Tag Addressing

Beckhoff TwinCAT structure variables, global or program, contain one or more member variables. Member
variables can be atomic or structured in nature.

Global tag example: Program tag example:

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20 Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver

.<structure name>.<atomic-type tag> <program name>.<structure name>.<atomic-type tag>

This implies that a substructure would be addressed as:

Global Tag Example Program tag example:

.<structure name>.<substructure <program name>.<structure name>.<substructure
name>.<atomic-type tag> name>.<atomic-type tag>

Arrays of structures would be addressed as:

Global Tag Example Program tag example:

.<structure array name>[dim1, dim2, <program name>.<structure array name>[dim1,
dim3].<atomic-type tag> dim2, dim3].<atomic-type tag>

Again, this implies that an array of substructures would be addressed as:

Global Tag Example Program tag example:

.<structure name>.<substructure array <program name>.<structure name>.<substructure
name>[dim1, dim2, dim3].<atomic-type array name>[dim1, dim2, dim3].<atomic-type tag>
tag>

Note: These are a few of the many addressing possibilities involving structures. These are shown here only to
provide an introduction to structure addressing. For more information, refer to the Beckhoff TwinCAT
documentation.

Addressing Atomic Data Types

The table below shows suggested usages and addressing possibilities for a TwinCAT Data Type given the
address formats available.

Atomic Array
Client/Server Standard String
Data Type Element
BOOL Data Type Boolean Boolean
Tag Example BOOLTAG BOOLARR
[0]
SINT/USINT Data Type Byte, Char Byte, Char String
Tag Example SINTTAG SINTARR SINTARR[0]/4
[0] String length cannot be longer than the array
length minus the element position.
INT/UINT Data Type Word, Short Word,
Tag Example INTTAG Short
INTARR[0]
DINT/UDINT Data Type DWord, Long DWord,
Tag Example DINTTAG Long
DINTARR
[0]
REAL Data Type Float Float
Tag Example REALTAG REALARR
[0]
LREAL* Data Type Double Double
Tag Example LREALTAG LREALARR
[0]
TIME Data Type DWord, Long DWord,
Tag Example TIMETAG Long
TIMEARR
[0]
STRING Data Type String String
Tag Example STRINGTAG/80 STRINGARR
[1]/80

*This data type is not supported by the BC/BX Controller model.

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Unsupported TwinCAT Data Types

Unsupported data types include pointers, enumerations, TOD, and DT.

See Also: Address Descriptions

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22 Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver

Ordering of TwinCAT Array Data

1. Dimensional Arrays - array [dim1]
1 dimensional array data is passed to and from the controller in ascending order:

for (dim1=0; dim1<dim1_max; dim1++)

Example: 3 element array

array [0] array [1] array [2]

2. Dimensional Arrays - array [dim1, dim2]

2 dimensional array data is passed to and from the controller in ascending order:

for (dim1=0; dim1<dim1_max; dim1++)

for (dim2=0; dim2<dim2_max; dim2++)

Example: 3X3 element array

array [0, 0]
array [0, 1]
array [0, 2]
array [1, 0]
array [1, 1]
array [1, 2]
array [2, 0]
array [2, 1]
array [2, 2]

3. Dimensional Arrays - array [dim1, dim2, dim3]

3 dimensional array data is passed to and from the controller in ascending order:

for (dim1 = 0; dim1 < dim1_max; dim1++)

for (dim2 = 0; dim2 < dim2_max; dim2++)
for (dim3 = 0; dim3 < dim3_max; dim3++)

Example: 3X3x3 element array

array [0, 0, 0]
array [0, 0, 1]
array [0, 0, 2]
array [0, 1, 0]
array [0, 1, 1]
array [0, 1, 2]
array [0, 2, 0]
array [0, 2, 1]
array [0, 2, 2]
array [1, 0, 0]
array [1, 0, 1]
array [1, 0, 2]
array [1, 1, 0]
array [1, 1, 1]
array [1, 1, 2]
array [1, 2, 0]
array [1, 2, 1]
array [1, 2, 2]
array [2, 0, 0]
array [2, 0, 1]
array [2, 0, 2]
array [2, 1, 0]
array [2, 1, 1]
array [2, 1, 2]
array [2, 2, 0]
array [2, 2, 1]
array [2, 2, 2]

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Error Descriptions
The following categories of messages may be generated. Click on a link for a list of messages.

Address Validation
Automatic Tag Database Generation Error Messages
Driver Error Messages
Device Status Messages
Read Error Messages
Write Error Messages

Error Codes
The following sections define error codes that may be encountered in the event log of the server. Refer to the
Event Log section within the Server Options chapter of the server help file for detailed information on how the
event logger works.

Hex Dec Description

0x000 0 No error.
0x001 1 Internal error.
0x002 2 No Runtime.
0x003 3 Allocation locked memory error.
0x004 4 Insert mailbox error.
0x005 5 Wrong receive HMSG.
0x006 6 Target port not found.
0x007 7 Target machine not found.
0x008 8 Unknown Command ID.
0x009 9 Bad Task ID.
0x00A 10 No IO.
0x00B 11 Unknown AMS command.
0x00C 12 Win 32 error.
0x00D 13 Port is not connected.
0x00E 14 Invalid AMS length.
0x00F 15 Invalid AMS Net ID.
0x010 16 Low installation level.
0x011 17 No debug available.
0x012 18 Port is disabled.
0x013 19 Port is already connected.
0x014 20 AMS Sync Win32 error.
0x015 21 AMS Sync Timeout.
0x016 22 AMS Sync AMS error.
0x017 23 AMS Sync no index map.
0x018 24 Invalid AMS port.
0x019 25 No memory.
0x01A 26 TCP send error.
0x01B 27 Host is unreachable.
0x500 1280 ROUTERERR_NOLOCKEDMEMORY
No locked memory can be allocated.
0x501 1281 ROUTERERR_RESIZEMEMORY
The size of the router memory could not be changed.
0x502 1282 ROUTERERR_MAILBOXFULL
The Mailbox of the AMS Port has reached the maximum number of possible entries. The
current sent message was abolished.
0x503 1283 ROUTERERR_DEBUGBOXFULL
The mailbox of the AMS debugger port has reached the maximum number of possible
entries. The sent message will not be displayed in the debug monitor.
0x504 1284 ROUTERERR_UNKNOWNPORTTYPE
0x505 1285 ROUTERERR_NOTINITIALIZED
Router is not yet initialized.

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Hex Dec Description

0x506 1286 ROUTERERR_PORTALREADYINUSE
The desired port number is already assigned.
0x507 1287 ROUTERERR_NOTREGISTERED
The AMS Port is not registered.
0x508 1288 ROUTERERR_NOMOREQUEUES
The maximum number of AMS Ports has been reached.
0x509 1289 ROUTERERR_INVALIDPORT
0x50A 1290 ROUTERERR_NOTACTIVATED
The TwinCAT Router is not yet active.
0x700 1792 Error class <device error>.
0x701 1793 Service is not supported by the server.
0x702 1794 Invalid index group.
0x703 1795 Invalid index offset.
0x704 1796 Reading/writing is not permitted.
0x705 1797 Parameter size is not correct.
0x706 1798 Invalid parameter value(s).
0x707 1799 Device is not in a ready state.
0x708 1800 Device is busy.
0x709 1801 Invalid context (must be in Windows).
0x70A 1802 Out of memory.
0x70B 1803 Invalid parameter value(s).
0x70C 1804 Not found (files and etc.).
0x70D 1805 Syntax error in command or file.
0x70E 1806 Objects do not match.
0x70F 1807 Object already exists.
0x710 1808 Symbol not found.
0x711 1809 Symbol version is invalid.
0x712 1810 Server is in invalid state.
0x713 1811 AdsTransMode is not supported.
0x714 1812 Notification handle is invalid.
0x715 1813 Notification client not registered.
0x716 1814 No more notification handles.
0x717 1815 Size for watch too big.
0x718 1816 Device is not initialized.
0x719 1817 Device has a timeout.
0x71A 1818 Query interface failed.
0x71B 1819 Wrong interface required.
0x71C 1820 Class ID is invalid.
0x71D 1821 Object ID is invalid.
0x71E 1822 Request is pending.
0x71F 1823 Request is aborted.
0x720 1824 Signal warning.
0x721 1825 Invalid array index.
0x722 1826 The symbol is not active. Release the handle and try again.
0x723 1827 Access is denied.
0x740 1856 Error class <client error>.
0x741 1857 Invalid parameter at service.
0x742 1858 Polling list is empty.
0x743 1859 Var connection already in use.
0x744 1860 Invoke ID in use.
0x745 1861 Timeout elapsed.
0x746 1862 Error in win32 subsystem.
0x748 1864 Ads-port not opened.
0x750 1872 Internal error in ads sync.
0x751 1873 Hash table overflow.

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Hex Dec Description

0x752 1874 Key not found in hash.
0x753 1875 No more symbols in cache.
0x754 1876 An invalid response was received.
0x755 1877 The sync port is locked.
0x274c 10060 A connection attempt failed because the connected party did not properly respond after a
period of time, or the established connection failed because the connected host has failed to
respond.
0x274d 10061 No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it.
0x2751 10065 A socket operation was attempted to an unreachable host.

Address Validation
The following error/warning messages may be generated. Click on the link for a description of the message.

Address <address> is out of range for the specified device or register.

Array size is out of range for address <address>.
Data type <type> is not valid for device address <address>.
Device Address <address> contains a syntax error.

Address <address> is out of range for the specified device or register.

Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:
A tag address that has been specified dynamically references a location that is beyond the range of supported
locations for this device.

Solution:
Verify that the address is correct; if it is not, re-enter it in the client application.

Array size is out of range for address <address>.

Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:
A tag address that has been specified statically is requesting an array size that is too large.

Solution:
Re-enter the address in the client application to specify a smaller value for the array or a different starting point.

Data type <type> is not valid for device address <address>.

Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:
A tag address that has been specified statically has been assigned an invalid data type.

Solution:
Modify the requested data type in the client application.

Device Address <address> contains a syntax error.

Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:
A tag address that has been specified statically contains one or more of the following errors:

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1. The address doesn't conform to the tag address naming conventions.

2. The address is invalid according to the address format and underlying controller tag data type.

3. A program tag was specified incorrectly.

4. The address used an invalid format.

Solution:
Re-enter the address in the client application.

Automatic Tag Database Generation Error Messages

The following error/warning messages may be generated. Click on the link for a description of the message.

Unable to generate a tag database for device <device name>. Reason: Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS DLL
necessary for import is not loaded.
Unable to generate a tag database for device <device name>. Reason: Device is not responding.
Unable to generate a tag database for device <device name>. Reason: Device returned error code
<#>.
Unable to generate a tag database for device <device name>. Reason: Memory allocation error.

Unable to generate a tag database for device <device name>. Reason:

Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS DLL necessary for import is not loaded.
Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:
The driver was unable to load the TcAdsDll.dll, which is necessary for communications with the Beckhoff
TwinCAT AMS message router and database generation. The process has been aborted.

Solution:
Verify that the Beckhoff TwinCAT Automation Device Specification (ADS) Communication library is installed on the
same computer as the OPC server.

Unable to generate a tag database for device <device name>. Reason: Device
is not responding.
Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:

1. The connection between the device and the host PC is broken.

2. The named device may have been assigned an incorrect AMS Net ID address.

3. Device CPU work load is too high and has caused the process to be aborted.

Solution:

1. Verify the cabling between the PC and the PLC device.

2. Verify that the AMS Net ID address given to the named device matches that of the actual device.

3. If this error occurs frequently, decrease the tag group scan rate to reduce the work load on the PLC CPU.

4. Increase the cycle time interval under Task Configurations in TwinCAT PLC Control.

Unable to generate a tag database for device <device name>. Reason: Device
returned error code <#>.
Error Type:

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Warning

Possible Cause:
The cause depends on the error code(s) returned. The process has been aborted.

Solution:
The solution depends on the error code(s) returned.

See Also:
Error Codes

Unable to generate a tag database for device <device name>. Reason: Memory
allocation error.
Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:
The memory required for database generation could not be allocated. The process was aborted.

Solution:
Close any unused applications and/or increase the amount of virtual memory. Then, try again.

Driver Error Messages

The following error/warning messages may be generated. Click on the link for a description of the message.

Unable to import from Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS Communication driver.

Unable to load Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS Communication driver.
Unable to open a communication port on the ADS router.

Unable to import from Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS Communication driver.

Error Type:
Serious

Possible Cause:
A software component that is necessary for communications with the Beckhoff TwinCAT AMS message router
cannot be loaded from the TcAdsDll.dll library.

Solution:
Verify that the latest version of the Beckhoff TwinCAT Automation Device Specification (ADS) Communication
Library is installed on the same computer as the OPC server. Then, restart the computer if required.

Unable to load Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS Communication driver.

Error Type:
Serious

Possible Cause:
The driver was unable to load the TcAdsDll.dll, which is necessary for communications with the Beckhoff
TwinCAT AMS message router.

Solution:
Verify that the Beckhoff TwinCAT Automation Device Specification (ADS) Communication Library is installed on
the same computer as the OPC server.

Unable to open a communication port on the ADS router.

Error Type:
Serious

Possible Cause:

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28 Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver

A connection could not be established to the TwinCAT message router due to an invalid router configuration. The
Beckhoff TwinCAT Automation Device Specification (ADS) Communication Library is not configured correctly.

Solution:
Follow the steps described in Setting Up an AMS Remote Connection.

Device Status Error Messages

The following error/warning messages may be generated. Click on the link for a description of the message.

Device <Device name> is not responding.

Monitoring the global variable <tag address> on device <device name> to update symbol
information when a change is detected.
Unable to gather runtime information for device <device name>. Reason <reason>.
Unable to perform Beckhoff compatibility on device <device name> due to memory allocation error.
Unable to synchronize with configuration file <file name> on device <device name> due to
memory allocation error.
Unable to read tag <tag address> on device <device name>. Requesting symbol information for
each transaction.

Device <Device name> is not responding.

Error Type:
Warning

Result:

1. If the tag was being read, then the Read operation will not be performed and the tag will be invalidated.

2. If the tag was being written, then the Write operation for the given tag will not occur.

Possible Cause:

1. The connection between the device and the host PC is broken.

2. The named device may have been assigned an incorrect AMS Net ID address.

3. Device CPU work load is too high.

4. The response from the device took longer to receive than the amount of time specified in the "Request
Timeout" device setting.

Solution:

1. Verify the cabling between the PC and the PLC device.

2. Verify that the AMS Net ID address given to the named device matches that of the actual device.

3. If this error occurs frequently, decrease the tag group scan rate to reduce the work load on the PLC CPU.

4. Increase the cycle time interval under Task Configurations in TwinCAT PLC Control.

5. Increase the Request Timeout setting so that the entire response can be handled.

Monitoring the global variable <tag address> on device <device name> to

update symbol information when a change is detected.
Error Type:
Informational

Possible Cause:
The TwinCAT PLC is configured with the global variable ".SYSTEMINFO.ONLINECHANGECOUNT," which contains
the number of online changes that have been made since the last complete download. The driver will monitor this
variable along with all item handles to determine whether it is necessary to refresh the symbol information.

Solution:
N/A.

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Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver 29

Unable to gather runtime information for device <device name>. Reason:

<reason>.
Error Type:
Serious

Possible Cause:
The cause depends on the error reason returned.

Solution:
The solution depends on the error reason returned.

See Also:
Error Codes

Unable to perform Beckhoff compatibility on device <device name> due to

memory allocation error.
Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:
The memory required for device tags to meet Beckhoff compatibility could not be allocated.

Solution:
Close any unused applications and/or increase the amount of virtual memory. Then, restart the server and try
again.

Unable to synchronize with configuration file <file name> on device <device

name> due to memory allocation error.
Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:
The memory required to synchronize with .tpy Runtime file could not be allocated. The original uploaded file will
continue to be used.

Solution:
Close any unused applications and/or increase the amount of virtual memory. Then, restart the server and try
again.

Unable to read tag <tag address> on device <device name>. Requesting

symbol information for each transaction.
Error Type:
Informational

Possible Cause:
The TwinCAT PLC is not configured with the global variable ".SYSTEMINFO.ONLINECHANGECOUNT," which
contains the number of online changes that have been made since the last complete download. When this
variable does not exist in the PLC, the driver will request symbol information for each transaction.

Solution:
To reduce the symbol request transactions, add the ".SYSTEMINFO.ONLINECHANGECOUNT" global variable to the
TwinCAT PLC project. The driver will then be able to monitor the global variable and will only request symbol
information when its value changes (or when an item has an invalid handle).

See Also:
Adding SYSTEMINFO Global Variables to a TwinCAT PLC Project

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Read Error Messages

The following error/warning messages may be generated. Click on the link for a description of the message.

Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Actual data type is not compatible with
tag of type <data type>.
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Address bounds exceeded.
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS DLL necessary for
runtime is not loaded.
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Error Code <#>.
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Memory allocation error.
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Runtime file is not valid.
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Symbol not found in file.
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Tag data size of <size> bytes(s) exceeds
actual data size of <size> byte(s).
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Tag does not meet filtering requirements.

Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Actual data type is
not compatible with tag of type <data type>.
Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:

1. A read request for tag <address> is unable to be cast.

2. A read request for tag <address> corresponds to an unsupported data type.

Solution:

1. Change the tag's data type to one that is supported.

2. Contact Technical Support so that support can be added for this type.

Note:
The data type of a item in the server should match the data type for the controller address that it references.

Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Address bounds

exceeded.
Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:
The controller's tag size is smaller than the requested data size.

Solution:
Ensure that the requested data size matches the address size in the controller.

Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Beckhoff TwinCAT

ADS DLL necessary for runtime is not loaded.
Error Type:
Serious

Possible Cause:
The driver was unable to load the TcAdsDll.dll, which is necessary for communications with the Beckhoff
TwinCAT AMS message router.

Solution:
Verify that the Beckhoff TwinCAT Automation Device Specification (ADS) Communication Library is installed on
the same computer as the OPC server.

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Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Error Code <#>.
Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:

1. The cause depends on the error code(s) returned.

2. TwinCAT does not support a read command for error code 1793 and TwinCAT version 2.10 (Build 909) or
older.

Solution:

1. The solution depends on the error code(s) returned.

2. For error code 1793 and TwinCAT version 2.10 (Build 909) or older, users should update TwinCAT to the
latest version. For instructions on how to do so, contact Beckhoff.

See Also:
Error Codes

Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Memory allocation

error.
Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:
The memory required for the read request could not be allocated.

Solution:
Close any unused applications and/or increase the amount of virtual memory. Then, restart the server and try
again.

Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Runtime file is not
valid.
Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:

1. There is no file loaded into the project.

2. The file loaded does not have a valid *.tpy extension.

3. The file has been modified outside of TwinCAT PLC Control.

Solution:

1. Ensure that there is a valid .tpy file loaded into the project.

2. In TwinCAT PLC Control, rebuild the project and load the new .tpy file into the project.

Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Symbol not found in
file.
Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:
The tag <address> cannot be found in the .tpy file.

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Solution:

1. Ensure that the correct .tpy file is loaded into the project .

2. Ensure that the correct tag <address> is entered.

Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Tag data size of
<size> bytes(s) exceeds actual data size of <size> byte(s).
Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:
A read request for the specified tag failed because the controller's tag data type is smaller than the requested
data type.

Solution:
Change the tag's data type size to a size that is smaller than or equal to the ones available on the controller.

Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Tag does not meet
filtering requirements.
Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:
A read request on tag <address> does not meet the filtering requirements defined on the controller.

1. The tag does not have filtering properties.

2. The filter string entered does not match the string defined on the controller.

Solution:
Ensure that the controller is filtering the tag. Then, correct the filter string spelling.

Write Error Messages

The following error/warning messages may be generated. Click on the link for a description of the message.

Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Actual data type is not compatible with
tag of type <data type>.
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Address bounds exceeded.
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS DLL necessary
for runtime is not loaded.
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Error Code <#>.
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Memory allocation error.
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Runtime file is not valid.
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Symbol not found in file.
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Tag access is read only.
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Tag data size of <size> bytes(s)
exceeds actual data size of <size> byte(s).
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Tag does not meet filtering
requirements.

Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Actual data type
is not compatible with tag of type <data type>.
Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:

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Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver 33

1. A write request for tag <address> is unable to be cast.

2. A write request for tag <address> corresponds to an unsupported data type.

Solution:

1. Change the tag's data type to one that is supported.

2. Contact Technical Support so that support can be added for this type.

Note:
The data type of a item in the server should match the data type for the controller address that it references.

Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Address bounds

exceeded.
Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:
The controller's tag size is smaller than the requested data size.

Solution:
Ensure that the requested data size matches the address size in the controller.

Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Beckhoff TwinCAT

ADS DLL necessary for runtime is not loaded.
Error Type:
Serious

Possible Cause:
The driver was unable to load the TcAdsDll.dll, which is necessary for communications with the Beckhoff
TwinCAT AMS message router.

Solution:
Verify that the Beckhoff TwinCAT Automation Device Specification (ADS) Communication Library is installed on
the same computer as the OPC server.

Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Error Code <#>.
Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:

1. The cause depends on the error code(s) returned.

2. TwinCAT does not support a write command for error code 1793 and TwinCAT version 2.10 (Build 909) or
older.

Solution:

1. The solution depends on the error code(s) returned.

2. For error code 1793 and TwinCAT version 2.10 (Build 909) or older, users should update TwinCAT to the
latest version. For instructions on how to do so, contact Beckhoff.

See Also:
Error Codes

Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Memory

allocation error.
Error Type:

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34 Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver

Warning

Possible Cause:
The memory required for the write request could not be allocated.

Solution:
Close any unused applications and/or increase the amount of virtual memory. Then, restart the server and try
again.

Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Runtime file is

not valid.
Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:

1. There is no file loaded into the project.

2. The file loaded does not have a valid *.tpy extension.

3. The file has been modified outside of TwinCAT PLC Control.

Solution:

1. Ensure that there is a valid .tpy file loaded into the project.

2. In TwinCAT PLC Control, rebuild the project and load the new .tpy file into the project.

Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Symbol not found
in file.
Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:
The tag <address> cannot be found in the .tpy file.

Solution:

1. Ensure that the correct .tpy file is loaded into the project .

2. Ensure that the correct tag <address> is entered.

Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Tag access is

Read Only
Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:
The write request on tag <address> does not meet OPC properties as defined on the controller.

Solution:
Change the tag properties defined on the controller to Read/Write access.

Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Tag data size of
<size> bytes(s) exceeds actual data size of <size> byte(s).
Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:

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A write request for the specified tag failed because the controller's tag data type is smaller than the requested
data type.

Solution:
Change the tag's data type size to a size that is smaller than or equal to the ones available on the controller.

Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Tag does not
meet filtering requirements.
Error Type:
Warning

Possible Cause:
A write request on tag <address> does not meet the filtering requirements defined on the controller.

1. The tag does not have filtering properties.

2. The filter string entered does not match the string defined on the controller.

Solution:
Ensure that the controller is filtering the tag. Then, correct the filter string spelling.

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36 Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver

Technical Notes
For more information on specific aspects of the Beckhoff TwinCAT PLC, refer to the Technical Notes listed below.

TwinCAT Memory Warning

This notice discusses downloading a project while symbol handles are declared statically.

TwinCAT Time Slice Notes

This notice discusses the TwinCAT PLC's cyclic interval time.

TwinCAT Memory Warning.

Users should note the effects that declaring symbol handles statically and using Automatic Tag Database
Generation have on the Beckhoff TwinCAT project. If the project is too large, the router will not have enough
memory to perform this operation. To resolve this issue, refer to and use one of the solutions described below.

Note: The router memory size is set to 2048 KB by default. The size can be increased to a maximum of 32768
KB.

Solution 1: Change the Handles from Static to Dynamic

1. Open the TwinCAT PLC application.

2. Click on the Resources tab.

3. Double-click on Workspace.

4. In the new window, select TwinCAT.

5. The window on the right should now contain a Symbol Download box. Select Dynamic Symbols.

Solution 2: Change the Router Memory Size

1. Open TwinCAT System Manager.

2. Expand SYSTEM-Configuration. Then, click on Real-Time Settings.

3. Click on the Settings tab.

4. Increase the Router Memory size.

Solution 3: Upload the Project Offline from a .tpy File

TwinCAT Time Slice Notes

For proper operation, there must be enough time allocated between cyclic intervals. If the time interval is too
small, performance will diminish significantly. Negative effects include the following:

l More time needed to perform online Automatic Tag Database Generation.

l Slower update rates in the OPC Client.

Increasing the Cyclic Interval Time

Follow the instructions below for information on increasing the cyclic interval time.

1. Open the TwinCAT PLC Control.

2. Click on the Resources tab.

3. Double-click on Task Configuration, and then expand Task Configuration at the top of the middle
window.

4. Select Standard.

5. In the Task Attributes tab, change the Interval value within the Properties box.

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Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver 37

Index

Adding SYSTEMINFO Global Variables to a TwinCAT PLC Project 17

Address <address> is out of range for the specified device or register. 25
Address Descriptions 19
Address Validation 25
Addressing Atomic Data Types 20
Array size is out of range for address <address>. 25
Automatic Tag Database Generation 14
Automatic Tag Database Generation Error Messages 26

Data type <type> is not valid for device address <address>. 25

Data Types Description 18
Device <Device name> is not responding. 28
Device Address <address> contains a syntax error. 25
Device Setup 6
Device Status Error Messages 28
Driver Error Messages 27

Error Codes 23
Error Descriptions 23
External Dependencies 5

Help Contents 4

Monitoring the global variable <tag address> on device <device name> to update symbol information when a
change is detected. 28

Ordering of TwinCat Array Data 22

Overview 5

Performance Optimization 15

Read Error Messages 30

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38 Beckhoff TwinCAT Driver

Setting Up an ADS Remote Connection 9

Tag Scope 19
Technical Notes 36
TwinCAT Memory Warning. 36
TwinCAT Time Slice Notes 36

Unable to gather runtime information for device <device name>. Reason: <reason>. 29
Unable to generate a tag database for device <device name>. Reason: Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS DLL necessary
for import is not loaded. 26
Unable to generate a tag database for device <device name>. Reason: Device is not responding. 26
Unable to generate a tag database for device <device name>. Reason: Device returned error code <#>. 26
Unable to generate a tag database for device <device name>. Reason: Memory allocation error. 27
Unable to import from Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS Communication driver. 27
Unable to load Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS Communication driver. 27
Unable to open a communication port on the ADS router. 27
Unable to perform Beckhoff compatibility on device <device name> due to memory allocation error. 29
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Actual data type is not compatible with tag of type
<data type>. 30
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Address bounds exceeded. 30
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS DLL necessary for runtime is
not loaded. 30
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Error Code <#>. 31
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Memory allocation error. 31
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Runtime file is not valid. 31
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Symbol not found in file. 31
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Tag data size of <size> bytes(s) exceeds actual
data size of <size> byte(s). 32
Unable to read tag <address> on device <device name>. Tag does not meet filtering requirements. 32
Unable to read tag <tag address> on device <device name>. Requesting symbol information for each
transaction. 29
Unable to synchronize with configuration file <file name> on device <device name> due to memory allocation
error. 29
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Actual data type is not compatible with tag of
type <data type>. 32
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Error Code <#>. 33
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Address bounds exceeded. 33
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Beckhoff TwinCAT ADS DLL necessary for
runtime is not loaded. 33
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Memory allocation error. 33
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Runtime file is not valid. 34
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Symbol not found in file. 34
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Tag access is Read Only 34
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Tag data size of <size> bytes(s) exceeds actual
data size of <size> byte(s). 34
Unable to write to tag <address> on device <device name>. Tag does not meet filtering requirements. 35

Write Error Messages 32

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