Beckhoff TwinCAT Tools for MATLAB and Simulink 2.8

Beckhoff TwinCAT Tools for MATLAB and Simulink by Beckhoff Automation streamline model-based design workflows by connecting MATLAB and Simulink directly to the TwinCAT 3 real-time control platform. The toolset helps engineers move from simulation to deterministic, PC-based control on Beckhoff Industrial PCs with minimal hand-coding, enabling faster prototyping, verification, and deployment.

Key capabilities:

• Automatic code generation and deployment: Convert Simulink models into TwinCAT real-time components (TcCOM) and run them as TwinCAT tasks.
• Seamless connectivity: Exchange data between MATLAB/Simulink and TwinCAT via ADS for online parameter tuning, test automation, and signal logging.
• Ready-to-use blocksets: Access TwinCAT-specific blocks for I/O mapping, ADS communication, and interaction with PLC variables.
• Deterministic execution: Support for fixed-step, multi-rate models, task scheduling, and multi-core utilization within TwinCAT 3.
• Fieldbus integration: Map model signals to EtherCAT and other TwinCAT-supported I/O for hardware-in-the-loop and on-machine testing.
• End-to-end workflow: Enable MiL/SiL/HiL, rapid control prototyping, and seamless handover to PLC and motion applications.
• Diagnostics and visualization: Work alongside TwinCAT tools (such as TwinCAT Scope) for real-time signal observation and troubleshooting.

Typical use cases include motion control, robotics, drive and process control loops, advanced mechatronics, and test stands where deterministic behavior and rapid iteration are critical.

Requirements commonly include MATLAB and Simulink with Simulink Coder (Embedded Coder recommended for optimized code generation) and TwinCAT 3 on a 64-bit Windows system. Together, these tools reduce integration effort, preserve model fidelity through deployment, and shorten commissioning times from desktop simulation to real-time industrial control.

Beckhoff TwinCAT Tools for MATLAB and Simulink is developed by Beckhoff Automation. The most popular versions of this product among our users are: 2.7 and 2.8.