CODESYS Group

The CODESYS Group – Openness as a Key to Success in Industrial Automation

For more than three decades, CODESYS has stood for innovative and reliable software solutions in industrial automation. What began in 1994 as a development environment for PLCs has evolved into a globally established technology ecosystem that connects machine builders, equipment manufacturers, system integrators, and users across a wide range of industries. Today, approximately 300 employees at locations in Germany, Italy, the U.S., and China are working to make automation more powerful, flexible, and future-proof.

The name CODESYS is present in many production facilities, machines, and systems—often without being visible at first glance. Numerous device manufacturers rely on CODESYS technology as the foundation for their control solutions. As a result, the software often serves as the “invisible engine” that works behind the scenes to ensure machines operate reliably and complex processes are controlled safely. At the same time, the number of companies using CODESYS directly as their central development platform for automation tasks is growing.

At the heart of the company is the development of an IEC 61131-3-compliant software platform for programming and executing industrial control applications. For users, this means that CODESYS can be used to develop, program, and operate a wide variety of machines and systems—from packaging machines and robotics applications to mobile machinery and complex production systems.

Particularly relevant for machine and plant engineering is a feature that has always been part of CODESYS’s DNA: hardware independence. While many automation solutions are tightly tied to specific control hardware, CODESYS takes an open approach. Users have the freedom to select the hardware that best suits their needs while relying on a unified engineering environment. This independence ensures investment security, reduces technological dependencies, and opens up new possibilities for designing modern machine concepts.

With CODESYS, however, openness means more than just the freedom to choose hardware. The platform was consistently designed to connect different technologies, systems, and communication standards. This openness helps companies further develop existing systems, integrate new technologies, and respond flexibly to market demands over the long term. CODESYS users include globally renowned companies in the fields of mechanical engineering, robotics, automotive, logistics, and off-highway applications. From medium-sized specialty machine builders to globally active industrial companies, customers rely on CODESYS when maximum flexibility and long-term technological independence are required.

CODESYS sees itself not only as a software provider but also as a long-term technology partner. Training, technical support, and an international network of partners and integrators help users make the most of the platform’s potential. Collaboration with universities and research institutions further contributes to identifying new developments early on and promoting the transfer of knowledge between academia and industry.

At the same time, the focus is firmly on the future. Current priorities include virtual control systems, platform-independent automation concepts, and the use of artificial intelligence in control technology. The goal is to provide users with tools that enable them to solve future challenges efficiently and sustainably. In particular, the ongoing IT/OT convergence is opening up new possibilities for designing automation systems that are more flexible, scalable, and easier to integrate.

The growing importance of software in industrial automation is leading to a proliferation of software vendors, which is causing costs and the associated maintenance efforts to rise continuously. Every additional software component brings potential benefits, but also risks (security, complexity). Thanks to continuous development, CODESYS has evolved into a system that masters all disciplines of automation technology. Safety (SIL 3), CNC controls, robotics, HMI solutions, approximately 20 licensable fieldbus stacks, and common communication protocols (OPC UA, MQTT, etc.) are part of the portfolio and can be programmed using all standardized IEC 61131-3 languages. Of course, it is also possible to program only specific parts of an application. Thanks to the consistent implementation of standards (PLCopen, PNO, etc.) and open interfaces, the motto is: “Everything is possible, nothing is mandatory.”

Specifics

1. EC-61131-3-compliant development environment for programming industrial controllers (PLC/IPC/Cloud/Edge)
2. 100% hardware-independent / one software solution for all devices
3. End-to-end development environment for industrial control systems, including motion/CNC, SIL3 safety, fieldbuses, HMI, and communication
4. Market leader in hardware-independent software controllers (Soft PLC)
5. A pioneer in the field of virtual controllers (vPLC) and AI-assisted engineering