Connecting to the controller

For executing automation programs

After programming in IEC 61131‑3 and high-level languages (especially C#), programs need to be compiled and sent to the PLCnext Control device by means of PLCnext Engineer. See Transferring a project to the controller for details. Note: PLCnext Engineer is available for the Windows® operating system only.

For executing commands on the controller

Using a Windows® computer

• If already connected to the controller using WinSCP, open the console by clicking the Open in PuTTY button:
  
  (You may also start PuTTY directly.)
• At the prompt, enter the admin user password and press ENTER for confirmation. 
  ↪ You're ready to issue Linux® commands on the controller via the console:
  

Using a Linux® computer

• In a console, execute this command:
  ssh admin@<controller_IP_address> 
• At the prompt, enter the admin user password and press ENTER for confirmation. 
  ↪ You're ready to issue Linux® commands on the controller via the console.

For copying or editing files

Using a Windows® computer

• To configure a new connection setting in WinSCP, click on New Site in the upper right section:
  
• Enter the IP address of the controller and admin as the user name.
• Click Login.
• In the dialog box that opens, enter the password for the admin user and confirm with OK.
  
  ↪ WinSCP shows the file system on the controller and on your computer in a split view.
• Navigate through the host computer directories and firmware directories and perform your task. 

Using a Linux® computer

Under Linux®, SCP is available via console, e.g. for copying files:

From computer to device

• To copy a file from the engineering computer to a directory on the device; e.g. copying to /opt/plcnext/:
  scp <file> admin@<controller_IP_address>:/opt/plcnext/
• At the prompt, enter the password for the admin user.
  ↪ The file is copied from the host computer to the device.

From device to computer

• To copy a file from a directory on the device (e.g. /opt/plcnext/) to the current host computer directory:
  scp admin@<controller_IP_address>:/opt/plcnext/<file>
• At the prompt, enter the password for the admin user.
  ↪ The file is copied from the device to the host computer.

System Use Notification 

The system use notification is displayed every time a user needs to log on to the device:

• accessing the Web‑based Management on the device
• connecting to the via the PLCnext Engineer software suite
• communicating to the device via SFTP or SSH, e.g. using PuTTY or WinSCP.

The text in that notification can be changed or translated to other languages, if necessary. 

Note: There is only a single text file containing the system use notification, independent from the selected language of the user interface in WBM or PLCnext Engineer. Therefore, when editing you should take all required languages for your users into account.

When accessing the Web‑based Management

Available from firmware version 2021.0 LTS

In the the WBM on the device, the system use notification is displayed every time a user needs to log on to the device:

Also changes to the text can be made within the Web‑based Management: 

• from firmware release 2025.0 in the User policies WBM 2 page
• from firmware release 2021.0 LTS up to 2024.6 in the User authentication WBM page 

When connecting via the PLCnext Engineer software suite 

During connecting to the device from the PLCnext Engineer software suite, the System use notification is displayed in the SECURE DEVICE LOGIN dialog.

When communicating via SFTP or SSH

If you connect to the device via SSH or SFTP (e.g. using WinSCP), you will receive the system use notification in the console: 

Hinweis:
Dieses Geraet darf nur von autorisierten Benutzern fuer autorisierte
Zwecke verwendet werden. Ihre Anmeldeinformationen und alle
Benutzeraktionen auf diesem Geraet koennen ueberwacht,
aufgezeichnet, kopiert und auditiert werden.
Durch die weitere Verwendung dieses Geraets erklaeren
Sie sich mit diesen Bedingungen einverstanden.

Notice:
This device may only be used by authorized users for authorized
purposes. Your credentials and all user actions on this device can
be monitored, recorded, copied and audited. By continuing to use
this device, you agree to these terms.

The displayed text is stored in a .txt file on the device. The file can be found on the file system of the controller under /opt/plcnext/config/System/Um/UmSystemUseNotifcation.txt. To change the file, you must be logged in as the Linux user admin.