What the PLCnext Engineer Simulation does

Available for firmware 2022.0 LTS, 2023.0 LTS and 2025.0 in combination with PLCnext Engineer

The PLCnext Engineer Simulation makes it more convenient to test and optimize your PLCnext Engineer applications,  because developers no longer depend on a hardware target attached to their computer. 

PLCnext Engineer Simulation lets you execute many of the functions, components, and models in your automation project:

• IEC 61131‑3 code
• MATLAB®/Simulink® models
• High-level language components

While executing a simulation you can:

• influence the flow of the program code by forcing process data input variables or debugging output signals
• simulate and test the eHMI part of your PLCnext Engineer project with the full functionality range
• use the Web-based Management (WBM) of your simulated hardware target to add new users, and then set user roles to test the behavior of your project regarding different user authentications
• configure, prepare, and test your OPC UA® server connection using an OPC UA® client on your local host (IP address 127.0.0.1)
• connect to the simulated controller via e.g. WinSCP (use port 5555 and IP address 127.0.0.1)

New features with the 2025.0 implementation:

• PLCnext Store apps can be installed and executed offline
• virtual directories up to the size of the 2 GB SD cards can be used
• remote OPC UA client access from another computer is possible

Requirements

• PLCnext Engineer 2022.0 LTS or newer installed
• These communication ports are available (not blocked on local host):
  • 5555 for SSH access
  • 4840 for OPC UA®
  • 5050 for eHMI and WBM
  • 41100 for remote access

Functional restrictions

With the PLCnext Engineer Simulation, there are some restrictions to simulating a PLCnext Control: 

• no real-time capability
• no field bus nor I/O supported
• no left-aligned AXC F XT modules supported
• no PLCnext Store apps supported (only with 2022.0 LTS and 2023.0 LTS implementations)
• no OPC UA® PubSub communication supported
• task watchdog is deactivated
• on stopping the simulation, no data will be saved

The PLCnext Engineer Simulation is available for firmware 2022.0 LTS, 2023.0 LTS and 2025.0 in combination with PLCnext Engineer releases from 2022.0 LTS, and as of now only the AXC F x152 series of PLCnext Control devices can be simulated.

Licensing

• AXC F 1152 simulation:
  Free of charge, no license necessary
• AXC F 2152 / AXC F 3152 simulation:
  PLCnext Engineer Add-in license needed, for details see Licensing the PLCnext Engineer Simulation 

 

• Published/reviewed: 2025-12-18  ☃  Revision 087 •