Technology

Beckhoff TwinCAT data collection: TwinCAT 2 and 3 over ADS

We read TwinCAT variables from your Beckhoff controllers over ADS and connect machine data to production and reporting systems.

Let's talk about your project → What we deliver

Our clients

Siemens
Anadolu Isuzu
BSH
Tofaş
Toyotetsu
Martur
Turkcell
Vodafone
Doğadan
Pakmaya
Bross
Abdi İbrahim
Nobel İlaç
Plastimak
Dalgıç Kalıp
Barbaros Motor
Magneti Marelli
Rözmaş
Sanel

Beckhoff TwinCAT data collection means reading variables from the TwinCAT runtime on an industrial or embedded PC using ADS. ADS is Beckhoff's own communication layer, used in both TwinCAT 2 and TwinCAT 3.

ADS connections rely on AMS Net IDs and routes: the controller has to know the edge server that will read from it. The plant's automation team adds that route in TwinCAT; VOLSOFT does not write PLC code, but prepares the route details and the variable list.

Beckhoff-based machines often come from special-purpose machine builders, and variable names differ from one machine to the next. Much of the work is fitting those names into one data model for the whole plant.

What we deliver

Beckhoff TwinCAT data collection

TwinCAT 2 and 3

We read both versions over ADS. The ADS TCP port is usually 48898; the AMS port of the PLC runtime is entered separately.
AMS route

The controller needs an AMS route for the edge server. We prepare the route details and plan the change with the automation team.
Variable list

We take the variables to read from the machine builder's project or documentation and list them with data types and units.
One naming scheme

Variable names from different machine builders are mapped to one naming scheme in a site, line and machine hierarchy.
Segmented network

The edge server sits close to the machine network and connects out to the central server. No direct path from the office network to the controller is opened.

How a project runs

From discovery to live, step by step

01
Machine and controller survey

We collect the TwinCAT version, AMS Net ID, IP address and the machine builder's documentation.
02
Route and access

We agree the AMS route for the edge server and the network rules with the automation and IT teams.
03
Variable mapping

The variables to read are selected and mapped to names and units in the shared data model.
04
Commissioning

We start reading on a Proxus edge gateway, check values against the machine screen and connect target systems.

Built on Proxus

Proxus's Beckhoff ADS driver reads TwinCAT 2 and 3 controllers from the edge gateway. Values sit in the same Unified Namespace as other PLC brands on the line and move on to MES, historian and ERP.

Proxus is the industrial data platform built by the VOLSOFT team.

Proxus Beckhoff driver ↗

Frequently asked questions

Common questions

How do you read data from Beckhoff TwinCAT?

Over the ADS protocol. An AMS route is defined on the controller for the server that will read, then variables are read over ADS. No change to the PLC code is needed.

What is ADS?

ADS (Automation Device Specification) is Beckhoff's communication layer between TwinCAT components and external applications. Devices are addressed by AMS Net ID, and over Ethernet TCP port 48898 is typically used.

Can you read through the TwinCAT OPC UA server instead?

Yes. If the controller runs the TwinCAT OPC UA server, we can read it with Proxus's OPC UA driver. The choice depends on the existing configuration and security requirements.

What if we do not have the machine builder's project?

We need the variable names and their meaning. Without the project, the list is built from machine documentation, HMI screens and the machine builder; this is planned during the survey.