Software Development of I4.0 Digital Twins for Programmable Logic Controllers

Research output: Contribution to book/Conference proceedings/Anthology/ReportConference contributionContributedpeer-review

Abstract

Industry 4.0 increasingly relies on integrating digital twins into programmable logic controller environments. The Asset Administration Shell provides a standardized framework for representing industrial assets, yet its deployment across heterogeneous PLC platforms is hindered by limited language support, runtime constraints, and variability in software-engineering capabilities. This paper presents a qualitative assessment of development strategies for implementing AAS-based digital twins directly on PLCs. We examine the applicability of existing high-level-language SDKs, identify platform-specific limitations, and analyze adaptation and code-generation approaches that address these constraints. By comparing several representative PLC ecosystems, we highlight trade-offs in correctness, maintainability, and engineering effort.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2026 IEEE 22nd International Conference on Factory Communication Systems, WFCS 2026 - Proceedings
EditorsAxel Sikora, Stefano Scanzio, Tullio Facchinetti, Hening Trsek, Mohammad Ashjaei, Luca Leonardi
PublisherIEEE Industrial Electronics Society
Pages1-6
Number of pages6
ISBN (electronic)979-8-3315-7831-2
ISBN (print)979-8-3315-7832-9
Publication statusPublished - 24 Apr 2026
Peer-reviewedYes

Publication series

SeriesIEEE International Workshop on Factory Communication Systems (WFCS)
ISSN2835-8511

Conference

Title22nd IEEE International Conference on Factory Communication Systems
Abbreviated titleWFCS 2026
Conference number22
Duration21 - 24 April 2026
Website
LocationHochschule Offenburg
CityOffenburg
CountryGermany

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0002-4646-4455/work/217237026
ORCID /0009-0000-2432-5529/work/217237254
Scopus 105040992954

Keywords

Keywords

  • Automation, Codes, Digital twins, IEC, Metamodeling, Modeling, Printing, Real-time systems, Software engineering, Timing, Digital Twin, PLC, Industry 4.0, I4.0, AAS, Asset Administration Shell