CoDeSyS stands for controller development system. It’s a development environment for programming controller applications in line with the IEC 61131-3 standard. It was developed and is still maintained by the 3S (Smart Software Solutions) Company in Germany. The platform-independent development environment is compatible with the PLCs and automation components of over 250 companies.

For starters, all five PLC programming languages covered by the IEC 61131-3 standard (see the FAQ on programming languages) are supported by CoDeSys. These include instruction list (IL), structured text (ST), ladder diagrams, function block diagrams (FBD), and sequential function chart (SFC).

For OEMs this creates a common system that uses a common software. So no matter what company’s PLCs or automation components are being used, the common development environment lets system designers work with any of them. From an OEM perspective, this makes things a lot simpler because one never knows which control company’s products will be integrated into a system design.

CoDeSys is used in a range of automation applications including factory, mobile, and process automation, as well as energy automation and others. There’s even a SoftMotion module for the CoDeSys environment that unites control and motion into one.

The software is available for download from the company web site here.