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Beckhoff Automation

Beckhoff Automation makes PC-based control hardware and the TwinCAT automation software for PLC, motion and robotics runtimes. TwinCAT 3 engineering is free for core PLC programming, while runtime and extended engineering functions are licensed per control computer by platform level.

Licensing at a Glance

  • Per device
  • Node-locked
  • Free tier

  1. The core of TwinCAT 3 Engineering (PLC programming) is free of licensing costs and can be installed on any number of development computers; additional engineering functions (TExxxx) and TwinCAT 3 Runtime licences (TCxxxx/TFxxxx) are chargeable.[1]

  2. The price of TwinCAT 3 Runtime licences depends on the performance of the control computer, which is divided into platform levels; a licence for a higher platform level can be used on all lower levels.[2]

  3. TwinCAT 3 licences can be activated directly for a control computer, but Beckhoff recommends a licence dongle, which makes the licence independent of the industrial PC and can hold up to 20 licence files.[3]

  4. Trial licences valid for 7 days can be generated in the TwinCAT 3 development environment for many functions, and can be repeated any number of times.[4]

Products

References

  1. TwinCAT 3 licensing | Beckhoff USA · beckhoff.com · retrieved 2026-09-27
  2. TwinCAT 3 licensing | Beckhoff USA · beckhoff.com · retrieved 2026-09-27
  3. TwinCAT 3 licensing | Beckhoff USA · beckhoff.com · retrieved 2026-09-27
  4. TwinCAT 3 licensing | Beckhoff USA · beckhoff.com · retrieved 2026-09-27
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