Using chatbots in TwinCAT engineering
Control engineering with AI support
Beckhoff Automation has developed the TwinCAT Chat Client for its TwinCAT XAE engineering environment, making Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT from OpenAI usable for programming control applications.
With the TwinCAT Chat Client from Beckhoff Automation, LLMs can be used for the development of TwinCAT projects. This should increase productivity in control programming and open up optimisation potential for direct support.
Large Language Models are created based on a neural network and trained with a large number of texts. LLMs have become widely used in recent years and are used for a whole host of tasks, including as the basis for chatbots or language translation tools.
The TwinCAT Chat Client enables AI-supported engineering to automate tasks such as the creation or addition of function block code, and even code optimization, documentation, and restructuring (refacturing). Implemented in TwinCAT XAE, the client connects to the host cloud of the respective LLM (e.g. Microsoft Azure in case of ChatGPT), provides a user interface, and provides communication to the PLC development environment via the Automation Interface. This is available via a corresponding chat window in Visual Studio, whereby the LLM functionality has been optimized especially for TwinCAT 3 users – i.e. extensively supplemented with TwinCAT-specific content.
