Developing a multiplatform control environment

IEC 61131‐3 control environment is called multiplatform if source programs can be executed by various processors, beginning from 8‐bit microcontrollers up to 32/64‐ bit efficient CPUs. This implies that virtual machine (VM), i.e. a software implemented processor, is used as runtime by the host CPU. The VM executes certain intermediate code into which IEC 61131‐3 programs are compiled. En‐ vironment of this type called CPDev has been gradually developed by the authors over the last decade, beginning with initial report in this journal in 2008 [47]. However, technical implementations of its functionalities have not been described so far. This involves such matters as intermediate language, parametrization of the compiler and VM, multiproject runtime, translators of graphical languages, device‐independent HMI, target platform and communication interfacing, which are presented in compact form in this paper. Some characteristic industrial implementations are indicated.