In this Tutorial I will explain how to execute a windows application from TwinCAT.

Insert Library

Reference>Add library.

Search TC2_Utilities and Insert it.

Confirm the Command Prompt Path

open the command line and enter where cmd to check your Command Prompt Path.

Function Block

We will use NT_StartProcess to implement these features.Of Course not just your local PC but also Remote PC.

VAR_INPUT

NETID	T_AmsNetId	The AmsNetID of Target TwinCAT PC.Input “Empty String” if you want to execute the local PC application.
PATHSTR	T_MaxString	The path of application
DIRNAME	T_MaxString	The Directory of the Application
COMNDLINE	T_MaxString	The Command
START	BOOL	Rise Edge to Execute
TMOUT	TIME	Timeout

VAR_OUTPUT

BUSY	BOOL	True=Executing
ERR	BOOL	True=Error
ERRID	UDINT	Error ID

プログラム

In this example, I will execute a program to create a text file and append the text to the last line of file.

VAR

VAR

//
stCommand:STRING(512);
stPrintingMessage:STRING:=’Hello,This is my message that write from TwinCAT PLC!’;
NT_StartProcess:NT_StartProcess;
//
bTrigger:BOOL;
bError:BOOL;
iErrorID:UDINT;
bReset:BOOL;
END_VAR

Code

stCommand:=’/C ‘;
stCommand:=CONCAT(stCommand,’echo ‘);
stCommand:=CONCAT(stCommand,stPrintingMessage);
stCommand:=CONCAT(stCommand,’>> ‘);
stCommand:=CONCAT(stCommand,’C:\Users\root\myfile.txt’);

NT_StartProcess(
NETID:=”
,PATHSTR:=cStCommandPath
,COMNDLINE:=stCommand
);

IF bReset THEN

bError:=FALSE;
iErrorID:=0;
bReset:=FALSE;
NT_StartProcess(Start:=False);
END_IF;

IF bTrigger AND NOT bError THEN

NT_StartProcess(Start:=TRUE);
IF NT_StartProcess.ERR THEN
bError:=TRUE;
iErrorID:=NT_StartProcess.ERRID;
END_IF

bTrigger:=FALSE;
NT_StartProcess(Start:=False);
END_IF