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Set up the PLC module

Requirements, turning the PLC environment on, the Get Started walkthrough and a smoke test before connecting anything.

The PLC module is part of the Editor; there is nothing separate to install for editing projects. Building and acting on controllers also needs the vendor tools as you already use them and the engineering host helper. Nothing on this page has been run on Windows yet: the requirements below are what the code expects, not a tested configuration.

Requirements

WhatNeeded forNotes
A trusted workspaceEverythingIn Restricted Mode nothing PLC runs; a notification says why and offers Manage Workspace Trust
A copy of the project under GitRecommended for everythingEvery edit then shows in Source Control and can be undone
Windows 10 or 11 engineering machineBuilds and controller actionsThe vendor engines run only on Windows. On Linux and macOS the module edits files and connects over ADS and HTTPS, and tool discovery logs that it does not look for vendor tools
TwinCAT 3.1.4024 or 4026 (XAE in TcXaeShell or Visual Studio)TwinCAT builds and controller actionsYour installation and licences, unchanged
CODESYS V3.5 (SP17 to SP22), or an OEM versionCODESYS builds, online actions, libraries, tasksFound only through the setting neuralInverse.plc.paths.codesys
TIA Portal V17 to V21 with OpennessTIA Portal builds, download, PLC tagsYour user must be in the Windows group "Siemens TIA Openness"
PLCSIM AdvancedSimulated S7-1500 instancesIts Runtime API is loaded from your installation
.NET Framework 4.8The engineering hostPart of Windows 10 and 11; the helper needs no administrator rights
A bench controller on an isolated networkOnline values, writes, downloadsTwinCAT: a route on the PLC for this machine's AMS Net ID and ADS on TCP 48898. S7-1500: the web server enabled and a web server user

Turn the PLC environment on

  1. Open the folder that holds your project, ideally a copy of a TwinCAT project with its .sln, and trust it when the Editor asks.
  2. When the folder holds a TwinCAT, CODESYS or TIA Portal project, the Editor offers once per workspace to enable the PLC environment. Accept it, or run Neural Inverse: Enable PLC Environment from the Command Palette. The command asks for workspace trust first, then sets neuralInverse.plc.enabled for the workspace (for the user when no folder is open).
  3. The side bar gets a PLC container with the views TwinCAT Projects, Watch, S7-1500 Diagnostics and S7-1500 Watch (Web API); all but the first can be hidden. All PLC commands are in the Command Palette under Neural Inverse PLC.
  4. The module's log is in the Output panel, channel PLC.

To turn it off, run Disable PLC Environment. Turning it off stops every PLC feature: agent tools are removed, live values are hidden and a running trace ends, with their ADS notifications deleted, and an S7-1500 session is logged out.

The Get Started walkthrough

The Welcome page has a walkthrough, Get Started with PLC Engineering. Its six steps tick only when the outcome is shown, never on a click alone:

StepWhat it asks you to do
Open Your TwinCAT ProjectOpen the folder of your TwinCAT solution; the TwinCAT Projects view reads it
Check Your Structured TextOpen a POU; its Structured Text is outlined and checked as you type
Find Your Vendor ToolsRun Show PLC Toolchain
Connect to a ControllerAdd a TwinCAT target and connect read-only
Watch Live ValuesUpload the symbols and add watches
Write a ValueWrite one value after the confirmation

The walkthrough covers TwinCAT only.

Smoke test without a controller

Before connecting anything:

  1. Look at the TwinCAT Projects view: the solution, TwinCAT project, PLC projects with folders and objects, libraries, tasks and I/O devices, as in XAE's Solution Explorer.
  2. Click an object: its file opens with an outline (Ctrl+Shift+O).
  3. Create test.st with a function block that has an IF and no END_IF: you see colouring, the outline, and a problem for the open IF.
  4. Run Show PLC Toolchain and keep its output.
  5. Run git status in the project folder: opening writes nothing.

If a step fails, keep the PLC output for the report. See Reference and troubleshooting.

Next steps

Last reviewed 17 October 2026View as Markdown

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Set up the PLC module · Docs · Neural Inverse