Development and execution of PLC programs on real-time capable mobile devices

This paper introduces the application of off-the-shelf Android tablet computers as real-time capable control devices. We present an IDE to create and execute PLC programs written in Structured Text on a tablet running RTAndroid. This derivative of Android with support for real-time applications ensures the predictable execution of PLC programs. A USB-driven field device adapter enables interaction with peripheral hardware. The evaluation demonstrates the competitiveness of our solution in comparison to conventional PLC devices.