Phoenix Contact presents Virtual PLCnext Control, a software-based PLCnext Control runtime packaged as an OCI container that runs directly on customer hardware in data centers, on industrial PCs, or at the edge. Instead of buying dedicated controllers only, users can deploy the same PLCnext Technology ecosystem as a virtual controller on powerful server infrastructure or Linux-based edge devices, keeping the engineering workflow consistent across hardware and virtualized control layers. https://www.phoenixcontact.com/en-pc/products/plcs-controllers-and-i-os/virtual-control
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In the demo, Virtual PLCnext Control runs on 64-bit ARM and x86 architectures with a Linux OS and real-time patch, instantiated via container engines such as Podman or Docker. Because the controller is hardware-independent and OCI-compliant, it can be rolled out in modern IT environments, including clustered data center servers and hypervisor-based platforms, while still providing deterministic control behaviour for cooling systems, air-conditioning, and other infrastructure workloads.
Engineers can program Virtual PLCnext Control using both IEC 61131-3 languages – structured text, ladder logic, function block diagrams – and high-level languages such as C, C++, Java, and Python. PLCnext Engineer acts as the unified engineering tool for configuration, safety, visualization, diagnostics, and deployment, so the same project can target classic PLCnext hardware controllers or virtual PLCnext instances without rewriting application logic or changing toolchains.
Around the runtime, Phoenix Contact highlights the full PLCnext ecosystem: PLCnext Store as a digital marketplace for ready-to-use apps, protocol stacks such as Modbus TCP, and runtime extensions, and PLCnext Community as a digital hub for documentation, firmware news, cybersecurity advisories, training content, and expert Q&A. This combination supports DevOps-style workflows for industrial automation, including versioned container images, automated updates, and reproducible rollouts across fleets of controllers.
Recorded at SPS 2025 in Nuremberg, the conversation underlines how Virtual PLCnext Control embodies OT/IT convergence by moving real-time OT workloads directly into IT infrastructure. System integrators and OEMs can consolidate control for entire plants or data centers, run multiple PLCnext instances side by side for different zones or customers, and reuse existing PLCnext projects across hardware PLCs and virtualized deployments to support retrofit, scalability, and long-term lifecycle management.
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