The biggest challenge for programmable logic controllers (PLCs) often isn’t bad code, it’s changes in code that aren’t properly managed.

This could be as small as moving a sensor’s position and altering the heat threshold.

However, code versioning is largely manual, sometimes as basic as relying on people to update the file name with a version number and copying it to a shared drive, which is prone to human error and inconsistencies. There’s too much opportunity for changes to get missed, updates to get overwritten, and code knowledge to walk out the door in the heads of programmers on vacation or leaving the company.

The industry has gotten very good at automating manufacturing processes, but the automation of PLC code versioning has not developed apace. Software Defined Automation’s Version Control removes the burden of versioning so programmers can focus on the code itself. Everyone who needs access can quickly find the latest files, and a complete audit trail of changes is preserved.