B&R has introduced a hypervisor for its automation system. This software allows Windows or Linux to run alongside B&R’s own real-time operating system. That enables one to combine the control and HMI applications on a single PC, for example, or have an industrial PC double as both a real-time controller and an edge controller that sends preprocessed data to higher level systems and the cloud via OPC UA.
Virtual network: The hypervisor provides a virtual network connection that allows applications to exchange data between operating systems. Like with the usual Ethernet interface, this is done using standard network protocols. In place of a cable, there is a reserved memory area that is not assigned to either operating system.
Maximum flexibility: The user configures the hypervisor and allocates hardware resources in the B&R Automation Studio software development environment. The configurations are defined separately for each system, providing maximum flexibility in how resources are utilised. Whereas previous parallelisation solutions were tailored to a specific Windows version, B&R’s hypervisor is independent of which operating systems are used.
The B&R hypervisor allows multiple operating systems to run in parallel on a single device and communicate with each other via a virtual network. B&R is an innovative automation company with headquarters in Austria and offices all around the world. On July 6, 2017, B&R became a business unit of the ABB Group. As a global leader in industrial automation, B&R combines state-of-the-art technology with advanced engineering to provide customers in virtually every industry with complete solutions for machine and factory automation, motion control, HMI and integrated safety technology. With Industrial IoT communication standards like OPC UA, POWERLINK and openSAFETY as well as the powerful Automation Studio software development environment, B&R is constantly redefining the future of automation engineering. The innovative spirit that keeps B&R at the forefront of industrial automation is driven by a commitment to simplifying processes and exceeding customer expectations.