The programmer can choose between five different programming languages to suit their specific needs or preference: Instruction List, Ladder Diagram, Function Block, Structured Text or Sequential function Chart.
The system supports local variables (unlimited), non retentive global variables (up to 1 Mbyte) and retentive global variables (up to 128Kbytes).
The possible variable types are BOOL, BYTE, WORD, DWORD, INT, DINT, REAL, LREAL, TIME, STRING, STRUCT, ARRAY, ARRAY STRUCT.

The standard library IEC 61131-3 includes arithmetic, logarithm and trigonometric functions, format conversion, string manipulation, flip-flop, timer, trigger and counters.
Non standard functions are supported like file management, serial port handling and task synchronisation

The library is completed by a motion Control Library, compliant with the PLCopen specification, to perform interpolated and synchronised axes motions.

A symbolic debugger allows step by step execution, breakpoint and run-time variable visualisation. Application download and debug is based over a standard Ethernet TCP/IP communication between the Control Unit and the PC used for development.
The program execution is pre-emptive multitasking, with a minimum scheduling time of 2mSec.
There are no limits on number of tasks and each task can be executed selecting one of the 10 priority levels.

Data coming from remote devices connected via fieldbus are updated selecting one of the two following methods:
- Slow time:
  10mSec for all configured data
- Fast time:
  A minimum of 2mSec to update a maximum of 128 bytes.

The main Soft-Motion functions are:

· Homing, Jog, Positioning, software limits
· Continuous interpolation with a maximum of 16 pre-calculated
   block (up to 16)
· Possibility to execute a profile stored in an ASCII formatted file
· Non linear accelerations ("S" curves)
· Master-Slave, Electronic cam
· Different types of axes compensation:
   - rotary axis tangent to the profile
   - linear axes slave of a rotary axis (to keep a constant position
     while rotating)
· Open loop functionality for non accurate positioning depending
   on time or linear space

Drive management depends on the Control Unit type:
- in the case of CANopen digital interface, the drive is always in interpolation mode, the position loop is closed in the drive and, at fixed time intervals (from 2 to 10 mSec) the control sends both position and velocity data to each drive via CANopen PDO telegrams
- in the case of +/- 10V analogue interface, the position loop is closed by the control and, at fixed time intervals (from 5 to 10 mSec) the control will read the transducer axis positions and send a corresponding velocity command to the drive.

Electronic cam is a sophistication software module that allows up to 8 cam profiles to be defined where a slave axis position is dependant upon a master axis position. Every cam can have a maximum of 256 points, intermediate positions are calculated via linear interpolation to the master axis position. The slave axis can move in position or velocity mode.

The master axes (up to 8) can be:
· physical (repetitive positions) with the possibility to set/reset
  digital output in predefined positions
  (POSITION EVENT GENERATOR)
· created upon part detection by a sensor. A maximum of
  8 sensors can be handled simultaneously. A master axis
  is created for each part detected by a sensor and is
  deleted when the part has reached the final position
· virtual (calculation)

The module includes a cam editor that allows the generation of points describing the profile using polynomial interpolation, importing data from a file or directly on the screen. For each servo sample it is possible to visualise both velocity and acceleration as a diagram related to the position profile.

¨ WinNBI
This is an OSAI software package that allows screens to be created in a quick and efficient way. It is particularly useful for applications where there is a lot of a numeric data to be displayed as the WinNBI can directly access the PLC memory, 72kbytes of non retentive variables and 64kbytes of retentive variables. The main characteristics are:

- possibility to import user defined bitmap
- use of pre-defined graphic objects included in a specific library
- multi-lingual text, menu and graphic objects
   (i.e. text over pushbuttons) management
- use of Unicode mode
   (for special languages like Chinese, Arab and Cyrillic)
- Possibility to activate Visual Basic software through   pushbuttons.

¨ Remote WinNBI
This is the distributed version of WinNBI running on a remote PC connected through Ethernet TCP/IP to the Control Unit. It will run under Windows XP or XP Embedded and offers similar features to the standard WinNBI.

¨ Visual Studio.Net
This is the Microsoft Suite used to develop applications for the Windows CE.Net operating system. The suite includes Visual Basic and Visual C++. By using these it is possible to create applications such as editors dedicated to wood or marble cutting, metal forming etc. The application can easily interface to the PLC variables through a DLL supplied by OSAI.

¨ SCADA
When the application requires typical SCADA functions (Sophisticated graphics, animation, alarm management, historical logs and data loggers) SCADA software is available which is easy to use and extremely powerful. It is also ideal for visualisation, control and supervision of the automation application. There is a specific driver to give the SCADA software access to PLC shared variables.