GitHub Copilot for PLC programming
If you came here looking for GitHub Copilot for PLC, you're in the right place. PLC Assist is an AI coding agent built specifically for industrial automation — same idea as Copilot, but for the IDE your PLC actually runs in: CODESYS, Beckhoff TwinCAT, or Siemens TIA Portal.
Like Copilot, PLC Assist accepts natural-language prompts, reads your project for context, and writes code in your editor. Unlike Copilot, it knows IEC 61131-3, compiles your code in your PLC IDE, and fixes errors on its own.
Under the hood, PLC Assist runs on Anthropic's Claude — the same model family that powers Claude Code — tuned for the patterns and pitfalls of industrial automation.
Why a separate AI tool exists for PLC
- Copilot can't see your PLC project. CODESYS, TwinCAT and TIA Portal are not VS Code or JetBrains — they have proprietary IDEs with no extension API the way software editors do. PLC Assist runs as a local bridge inside your IDE so it has live access to your POUs, GVLs, DUTs, and the compile output.
- Industrial code has different rules. Real-time constraints, graphical languages (FBD/LD/SFC/CFC), vendor library quirks, and Structured Text idioms that don't map cleanly to general-purpose languages. The agent is trained on PLC-specific patterns, not retrofitted.
- Compile loop, not just suggestion. PLC Assist doesn't just write code — it compiles, reads the actual error messages from your PLC IDE, and fixes them autonomously. That's the workflow that makes industrial code tractable for AI.
Supported platforms
- CODESYS V3 — all CODESYS-based PLCs (Schneider Electric, WAGO, Festo, Lenze, Bosch Rexroth, and more)
- Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 — full project read/write via TwinCAT COM interop
- Siemens TIA Portal V19+ — coming soon
One agent across CODESYS, Beckhoff TwinCAT, and Siemens TIA Portal — same prompts, same compile-and-fix loop on every platform. Read how the multiplatform agent works for system integrators, OEMs, and engineering services firms.
Frequently asked questions
Can GitHub Copilot edit my CODESYS or TwinCAT project?
No — GitHub Copilot is a Visual Studio Code / JetBrains extension. It can't talk to CODESYS, Beckhoff TwinCAT, or Siemens TIA Portal because those IDEs don't expose a VS Code-style extension API. PLC Assist solves this by running a small local bridge inside your PLC IDE, giving the agent direct access to your project, libraries, and compiler.
Does Copilot understand Structured Text and IEC 61131-3?
Generic LLMs know the syntax of Structured Text but lack project-specific context: your vendor libraries, your existing function blocks, your declaration conventions, your compile errors. PLC Assist is tuned for IEC 61131-3 and reads your actual project before suggesting code, then compiles and fixes errors autonomously.
Is there a Copilot extension for CODESYS, TwinCAT, or TIA Portal?
Not today. None of the major PLC IDEs ship a VS Code-style extension marketplace — they're proprietary engineering platforms. PLC Assist works around this by running as a separate AI agent that connects to each IDE through a dedicated bridge.
Can I keep using Copilot for software work and PLC Assist for PLCs?
Yes — that's the typical setup. Most engineers use Copilot or Cursor inside VS Code for general software development, and PLC Assist inside CODESYS or TwinCAT for PLC code. Both run on Anthropic Claude / OpenAI models behind the scenes, so the prompting style transfers.
Looking for the original GitHub Copilot instead? It's a great tool — for software development. For PLC code, you'll need a tool that talks to your IDE.
Looking for GitHub Copilot for PLC? Try PLC Assist free.
25 AI requests, no credit card. Connect to your IDE in 5 minutes.