Program
Structured Text to IEC 61131-3
A dedicated editor with its own compiler core that also understands object-oriented blocks.
- ST in use today; LD, FBD and SFC follow in the next versions
- Manufacturers’ device descriptions right in the project
IEC 61131-3 · Preview version 0.2
Your control system. No per-device licence, no vendor lock-in.
ForgeIEC is control software for machine and plant builders: program to IEC 61131-3, run on Linux industrial computers, connect field devices and operator panels. Open source – a commercial licence is available on request.
PROGRAM Irrigation
VAR
moisture : REAL; (* soil sensor, % *)
rain : BOOL;
valve : BOOL;
runTime : TON;
END_VAR
runTime(IN := moisture < 30.0 AND NOT rain,
PT := T#20m);
valve := runTime.IN AND NOT runTime.Q;
END_PROGRAMRuntime connected
·Modbus TCP
·LoRaWAN
The problem
Control software ties you down – to licences, vendors and services.
- With many suppliers the runtime licence costs money – per controller, again with every machine you ship.
- Choosing a system ties your programs, hardware and know-how to one vendor’s tools.
- And remote maintenance often runs through open ports or through a third party’s cloud.
The solution
One platform to program, run and connect.
ForgeIEC covers the path from the program to the field device – with open licences and on hardware you choose yourself.
Run
Runtime on industrial hardware
The runtime runs as a service on Linux computers with x86 or ARM. Programs reach the controller over the network.
- Watch variables live and record trends
- Updates as signed packages from the apt repository
Connect
Field buses, radio and operator panels
Every protocol has its own bridge. If one fails, the rest keeps running.
- Modbus TCP and RTU available, LoRaWAN in progress
- Hearth operator interface as a preview
Document
Documentation lives inside the project
Every POU, variable and data type carries its own description in Markdown, stored in the same PLCopen XML file as the program – versioned, copied and shipped together with the code.
- Importing Structured Text turns your existing
(* … *)comments into documentation - Readable through the MCP interface, also for a locally hosted AI model
Screenshot to follow
studio/editor-stRivet · remote access
Remote access to your machines – without an open port and without someone else's cloud.
Rivet connects a phone to the controller. A small gateway next to the controller builds the connection outwards by itself – no port is opened in the plant’s network.
- No port forwardingNo public IP address, no DynDNS. Works behind CGNAT and on an LTE connection, too.
- No third party in the data pathGateway and server are our own infrastructure, no cloud or VPN provider in between. The server only passes the connection on encrypted and sees no content.
- Only the released controller is reachableThe phone reaches only the released controller on the released ports. Other devices in the network stay unreachable.
Rivet in detail in development · pilot with solidarity farms
Honest status
What works today – and what does not yet.
ForgeIEC is a preview version (0.2). The ST editor is in productive use at the pilot customer; much else is in progress.
| Area | What it means | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Programming in ST | Editor, own compiler core, transfer to the controller | in use |
| LD, FBD, SFC | Graphical languages: planned for versions 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5, not compiled yet. IL is deprecated. | planned |
| Runtime on Linux | Anvil server (anvild) for Debian and Ubuntu, signed packages | in use |
| Modbus TCP and RTU | Connecting field devices via Modbus | available |
| LoRaWAN | Radio sensors for wide-area sites – our focus for the solidarity farms | in progress |
| EtherCAT, PROFIBUS, EtherNet/IP | Skeleton in place, protocols in progress; further buses follow | in progress |
| Hearth operator interface | Runs over the internal Anvil bus | preview |
| Rivet remote access | Secure access from a phone without port forwarding | in development · pilot |
| Windows | A Windows build exists and its CI runs; installer on request | on request |
| bellowsd OPC UA gateway | Package stays in the apt repository, not being developed at present | resting |
in use running at the pilot customer or available in progress being developed, not finished planned intended resting not in development at present
Trust
Clear rules before you decide.
- LicenceThe Studio, the runtime daemon and the bus bridges are AGPL-3.0-or-later. What is linked into your project – generated code, runtime interfaces, libanvil – is Apache-2.0. A commercial licence is possible.
- Not a replacement for a safety PLCForgeIEC is not a safety PLC and has no SIL or PL rating. Emergency stop and protective functions belong on safety equipment approved for that purpose.
- Linux and WindowsLinux packages come signed from an automated CI via the apt repository. A Windows build exists and its CI runs; the installer is available on request.
- Support and commercial licenceOn request. The source code is under AGPL; access to the repositories on request.
Licence questions
Do I have to disclose my PLC program?
No. The generated control code and the runtime interfaces linked into your project (runtime API, libanvil) are Apache-2.0. You may also build your own closed libraries on top of them. The Studio, the runtime daemon and the bus bridges are AGPL-3.0-or-later. A commercial licence is possible.
What applies if I modify ForgeIEC itself?
Changes to the Studio, the runtime daemon or the bus bridges fall under the AGPL: if you distribute the modified software or offer it over a network, you must make the source code of those changes available. If you do not want that, ask for a commercial licence.
Is there a licence fee per controller?
Not under the open licences. Support and a commercial licence are available on request.
Can I get the source code?
Yes. The source code is under AGPL; access to the repositories is available on request at blacksmith@forgeiec.io.
Information, not legal advice. The licence texts are authoritative.
In use
Pilot operation at SoLaWi Ackervielfalt
SoLaWi Ackervielfalt, a solidarity farm, is ForgeIEC’s pilot customer: its control programs are written in the ST editor, which is in productive use there. More solidarity farms will follow.
Let's talk about your machine.
You build machines or plants and want to try ForgeIEC in a pilot project? Write what you want to control – Jörg Bernau replies personally.