B&R announced a major update to its comprehensive suite of engineering and runtime software. With Automation Studio Code, B&R introduces an entirely new engineering experience. It incorporates an array of advanced editing functions, drawing from the latest the software industry has to offer. With flexible local or cloud-based access, it supports seamless collaborative engineering. Fully integrated in this new environment is Automation Studio Copilot, a generative AI coding assistant developed in cooperation with Microsoft. Among the numerous upgrades in the new release, these standout additions promise a dramatic impact on the software development experience for machine builders and system integrators.
"Bringing state-of-the-art software engineering into the world of machine automation is crucial to helping our customers stay a step ahead of rapid changes in today's markets," says B&R Chief Technology Officer Florian Schneeberger. "With a productivity boost from modern development tools and generative AI, together with the flexibility of cloud collaboration, we help them develop faster with more agile teamwork and get innovative machines to market fast."
In Version 6 of B&R's engineering software, Automation Studio Code adds powerful new engineering capabilities, while offering full flexibility to open the same projects in either the new environment or the familiar Automation Studio interface. Among the new capabilities are rich syntax highlighting, which makes code easier to read, and object-oriented programming in Structured Text, which helps engineers organize their code more logically and work more efficiently. Real-time error detection eliminates repetitive compiling and correction loops, and the ability to adapt the theme to dark mode helps prevent developer fatigue.
One of the most significant contributions to accelerated machine development comes in the form of Automation Studio Copilot, the AI companion embedded in the new coding environment. Copilot allows developers to generate executable machine code simply by entering prompts in natural language. It also helps optimize and annotate existing code, making it easier to share and reuse. Complex applications can be quickly summarized to facilitate discussions with non-technical stakeholders.
Automation Studio Code offers a seamless experience for developers, whether they choose to open projects on their desktop or in a web browser. "It's a lot like the tools we all use to collaborate on documents, spreadsheets and presentations," explains Sanchez-Marchan. "Considering how dramatically those tools have transformed office work, it's easy to imagine what it means to bring the same level of collaboration to software development processes in the automation industry."
With teams collaborating in real-time from different locations, topics like source control become more important than ever. "B&R has always been a step ahead with easy source control thanks to the file-based nature of Automation Studio projects," notes Sanchez-Marchan. "With Automation Studio Code, we're now taking that a step further. By building source control tasks right into the development environment, we remove distractions and allow developers to focus on their creative work." Connection of git repositories enables integration of third-party tools like GitHub or Azure DevOps. These version control and collaboration tools make it easy to merge contributions from different team members, keep track of changes, and ensure that everyone is always working from the latest version.
