| Type | Physical / Virtual | Portability | Common Use | |------|--------------------|-------------|-------------| | USB Dongle (CmStick) | Hardware | High | Industrial PCs, embedded devices | | SoftContainer | File on hard drive/SSD | Low (tied to PC hardware) | Engineering laptops, virtual machines (with limitations) | | Runtime License (target-bound) | Stored in PLC non-volatile memory | None | Embedded controllers, Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone | | Demo License | Temporary container | Varies | Evaluation only (30 days or 2‑hour runtime limit) |
Critical nuance: A license is not a keyfile you copy. It must be activated via the CODESYS License Manager or CODESYS Security Key tool.
Your CNC machine or power plant PLC should never touch the internet. Here is the manual method.
Title: Quick Start: Activating CODESYS Licenses
Where is my license? After purchasing a CODESYS product, you will receive a Ticket ID (a string of alphanumeric characters) via email. codesys license activation
Activation Steps:
Troubleshooting Tips:
In the world of industrial automation, CODESYS (Controller Development System) stands as the de facto standard for IEC 61131-3 programming. However, moving from the free "demo" mode to a fully functional production environment requires navigating the CODESYS Licensing system. Unlike older software that relied on simple serial keys, modern CODESYS utilizes a container-based licensing model tied to hardware IDs.
This guide outlines the mechanisms, procedures, and best practices for activating a CODESYS license. | Type | Physical / Virtual | Portability
To avoid downtime and legal issues, follow these pro tips:
You’ve just finished programming a complex motion control sequence. You download it to your Industrial PC (IPC) or Raspberry Pi. Everything runs perfectly on your engineering laptop.
Then you unplug the USB cable.
Two hours later, the PLC stops. The dreaded "Runtime license not found" error appears. Your CNC machine or power plant PLC should
If you are new to CODESYS, this is the most common "gotcha." Unlike traditional PLCs (Siemens, Rockwell) where the license is baked into the hardware, CODESYS uses a soft licensing model. You buy the IDE (development environment) and the Runtime (the execution engine on your device) separately.
Today, we are going to walk through exactly how to activate that Runtime license so your machine runs 24/7.
This works if your target device has access to the internet.
Step 1: Open your CODESYS project. Step 2: Double-click the "Device" (your PLC) in the device tree. Step 3: Go to the "License" tab. Step 4: Click "Manage Licenses..." Step 5: Click "Activate License..." Step 6: Select "Online Activation (recommended)." Step 7: Paste your Product Key (usually a 25-character alphanumeric code sent via email from your distributor). Step 8: Select the matching Runtime Package (e.g., CODESYS Control RTE V3). Step 9: Click Finish.
Result: The license downloads from the CODESYS Store Server and installs itself into your Soft Container.