Industrial-grade memory for secure portable licensing
Summary
Other considerations to ensure reliable operation at all times included proven capability in harsh industrial environments, insensitivity to temperature fluctuations and the long-term availability of the product. The necessary security for Phoenix Contact applications is ensured by a two-stage procedure that uniquely links the relevant license file with the corresponding memory card. When ordering and purchasing, customers simply select the apps requiring a license for applications for the free PLCnext Engineer software. The SD card then functions simultaneously as a storage medium and as a license dongle, enabling customers to program the PLC according to their requirements and to configure it for use in a plant. Typical constraints where licenses must first be activated individually via a computer at the integrators facility or at the end user’s site are eliminated, which is a key consideration where large numbers of controllers are to be rolled out simultaneously.