WinAC RTX F is a fail-safe software controller approved by the German Technical Inspectorate for standard and safety-related applications. The STEP 7 option package "S7 Distributed Safety" is used for programming the safety-related (F) program part. SIMATIC WinAC RTX F is particularly suited to tasks requiring a high level of flexibility and effective integration in the overall solution. This also includes close interlinking with data processing systems or logistics systems and integration in the safety control.

WinAC RTX F is equally suited to implementation on cost-effective PC platforms with single-core processors and on high-end PCs, e.g. with QuadCore processors. WinAC RTX F is optimized for operation on embedded PC platforms such as the S7-modular Embedded Controller, the SIMATIC IPC427C, or the SIMATIC HMI IPC477C. These platforms offer, with their diskless and fanless design, significantly enhanced ruggedness for an automation task. Non-volatile memory is also available which permits storage of up to 512 KB retentive data (S7-mEX, EC31) on a voltage dip, independently of the file system. The I/O is connected via the leading fieldbus standards of PROFINET or PROFIBUS. With the S7-mEC, EC31, operation is also possible with the central signal modules (SM) of S7-300.
The support of the integral PROFINET or PROFIBUS interfaces of the SIMATIC IPCs, as well as the excellent performance result in an excellent price/performance ratio for the PC-based automation.

The WinAC ODK is used for expansion of the PLC functionality with application specific C/C++ applications. In the standard program part, it supports:

• Integration of complex high-level language algorithms in the control program
• Access to the Windows API or Windows system resources
• Access to external HW and software components

Read-only access is permitted in the safety program part.