The AXC F 1152 simulator is a separate PLCnext Engineer installation. The supplied evidence describes an image for the AXC F 1152 as free to use; it does not establish current availability, licensing, or support for other controller images.
Install and start the simulator
Obtain the separate simulator installer from the Download tab on the PLCnext Engineer product page. Do not launch the QEMU virtual machine manually or derive a startup command from its configuration file; the reported working path is to let PLCnext Engineer control startup.
- Open the Cockpit in PLCnext Engineer.
- Select Simulation instead of TCP/IP.
- Execute Connect or Write and Start. Either action should initiate simulator startup automatically.
Check the required host ports
The simulator expects four host ports to be available. Before retrying, check whether another service occupies a port or whether endpoint security rules block access. Port 4840 deserves particular attention because other OPC UA software, including a Local Discovery Server, may already use it.
| Port | Simulator function |
|---|---|
| 4840 | OPC UA server |
| 5555 | SSH |
| 5050 | Web server |
| 41100 | Remote services used by applications such as PLCnext Engineer |
Handle startup failures
Reported startup failures include Simulation startup failed. (MSG_ONL0162) and Simulation startup failed. (MSG_ONL0165). The evidence does not assign a confirmed root cause to either code. It does identify unavailable ports and restrictive machine security policies as diagnostic paths, while also reporting that startup can be intermittent.
- Confirm that PLCnext Engineer is starting the simulator through Simulation mode.
- Verify that ports 4840, 5555, 5050, and 41100 are free and not blocked.
- Review host security controls if the simulator remains in a starting state or returns MSG_ONL0162 or MSG_ONL0165.
- Retry startup and verify that PLCnext Engineer connects to the virtual device and can write and start the test project. If the failure persists, retain the exact message code for escalation through the manufacturer's official support channel.
Use the emulator credentials
The README in the simulator installation directory identifies the emulator username as admin and the password as plcnext. Use these credentials when the virtual controller requests authentication. Consult the installed README first because the evidence does not establish whether later releases retain the same credentials.
FAQ
How do I start the AXC F 1152 simulator in PLCnext Engineer?
Select Simulation instead of TCP/IP in the Cockpit, then execute Connect or Write and Start. PLCnext Engineer should start the simulator automatically.
Which ports must be free for the AXC F 1152 simulator?
Make ports 4840, 5555, 5050, and 41100 available. They serve OPC UA, SSH, the web server, and remote services respectively.
How do I troubleshoot MSG_ONL0162 or MSG_ONL0165?
Confirm Simulation mode, check all four required ports, and review restrictive host security policies. The evidence reports both codes but does not establish a code-specific root cause.
