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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →An automation programming language expresses the logic or instructions that control an automated system. In industrial programmable-controller (PLC) work, the formal reference is IEC 61131-3:2025, which specifies the syntax and semantics of PLC programming languages.
What does “automation programming language” mean?
The phrase is a broad functional description, not the name of one specific language. It covers languages used to define sequences, conditions, calculations, and other instructions that make an automated system act. In industrial control, those instructions are commonly written for programmable controllers. IEC 61131-3 provides a shared programming interface for this field, intended to support people working across specification, design, implementation, testing, installation, and maintenance. That standardization goal does not mean every controller or vendor tool accepts every project unchanged. PLCopen’s overview of IEC 61131-3 explains the industrial-control context.
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Which languages does IEC 61131-3:2025 cover?
The IEC catalog identifies IEC 61131-3:2025 as edition 4.0, published on May 22, 2025, with a stated stability date of 2027. The publication names three programming languages and describes Sequential Function Chart elements for structuring programs and function blocks. IEC’s publication page states that the standard specifies programming-language syntax and semantics for programmable controllers as defined in IEC 61131-1.
- Structured Text (ST): a textual language.
- Ladder Diagram (LD): a graphical language.
- Function Block Diagram (FBD): a graphical language.
- Sequential Function Chart (SFC) elements: structures for organizing programs and function blocks; IEC’s 2025 description does not list SFC as one of the three languages above.
The standard also includes configuration elements supporting installation of controller programs and features that facilitate communication among controllers and other automated-system components.
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Why do edition and vendor labels matter?
Language lists can differ between editions. IEC’s 2013 publication page describes Instruction List (IL) alongside Structured Text, Ladder Diagram, and Function Block Diagram, with SFC for structuring. The 2025 edition’s description lists ST, LD, and FBD, and describes SFC elements. Do not assume that an older list describes the current edition: IEC’s 2013 edition page and its 2025 edition page show the difference.
Vendors may also offer extensions or additional languages, so a standard language name and a vendor’s product label are not always interchangeable. PLCopen says the standard’s main objective has been to standardize existing PLC languages while allowing vendor-specific extensions and additional languages in practice. For example, Siemens describes SCL in its STEP 7 documentation as a high-level, Pascal-based language based on DIN EN 61131-3 that fulfills the PLCopen Basis Level of Structured Text. SCL is Siemens terminology and implementation context, not a replacement for the generic name Structured Text. See Siemens’ SCL documentation and PLCopen’s IEC 61131-3 FAQs.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How should you choose a language for a PLC task?
There is no evidence-based universal ranking of the IEC language forms. The practical choice depends on the task and the controller’s engineering environment. Consider these factors before starting a project:
- Representation: choose between textual programming (ST) and graphical forms (LD or FBD) according to how the logic is best expressed and maintained by the people responsible for it.
- Programming task: consider whether the work is primarily discrete logic, function-block composition, or textual data handling and calculations.
- Target and tooling: confirm which languages and features the intended controller and engineering environment support.
- Edition and extensions: check the applicable standard edition and identify any vendor-specific features in the project.
These are decision factors, not a claim that one language is best for every application. The controller and software environment ultimately determine which options are available and how a project is implemented.
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