Installing Kepware and Drivers

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure the following:

You are working on a Windows machine that meets Kepware system requirements.

You have access to the Kepware installer and a valid license or trial.

You know which drivers you will need based on your PLC types (e.g., Siemens, Allen Bradley).

Installing Kepware and Drivers

Download and install Kepware

Visit the Kepware Store if you want to purchase a full license.

Alternatively, you can download the trial version, which allows up to two hours of runtime before requiring a restart.

Run the executable and select Typical installation.

Accept default options for features and installation path.

You can skip setting up a user or password for now, but configure one before you connect Kepware to a production network.

Install additional drivers

After the initial installation, re-run the same Kepware installer binary.

Choose Modify and select the extra drivers you need.

For more information, consult Kepware’s driver installation guide: PTC Driver Support

Make sure you re-run the installer using the exact same version as initially installed. Otherwise, the installer may fail silently or break existing configurations.

Add drivers to your project

Open the Kepware Configuration tool from the system tray.

Create a new Channel and assign the correct driver.

Add a Device under the channel using the correct model for your PLC.

Channels define communication settings, while devices represent actual PLCs.