ACC Automation: PLC & Industrial Control Learning
Practical Tips and Techniques
The Machine Simulator (MS) is part of the EasyPLC software suite. It has many built-in machines that are used to show different programming techniques. The paint line is one of these machines. It will use a bit shift (shift register) to track bottles along a conveyor belt. All the bottles will be detected using photocells … Read more
PLC memory is very similar to personal computer memory. There is the operating system and firmware of the processor and connected modules. PLC programs and data that are used by the program are also stored in the memory. We will now look at the basic understanding of memory in the PLC. Looking at two examples … Read more
PLC outputs are the next component of our PLC block diagram. The PLC program will control the outputs of the PLC. Controlling outputs is one way to get the inputs to change. We will be looking at digital and analog outputs that can be wired to the programmable logic controller. PLC troubleshooting outputs will also … Read more
PLC inputs are one component of our PLC block diagram. The output actions of the PLC will be controlled based on the inputs. We will be looking at digital and analog inputs that can be wired to the programmable logic controller. We will be looking at wiring of a normally open (NO) push button, normally … Read more
An LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is a great way to display information in our Arduino Uno controller. We will be wiring and programming an alphanumeric, two rows with 16 characters on each row. The display has an LED (Light Emitting Diode) backlight with adjustable contrast. This white and blue LCD will display “Hello World!” on … Read more
The IR (Infrared) remote control is a great way to incorporate wireless control of your project. Infrared receiver modules are simple and easy to use. In this post, we will be connecting the IR receiver to the UNO, and then use a Library that was designed for this particular sensor. In our sketch we will … Read more
The DHT11 is a digital temperature and humidity sensor. It uses a capacitive humidity sensor and a thermistor to measure the surrounding air and sends out a digital signal on the data pin (no analog input pins needed). Its simple to use, and the update timing of the sensor is about 2 seconds. Thermistor temperature … Read more
The ultrasonic sensor (HC-SR04) is great for all kinds of projects that need distance measurements. The HC-SR04 is inexpensive and easy to use. We will be sending signals directly to the sensor and interpreting the results without the need for a library. Ultrasonic sensor module HC-SR04 provides a 2cm-400cm non-contact measurement function, the accuracy can … Read more
The servomotor, RC (Hobby) Servo is a type of gear motor that can only rotate 180 degrees. It is controlled by sending electrical pulses from our UNO R3 board. These pulses tell the servo what position it should move to. We will be wiring the servo to our Arduino UNO R3 controller on our super … Read more
We will now look at the tilt ball switch on our Arduino Uno super starter kit. Tilt sensors (tilt ball switch) allow you to detect orientation or inclination. They are small, inexpensive, low-power, and easy to use. Their simplicity makes them popular for toys, gadgets, and appliances. Tilt ball switches are sometimes referred to as … Read more