Wiring an Inductive NPN PNP Sensor – Click PLC

We will now look at wiring an NPN and PNP inductive proximity sensor to the Click PLC. A proximity sensor (switch) is able to detect object presence without physical contact like a limit switch. No physical contact means that the switch has no parts that will wear out. The life span of the sensor is … Read more

Wiring Push Buttons Switch to Click PLC

We will now look at wiring a click plc with selector switch and pushbuttons. A push button (pushbutton) is a simple human interface for controlling some aspect of a machine or process. The push button requires a force to push the button to change the electrical operation from off to on or vice versa. The … Read more

Productivity 1000 Series PLC Contact and Coil

Contact and coil instructions are in every PLC program. The Productivity Suite Software consists of more than 82 instructions divided into 13 categories for the PLC. Contacts and Coils are two of the categories of instructions. Contact instructions include NO / NC, NO Edge / NC Edge and Compare. Coil instructions include Out, Set, Reset, … Read more

Create an Analog Voltage Input Tester for a PLC

Create an Analog Voltage Input Tester for a PLC

We will create a simple and inexpensive analog voltage tester for a PLC using a potentiometer and a 9VDC battery. The potentiometer will be 5K ohms. This should be enough impedance for most analog inputs of the programmable logic controller. (PLC) Voltage impedance for analog voltage inputs is in the megaohm range where the current … Read more

Wiring Interposing Relays – NPN PNP Isolation

Wiring Interposing Relays - NPN PNP Isolation

We will now look at wiring interposing relays to connect an NPN and PNP sensors into the PLC. Interposing relay means a device that will separate two different circuits. The isolation can be for current consumption, voltage differences, voltage references, or a combination of both current and voltage. We can use these relays to help … Read more

How PLC Inputs Work – Discrete and Analog

This post is a further follow-up from my original ‘Here’s a Quick Way to Understand PLC Inputs and Outputs.’ There are two different kinds of PLC inputs, Discrete and analog. Discrete inputs are either ‘ON’ or ‘OFF’; 1 or 0. You can think of them as a single switch. Analog inputs have a range to … Read more