ACC Automation: PLC & Industrial Control Learning
Practical Tips and Techniques
Wiring outputs to the plc like relays and motors.
Contact and coil instructions are in every PLC program. The Productivity Suite Software comprises more than 82 instructions, organized into 13 categories for the PLC. Contacts and Coils are two of those categories. Contact instructions include NO, NC, NO Edge, NC Edge, and Compare. Coil instructions include Out, Set, Reset, OR Out, Flasher, Debounce, Timed, … Read more
This article was written by Chris Urban, an automation educator and PLC trainer with over 40 years of hands-on experience. Find Chris on YouTube and LinkedIn. — CU Against the popular belief that relays are obsolete and too simple to discuss, there are people who think that after nearly 200 years, the relay is still not fully understood. This … Read more
The ACC PLC Simulator is a free, browser-based ladder-logic editor and PLC scan engine. There is nothing to download or install. You open it in Chrome, Edge, or Firefox and start programming immediately. I built this simulator so that anyone learning PLC programming can get hands-on practice without needing hardware. It uses standard PLC register … Read more
This article was written by Chris Urban, an automation educator and PLC trainer with over 30 years of hands-on teaching experience. Find Chris on YouTube and LinkedIn. — CU A question that comes up constantly from beginners: if PLC control logic runs on safe low-voltage DC, how do you actually switch a 120V, 220V, or 460V AC load like a … Read more
The Productivity Suite Software allows us to modify our existing program and execute the new code without stopping the PLC scan. This is referred to as online editing. We change the ladder logic code, and when we save it to the P1-M622-16DR PLC, the current PLC scan is held until the new code is written … Read more
We will now look at wiring and testing our first ladder logic program with the P1-M622-16DR Mini PLC. Having created our start-stop motor circuit and learned about the monitoring tools in the Productivity Suite Software, it’s time to connect real-world devices and see our program in action. We will wire a start pushbutton, a stop … Read more
We will now look at monitoring and testing our Productivity Mini PLC program. The Productivity Suite Software provides powerful tools for us to monitor and test our programs. Last time, we created our first program—a simple start-stop motor circuit—and transferred it to our connected P1-M622-16DR Mini PLC. We will monitor our ladder using the ladder … Read more
We will be using Claude AI Desktop to determine if we can program a PLC using a ladder logic diagram. Has AI learned enough to be useful when programming? We will take the results and enter the AI PLC program into the Do-More Designer PLC Simulator to verify. Remember that any AI output result needs … Read more
What is the most asked PLC Ladder Logic Question? One of the most common and foundational examples of ladder logic programming involves designing a motor start-stop circuit that utilizes latching or seal-in logic. This specific scenario not only serves as a practical exercise but also encapsulates several critical principles of Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) programming … Read more
FREE CLICK PLC Software: Is It REALLY That Easy? This industrial-proven hardware and software have been around for 16 years. It has been regularly modified and updated to ensure it remains current and relevant. A Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) is a type of industrial control system used to automate machinery and processes. It is designed … Read more