ACC Automation: PLC & Industrial Control Learning
Practical Tips and Techniques
This offers ways in which you can learn PLC programming.
Continuing our series, we will now look at timers and counters and how they are used in the Click PLC. Previously we have discussed: System Hardware – Video Installing the Software – Video Establish Communication – Video Numbering System and Addressing – Video The programming software and manuals can be downloaded from the Automation Direct website … Read more
Using Visual Basic 2015, we will log three holding registers from the PLC, along with the time and date, into a Microsoft Access Database. We will log every minute to the database, including the information we collect from the PLC via Modbus TCP (Ethernet). All code will be done and shown so you can implement … Read more
We will be creating an HMI (human machine interface) login screen for the cylinder program that we developed previously. BUILDING A PLC PROGRAM THAT YOU CAN BE PROUD OF – PART 6 Our program had a Run, Jog and Teach mode for the cylinders. Our user will login with a user name and password. Based … Read more
People often ask “What is a PLC?” and “PLC Meaning”. A programmable logic controller (PLC) is a piece of hardware that isolates inputs from outputs. Programs are written to look at the inputs solve logic and set the outputs to perform work. Today we are going to look at the basic fundamental way we program. … Read more
We will continue the series by looking at a sequencer controlling seven cylinders that can be taught. The cylinders can be operator programmed from the AdvancedHMI screen. You will be able to select what cylinders to activate at each step and program in 500 steps. Our PLC will be the Do-More from Automation Direct. Here … Read more
We will now look at the Game of Simon for our part 5 in this series of building a PLC program. Learning all about bit manipulation and sequencers Simon is a memory game introduced in 1978. It has four colored buttons, each producing a particular tone when it is pressed or activated by the device. … Read more
We will now create a PLC with HMI Training and learning environment. We will use the Automation Direct Do-More programming software tied into the Advanced HMI learning package via Modbus TCP. All of the software is free and fully functional. Learn PLC programming and use a powerful HMI (Human Machine Interface) easily and freely. Setting … Read more
We are using Modbus TCP protocol, reading ten registers in the PLC, and displaying a bar graph in Excel. e will use Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) to communicate with a PLC. Previously we have used VB6 to communicate Modbus TCP. Sequence for Modbus TCP on Excel using VBA The following steps will be done: … Read more
Manufacturers have software to program the programmable logic controller (PLC) or the human-machine interface (HMI). However, there are a few free tools that will help in the development of your PLC programs. We will look at three software tools and show how beneficial they can be to you. Free PLC Software Tools Synergy – Share … Read more
Sending email messages from the PLC sounds like an easy task. However, very few applications do this on the production floor. This is probably due to the networks involved, and authentication can be complicated. In our example, we will use a restricted Gmail SMTP server so that no authentication will be required. We will walk … Read more