A dusk to dawn sensor usually is discrete on/off of the lighting control. If we want to vary the lights to mimic more of the sunset and rise, we would use an analog output to control the lights. I was recently asked about such a program. Every day they wanted the lights to go off at 10 pm and come back on at 6 am. At 9:30 pm the lights would be on at 70% or 7volts of a 0-10V signal. In the next half hour, the program will bring the lights from 70% down to 0%. In the morning the lights will come back on within the half-hour from 0% to 70%. Poultry Farms are one place that would utilize this program.
We will be developing a program that will do this with our BRX PLC (Do-More). Let’s get started! Continue Reading!
Category Archives: BRX Do-More
Automation Direct BRX Series PLC. This is part of the Do-More family of controllers.
BRX PLC HTTP JSON Instructions
One of the features of the BRX Series PLC is the ability to expand its capability to fit your application. Software and hardware changes are ongoing so the PLC can grow with your needs. Communication is something that the BRX PLC can do very well. As part of the internet of things (IoT), the BRX will share and exchange data. You can also refer to this as the industrial internet of things. This will suit several industrial applications.
The Do-more Updates Release 2.5.2 on April 22, 2019, has introduced new instructions. Here are the instructions that we will be using:
HTTPCMD – HTTP Request / Response with Server (BRX only)
JSONPARSE – Parse JSON Text (BRX only)
We will be using these instructions to read the weather conditions from a website. Let’s get started. Continue Reading!
ACC Automation 2018 Review
We would like to take a few minutes and reflect on the past, current and future of ACC Automation. Your questions, comments and suggestions have helped us to build the site that you see today. Thank you.
YouTube Channel : ACC Automation
2018 has been our best year yet thanks to you. Keep on Reading!
BRX PLC Analog IO – System Configuration
One of the features of the BRX Series PLC is the ability to expand its capability to fit your application. This is easily done by “snap-on” modules that will fit on the side of the BRX MPU (Multi Processor Unit). As we have seen before in the BRX PLC System Configuration post we can add additional discrete inputs and outputs. Automation Direct now offers Analog Voltage and Analog Current input and output modules. These modules come as an 8 point channel unit. There is also a 4 point thermocouple input module also available. We will be configuring, scaling and programming the Analog input and output Voltage modules for our BRX PLC. Let’s get started. Continue Reading!
BRX PLC AdvancedHMI Communication – Modbus TCP
Advanced HMI is a powerful, adaptable HMI/SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) development package that takes advantage of Visual Studio. There is no coding required and you can simply drag and drop items onto the page. The best thing is that the software is free. We will look at using AdvancedHMI with the BRX Series PLC.
Our sample BRX PLC program will display a digital panel meter and a gauge of a value in the PLC. Stop and start momentary pushbuttons on the HMI will allow this number to increase or stop. An indication will turn green when the number is increasing and red when it has stopped. The AdvancedHMI package will communicate Modbus TCP over Ethernet to the BRX PLC. We will be able to monitor our process via the AdvancedHMI window. Lets get started. Watch on YouTube…
Continue Reading!
BRX PLC Email – Text SMS Messaging Gmail
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 user authentication can be complicated. In our example, we will use a restricted Gmail SMTP server so no authentication will be required. We will walk through sending email and text messages from the PLC to Google Gmail. Once in your Gmail account, the message can be automatically forwarded to another verified email or SMS text message address.
The BRX Series PLC also has this Email capability along with attaching files. We will also be looking at secure email services with the BRX Series PLC. Let’s get started. Continue Reading!
BRX PLC Data Logging
Data logging does not have to be complicated anymore. The BRX Series PLC can log your specific data up to 32 Gigabits on a Micro SD Card. It will store your data for future data analysis in a CSV (Comma Separated Value) Txt file based on time and/or event.
This is all accomplished with just one instruction in the BRX PLC. Excel is just one program that you can import and analysis this CSV Text file.
Do-More Designer has a Browse PLC File Systems window that will allow you to copy, create and delete the files from the connected computer. This will save you from going to each controller, removing and copying the files on the Micro SD Card.
We will be looking at the data logging instruction in the BRX Series PLC and how to retrieve and view this information. Let’s get started. Continue Reading!
ACC Automation 2017 Review
ACC Automation
We would like to take a few minutes and reflect on the past, current and future of ACC Automation. 2017 has been our best year yet thanks to you. Your questions, comments and suggestions have helped us to build the site that you see today.
Thank you. Continue Reading!
BRX PLC Serial Communication – Modbus RTU to Solo Process Temperature Controller
Serial communication instructions will allow you to send and receive serial data to an external device. The communication method that you setup can be ASCII or numeric (binary). ASCII (American Standard Communication for Information Interchange) can be used to send to devices such as a printer or display.
Receiving ASCII can be used for connecting barcode scanners to the PLC. The barcode will be read as an ASCII string in the PLC.
The BRX Series PLC will allow you to use instructions such as STREAMIN and STREAMOUT to send and receive data from devices mentioned above. They are usually a one to one device and do not have a protocol.
A protocol is like a language used to communicate to different devices connected together. Modbus serial communication (Modbus RTU) is a standard protocol used in many industrial automation devices. The BRX Series PLC has a MRX (Modbus Network Read) and MWX (Modbus Network Write) instructions.
We will demonstrate these instructions by communicating Modbus RTU to a Solo Temperature Controller. (RS485) Our example will read the current process (PV) value and write the set point value (SV) in the controller. Let’s get started. Continue Reading!
BRX PLC Drum Instruction
Drum instructions are great tools when you have a simple sequence of events that need to occur at a set time interval or as a result of an event. They mimic an electromagnetically drum sequencer. The BRX Series PLC has a drum in the instruction set.
Have you ever seen the mechanisms of a music box? Ok so it’s a little drum with pegs that catch and flick the chimes in a particular sequence to play whatever tune is on the drum. So in the PLC you can have a drum driven by an event, (input from a limit switch or button), or by time.
We will discuss the drum instruction and look at an example of controlling traffic lights with a cross walk signal. Continue Reading!