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Have you ever wasted hours
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troubleshooting a PLC program because of
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confusing tag names? Or inherited a
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system where deciphering the code felt
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like breaking an ancient cipher? Poor
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naming conventions can turn a simple
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maintenance task into a nightmare. In
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this video, I'll show you how proper PLC
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naming can save you time, reduce errors,
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and make you a more effective
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programmer. PLC naming conventions. Five
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essential steps for clean, efficient
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code. A well ststructured PLC program is
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the cornerstone of reliable and
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maintainable automation. While the logic
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itself is critical, an often overlooked
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aspect is the naming convention used for
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tags, routines, and other components. A
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consistent and descriptive naming
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convention can drastically improve
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troubleshooting, collaboration, and the
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overall longevity of a system. Here are
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some best practices to follow. Detailed
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information contained in this video can
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be found at accccclautomation.ca.
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Why do naming conventions matter?
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Clear names make the code easier to read
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and understand, not just for you, but
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for anyone else who might work on the
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system. Troubleshooting. When a machine
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is down, you need to find the problem
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fast. Descriptive names like motor
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status running are far more helpful than
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generic names like MTR1
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stat R. Scalability. A good convention
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makes it easier to create new components
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and expand the system without
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introducing confusion. Collaboration.
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When multiple people are working on the
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same project, a standardized naming
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system ensures everyone is on the same
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Naming conventions can act as a form of
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reducing the need for extensive separate
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documentation that can quickly become
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outdated. Key principles for naming.
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One, be descriptive and clear. Avoid
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abbreviations or acronyms that aren't
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widely understood. If you must use
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abbreviations, make sure they are
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documented. A tag name should tell you
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what the tag does without needing to
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look at the code. For example, pump one
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start push button is much better than
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Two, use a consistent structure. Decide
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on a structure and stick to it. A common
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approach is a hierarchical structure
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such as location equipment description
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type. Example line 100 conveyor start
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PB. Three, choose a case convention.
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Pick a case style and use it uniformly
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throughout the project. Common options
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include Pascal case, camelc case, and
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snake case. Many programmers prefer
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snake case for its readability. The key
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is consistency throughout your project.
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Four, incorporate data types and
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purpose. Include a prefix or suffix that
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indicates the data type or the tag's
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purpose. This immediately tells a
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programmer how the tag is being used.
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Common prefixes, suffixes, in for
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inputs, out for outputs, stat for
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status, ALM for alarms, and CMD for
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Example, tank level, sensor in or motor
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speed, feedback, analog. Five, use
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consistent abbreviations.
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If you need to use abbreviations, create
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a list and use them consistently.
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For example, MTR for motor, VLV for
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valve, PB for push button, LS for limit
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switch. Make sure these are documented
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in a central location for new team
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members. Let's look at some examples to
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see these principles in action. Compare
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these bad and good naming examples. Bad
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start PB. The good name is descriptive
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and tells you the location equipment and
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function of the tag. Bad timer good
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timer accumulated time. The good name
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clarifies the purpose of the timer and
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what the value represents.
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Bad valve estatus. Good tank drain
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valve. Status open ls.
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The good name uses a clear structure and
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identifies the specific type of sensor.
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Bad temp. Good oven temperature. Set
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The good name distinguishes between the
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actual temperature and the desired set
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point and indicates it's an analog
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value. Creating a solid naming
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convention for your PLC projects is a
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crucial investment that pays dividends
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in the long run. It's a simple change
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that can lead to more organized,
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readable, and professional code. Taking
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the time to establish and enforce a
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standard will make your projects easier
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to manage, troubleshoot, and maintain
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for years to come. Let's recap the five
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essential steps for creating effective
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PLC naming conventions. Step one, be
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descriptive and clear. Use names that
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clearly describe what the tag does like
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pumpto start push button instead of PB1.
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Step two, use a consistent structure.
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Follow a hierarchical pattern like
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location do equipment description
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type to maintain organization across
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your program. Step three, choose a case
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convention. Whether it's Pascal case,
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camelc case, or snake case, consistency
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is key for readability.
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Step four, incorporate data types and
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purpose. Use prefixes or suffixes like
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in, out, or stat to immediately indicate
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how a tag is being used. Step five, use
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consistent abbreviations.
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If you must abbreviate, document them
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and use them consistently throughout
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your project. Following these five steps
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will lead to more maintainable,
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readable, and professional PLC programs
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that save time during troubleshooting
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and make collaboration easier.
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By implementing these five essential
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steps, you'll create more maintainable
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and professional code that saves time
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during troubleshooting and makes
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collaboration easier. If you found this
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video helpful, please like and subscribe
6:39
for more automation tips and best
6:43
There are many different PLC
6:45
manufacturers with their own hardware
6:48
All programmable logic controllers share
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similar basic features.
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To learn how to approach learning about
6:55
basic PLC's, click here. Click here to
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learn more about how the machine
7:01
simulator from near can be used to help
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your programming skills.
