ACC Automation: PLC & Industrial Control Learning
Practical Tips and Techniques
Structured Text is widely recognized as the fastest-growing PLC programming language. It is an IEC 61131-3 standard text-based language that reads like Pascal or C. If you have worked with any high-level programming language, ST will feel familiar. And if you have only used ladder logic, ST opens up a new way to think about … Read more
AI PLC code is everywhere in the conversation right now, but does it actually work on a real machine? Instead of guessing, I set a trap. I gave both ChatGPT and Claude the exact same motor control task for the CLICK PLC — a task with a classic wiring gotcha buried in it — took … Read more
Use AI wisely with PLCs. Rules and Recommendations for Using AI in PLC Programming!AI is a genuinely useful helper when you are writing PLC code, but it is a helper — not a programmer, and definitely not a safety system. Over the last while I have worked out a set of rules I follow every … Read more
Using AI to program a Click PLC. In this post, I will show you how I use AI to help me program an AutomationDirect CLICK PLC. We will describe a simple machine in plain English, let the AI turn that description into a ladder logic plan and an address list, and then enter that logic … Read more
The ACC PLC Simulator now supports simulator gamepad input. Plug in any standard USB or Bluetooth controller, and you can drive PLC inputs, control analog values, navigate 3D scene cameras, and run your program without ever touching the keyboard. This works with Xbox controllers, PlayStation controllers, generic USB HID gamepads, and most Bluetooth controllers. There … Read more
In this tutorial, I am going to walk you through the Conveyor Scene in the ACC PLC Simulator. This is a single-axis belt conveyor with proximity sensors at each end and a box that travels back and forth along the belt. You will write a ladder logic program that starts the conveyor, detects the box … Read more
Almost every PLC program includes a timer instruction. The Productivity Mini PLC P1-M622-16DR (P1 Mini) offers several timer instructions. (P1 Timer) We discussed the Timed Coil (TMC) and Flasher Coil (FLS) in our last post as part of our discussion of contacts and coils. In this session, we will review the instructions for the Simple … 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
If you’ve ever wanted to practice PLC ladder logic without buying hardware, the ACC PLC Simulator is built for you. It’s free, it runs in your browser, and it uses standard PLC register conventions. No downloads. No license fees. Just open the page and start programming. In this tutorial, I’m going to walk you through … Read more
We will now look at the tag numbering systems used with the Productivity Mini PLC P1-M622-16DR. The Productivity Suite Software allows us to use tags in the PLC. Tags are a method for assigning and referencing memory locations (numbering systems) within the programmable logic controller. They allow a more structured programming approach and are stored … Read more