ACC Automation: PLC & Industrial Control Learning
Practical Tips and Techniques
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
Photoelectric sensors detect the presence or distance of objects in various industrial applications. They typically integrate all necessary optics and electronics into a single unit, requiring only a power source to function and provide an output based on their specifications and the object detection criteria. Photoelectric sensors, also called photo eyes, detect object presence or … Read more
A stack light is a valuable tool for displaying the status of a machine or process. This is used to draw the operator’s attention to the operation or condition of the machine. It is usually a vertical tower of colored lights programmed to turn on or off in various combinations to indicate different conditions. For … Read more
Logic circuits in a PLC ladder logic program are either on or off. The inputs change, which will affect the outputs. This can be expressed in a timing diagram. The timing diagram or chart will show you how the ladder logic program will respond to the changing states of the inputs and outputs. This visual … Read more
The Machine Simulator (MS) is part of the EasyPLC software suite. It has many built-in machines that can be programmed. A simple conveyor is one of these machines. This is usually the starting point for learning about the machine simulator. This conveyor example will use two digital inputs and two digital outputs. A pallet will … Read more