ACC Automation: PLC & Industrial Control Learning
Practical Tips and Techniques
This tutorial is for beginners who are just starting to program PLCs. Using the EasyPLC simple conveyor, we will move a box back and forth on the conveyor. We will learn to write the PLC ladder logic program for this operation. Using the five steps to PLC programming development, we will determine what must be … Read more
The Machine Simulator (MS) is part of the EasyPLC software suite. It has many built-in machines that are used to show different programming techniques. The solder robot example is one of these machines. This will demonstrate a sequencer robot example. In this case, four rivets are welded using a robot. The logic will step through … Read more
Previously we looked at the easy PLC machine editor design simulation. We created a mixing tank simulation using the EasyPLC machine editor. The tank included a control panel and operation indication. We will now use the Do-More designer programming software to program the ladder logic for this EasyPLC mixing tank application. The built-in simulator of … Read more
You’ve had this idea for years since you were a kid. You want to be an electrical engineer, and you’re finally going to follow through on it and learn PLC programming to start your career off right! What? That’s what you thought, anyway. But then you started googling around, trying to figure out how to … Read more
Math instructions perform mathematical calculations. The Productivity 2000 Series PLC has math instructions that you can use in various applications. We will look at the Data Statistics (DATA) and the Math Editor (MATH). We will demonstrate both of these instructions using the examples in the help file. An average wind speed will be calculated using … Read more
EasyPLC comes with many prebuilt machines for you to develop the programming logic. These can be modified, or new custom machines can be programmed using the machine editor. The machine editor comes as a standard feature of the EasyPLC Software Suite. The EasyPLC Machines Simulator editor is an easy-to-use tool enabling you to create easy, … Read more
Most programmable logic controller (PLC) programs will include a counter instruction. The Productivity 2000 Series PLC has two different counter instructions for your program. These can be used in several different ways to adapt to your application. Basically, counters are used to count up or down to a specific limit. When the limit is reached, … Read more
The EasyPLC palletizing robot will demonstrate sequencing and robot control using a PLC. This palletization process will fill a box container with six cans. A servo-controlled gantry robot using x and y is used to do this operation. The complete box will then travel along to another conveyor to an unloading area. A robot will … 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
Timers are one of the first things you learn about programmable logic controllers. (PLC) Just about every PLC program will include timer instructions. The Productivity 2000 Series PLC has several different timer instructions for your program. We discussed the timed coil (TMC) and flasher coil (FLS) last time as part of the ladder logic output … Read more