ACC Automation: PLC & Industrial Control Learning
Practical Tips and Techniques
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
In this tutorial, I will show you how to connect the ACC PLC Simulator’s 3D Control Panel Scene to the BRX Do-More PLC using Modbus TCP over Ethernet. We will use the Do-More Simulator that comes built into the Do-More Designer programming software. This means you don’t need any physical hardware. You will write real … 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
The Productivity Suite Software allows us to modify our existing program and execute the new code without stopping the PLC scan. This is referred to as online editing. We change the ladder logic code, and when we save it to the P1-M622-16DR PLC, the current PLC scan is held until the new code is written … Read more
We will now look at wiring and testing our first ladder logic program with the P1-M622-16DR Mini PLC. Having created our start-stop motor circuit and learned about the monitoring tools in the Productivity Suite Software, it’s time to connect real-world devices and see our program in action. We will wire a start pushbutton, a stop … Read more
Did you know that over 500 articles and tutorials are now freely available on ACC Automation? That’s right—more than a decade of accumulated PLC programming knowledge, HMI design guides, communication tutorials, and hands-on examples waiting for you to explore, all without spending a dime. Whether you’re a complete beginner trying to understand your first rung … Read more