ACC Automation: PLC & Industrial Control Learning
Practical Tips and Techniques
Over the past year, ACC Automation has continued to provide valuable content on PLC learning and industrial control. In 2023, the focus continued with PLC learning with minimum investment. Each year, we like to reflect on the past, present, and future of ACC Automation. The site has been built with the help of its audience, … 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
The Arduino Opta IoT PLC offers a convenient way to program it using the Arduino PLC IDE in function block diagram (FBD) format. This is a simple and intuitive method, and it is one of the industrial PLC languages. In addition to FBD, you can program the Opta PLC using any of the five official … Read more
We will be demonstrating counter-sequencing logic on the Do-More PLC Simulator and EasyPLC. EasyPLC software suite includes a machine simulator named Machine Simulator (MS). It has a variety of machines that can be programmed and customized. One of these machines is the body car quality verification machine, which utilizes a camera and a collaborative robot … Read more
We will now look at communication between the Productivity 2000 PLC (Modbus TCP Server) and Node-RED (Modbus TCP Client). Node-RED is a powerful, adaptable HMI/SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) development package that uses flow programming. Minimal coding is required; you can see the program flow visually. The best thing is that the software is … Read more
This article discusses the Arduino PLC IDE in Instruction List (IL) format, an industrial programming language that is simple and intuitive for those familiar with mnemonic program code. The Opta PLC can be programmed using any of the five official languages specified in the IEC standard and sketches written in C++. This article will focus … Read more
The Machine Simulator (MS) is part of the EasyPLC software suite. It has many built-in machines, like the palletizing conveyor machine, that show different programming techniques. The palletizing conveyor example is one of these machines, and we will use the Click PLC programming software. This will demonstrate a sequencer example. In this case, a box … Read more
Using Modbus RTU (RS485), we will connect the XY-MD02 Temperature and Humidity Sensor to the Click PLC. The Click will be the Client (Master), and the Sensor will be the Server (Slave). This is an ideal sensor to place in a panel to ensure that the panel is within a working temperature and humidity range. … Read more
In the current era of automation and digitization, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) have emerged as integral components for varied industries, including manufacturing, construction, and more. Mastering the PLC and what you need to know involves different facets of the PLCs. Understanding their basics to troubleshooting common concerns is crucial in optimizing their efficiency and application. … Read more
The Productivity 2000 series of PLCs has five built-in communication ports for easy connectivity to your PC or various industrial networks. Ethernet protocols like Modbus TCP can be utilized with the RJ45 port on this PLC. Modbus TCP is an open (published) protocol that uses the Server (Master) / Client (Slave) architecture. It’s a very … Read more