Practical Tips and Techniques
PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) programming is a crucial aspect of industrial automation, yet many individuals struggle to grasp its fundamental concepts. This guide will dive into the key principles of PLC programming that are often misunderstood, shedding light on these concepts and providing clarity for beginners and experienced professionals. By addressing common misconceptions and exploring … Read more
PLC programs scan cyclically. This means that it is repeated many times and in the same order. The primary sequence of a PLC scan is reading the inputs, executing the program, diagnostics, and communication, and updating the outputs. We will look at these scan items with particular attention to how the ladder logic program is … Read more
Programmable logic controllers (PLC) use a cyclic scan. The time that it takes to complete one scan is called Scan Time. Typical scan times range from 10 milliseconds to 10 microseconds. This translates from 0.01 to 0.0001 seconds per PLC scan. Understanding how the program scan will help us in programming and troubleshooting the PLC. … Read more
Shift registers will move (shift) bits in a word (register) to the left or right. If we look at an example of boxes moving along a conveyor belt, the boxes would represent the bits in the register. The movement of the conveyor would be the shifting of the register that represents the movement of the … Read more
Just about every program usually has some data comparison instruction. This is the ability to compare information from one area of the controller to another and act on results. The output of this comparison conditions the logical continuity of a rung. PLC Fiddle is a free online browser simulator and has the following compare contact … Read more
PLC programming will often involve math equations that need to be solved. Every manufacturer of programmable logic controllers will include math logic for you to use in your programs. Numbering systems play an important role. You can usually perform math using BCD (Binary Coded Decimal), Binary or Floating Point. Here is a link that will … Read more