15. UDTs Explained: User-Defined Data Types for Industrial Devices
As Studio 5000 projects become larger, tag organization becomes increasingly important.
A small machine may only have a few motors, valves, sensors, and alarms. In that type of project, individual tags …
Read More14. Trending in Studio 5000: A Powerful Troubleshooting Tool
One of the biggest challenges in industrial troubleshooting is dealing with problems that happen too fast to observe.
A sensor may turn off for only 100 milliseconds. A motor feedback signal …
Read More13. Timers in Studio 5000: TON Explained for Technicians
Timers are everywhere in industrial automation.
A motor may need a few seconds to prove that it started. A valve may need time to reach its open position. A photoeye signal …
Read More12. MOV Instruction Explained Simply in Studio 5000
If you are learning Studio 5000, one of the first instructions you will see everywhere is the MOV instruction. At first glance it looks almost too simple, but in real …
Read More1. What Is a PLC and Why Is It Used in Industry? (1 of 35 )
What Is a PLC?
A PLC, or Programmable Logic Controller, is an industrial computer used to control machines, equipment, and automated processes.
In simple words, a PLC reads signals from field devices, …
Read More2. Main Parts of a PLC System ( 2 of 35 )
A PLC system is made of several hardware and software components that work together to control an industrial machine or process.
At a basic level, a PLC system receives information from …
Read More3. How the PLC Scan Cycle Works ( 3 of 35 )
How the PLC Scan Cycle Works
The PLC scan cycle is one of the most important fundamentals to understand in industrial automation.
A PLC does not normally read an input, solve one …
Read More4. PLC Inputs and Outputs Explained ( 4 of 35 )
PLC Inputs and Outputs Explained
In industrial automation, a PLC does not work by itself. It needs to interact with real-world devices installed on the machine or process.
These real-world devices are …
Read More5. Discrete I/O vs Analog I/O ( 5 of 35 )
In PLC systems, not all signals are the same.
Some signals are simple ON/OFF signals. Other signals represent a changing value such as pressure, temperature, tank level, speed, or weight.
That is …
Read More6. Sinking and Sourcing Inputs Explained Simply ( 6 of 35 )
One of the most confusing topics for many automation technicians is sinking and sourcing.
You may hear people say:
PNP sensorNPN sensorSourcing inputSinking inputCurrent sourcingCurrent sinking
At first, it sounds complicated. But the …
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