Industrial Automation, PLC, VFD, and Troubleshooting
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 MoreIs It the Sensor, Wiring, PLC Card, Scaling, or HMI?
Analog input troubleshooting is one of the most valuable skills for an automation technician.
When an HMI value looks wrong, unstable, frozen, …
Read MoreFrom Raw Counts to Engineering Units
In industrial automation, a PLC does not automatically understand pressure, level, flow, temperature, or weight.
The PLC receives an electrical signal from the field instrument. That …
Read MoreUnderstanding Live Zero and Signal Faults in 4–20 mA Loops
In industrial instrumentation, one of the most important concepts for automation technicians to understand is this:
In a 4–20 mA signal, 4 …
Read MoreA Practical Guide for Automation Technicians
One of the most important signals in industrial instrumentation is the 4–20 mA current loop.
If you work with pressure transmitters, level transmitters, flowmeters, temperature transmitters, …
Read MoreDiscrete, Analog, and Digital Signals for Automation Technicians
Industrial instruments measure real-world process conditions such as pressure, level, flow, temperature, weight, pH, or gas concentration. But the PLC cannot directly read …
Read MoreA Practical Guide for Automation Technicians
Industrial instrumentation is one of the most important areas in automation because it connects the real physical process to the control system.
A PLC, HMI, or …
Read MoreTurning Real-World Signals Into Useful Numbers
In PLC troubleshooting and programming, not every signal is simply ON or OFF.
Many devices send a variable signal that represents a real-world measurement, such as:
TemperaturePressureLevelFlowWeightValve …
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