Artificial Intelligence is moving into industrial automation faster than many technicians expected.
AI is beginning to appear in engineering tools, predictive maintenance systems, digital twins, robotics, machine vision, process optimization, and …
Read MoreThere is a message becoming increasingly common in industrial automation:
Take a PLC course, learn ladder logic, become a PLC programmer, and start making great money.
There is some truth inside that …
Read MoreA PLC programmer does not need to be a chemical engineer, mechanical engineer, process engineer, electrician, instrumentation specialist, and machine designer all at the same time.
But there is another extreme …
Read MoreWhat 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 MorePLC 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 MoreIn 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 MorePLC Addressing: Rack/Slot vs Tag-Based
In a PLC system, every input, output, and internal memory location needs a way to be identified by the controller.
This identification method is called addressing.
In simple …
Read MoreLadder Logic is one of the most common PLC programming languages used in industrial automation.
It was designed to look similar to electrical relay control circuits, which makes it easier for …
Read MoreIn industrial automation, PLC counters are used when a machine needs to count events.
A counter can count:
Parts
Boxes
Bottles
Cycles
Machine strokes
Rejects
Pallets
Sensor pulses
Production totals
A counter does not count time.A counter counts how many times …
Read MoreIn PLC programming, not all logic is simple ON/OFF control.
Sometimes the PLC needs to work with numbers.
The PLC may need to:
Move a value from one tag to another
Compare a process …