Industrial Automation, PLC, VFD, and Troubleshooting
An HMI, or Human Machine Interface, is the screen that allows operators and technicians to interact with a machine or process.
A PLC controls the machine, but the HMI gives the …
Read MorePLC Communication Basics
Modern PLC systems rarely work alone.
A PLC may communicate with:
HMI panels
VFDs
Remote I/O
Servo drives
Robots
Barcode readers
Vision systems
SCADA computers
Industrial switches
Other PLCs
Data collection systems
In older systems, many signals were hardwired point-to-point.
Example:
PLC output …
Read MoreUnderstanding How the HMI Talks to the PLC
In an industrial HMI system, the screen is only useful if it can communicate with the controller.
The HMI needs to read machine status …
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