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 MoreOne 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 …
Read MoreIn PLC troubleshooting, one of the most powerful and dangerous tools is forcing.
A PLC force allows a technician or programmer to manually override the normal state of an input or …
Read MorePLC troubleshooting is not about guessing which part is bad.
A good Automation Technician follows a method.
When a machine does not run, the problem could be in many places:
Field device
Sensor wiring
24 …
PLC input problems are very common in industrial automation.
A machine may stop, refuse to start, stay stuck in a sequence, or show an HMI alarm because the PLC is not …
Read MoreA Practical Troubleshooting Method for Electrical Control Panels
When troubleshooting an electrical control panel, one of the most effective methods is called the backtracking method.
The idea is simple:
Start where the problem …
Read MoreHow to Diagnose a Control Panel That Appears Completely Dead
One of the most common troubleshooting situations in an electrical control panel is this:
Nothing works.No lights.No relay response.No motor starter.No PLC …
Read MoreHow to Diagnose PLC-Controlled Circuits Without Guessing
PLC troubleshooting is one of the most important skills for an automation or maintenance technician. In modern industrial panels, the PLC is often the …
Read MoreIn industrial automation, the PLC does not know what is happening in the real world unless field devices send information back to it.
That is the job of sensors.
Sensors detect physical …
Read MoreA Practical Guide for Automation Technicians
When a machine stops working, many people quickly say:
“The PLC is not working.”
But in real industrial troubleshooting, the PLC is only one part of the …
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