Industrial Automation, PLC, VFD, and Troubleshooting
When programmers begin learning state machines, two names appear very quickly:
Moore Machine
Mealy Machine
Both are finite state machine models, but they differ in one very important way:
A Moore machine determines outputs …
Read MoreState machines are one of the most powerful programming concepts used in industrial automation.
They are especially useful when a machine can exist in several clearly defined operating conditions such as:
Idle
Starting
Running
Stopping
Opening
Closing
Manual
Automatic
Faulted
Instead …
Read MoreOne 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 MoreTimers 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 MoreIf 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 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 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 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 MoreTo understand PLC programming, you need to understand how a PLC stores information.
A PLC does not only turn inputs and outputs ON or OFF. It also stores data in memory.
That …
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