Industrial Automation, PLC, VFD, and Troubleshooting
In 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 …
In 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 …
In many PLC programs, the machine does not only turn devices ON and OFF randomly.
The machine often needs to follow a specific order.
For example:
Step 1: Start conveyor
Step 2: Detect product
Step …
PLC 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 MoreOpening an unfamiliar PLC program can feel overwhelming.
You may see:
Dozens of routines
Hundreds or thousands of tags
Timers and counters everywhere
Interlocks
Permissives
Fault logic
HMI commands
VFD control
Analog signals
Communication logic
Old logic that nobody remembers
Comments that may …
Read MoreCommissioning is the stage where a PLC control system moves from programmed to proven in the real machine.
A program may look correct offline and still fail during startup because commissioning …
Read MoreThroughout this PLC series, we repeatedly used an important programming concept:
Do not build your entire machine logic directly from physical I/O addresses.
Instead, create a clean separation between the real hardware …
Read MoreA PLC, or Programmable Logic Controller, is one of the most important devices in industrial automation.
It is the controller that reads field signals, executes logic, and controls machine outputs.
A PLC …
Read More
33. PLC Programming Best Practices: Structure, Tags, Comments, and Troubleshooting ( 33 of 35 )
PLC Programming Best Practices
A PLC program should not only make the machine run.
A good PLC program should also be:
Easy to understand
Read MoreEasy to troubleshoot
Easy to modify
Easy to document
Easy to recover
Safe to …