19. PLC Forcing: When to Use It and When Not To


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In 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 …

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18. Program Control Instructions: JSR, MCR, JMP, and Fault Routine


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In PLC programming, not every instruction directly turns on a motor, counts a box, or starts a timer.

Some instructions are used to control how the PLC program executes.

These are called …

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16. PLC Counters: CTU, CTD, and One-Shots


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In 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 …

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12. Seal-In Circuits Explained


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Seal-In Circuits Explained

A seal-in circuit is one of the most important basic patterns in PLC ladder logic and relay logic.

It is commonly used when an operator presses a momentary Start …

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11. Basics of Ladder Logic Programming


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Ladder 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 …

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10. Fundamentals of Logic: AND, OR, NOT in Ladder Logic10.


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Before learning advanced PLC programming, every automation technician must understand the basic logic operations used in ladder logic.

The three most important logic functions are:

AND
OR
NOT

These are the foundation of almost every …

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9. Number Systems for PLC Technicians


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When working with PLCs, it is important to understand that the controller does not “think” the same way humans do.

Humans normally use the decimal system:

0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, …

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8. PLC Memory Basics: Bits, Words, DINTs, and Tags


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To 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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5. Discrete I/O vs Analog I/O


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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 …

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20. Ladder Logic Basics for Automation Technicians (20 of 41)


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Ladder logic is one of the most common programming languages used in industrial automation.

It is used to program PLCs that control machines, conveyors, pumps, valves, motors, packaging equipment, process systems, …

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