Industrial Automation, PLC, VFD, and Troubleshooting
PLC Inputs and Outputs Explained
In industrial automation, a PLC does not work by itself. It needs to interact with real-world devices installed on the machine or process.
These real-world devices are …
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 …
Read MoreBefore 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 …
Read MoreLadder 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 …
Read MoreSeal-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 …
Read MoreIn 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 …
Read MoreIn 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 …
Read MoreIn 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 …
A PLC program can be well written, but if the PLC system is poorly installed, the machine can still have problems.
Many PLC issues are not caused by bad ladder logic.
They …
Read More