Industrial Automation, PLC, VFD, and Troubleshooting
A PLC program should do more than make a machine run.
A professional PLC program should be:
OrganizedReadableTroubleshooting-friendlySafeConsistentExpandableMaintainable
In real industrial environments, machines are modified, maintained, repaired, upgraded, and troubleshot by different technicians …
Read MoreIn industrial automation, two words appear constantly in PLC logic:
PermissiveInterlock
They are related, but they are not exactly the same.
Understanding the difference helps automation technicians troubleshoot faster, read ladder logic better, …
Read MoreIn industrial automation, the words fault and alarm are often used together.
But they do not always mean the same thing.
A fault usually means something is wrong enough to stop equipment, …
Read MoreTimers, counters, and one-shots are some of the most important instructions in PLC programming.
They are used in almost every industrial machine.
A PLC program does not only turn outputs ON and …
Read MoreIn professional PLC programming, one of the best practices is to separate raw physical I/O from the logic used inside the program.
This is done using:
Input BufferingOutput Buffering
Input buffering means copying …
Read MoreIn many industrial machines, not all inputs and outputs are wired directly to the main PLC panel.
Instead, many systems use Remote I/O.
Remote I/O allows input and output modules to be …
Read MoreIndustrial automation can feel overwhelming.
There are many areas to understand:
Electrical controlIndustrial electronicsSensorsInstrumentationPLCsLadder logicVFDsMotor controlHMISCADAIndustrial networksRemote I/OSafety systemsTroubleshootingDocumentationBackups
At times, it may feel like:
“I do not know enough.”“There is too much to …
Read MoreOnline editing is one of the most powerful features in Studio 5000 Logix Designer.
It allows a PLC programmer or automation technician to modify certain ladder logic while connected to the …
Read MoreIntroduction
One of the most common troubleshooting situations in industrial automation is when a field sensor appears to be working, but the PLC does not see the input.
A technician may see …
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