Industrial Automation, PLC, VFD, and Troubleshooting
Throughout 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 MoreLadder 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, …
Read MoreA 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, many machines operate in steps.
A door opens, stops, closes, and faults.A conveyor starts, runs, stops, and detects jams.A filler waits for a bottle, fills, verifies level, 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 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 MoreAfter creating a Studio 5000 project, configuring tags, building ladder logic, and setting up I/O modules, the next major step is connecting to the controller.
This is where the PLC project …
Read MoreIn Studio 5000 Logix Designer, I/O modules automatically create module-defined tags.
These tags are technically correct, but they are not always easy to read.
For example:
Local:1:I.Data.0Local:1:I.Data.1Local:2:O.Data.0Local:2:O.Data.1
These tags tell you where the signal …
Read MoreIn Studio 5000 Logix Designer, the I/O Configuration is where the PLC project is connected to the real hardware.
This is where you define the modules, communication devices, input cards, output …
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