PLC External Hardware Tutorials
Industrial Relays have been used in Automation for decades. These fundamental building blocks of electrical circuits allowed the first automated systems to function without the need of modern PLCs and computers. Although you won’t find any relay based logic circuitry today, they still play an important role in modern control systems.
Industrial Relays have been used in Automation for decades. These fundamental building blocks of electrical circuits allowed the first automated systems to function without the need of modern PLCs and computers. Although you won’t find any relay based logic circuitry today, they still play an important role in modern control systems.
Variable Frequency Drives are used within the automation industry to drive induction motors with added precision over a simple contactor. Over the last decade, these devices have become increasingly cheaper. Based on this phenomenon, it’s now recommended to utilize a VFD over a contactor in every application. VFDs are flexible, provide additional control and data in every application.
Industrial Relays have been used in Automation for decades. These fundamental building blocks of electrical circuits allowed the first automated systems to function without the need of modern PLCs and computers. Although you won’t find any relay based logic circuitry today, they still play an important role in modern control systems.
Variable Frequency Drives are used within the automation industry to drive induction motors with added precision over a simple contactor. Over the last decade, these devices have become increasingly cheaper. Based on this phenomenon, it’s now recommended to utilize a VFD over a contactor in every application. VFDs are flexible, provide additional control and data in every application.
One of the most challenging first steps in PLC programming is connecting to the hardware. Within the ControlLogix family of Allen Bradley PLCs, this connection is established through a dedicated EtherNet / IP card (Note: the 1756-L8x PLCs have dedicated EtherNet ports and no longer require a separate module). These cards have been changed and upgraded since the initial release of the platform and multiple issues have been resolved. However, it’s still important to know how to work with them as many plants employ older versions of these modules.
One of the most critical steps of PLC programming is creating back-ups. This step is present at one form or another within every facility or machine builder in this world. Some programmers will save a file on their laptop, some will save a copy on a shared drive, some will rely on a server that runs FactoryTalk Asset Centre and others will utilize the SD Card feature of the current PLCs. Although it’s not the most reliable way to create a backup, it can be the most cost and time-effective way to store a back-up in a small facility or a way to migrate the same program onto multiple machines.
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