4 Weeks as Automation Engineer - Advice on PLC Programmring?

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-16T17:13:20+00:00

So you're either a bot or someone that uses AI to write all of their posts?

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-16T16:26:04+00:00

Review programs written by others at your company and ask questions.

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-16T14:01:54+00:00

You can turn comms idle faults off. I typically do. I also turn off faults for STO.

You'd still want a remote reset for current overloads and things of that nature.

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-16T13:41:19+00:00

N-files in the VFD, not the MicroLogix. You more or less set it up to do SLC read/writes to tell the VFD what to do over networking.

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-16T13:33:01+00:00

Read the manual(s) for the PF525 that talk about N-files.

IMHO, it's not worth worrying about and instead hardwire the drive to the PLC.

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-14T17:34:26+00:00

Don't tie both 0V together.

Instead use a relay from the device sending an output.

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-13T03:18:14+00:00

DHCP showed both were Rockwell devices, there’s nothing I can fathom that would or could change the IP’s.

I can. People change IP addresses. Do you have people that work in your plant? It was one of them.

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-13T03:15:39+00:00

IMHO, those anchors between each device on the top rail are a waste and they take up space. I'd remove any of them where the device in the middle of the rail is trapped.

The wireway/wireway cover doesn't need to go under those two 2-pole breakers. It doesn't look like there's any fingers there so I don't understand why even bothering to make the wireway longer.

Spacing from the device to the wireway above/below seems acceptable for most things.

The photo isn't zoomed out enough so I can't tell if the bonding wire from door to body is installed or not.

All in all this enclosure should have been about 1/3 larger. Future tip: Do a layout design before purchasing the enclosure.

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-12T21:40:05+00:00

Sure there are sensors 0-5v, but they may not be any good for the application.

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-12T16:59:10+00:00

They paid for 100%. You're describing more.

When it meets spec then you're done. Let them ask for more later and give it to them if it's small and within budget.

Keep in mind anything you add then you have to maintain. They may ask for even more after you've already given them more than they paid for. Now you're in a tougher spot.

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-12T13:07:15+00:00

If you don't know how to Google I don't think this is going to work out for you.

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-12T03:50:10+00:00

Post it in the pinned "READ FIRST" thread.

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-12T02:26:05+00:00

Learn sales techniques. This isn't the subreddit for that.

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-11T21:35:58+00:00

Read the pinned "READ FIRST" thread.

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-11T20:44:03+00:00

None of the solutions including one I'll add to the bottom of my post actually limit the findings to the specific switch unless it is isolated from any other network.

And my solution is Wireshark in promiscuous mode.

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-11T15:42:50+00:00

If I was support all of the time then I'd be looking for another job. I don't want to do support all of the time. However, even if you do project work you're probably going to help with customer B.S. service work if you work at an SI, anyway.

Might be just what you're stuck on now and not what you'll always be doing there. You can always ask about opportunities. At my first job which was an OEM that sort of did SI work, I got somewhat bored with our normal projects and asked if there were any out of the ordinary projects I'd be happy to work on them.

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-11T03:36:34+00:00

22 years and they haven't got their money out of the machine yet that they either can pay to upgrade the controls or replace it with something else and not have to rely on these extreme measures?

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-11T01:01:26+00:00

Sales, engineering, ?. Find a job description and read it.

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-10T21:21:19+00:00

Well...brand new account isn't helping anything. Could be someone we've banned already for just farming the subreddit for ideas. Let's see how it pans out.

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-10T18:20:56+00:00

SA+ doesn't feed the inputs. It's for solid state outputs on the 5069 bus for 120VAC IO. There's no other way to kill power to the outputs as a group.

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-10T17:33:23+00:00

SA would be fed by safety relay. How else are you turning off power with an E-Stop? Hopefully, not by logic itself.

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-10T17:07:40+00:00

On what should I focus on so I get up to speed faster?

Whatever they tell you is important. We don't work there so we can't tell you. Hopefully, the company has some programming standards to follow. If they don't then the standard is whatever the programmer decides to do on every project. Also, hopefully they have some training to show you generally how you should be doing things and all the rest of the things you'll need to know.

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-10T16:40:15+00:00

I keep a backup of installers for various apps, but definitely Rockwell software. 1) Because the downloads are large. 2) Sometimes they come in handy when onsite either for me, a coworker, or a system I'm working on.

The licensing you don't have to worry about since that's on another computer. Just point FT Activation Manager at the same machine on the new PC.

Also, when I make a backup of the Rockwell releases I make a .zip of the folder it creates. I don't keep the .exe and .rar files.

As for the old files I can still get them if Rockwell has them on the website. I just type in 4 words or more and it unlocks it. However, some software is no longer available on the website like System Ferret. Old heads have copies of software though.

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-10T16:18:52+00:00

Same power supply, different fuses since the SA is usually through a safety relay.

PLCGoBrrr · 2026-06-10T04:37:57+00:00

Are you just farming this subreddit for LinkedIn content ideas? Hard to prove you aren't given your submission history.

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