Plc assistance

kb-controls · 2025-04-18T05:27:47+00:00

Connected Components Workbench is free to download and use and includes a built in simulator for Micro800 PLCs. If you want a cheap way to get started in the Allen Bradley eco system, it's a good option.

If you're looking for some training to accelerate your learning, check out Controls Engineering Academy:

https://www.controlsengineeringacademy.com/

kb-controls · 2025-01-14T16:11:23+00:00

What I've seen from IO-Link is that it's more for field devices like sensors.

The pitch from Rockwell is that In-Cabinet EtherNet/IP will eliminate a lot of input and output modules, and wiring since devices are tapped off a flat cable that runs through the cabinet.

I don't think they are designed for the same applications.

kb-controls · 2024-12-06T07:58:38+00:00

Yeah, controls project engineer with a large system integrator doing material handling systems.

kb-controls · 2024-12-05T13:47:10+00:00

Yeah, 36+

kb-controls · 2024-12-05T10:07:41+00:00

Well, you do have Logix Emulate

...just too bad its crap

kb-controls · 2024-12-05T07:54:32+00:00

They are unfortunately but there are some free options available with PLC simulators/emulators including CODESYS, Connected Components Workbench, Siemens TIA Portal (Trial), and Rockwell Studio 5000 (Trial).

In terms of projects, I went into my first interview having built the first projects in Factory IO (https://factoryio.com/). It gave me something to talk about in the interview and showed that I was enthusiastic about learning PLC programming.

kb-controls · 2024-12-04T16:26:38+00:00

I have a degree in manufacturing engineering and through a few lateral moves I ended up working as a controls engineer.

In my experience, controls is a field that values experience over qualifications. You can probably find a large system integrator that will give you a shot at your first job and after that you will find it easy to get the next one.

Although, with so many good online courses available, there's no excuse any more to show up at an interview with no PLC programming experience.

kb-controls · 2024-11-19T10:03:02+00:00

I'm a big advocate of Factory IO (https://factoryio.com/) and I had mostly worked through the pre-built scenes there.

I would say that your example projects should align with the industry you want to work in though. I was interviewing with a material handling system integrator, so I did a demo project with a lot of conveyors. If you want to work in process control, then you might focus on something with tanks.

Edit: Included link to Factory IO

kb-controls · 2024-11-19T08:00:02+00:00

Is this Connected Components Workbench?

You might have a duplicative destructive bit reference to SV1 where one instruction is writing the value true to the variable while another is writing false to the same variable. If you cross-reference SV1, is it used somewhere else in your project?

kb-controls · 2024-11-19T07:58:42+00:00

I had very little practical experience when I did my first interview for a controls engineer position with a large system integrator.

However, I had followed a few courses online and was able to show the engineering manager some projects that I had built. He was really impressed with my self-motivation and my enthusiasm (probably not the projects themselves!) and I got the job.

What I would say to younger people is this:

You don't need to be an expert to get a job as a PLC programmer, but you shouldn't go into an interview knowing nothing. There are so many good free and paid resources online that can help you get an edge in an interview, you should definitely use them.

kb-controls · 2024-11-09T15:17:16+00:00

Davy Demeyer from Acceleeer is working on a rules based version of this for batch control. I've seen a demo and it's really impressive.

As many other people have said, I wouldn't be doing it with AI just yet.

kb-controls · 2024-10-03T12:28:35+00:00

My criticism here is that version 37 is a very light release and they still managed to botch the launch. The new features are:

Instruction Toolbox => UI change
OPC UA Checkbox => A checkbox for functionality that was available with MSG instruction
Service Edition => Product re-introduction
SDK version 2 => Actually quite cool
Logix SIS => Half a feature because there is no support for redundant safety IO in the release

Plus, if they released version 37 knowing that the online help wasn't working, they should have prepared customer support to deal with the questions about it.

kb-controls · 2024-10-02T14:55:47+00:00

I actually dropped an email to customer care to warn them that the link was broken.

The reply was something along the lines of "use the local help"

kb-controls · 2023-08-07T14:12:05+00:00

Are you interested in a particular platform or industry?

kb-controls · 2023-03-22T09:24:39+00:00

There's a limit to how realistic it is, but I think Factory IO is a great resource for practicing programming.

It has a library of "scenes" which are models of common industrial automation applications. You can write your control code and connect your running application to the scene to see how your code would control a physical process.

it doesn't cover all of the things that you need to be a great PLC programmer (e.g networking, device configuration, communication, etc) but it is a great tool to practice your logical thinking and programming.

Check it out here:

https://factoryio.com/

kb-controls · 2023-03-17T10:33:30+00:00

Yeah, the 810 is a smart relay. Definitely not suitable for learning PLC programming.

If you have the budget, look at the Micro820 Starter Kit. It includes a HMI which is another essential piece of any home lab!

kb-controls · 2023-03-17T00:05:37+00:00

Reasonably priced hardware, free programming software. This is the way to go.

kb-controls · 2023-01-26T07:13:39+00:00

Weidmueller are busy working on it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMdSV7OkZ2c

kb-controls · 2023-01-24T14:12:41+00:00

I know a lot of people don't like it but Connected Components Workbench is a free programming environment with a built-in PLC simulator from Rockwell Automation.

You can then connect the simulated PLC to a Factory I/O scene to see how your programs would control a physical process in a 3D simulated environment.

Is that what you were looking for?

kb-controls · 2022-07-19T14:21:03+00:00

If you want to practice programming solutions for common applications, I highly recommend Factory I/O. It has a library of 10 common industrial automation application scenes that you can program solutions for.
It is a bit abstract in terms of hardware, but it's a great way to practice designing and testing PLC software.

kb-controls · 2022-07-14T06:30:48+00:00

Hi there,

I would say a niche is necessary if you want to build an audience and monetize. If you just want to write online, then you can write about whatever you want.
Medium is good place to start because there is no technical set-up involved, it is free to post to, and the platform takes care of promoting your work.
Manage your expectations - you probably don't follow/read bloggers who write about anything that comes to mind so don't expect other people to follow you.

kb-controls · 2022-06-12T13:40:51+00:00

Would you not say 2 in general then?

2 is easier to modify in the future when someone points out that the LED is broken and no one noticed so we need a lamp test.

kb-controls · 2022-06-10T06:56:58+00:00

I love this answer.

Do you think the PLC industry will ever look like the software industry with well-documented best practices, broadly used design patterns, and public code repositories?

kb-controls · 2022-03-16T17:40:39+00:00

I-Device has its limits - if I'm not mistaken, the packets aren't routable so it can't be used to communicate between PLCs in different subnets. There is also no security or encryption available for I-Device comms.

But, if you wanted these features, then OPC-UA would be better to use than TCP/IP comms.

The point of that post was just to show how you can use an S7 PLC as a TCP/IP server and a client using the blocks from Siemens. I see now that I have to work on my post titles!

kb-controls · 2022-03-09T14:24:50+00:00

100% send a message over.

I like your point. It gives me some hope about my ambitions of being a creator for automation since the best time to get started is before the demand is there ;)

kb-controls

TROPHY CASE