Basics of PLC Programming

EE 100 Intro to EE Fall 2004 Dr. Stephen Williams, P.E.

Overview
How

did we get where we are today? How does a project at GM in 1968 relate to the work of Henry Leland in the late 1800s?
PLC SLC AB Ford Sensor Drive

Autos GM Bus

Vocabulary
Programmable

Logic Controllers

Definite-purpose

computers design to control industrial processes and machines devices designed to control

Drives
Solid-state

motors
Sensors
Transducers

used to obtain information

First Programmable Controller

General

Motors Corporation
Division

Hydromatic

Replaced

relay-controlled system PDP-8 minicomputers? MODICON 084

Modular

Digital Controller

Information Flow

Genesis of Automation
Operation
May

sheets

date back to the 1830s

Listing
All

of:

machining operations The machine tools employed Tools, jigs, fixtures, and gauges
Organization

and flow of work

Industrial Revolution
High-volume

production Interchangeable parts Transportation system Inexpensive energy (coal) Frederick W. Taylor
Scientific

management

Henry

Ford

Purpose of Automation
Increase productivity Standardize components or processes Free workers from repetitive, and sometime dangerous, tasks

Early Automation Applications

1869 Refineries in Pennsylvania automatically covert crude oil to kerosene 1937 Pictured is the loading and unloading of stators via an overhead conveyor for dipping in continuous process oven

The Case Against Automation

Las Vegas Sun, August 2, 1961

Jimmy Hoffa saw a new industrial revolution forming with automation being a threat to his giant union more menacing than the Justice Department, Attorney General Bobby Kennedy and the president himself. He felt he could cope with the Senate committees, the FBI, and all the new legislation being written, which he thinks is aimed at unionism. It is with automation that all his talents, energy and ability must be directed.

Forces Driving Automation

Lower

costs Faster production Better quality control How have they remained relevant today?

Engineering Resources

Why do you need all of these engineers running around to make all of this stuff work?

Breakthroughs and Plateaus

Where

have we seen breakthroughs, and then plateaus of technology?

Microprocessors Graphical

User Interfaces Power Electronics Software Systems

Brief Review of Technology

Traditional
Still

(ancient?) devices

used in many plants If it aint broke

Where

are we going?

Traditional Relay Logic

Used

since Control via a series of relay contacts On and off inputs Race conditions on the outputs Very expensive
Hard

to design and construct Difficult to maintain

Traditional Devices
Relays Contactors Motor

Starters Manually operated switches Mechanically operated switches Electrically operated switches

Relays
Original
The

control elements Now used as auxiliary devices

PLC is not designed to switch high currents or voltages
CR1-1 CR1

Contactors
Used

for heavy-duty switching Provides isolation from high voltages and large currents Usefully for large inductive currents, such as motor starting

Motor Starters
Contactors

+ Overload Relay Overload relays were usually heaters and bimetal strips
The

bimetal strip separates when heated

Next

steps:

PLCs

and motor starters Electronic overloads Intelligent starters

Manually Operated Switches

Pushbuttons
Normally

open Normally closed Break-then-make Make-then-break

Selector

switches
or spring return

Maintained

Mechanically Operated Switches

Limit

Switches Temperature Switches Pressure Switches Level Switches

Electrically Operated Switches

Photoelectric

Switches Proximity Switches

What's ahead?
Solid

state devices to replace motor starters Distributed smart sensors Micro- and nanomachines Adaptive control Smart maintenance

Summary
A

very brief history of industrial automation Overview of some of the older technologies Some thoughts on the future

PLC Systems

CPU

Processor Memory

One Module Part of the chassis or a separate module

Power Supply

Programming/ Monitoring Device I/0 Modules

Small Logic Controllers

Input and Output

Input

Modules
real world signal to PLC input

Convert

24 V, 120 V, Analog, etc.

Output

Modules
PLC signal to real world output

Convert

24 V, 120 V, Analog, etc.

Limiting
PLC

values

power supply

Configurations
Fixed Rack
Many

I/O
expandability

Limited

modules, with the possibility of chaining many racks together

SLC

500 is a fixed I/O device SLC 5/02 uses a rack configuration

Chassis Versus Rack

One Rack is 128 inputs/outputs A chassis is the outer shell of the PLC Chassis Rack SLC 5/02s in S-340 have a ten-slot chassis

Slots are numbered from 0 to 9

SLC Image Tables

Hex

numbering Addressing
I1:2.0/01 I

is for the file type 1 is the file number 2 is the element number .0 is the sub-element number (>16) /01 is the bit number

Real World Address

I1:3.0/01
I

is the module type 1 is redundant 3 is the slot number .0 is for terminals above 15 /01 is the terminal number

Remote Racks
I/O racks located close to the equipment being monitored Simplifies wiring Communication modules

Similar to LAN Fiber Optic Coaxial cable

Discrete I/O Modules

Either

on or off Bit oriented Various ratings

24

V 120 V TTL 4 20 mA

Special I/O Modules

Analog High

speed counter Thumb-wheel TTL Encoder PID Servo

Memory Organization
Not

the same on all manufactures

Bradley uses two main types

Allen

Memory
Data

Maps

table User program Internal registers

Memory

allocation could be fixed or

variable

SLC Program File Structure

Program File Number 0 1 2 3-255 Use System Functions Reserved Main Program Subroutines

RSLogix 500 Screen

Define controller attributes

Model Memory Communication Main program Subprograms

Program files

SLC Data File Structure

Data File Number 0 1 2 3 Use Output Image Table Input Image Table Status Table Bit Table

SLC Data File Structure

Data File Number 4 5 6 7 Use Timer Table Counter Table Control Table Integer Table

SLC Data File Structure

Data File Number 8 9 10-255 Use Reserved (Floating Point Value Table) Network Table Any combination of Bit, Timer, Counter, Control, or Integer Tables

RSLogix 500 Screen

Access to input and output tables Access to timer and control control files

Address Format
What

type of device or module Where is it located physically or in memory For example, T4:0/DN is the done bit for timer 0 in file 4 I:2.0 is an input module in slot 2 Word versus bit addresses
I:3.0

is a word, I:3.0/04 is a bit

Multiword Elements
Timers,

counters, and control elements Three words used

Control

word to store status Preset word to store desired value Accumulated word to store present value Control file store a length and position value (on functions other than counters and timers)

Counter Element Example

Name Control Word Preset Word Accumulated Word Address C5:0 C5:0.PRE C5:0.ACC Example C5:0/DN 5000 1240

RSLogix 500 Screen

Counter C5:0

Program Scan
Each cycle through the program and I/O process is called a scan Scan times vary with the length of the program and the speed of the processor

Programming Environments
Languages
Ladder

available

logic Boolean Function chart

Ladder

logic is the most common Function chart is the future C, BASIC, etc., are also possible

Transducers
Converts

energy from one form to

another Input transducers

Real

world into the PLC

Output
PLC

transducers

to real world

Sensors
Sensors

are transducers used to measure or detect Convert mechanical, magnetic, thermal, or optical variations into electrical quantities Sensor input is the basis for most of the decisions made in a large system

Proximity Sensors
Detect

the presence of a object (target) without physically touching the object Solid-state devices Completely encapsulated Used when:
Detecting

small objects Rapid response is required

Inductive Proximity Sensors

Senses

a metallic object A change in the magnetic field occurs when a metallic object enters into range This type of sensor can see through cardboard boxes and other enclosures Current-sourcing or current-sinking output

Manually Operated Switches

Pushbuttons
Normally

open Normally closed Break-then-make Make-then-break

Selector

switches
or spring return

Maintained

Counter Instructions
Count

Up or Down Similar to timers, but without an internal source Two methods used: block and coil
SLC

5/02s use the coil format

PREset

and ACCumlated values RESet similar to RTO

How Counters Work

Increment

or decrement on a false to true input transition They are retentive

The

accumulated value remains when the rung goes false

PREset
Move

can be changed by the program

a new value into C5:0.PRE

Control Bits
15 CU
CU

14 CD

13 DN

12 OV

11 UN

10 UA

= Count Up CD = Count Down DN = Done OV = Overflow, UN = Underflow

Integer Limits
PREset

and ACCumulator values must be integers Integers on the SLC 5/02 range from 32,767 to -32,768 Cascade counters to go beyond these limits

Cascading Example

Down Counters
The

SLC 5/02 does not have a true down counter

The

counter does not start at a value and become true when the ACCumulator is zero

The

SLC 5/02 CTD works with another counter with the same address

Down Counter Example

Types of Data Instructions

Math Data

Functions
subtract, multiply, etc. to BCD, Less than, Equal, etc.

Add,

Conversion and Comparison Operations

Integer

Logical

Bits, Words, and Files

A A A

bit is the smallest unit of information

is a bit is a word

T4:0/DN

word is another name for a register

T4:0.PRE

file is a block of words, also known as a table

T4

is a file

Data Transfer Move

The move instruction takes a value from a register, or a constant value, and places it in another register

BCD Move Into a Register

Moves an integer value into a BCD device. In lab, the LED Display

BCD Move From a Register

Moves an BCD value into an integer register. In lab, the thumb-wheel inputs

Comparisons
Greater than, less than, equals, etc. When true, output is true

Todays Task
Use what you have learned to break the code Each bench has a PLC program The first bench to turn on all five lamps wins!